YOG 2026: Here we go, Olympic Dakar September 11, 2026

In Athens, in the legendary Panathenaic stadium, the flame of the “Dakar 2026” Youth Olympic Games was officially handed over to Senegal yesterday. A ceremony full of emotion and symbols, marked by the handover between Greeks and Senegalese.

Athens, Thursday September 10. The Panathenaic stadium is bathed in a sun whose brilliance almost makes us forget the dodger which strikes and recalls, by its heat, Dakar and the Senegalese environment. It is an important, significant, historic day. In this legendary place where Olympic time seems suspended, the flame of the “Dakar 2026” Youth Olympic Games is preparing to begin a new journey. Direction: Senegal. It’s 11:30 a.m. In the stands of the Panathenaic stadium, the wait is coming to an end. On the track, around twenty young girls appear, dressed in red and white. They dance to hip-hop, with controlled energy. Two minutes later, another twenty, dressed in blue and white, follow them. The bodies are in movement, flexibility on display. Here we are. The ceremony is underway.

At 11:35 a.m., change of atmosphere. Senegalese singer Kya Loum enters the stage in a flamboyant outfit, like a Greek goddess. His voice resonates in the legendary enclosure. She performs a medley of her songs before giving way to the march of the flags, those of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Greece and Senegal. It’s not a three-person tango, but the march is rhythmic.

At 11:40 a.m., the colors of the nations are ready to unfurl. As if in meditation, the audience stands up. Silence gradually invades the stadium. A woman and her cello perform the Olympic anthem. First thrill. The second one will knock out a lot of people. Kya Loum returns, dressed in a large white boubou adorned with a green head covering. The anthem of Senegal, “The Red Lion”, is performed a cappella. The applause accompanies his lyrical flights of verses that we rediscover. Then comes the moment that everyone has been waiting for.

11:50 a.m.: Lighting of the flame

A procession of around twenty young women appears. Their long dresses are reminiscent of ancient Greek costumes. One of them is holding a laurel branch. They advance with precise movements, almost choreographed to the millimeter, between dance and gymnastics. The Panathenaic holds its breath.
At 11:57 a.m., the flame burst forth at the end of the ritual gestures of the high priestess, Katerina Misichroni. Ingenious staging. Through a cloud of arms, the fire changes hands several times. The gesture is simple, but the impact is immense. The Olympic flame has officially begun its journey to Dakar.
“It is time for the flame to begin its journey,” says the mistress of ceremonies almost solemnly. The head of the priestesses, Katerina Misichroni, hands over the torch to the Greek Eleni Iakovaki, the first torchbearer to set off for a long lap of the track.
Then comes the passage which gives the ceremony its Senegalese dimension. Eleni Iakovaki passes the flame to Senegalese basketball player Brancou Badio, greatly applauded by the spectators. Then comes Kyriaki Zerva, for Greece. It was then the turn of Senegalese swimmer Oumy Diop to take over. Louis-François Mendy, specialist in the 100m hurdles, is the last Senegalese to carry the flame into the stadium. Then Iason Mouselimis, for Greece, finishes this first lap. The last torchbearer then sets the vase on fire. It’s 12:00 p.m.
At 12:01 p.m., the first speech sets the tone. “Dakar 2026 opens its doors to all of Africa and the whole world,” argues Isidoros Kouvelos, president of the Greek Olympic Committee.

Noon sharp, Dakar shines

A few minutes later, another figure enters the history of this ceremony: Kirsty Coventry. Dressed all in white, the African who heads the International Olympic Committee measures the significance of the moment. Touched by emotion, she recalled what the organization of these first Games on the continent meant to her, as an African. “As an African, this moment means a lot to me. It’s a great honor. An African country hosting the Olympic world is a dream come true,” she confides. She talks about pride. For Senegal. For Africa. And above all a meeting with the world. “Dakar will show something special to the world, not only for Senegal, but also for Africa. » In the bays of the Panathenaic, the message resonates like a promise.
At 12:17 p.m., it is the turn of Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye to enter the final sequence with his speech (See article on his speech). Then, at 12:24 p.m., the Greek high priestess hands over the torch to the president of the Greek Olympic Committee. He transmits it to Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye. Birame Senghor and Maurice Diouf, the gendarmes of Gign and Bip, guardians of the flame on its journey from Athens to Dakar, intervene with a lantern. They in turn give it to the president of Cnoss.

Moussa DIOP (Special Envoy to Athens, Greece)