Canada sends 28 athletes to first Youth Olympics in Africa

Canada will send 28 athletes in 10 sports to the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event ever held in Africa, when the Senegalese capital hosts the opening ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The Games run through Nov. 13 and bring together more than 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 18 in 25 sports, according to the Canadian Olympic Committee. The fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympics is also the first to include a Youth Refugee Olympic Team.

The committee named the Canadian team on Oct. 21. On Oct. 27 it chose rugby sevens player Adam Burnett of Toronto and wushu athlete Miranda Wei of Calgary as Canada’s flag bearers for the opening ceremony, the committee said.

“This is unbelievable,” Burnett said after learning of his selection. “It’s what you dream of as a kid. It’s what I dreamed of since forever, just representing Canada at an Olympic level.”

Burnett, 17, will play centre when Canada makes its first appearance in men’s rugby at a Youth Olympic Games. Canada opens in Pool A against South Africa, Germany and host Senegal, with the eight-team tournament set for Nov. 1 and 2 at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop. Pool B has Argentina, France, Japan and Uganda.

Wei will compete in the women’s taijiquan combined event, when wushu makes its Youth Olympic debut. The committee said she won two gold medals and a bronze at the 2026 World Taijiquan Championships earlier this year.

Gymnastics Canada has also named its artistic gymnasts for Dakar.

Eric Myles, the committee’s chief sport officer, called the Games “an excellent opportunity for developing young athletes to gain valuable experience at a multi-sport Games.” He said the committee hopes to see athletes use the experience as a step toward the Pan American Games and the Olympic Games.

African nations are also sending big delegations. Kenya has named 53 athletes, its largest team ever and almost triple its previous record of 18, EWN reported on Oct. 20. Women make up 42 of the Kenyan athletes, about 79 per cent of the team.

The Games come as West African governments weigh their own relationships. The regional bloc and Sahel states recently agreed to cooperation talks.

The closing ceremony is set for Friday, Nov. 13. The full Canadian delegation, with sports and hometowns, is listed on the Canadian Olympic Committee’s website.

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