Uganda will send 25 athletes to the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, in one of the country’s biggest delegations to the global youth competition. The Games, scheduled for October 31 to November 13, will be the first Youth Olympic Games to be held on African soil.
Team Uganda will compete in seven disciplines — athletics, badminton, road cycling, coastal rowing and beach sprints, rugby sevens, swimming and table tennis. The delegation comprises 18 men and seven women, with the men’s rugby sevens team boosting the size of the contingent after securing qualification.
Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare says the rugby team’s qualification is a major boost because it gives Uganda representation in a team sport. Rukare says Uganda’s participation in seven disciplines is also significant given that more than 35 sports will be contested at the Games.
“Dakar should be viewed as part of a long-term pathway for Uganda’s young athletes towards the senior African Games, World Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games,” Rukare said.
Team Uganda Chef de Mission Lydia Damuzungu says preparations are progressing well, with several athletes already having gained international experience. Damuzungu says the young athletes have shown particular promise in athletics, where some have already won medals in international competitions.
UOC Secretary General Beatrice Ayikoru says the Youth Olympic Games will provide an important platform for developing athletes before they move into senior-level competition. She says the experience gained in Dakar could help prepare Uganda’s young athletes for future Olympic participation.
“The Games will also expose the athletes to the wider Olympic movement through interaction with established athletes and sporting role models,” Ayikoru said. Former world champion Halimah Nakayi and swimmer Jamila Lunkuse will represent Uganda as mentors and role models during the Games.
Uganda will also contribute one boy and one girl to the Refugee Olympic Team. The preparations come after Team Uganda finished second at the recent Zone V Games in Kenya, winning 26 medals — six gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze. Uganda’s delegation will now use the Dakar Games as an opportunity to gain international competition, exposure and experience as the country develops the next generation of athletes for senior-level competition-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
