Senegal welcomes the Olympic flame / More than 100 people greet the Youth Olympic Games symbol in Dakar

The Youth Olympic Games Flame has arrived in Senegal and was presented on Saturday at Place du Souvenir Africain in Dakar, at an event attended by more than 100 people. The country is hosting, for the first time on the African continent, the competition dedicated to athletes aged between 15 and 18.

The Games will take place from October 31 to November 13, in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. Approximately 2,700 young athletes will compete in 35 disciplines.

The flame was carried through Dakar by 100 Senegalese women, known as “lingeer”, a traditional title given to queens or women of royal rank in the Wolof language. Among the bearers were prominent figures from the cultural, sporting and economic fields.

The President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, said that the event would represent a moment of pride for Senegal and Africa. She stressed that the Games would demonstrate the continent’s capabilities and the role of the younger generation in changing the world.

The flame was lit in Athens with the help of the sun’s rays and a parabolic mirror, then handed over to the Senegalese delegation at the Panathenaic Stadium. Starting Monday, it will travel approximately 3,600 kilometers through all 14 regions of Senegal, carried by more than 400 people, before returning to Dakar for the opening ceremony.