The Youth Olympic flame has arrived in Senegal ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The Games will run from October 31 to November 13.
Dakar 2026 will also make history. It will be the first Olympic sporting event ever held in Africa.
Olympic flame arrives in Senegal
Al Jazeera reported that the flame arrived in Senegal as preparations for the Games continue.
Before arriving in Africa, the flame was lit at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece.
Now, the flame will travel across Senegal as part of the build-up to Dakar 2026.
It will visit different parts of the country before returning to Dakar.
Therefore, communities across Senegal will be able to join the celebrations before the Games begin.
Dakar 2026 makes African history
The event will be a major milestone for African sport.
Until now, Africa has never hosted an Olympic sporting event.
Senegal won the right to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2018.
At first, the Games were scheduled for 2022. However, they were later postponed to 2026 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Events will take place in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
Young athletes from around the world will compete at these locations.
Thousands of young athletes expected
Around 2,700 young athletes are expected to compete at Dakar 2026.
The programme will feature a wide range of sports. Athletics, swimming and basketball are among them.
However, Dakar 2026 is about more than competition.
The Youth Olympic Games also include cultural and educational activities for young participants.
The Games will open on October 31. They will continue until November 13.
For Senegal, the event will have significance beyond sport.
Dakar 2026 will make Senegal the first African country to host an Olympic sporting event.
It will also open a new chapter for the Olympic movement in Africa.