Iran will participate in the fourth Youth Olympic Games, sending a delegation of 29 athletes who will compete in 14 sports. These games will be held in Dakar, Senegal, from October 31 to November 13, after a four-year postponement.
The composition of the Iranian team was expanded compared to the initial quota due to the acquisition of additional spots in judo and fencing. Nevertheless, holding the Games in Senegal and the reduction of the sports program compared to the previous edition may complicate the fight for medals for the Iranian delegation.
The Games will be held on the African continent for the first time
This thirteen-day event will mark the first time the Youth Olympic Games are held on the African continent, where athletes will compete for medals in 25 sports.
Iran will be represented in two team disciplines: women's futsal with 10 athletes and men's beach volleyball with two participants. In individual sports, the country will field four athletes in beach wrestling; two people in taekwondo and badminton; and one athlete each in swimming, wushu taolu, triathlon, table tennis, boxing, road cycling, athletics, judo, and foil fencing.
Iran has participated in all three previous Youth Olympic Games and won medals in each of them. At the first Games in Singapore in 2010, Iran won two gold, two silver, and one bronze medal. Four years later, in China, the team received three gold and three bronze awards.
Iran's best result was achieved at the 2018 Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where seven gold, three silver, and four bronze medals were won. However, repeating this success in Dakar will be a difficult task due to the reduced number of sports and athletes, which limits opportunities for winning medals.
One notable reason is the absence of weightlifting in the current program, which has traditionally been an important source of medals for Iranian sports. According to the current program, this sport will not be featured in Dakar because Senegal does not have a national weightlifting federation.
Despite the difficulties, Iran's performances at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain have instilled hope in the country's emerging athletes. Dakar will also provide a valuable opportunity to assess the potential of various sports and give young competitors important international experience on their way to senior-level competitions.
Accumulating 23 medals across the three previous editions, Iran arrives in Dakar aiming to maintain its record for podium finishes. Although the narrower range of medal opportunities makes a record-breaking campaign less likely, the performances of the participating athletes may provide important insights into the prospects of the next generation in international sports.