Dakar hosts Youth Olympic Games, becoming the first Olympic venue in Africa

The Iranian Minister of Sport and Youth, Ahmad Donjamali, arrived in Dakar as part of a three-day official visit. The purpose of the trip is to participate in the opening ceremony of the fourth Youth Olympic Games and to support Iranian athletes participating in the event.

Upon arrival at Blaise Diagne International Airport, Donjamali was met by the Senegalese Minister of Public Services, Labor, and Administrative Reform, Mamadou Lamine Diante, as well as the Iranian Ambassador to Senegal and Hamid Azizi, head of the Iranian delegation.

During his three-day stay, the Iranian sports minister intends to attend the opening ceremony of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, as well as inspect the sports venues to observe the performances of Iranian athletes.

The fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Games will take place in Senegal from October 31 to November 13, 2026. This event marks the first time an Olympic sporting event has been held on the African continent.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for Saturday at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, near Dakar, and will bring together young athletes and sports delegations from around the world. Donjamali's visit underscores Iran's commitment to supporting its young sporting talents and strengthening its presence in international youth competitions.

The city of Durban has been designated as South Africa's preferred candidate in its bid to host the 2036 or 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This brings the country closer to a potential first such event on the African continent.

The proposal was officially announced by the South African Sports Confederation and the Olympic Committee (SASCOC) on October 29. This step followed approval from the Cabinet of Ministers and places Durban ahead of Cape Town and Johannesburg, which had also expressed interest.

The city is expected to become the center of a multi-city bid, with organizers planning to utilize existing sports facilities rather than building everything from scratch. If successful, South Africa will become the first African nation to host the Olympic Games.

For Durban, this opportunity could attract international attention, tourism, and investment, as well as provide local athletes and fans with the chance to see the Games on home soil.

However, the path to the goal remains challenging. South Africa needs to present its vision to the International Olympic Committee's Future Host Commission. Feasibility assessments are expected to continue until 2027, with a decision on the host country anticipated in 2029.

There is also a historical example that serves as a warning: Durban was granted the right to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022 but lost those rights in 2017 due to failure to meet key requirements and deadlines.

Currently, the selection of Durban only marks the beginning of the process and does not guarantee the hosting of the Games in South Africa. If the bid is successful, it will be a landmark moment for the country and a historic opportunity for sport in Africa.

The South African team is preparing to improve upon last year's results at the upcoming MMA World Championship, which will take place in Georgia next week. This prestigious international amateur mixed martial arts competition starts in Tbilisi on November 1 and runs until November 7.

More than 820 athletes from over 60 countries will participate in the tournament, competing in junior and senior divisions.

MMA

Mixed Martial Arts South Africa (MMA SA) has registered ten athletes from Mzansi. The team hopes to continue the success of the previous year, when Mohammed Motala won bronze in the junior heavyweight division, and Charmaine Rabbolini won gold in the senior lightweight women's division.

In the junior men's division, Mogamat Sali will compete in the flyweight category, while Xavier Cornelius will take the bantamweight division. Jeremy Griffin will represent South Africa in the semi-heavyweight category.

MMA

All three of these athletes won gold medals at the National Championships this year, with Sali also holding the title of undisputed bantamweight champion.

MMA

In the senior men's division, Sanele Shabala and Agmad Keran will compete in bantamweight, while Giancarlo Torino and Jason Damons will also represent South Africa in the superlight and middleweight divisions, respectively, facing some of the world's strongest amateur opponents.

In the senior women's division, Nicole Alves (2026 national champion) will compete in the strawweight category, while Vinuska van Straaten (2026 national champion) and Sherize Verster will represent South Africa in bantamweight.

A Dream Realized on the World Stage

Part of the South African delegation has already arrived in Tbilisi, and the rest of the team plans to land in the coming days. Coach and Western Cape MMA board member Irfan Gool, along with Sali and Keran, are currently acclimatizing to the environment and getting acquainted with the Georgian experience before the competition begins. Cornelius and his mother are expected to arrive tomorrow, and the MMA SA president and coach, William Oberholzer, and the rest of the group will complete their journey by flying out on Friday.

Registration and draws are scheduled for November 1, with the official start of the competition on November 2.

For many athletes, these championships are a dream come true, providing an opportunity to showcase their abilities on the world stage, gain valuable international experience, and open doors for further opportunities in sports.

This event is particularly significant for Keran, who only started his MMA journey last year. The athlete, born in Lotus River, has made remarkable progress in a relatively short time.

Discussing the situation with Coach Gool at a hotel in Georgia, Keran struggled to contain his excitement about the opportunity. He stated: 'Coach, this isn't real. I'm a guy from Lotus River. Things like this don't happen. I'm competing in the World Championship and I'm part of the South African team... it still feels unreal.'

Gool, who has worked with Keran since the beginning of his MMA journey, expressed pride in the young athlete's progress. He noted: 'This was a truly big achievement for Agmad Keran, and I am proud to have been with him from the very beginning. He is a phenomenal student, and we grow as one unit.'

Building the Next Generation of South African MMA

Oberholzer believes that championships provide an important opportunity for South Africa's rising talents to gain experience while maintaining the country's proud record on the international stage. He emphasized: 'We have a relatively young team representing South Africa at these MMA World Championships, with several athletes debuting on the international stage.'

He added that 'South Africa has produced medalists and world champions in each of the three previous MMA World Championships, demonstrating that we constantly influence the global arena.'

According to Oberholzer, while they always strive to bring home medals, they also recognize the importance of gaining international experience and developing the next generation of South African MMA talent. He concluded: 'The MMA World Championships represent the pinnacle of amateur mixed martial arts, bringing together the best amateur athletes from around the world to compete at the highest international level. We are confident that our athletes will represent South Africa with pride and continue to build our international success.'