India will field a 17-member athlete contingent, comprising 11 women and six men, across 11 sports at Dakar 2026
Former shot-putter Om Prakash Karhana has been named chef-de-mission of India's 35-member delegation, which includes coaches and support staff
Syndrela Das, Tanvi Patri and Dhinidhi Desinghu are among India's medal prospects at the Games, which run from October 31 to November 13
India will send a 17-member athlete contingent to the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games, with 11 women and six men set to compete across 11 sporting disciplines in Senegal from October 31 to November 13.
The overall Indian contingent will comprise 35 members, including the 17 athletes, coaches and support staff. Former Indian shot-putter and Asian Championships gold medallist Om Prakash Karhana has been appointed chef-de-mission of the delegation.
The 39-year-old Karhana, an outgoing member of the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) Athletes Commission, previously served as the safeguarding officer of India's contingent at the Asian Youth Games last year.
The Sports Ministry has approved a support staff comprising 12 coaches, four physiotherapists and one doctor to accompany the athletes at the Games.
The 17-athlete squad will be India's smallest at a Summer Youth Olympic Games since the competition was introduced in 2010. The Indian athletes will compete in athletics, archery, badminton, beach wrestling, boxing, equestrian, judo, swimming, table tennis, windsurfing and wushu.
India Contingent For Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games
Archery: Gatha Khadke – Women's individual
Athletics: Avinash Shourya – Women's 100m hurdles
Badminton: Tanvi Patri – Women's singles; Dev Ruparelia – Men's singles
Boxing: Gunjan – Women's 48kg; Lairenlakpama Ambekar – Men's 50kg
Equestrian: Sresht Raju – Men's individual jumping
Judo: Khushbu Rajakbhai – Women's 63kg
Windsurfing: Priyanshi Patil – Women's windsurfing
Swimming: Dhinidhi Desinghu – Women's 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley; Tirhank Pegu – Men's 100m and 200m butterfly
Table Tennis: Syndrela Das – Women's singles
Beach Wrestling: Antra – Women's 65kg; Anuj – Men's 70kg; Deepanshu Khokhar – Men's 80kg; Taniya – Women's 75kg
Wushu: Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu – Women's Changquan combined
Syndrela Das, Tanvi Patri Among India's Medal Hopes
Table tennis player Syndrela Das, badminton prospect Tanvi Patri and swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu are among India's leading medal prospects at the fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympics.
Das will compete in the women's singles table tennis event, while Patri, the reigning Asian Under-17 badminton champion, will represent India in the women's singles competition.
Desinghu, meanwhile, will have three opportunities in the pool, having entered the women's 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley events.
Dakar 2026: First Olympic Sporting Event On African Soil
The 2026 edition will mark a historic milestone for African sport, with Senegal becoming the first African country to host an Olympic sporting event. Competitions will be spread across three locations -- Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
Around 2,700 athletes from 204 countries are expected to participate across 25 sports, with 153 medal events scheduled during the Games. The programme will also feature 10 engagement sports, which will not carry medal events.
Baseball5 and Wushu Taolu will make their debuts at the Summer Youth Olympics. The wider sporting programme will include athletics, swimming, breaking, skateboarding, beach handball, beach wrestling, futsal and coastal rowing, among other disciplines.
Originally scheduled for 2022, the Games were postponed by four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dakar edition will run from October 31 to November 13, bringing together athletes primarily aged between 15 and 17.
India's Youth Olympic Games Record
India have won 23 medals across the three previous editions of the Summer Youth Olympic Games, comprising three gold, 16 silver and four bronze.
The country's most successful campaign came at the 2018 edition in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the Indian contingent secured 13 medals, including three gold, nine silver and one bronze.
The inaugural Summer Youth Olympics were held in Singapore in 2010, followed by Nanjing, China, in 2014, and Buenos Aires in 2018. Dakar 2026 will be the fourth edition of the competition.
Organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Youth Olympic Games bring together young athletes from across the world, combining elite sporting competition with educational and cultural programmes.
The event also aims to encourage international exchange and promote Olympic values among the next generation of athletes.
