DUBAI, 2nd April, 2026 (WAM) -- The UAE Olympic Committee held a joint meeting with national sports federations via videoconference on Wednesday to review preparations for the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games, set to take place in Dakar, Senegal, from 31st October to 13th November.

Mohammed bin Darwish, Executive Director of the UAE Olympic Committee, highlighted the importance of the event, in which the UAE has participated since its inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010.

He noted the country's continued participation in subsequent editions in Nanjing in China (2014) and Buenos Aires (2018), where the UAE won its first medal through rider Omar Al Marzooqi, who secured silver in show jumping. He also highlighted the UAE's participation in the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, Republic of Korea, in 2024, marking the first appearance by a Gulf country.

Bin Darwish reviewed medical protocols to be followed before, during and after the Games, coordinated between the Sports Medicine Commission and the organising committee's medical team to ensure compliance with relevant guidelines.

The UAE's participation in Dakar is expected to be its largest in terms of the number of sports, following confirmation of qualification places based on athletes' performances in international events. Among the key milestones was the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, where the UAE achieved a record 31 medals.

The meeting also reviewed key aspects of the Games, including the 25 sports on the programme, distributed across three host cities, with approximately 2,700 male and female athletes participating.

Ahmed Al Tayeb, Director of Technical and Sports Affairs at the UAE Olympic Committee, presented an overview of the available qualification places across several sports, in coordination with the International Olympic Committee and the organising committee. The discussion also addressed the readiness of the pool of qualified athletes, in cooperation with the national federations.