Two French badminton players, Mady Sow and Neela Lengue Te, have been selected to compete at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, ffbad.org reported. The event marks the first Olympic sports competition held on the African continent, according to coverage from olympics.com.
Running from October 31 to November 13, 2026, the fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Games brings together approximately 2,700 athletes aged 17 and under with total gender parity, olympics.com stated. Badminton matches for the French representatives are scheduled to take place from Sunday, November 1, through Thursday, November 5, with coaching oversight provided by Bertrand Louvet, as detailed by ffbad.org.
Badminton Roster and Qualifications for Dakar
The French Badminton Federation confirmed that Mady Sow of Vga Stella Saint Maur (Comité départemental 94, Ligue Ile de France) will contest the men’s singles tournament. Sow enters the competition following a string of continental successes, holding both the European junior team title and the European junior singles title, ffbad.org noted. The publication reported that these prior achievements place him in position to pursue another international medal to expand his existing record.
In the women’s singles draw, Neela Lengue Te of Baco Badminton (Comité départemental 69, Ligue Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) earned her selection following her recent victory as the French youth champion in women’s singles, according to ffbad.org. The Youth Olympic tournament offers Lengue Te a new testing ground to measure her progress against international competition.
Context of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games
The French delegation spans 69 athletes across 22 sports, selected upon the recommendation of their respective national federations, olympics.com reported. Among the notable selections is skateboarder Lucie Schoonheere, who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and now becomes the first French athlete to participate in the Youth Olympic Games after competing in the Olympics.
Organizers have opened participation to the territories of all 206 National Olympic Committees, alongside the debut appearance of a refugee youth Olympic team, according to olympics.com. Ticketing for the Dakar events is currently open to the public through official channels.
Badminton Events Run from November 1 to 5
The badminton events will run over five days from November 1 to November 5, 2026, positioned within the broader two-week window of the Dakar 2026 Games.
