The Youth Olympic Games in Dakar saw Day 1 action open on November 1, 2026, featuring a broad slate of events from judo and futsal to rugby sevens and swimming. Live updates captured a schedule across multiple venues in the host city, establishing early medal standings and group-stage leaders.
Turkey Claims Early Mixed Baseball Advantage Over Senegal
At 18:29 local time, the mixed baseball tournament reached a significant marker when Turkey established a 1-0 lead against Senegal. Match officials confirmed the score at the end of the opening inning, lifting Turkey’s standing in the preliminary round and setting up critical fixtures for the remainder of the group phase.
Venezuela and Ukraine Battle to Futsal Draw as Italy Defeats Cameroon
In women’s futsal group play, Venezuela and Ukraine fought through a contest that ended level at the conclusion of the second half, sending the match into a first-period extra time session at 18:24 local time. Earlier in the evening at 18:13, the 4-4 scoreline from the opening Group A fixture was confirmed. Meanwhile, Italy secured a 4-2 victory over Cameroon in Group B action.
Table Tennis Heats Up as France Dominates and Trevisan Falls
Table tennis matches on the opening evening brought contrasting fortunes for competitors. France’s Nina Zheng Guo earned a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico’s Valentina Davila, matching the 2-0 scoreline Austria’s Nina Skerbinz posted against Taiwan’s Minschin Chen. Ecuador’s Karolayan Maldonado defeated Romania’s Andreea Baiasu 2-1.
In the men’s draw, Italy’s Francesco Trevisan dropped a match to Hong Kong’s Li Ki Ho. After losing the opening set 11-6 at 17:38 and falling behind 0-2 at 17:42, Trevisan lost the third set 12-10 at 17:50, confirming the superiority of the tennista of Hong Kong.
Judo Medals Awarded in Opening Weight Classes
Combat sports delivered the day’s first podium finishes. In the men’s -66kg division, Ukraine’s Khazar Heydarov claimed the gold medal, defeating silver medalist Anes Mati of Canada. Turkey’s Sema Yuksel captured gold in the women’s -44kg category, where the United Arab Emirates’ Wshah secured the silver medal. Italy’s Sara Comi earned a bronze medal in the -44kg class at 17:25, while Croatia’s Zvorc took silver and Argentina’s Thiago Carvallo claimed bronze in the men’s -66kg. Senegal’s Matar Diop rounded out the podium with a decisive waza-ari to take bronze in the men’s -66kg event.
Italian Success on the Sand and International Results in the Pool
Beach volley action at 16:02 saw Italy’s Micol Lafuenti and Margherita Coretti sweep Nigeria’s Lawrence/Bawa 21-15, 21-16, consolidating the second victory on two in the group D. In the swimming competition, Egypt’s Zain Ali won the men’s 100-meter butterfly gold with a time of 52,16, finishing ahead of Serbia’s Kalanj and Slovakia’s Kristof. Russia’s Serafima Fokina took the women’s 100-meter butterfly gold in 59,81, edging Romania’s Silisteanu, with Brazil’s Aguiar taking bronze. Ariel Muchirahondo of New Zealand touched first in the men’s 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:59,15, and Argentina’s Cecilia Dieleke won the women’s 200-meter backstroke in 2:10,05 over Greece’s Eirini Zervou.
Rugby Sevens Standouts Set Up Knockout Stages
Rugby sevens matches showcased dominant performances from some nations during the afternoon sessions. Argentina defeated Canada 31-5 at 15:51, while France posted shutouts against Uganda with 58-0 and 53-0 scorelines. South Africa defeated Canada 24-12 and won 24-17. These results set up upcoming fixtures between Canada and Senegal, South Africa and Germany, Japan and Uganda, and Argentina and France.
Worth a look
