The second day of the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 brought intense action across multiple venues in Senegal on Sunday, November 1, highlighted by dominant performances in French rugby sevens and rapid victories in badminton, contrasted with grueling losses for the host nation’s rugby squad at Stade Iba Mar Diop, equipedefrance.com reported alongside local coverage from iGFM.
From the sand courts of Saly to the tatamis and table tennis arenas, young athletes navigated demanding pool matches and elimination rounds under temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. While French delegations secured several quarterfinal berths, local competitors faced harsh realities in front of passionate home crowds.
French Rugby Sevens Dominates While Hosts Struggle in Dakar
The French men’s rugby sevens team delivered a flawless opening day in Pool play at the Iba Mar Diop complex, dismantling Japan 48-0 and Uganda 58-0 without conceding a single try. Argentina proved a tougher test late in the evening, but Les Bleus completed a 3/3 sweep with a 24-7 victory. Finishing the group phase with 22 tries scored, France booked a direct ticket to the semifinals to face Canada.
In stark contrast, the host nation’s rugby sevens team endured a punishing baptism at home in Pool A, according to reports from iGFM. Playing before vocal supporters at Stade Iba Mar Diop, the Senegalese selection captained by Babacar Camara opened with a 43-5 defeat against South Africa. The Lions showed greater attacking intent against Germany in their second outing before falling 32-12, then dropped their final group fixture 40-0 to Canada. The matches highlighted a steep learning curve for the local squad as they transition into upcoming classification rounds.
Badminton Stars Make Short Work of Openers
Top seed Mady Sow needed just 21 minutes to dispatch New Zealand’s Tony Yu in the men’s badminton tournament, conceding only eleven points across two games (21-5, 21-6). Playing on the land of his father, the 16-year-old French junior world bronze medalist described an atmosphere that pushes me to give the best of myself
equipedefrance.com reported. Sow will face Slovakia’s Aleksa Radovanovic in his second pool match.
Neela Lengue Te mirrored her teammate’s efficiency in the women’s draw, defeating local player Maryame Cissé 21-4, 21-6 in 21 minutes. The reigning European U19 team champion advances to play Trinidad and Tobago’s Samiya Karim.
Rowers and Beach Volleyball Pairs Advance
In women’s beach volleyball on the sand of Saly, Mathilde Berthaudeau and Malo Mir bounced back from an opening loss to Argentina by defeating Mozambique (19-21, 11-21) and Guam (21-15, 19-21, 15-10) in a grueling 49-minute battle. The duo finished second in Pool E to secure a spot in the round of 16.
Table Tennis Battles and Narrow Judo Heartbreak
In judo, 17-year-old Nathan Gbingbehi (-66kg) missed out on a podium finish after four intense bouts. Following a semifinal defeat via ippon to Canada’s Anes Mati, the Paris-Saint-Germain judoka fell 11-1 in the bronze medal match to Senegal’s Matar Diop, who drew energy from the home crowd.
Baseball5 and Wushu Taolu Campaigning
The French baseball5 team secured a third-place finish in Pool B following a 2-0 defeat against Mexico under stifling 30-degree heat, compounding an earlier loss to Kenya alongside a victory over Syria. The result sets up a quarterfinal encounter against Cuba. Meanwhile, in wushu taolu, European Championship silver medalist Lisa Lo placed fifth in the Changquan qualifications, continuing her campaign in the traditional Chinese martial arts discipline.
