Gabon’s Ghyslain Arnaud Junior Ndong is out of the judo competition at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, losing both his round-of-16 bout and his repechage match in the under-100 kg category on Tuesday, Gabon Actu reported.
Ndong opened his tournament with a 1-0 defeat to Tajikistan’s Sharif Asmar. The repechage then gave him a second chance to stay alive, but he fell 2-1 to Madagascar’s Minoharintsoa in a match that went down to the wire, with an ippon annulled along the way, according to the Gabon National Olympic Committee’s account of the bout.
Two defeats close Ndong’s under-100 kg campaign
The round of 16 ended Ndong’s main-draw run at the first hurdle. A 1-0 scoreline against Asmar sent him into the repechage, the consolation bracket that offers losing judoka one more path back into medal contention.
That second chance did not hold. Against Minoharintsoa of Madagascar, Ndong lost 2-1 in a tight contest that the Gabon National Olympic Committee described as disputed until the end, noting the annulment of an ippon. With both matches lost, his Dakar 2026 campaign is over.
Gabon’s third exit at Dakar 2026
Ndong’s elimination adds to two others for the Gabonese delegation. Swimmer Axelle Moulenda and wushu athlete Tracy Assengone have also left their respective events without reaching the final phases, bringing the number of Gabonese athletes already knocked out to three.
Gabon arrived in Dakar with a seven-athlete delegation spread across swimming, judo, taekwondo, wushu and athletics, Gabon Actu reported.
Ondaka swims Wednesday as Gabon looks for a breakthrough
The next confirmed checkpoint for Gabon comes Wednesday, when swimmer Ozavino Ondaka is scheduled to compete in the 50-meter freestyle and breaststroke, with the aim of extending the country’s presence at the Youth Olympic Games.
Judo at Dakar 2026 runs from November 1 to 3, according to the schedule published by Sport News Africa, meaning Ndong’s tournament is finished while the medal rounds in other weight classes are still to come.
Questions readers are asking about Ndong’s exit
- Ndong lost his repechage match 2-1 to Madagascar’s Minoharintsoa, ending his run.
- Seven Gabonese athletes are at Dakar 2026. Gabon sent a delegation of seven athletes across swimming, judo, taekwondo, wushu and athletics, Gabon Actu reported.
- The judo program at the Youth Olympic Games is scheduled for November 1 through November 3, according to Sport News Africa’s Dakar 2026 schedule.
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