In a giant blow to India’s medal prospects, the manager board of the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) has dropped taking pictures, weightlifting and hockey from the roster of medal sports activities for the much-delayed 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal.
The Olympic rings are pictured entrance of the Olympic Home earlier than the opening of the manager board assembly of the IOC, in Lausanne. (AP)
Capturing, weightlifting and hockey have been named amongst 10 non-medal sports activities, which might be a part of the “engagement programme” within the YOG.
Within the 2018 Youth Video games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, India had gained 13 medals (3 gold, 9 silver and 1 bronze), out of which taking pictures had given 4 medals (2 gold and a couple of silver), whereas hockey’s share was 2 silver and weightlifting’s contribution was one gold.
Paris Olympics double-medallist star shooter Manu Bhaker had gained a gold within the women’ 10m air pistol and a silver in blended 10m air pistol.
In its assembly in Lausanne on December 3, the IOC government board has confirmed the occasions and athlete quotas for the 2026 Youth Olympic Video games (YOG) to be held from October 31 to November 13, 2026. The Youth Olympics are to be competed amongst athletes aged between 15 and 18.
“… it was decided to maintain the official involvement of all 35 International Federations (IFs) in Dakar 2026, with 25 sports featuring on the competition programme and 10 to be part of the engagement programme.
“Dakar 2026 will showcase one self-discipline from every of the 25 sports activities on the competitors programme. Moreover, Dakar 2026 will function an engagement programme that may showcase 10 sports activities,” the IOC said on its website.
The 25 sports in which medals will be given are athletics (track and field), aquatics (swimming), archery, badminton, baseball (baseball 5), basketball (3×3), boxing, breaking, cycling (road cycling), equestrian (jumping), fencing, football (futsal), gymnastics (artistic), handball (beach handball), judo, rowing (coastal rowing), rugby (rugby sevens), sailing, skateboarding (street), table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, volleyball (beach volleyball), wrestling (beach wrestling), and wushu.
In the 2018 YOG, Simran Kaur had won a silver in the girl’s freestyle 43kg but the 2026 edition will have only beach wrestling.
The 10 non-medal sports which will feature in the engagement programme are canoe-kayak, golf, hockey, karate, modern pentathlon, shooting, sport climbing, surfing, tennis and weightlifting.
“These sports activities is not going to function within the competitors programme however might be promoted by way of interactive actions on website and by way of digital platforms, emphasising their function as integral elements and an official a part of the YOG,” the IOC said.
In total, the Dakar YOG will feature 151 events — down from the 241 for the 2018 Buenos Aires edition — equally split between men and women with 72 events for each, alongside seven mixed-gender events.
“For the primary time within the historical past of the Summer time YOG, full gender equality might be achieved – not solely within the general athlete quota but additionally throughout each sport, self-discipline and occasion,” the IOC said.
The total athlete quota for the Games has been set at 2,700.
“This aligns with the IOC’s dedication to delivering a tailor-made and environment friendly programme whereas sustaining the elite nature of the competitors. It can permit the Video games to adapt to the native context of Dakar, but nonetheless guarantee a aggressive platform for younger athletes worldwide,” stated the IOC.
Initially scheduled to be held in 2022 from October 22 to November 9, the 2026 YOG — the fourth version of the Summer time Youth Video games — was delayed by 4 years in view of the operational and economical penalties of the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Summer time Olympics to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2026 YOG might be held throughout three host websites — Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly — within the Senegal capital.