GUEREO, Senegal — Senegal’s next generation of wrestlers have entered the final stages of intense training ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, where beach wrestling will make its historic Olympic debut on home soil.
Footage from the sands of Guereo shows the young team sparring, practising tackles, and working through technical moves under close coaching supervision. The intensive training follows Senegal’s recent win at the ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament in The Gambia, where it defeated Nigeria 3–2.
Despite a celebrated national wrestling heritage, adapting from traditional styles to Olympic beach wrestling presents unique challenges.
“Senegal is known as a wrestling nation, but our wrestling is different from beach wrestling,” explained national coach Abdoulaye Thiam. “The two disciplines are similar, but there are differences, particularly in the rules. We are in the final phase of our preparations and have worked very hard, particularly over the past three months, on every aspect.”
Athlete Ndeye Khady Anna Diatta voiced the squad’s determination to succeed: “It is a source of great pride to represent my country. You cannot wait until the last moment to prepare for the Olympic Games. We have worked very hard, and I believe we have every chance of winning medals.”
Beach wrestling will take place on 7 and 8 November at Saly Beach West in the Thiès region, bringing together 96 international athletes across eight weight categories.
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