This tournament was more than a sporting event. It was a vibrant celebration of culture, coinciding with the third edition of the Dakar en Jeux Festival.
Kenya U16 National Boys Baketball team returned home on Sunday night with a well-deserved bronze medal after a hard fought 19 – 17 victory over Algeria at a youth basketball tournament held in Dakar, Senegal, from November 8th to 10th.
This tournament was more than a sporting event. It was a vibrant celebration of culture, coinciding with the third edition of the Dakar en Jeux Festival. The festival features a variety of sports exhibitions and a concert that sets stage to the countdown towards the 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Dakar.
With just less than two years until the games, the event was designed to build excitement and foster community spirit around what will be the first ever Youth Olympic games hosted in Africa.
The festival also offered a glimpse into the growing preparations for 2026 YOG, with teams from Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Algeria participating. Key elements of the game including the mascot, medal design and official song are expected to be unveiled in the coming months.
Scheduled for October 31st to November 13th, 2026, the Dakar Olympic Games will be a historic moment for Olympics movement as the first ever event to be held in Africa. With the impressive performance at the festival, it reflects the Kenyan basketball team potential on the international stage as they look ahead to the 2026 games.