Dakar Youth Olympic flame ignited in Athens prior to the event

The torch for the Dakar Youth Olympics was ignited in Athens on Thursday, marking the inaugural Olympic event ever held on the African continent.

Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee and the first African and female leader of the organization, expressed that the moment held significant personal importance.

“As an African, this moment means everything to me,” Coventry, an Olympic swimming champion hailing from Zimbabwe, stated, her voice filled with emotion.

“For so many years, we have envisioned the day when an Olympic event would finally arrive on our continent,” she remarked. “And now we are honored to witness that day.”

Sun's rays illuminate the flame

Paying homage to Apollo, the ancient Greek deity of truth, healing, and the sun, the flame was ignited using a concave mirror that captures the sun’s rays.

The hour-long ceremony took place at the Panathenaic Stadium, the site of the first modern Olympics in 1896.

The Youth Games, occurring from October 31 to November 13, will gather around 2,700 athletes aged 15-18 across 25 sports in Dakar, Senegal, and two other cities.

Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, head of the Dakar organizing committee, assured that the Games would be a success.

“We do not promise perfect games. We promise genuine games, games filled with warmth,” he stated.

Thursday's ceremony showcased hip-hop dancers, cheerleaders, a youth choir, and a performance by Senegalese artist Kya Loum. The flame was kindled after dancers portrayed ancient Greek high priestesses.

Runners then carried the torch and an olive branch through the stadium, which is entirely constructed from white marble in a horseshoe shape and has recently undergone a thorough cleaning and received a new blue-and-white track.

Isidoros Kouvelos, president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, declared that the day was dedicated to the youth.

“This ceremony is primarily for you: For your dreams, your bravery, for the early mornings, the extensive training sessions, the sacrifices, and the hope,” Kouvelos remarked. “Sport will impart numerous lessons. It will teach you patience and respect. And if you pay attention, it will reveal something even more profound: That the true essence of an athlete is the character developed along the journey.”