Malaysia sends 12 young athletes to Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games
Malaysia will compete in nine sports at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games with a 12-athlete contingent, as the Olympic Council of Malaysia marks the team’s final preparations with a flag handover ceremony in Putrajaya.
PUTRAJAYA — Malaysia has formally marked its preparations for the IV Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, with 12 young athletes selected to represent the country across nine sports at the international multi-sport event.
The Malaysian contingent’s flag handover ceremony was held on Thursday, Oct 15, at the lobby of Menara KBS in Putrajaya, officiated by Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari.
The team comprises 26 members, including six male and six female athletes, supported by 14 officials. The athletes will compete in athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, breaking, fencing, sailing, skateboarding, swimming and wushu.
The ceremony was attended by senior sports and government officials, including Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary-general Datuk Mohd Nasir Ali, Youth and Sports Ministry secretary-general Dato’ Rahimi Ismail, National Sports Council director-general Arrifin Mohd Ghani and National Sports Institute chief executive officer Dr Vellapandian Ponnusamy.
In his address, Mohammed Taufiq urged the athletes to treat the Games as an opportunity to develop the resilience, discipline and competitive experience required to progress towards senior international competition.
He described the young athletes as the future of Malaysian sport and encouraged them to compete with confidence, sportsmanship and determination against the world’s leading young competitors.
The flag handover saw Arrifin present the Jalur Gemilang to Mohd Nasir, who then passed it to the minister. Mohammed Taufiq subsequently handed the national flag to the contingent’s chef de mission, Wong Weng Son.
A platform for Malaysia’s next generation
The Youth Olympic Games provide an international platform for young athletes to test themselves against competitors from other countries while gaining experience in a high-performance sporting environment.
For Malaysia, participation across nine disciplines offers opportunities to develop talent beyond the country’s established strengths in sports such as badminton, while exposing athletes to international competition in disciplines including breaking, skateboarding and fencing. The inclusion of both male and female athletes also reflects the balanced composition of the 12-member sporting team.
The Dakar 2026 edition is the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games and the first to be held on the African continent. The event is scheduled for Oct 31 to Nov 13, 2026, in Senegal.
With the flag handover completed, Malaysia’s young athletes will head into the final phase of preparations carrying the national colours and the expectations of a country seeking to build its next generation of international sporting talent.
