Olympic flame arrives in Senegal for the first Olympic event to be held in Africa

Dakar, Senegal welcomed the Olympic flame on Saturday with music and dancing, marking the first Olympic event to be held in Africa. A procession of 100 women, known as "lingeer," marked the countdown to the Youth Olympic Games set to take place next month. The women, dressed in traditional orange and golden garments with yellow headwraps, carried the flame to the Place du Souvenir Africain, a waterfront plaza overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Senegalese basketball legend Mame Maty Mbengue lit the Olympic cauldron at the ceremony.

Kirsty Coventry, the head of the International Olympic Committee, emphasized that the event would be a "proud moment" for Senegal and the continent. She stated that visitors in the coming weeks would leave knowing that Africa and Senegal are capable and unstoppable, with the young generation set to change the world.

The flame, which left Athens, Greece, on Thursday, was transported to Senegal for a 3,600-kilometer journey through all 14 regions of the country. Over 400 Senegalese torchbearers will carry the flame, with the event culminating in the official opening ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games. The Games, which run from October 31 to November 13, will gather approximately 2,700 young athletes aged 15 to 18 to compete in 35 sports across Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly.