DAKAR: Oman swimmer Hamed al Hasani has been named the national flagbearer for the opening ceremony of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Saturday, leading the Sultanate’s delegation at the first edition of the event to be staged on African soil.
The ceremony will take place at Stade Abdoulaye Wade in Diamniadio, around 30 km from Dakar, with a capacity of 55,000 spectators. It is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm local time (10:30 pm Oman time), with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry among the expected guests.
Hamed, who will make his Youth Olympic Games debut, will lead Oman’s contingent during the athletes’ parade. He is set to compete in the men’s 400m and 800m freestyle events.
The Omani delegation will include Engineer Khalfan bin Saleh al Naabi, Oman Olympic Committee Board Member and Head of Delegation, Rashid bin Ali bin Humaid al Badi, Ambassador of Oman to Senegal, representatives of the Omani Embassy in Dakar, and members of the administrative and medical teams.
The 90-minute ceremony will celebrate Senegalese identity and Africa’s cultural diversity through music, dance and visual displays. Organisers are preparing a large-scale production involving around 11,000 performers, including 700 dancers.
Under the motto 'Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates', the event will showcase the continent’s cultural heritage and vision for the future. Dakar 2026 ambassador and French actor Omar Sy has also expressed his support for the Games, describing young people as a source of light and hope.
AL NAABI TO LEAD OMAN DELEGATION
Meanwhile, Engineer Khalfan bin Saleh al Naabi arrived in Dakar on Friday to oversee Oman’s participation and coordinate preparations and requirements for athletes, coaches and support staff.
Oman’s swimming preparations suffered a setback after organisers cancelled Friday morning’s training session, October 30, because pool water temperatures exceeded the required standards. The decision was taken as a precaution, with athlete health and safety cited as the priority.
Organisers were reviewing additional safety measures before allowing training to resume, with an afternoon session considered subject to further assessment and coordination with World Aquatics.
The cancellation disrupted Hamed’s scheduled pool session under the supervision of Oman’s Algerian coach, Mohamed Bouguerra. The coaching team instead planned physical conditioning and fitness work to maintain his readiness.
Hamed will compete in the 400m freestyle on Sunday and the 800m freestyle on Tuesday, with both events scheduled at the Complexe Tour de l’Œuf.
Oman will also feature in taekwondo and fencing. Ziyad bin Ali al Balushi will compete in the men’s under-48 kg taekwondo category on November 8 at the Iba Mar Diop complex, while fencer Jana al Sharji will contest the women’s individual épée on November 10 at Dakar Expo in Diamniadio.
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