DAKAR, NOV 8
DAKAR, Senegal: Oman's national fencer Jana al Sharji drawn in Pool A of the women's individual epee competition at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games to set up a challenging opening round against six opponents representing different continents. Al Sharji will compete alongside Ariei Lin of Chinese Taipei, Francesca Aina of Italy, Joana Sabonete of Angola, Ndeye Mani Mabye of Senegal, Faridath Olahitan Fasasi of Benin and Ghazal Madani of Iran in a seven-fencer pool.
The Omani will begin her Olympic campaign on Tuesday, November 10, at 1pm Oman time (9am local time in Senegal) at the Dakar Expo Hall in Diamniadio. Her opening bout will be against Senegal's Ndiaye Mani Mabi, followed by encounters with Italy's Francesca Ayana, Benin's Farida Oulahitan Fasasi and Iran's Ghazal Madani. She will then conclude her pool assignments against Angola's Joana Saboniet. The pool-stage encounters will represent an important test for the young Omani, who will be aiming to secure positive results and a strong overall ranking to improve her chances of advancing to the direct-elimination rounds.
Under the competition format, each fencer will face every other competitor in her pool. Each bout consists of a single three-minute period, with victory awarded to the first fencer to register five valid touches or the competitor with the higher score when time expires. The results of the pool stage will determine the overall ranking and the seeding for the direct-elimination phase. The knockout rounds will follow a single-elimination format through to the semi-finals and final. The two semi-final winners will contest the gold medal, while the defeated fencers will meet for bronze.
KARSHOUD: JANA AT THE PEAK OF HER PREPARATIONS
Oman's national fencing head coach, Tunisian coach Hicham Karshoud, said al Sharji had reached an advanced level of technical and physical readiness ahead of her appearance at the Youth Olympic Games. He explained that her preparation programme over the past period had included participation in regional, continental and international competitions, helping her gain valuable experience and sharpen her competitive readiness for this important Olympic assignment.
Karshoud acknowledged that the seven-fencer pool would provide a tough challenge, particularly as some of the competitors are older than al Sharji, adding another dimension to the test facing the young Omani. He added that the final training sessions had focused on refining several technical and physical aspects of her performance to ensure she reaches the competition in the best possible condition.
"Every fencer has an opportunity, and we are optimistic about Jana's ability to compete strongly and progress to the advanced stages," Karshoud said, pointing to her recent achievements at the World Fencing Championships, where she secured two silver medals.
"We are fully aware that the level of competition will be high and that the pressure on the fencer will be considerable. However, we have great confidence in her abilities and technical potential. We want her to give her very best and achieve the result we are hoping for from her first Olympic appearance, reflecting the hard work and dedication she has demonstrated throughout her preparations," he added.
FINAL PREPARATIONS CONTINUE IN BAHRAIN
As part of her final preparations, al Sharji has continued her daily training sessions in Bahrain under the direct supervision of Karshoud. The coaching staff opted to utilise the national team's stay in the kingdom following its participation in the Asian Under-23 Fencing Championships and the World Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships.
The Omani fencing delegation is scheduled to arrive in Dakar on Monday, November 9, after which Al Sharji will begin her final preparations at the competition venue ahead of her eagerly anticipated Youth Olympic debut.
Al Sharji heads into the Dakar competition following an impressive run of international performances, having secured two silver medals in the women's junior epee events at two World Championships, in addition to reaching the quarter-finals of the Asian Under-23 Fencing Championships, held in Bahrain from October 27 to November 3.
Her first silver medal came at the Cadet World Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, in late October. She progressed through the elimination rounds with three consecutive victories, winning her bouts 15-8, 15-6 and 13-12 before securing her place on the podium.
Her second silver medal followed at the World Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships in Bahrain, where she produced another impressive campaign, recording victories over opponents from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan and Hong Kong to further underline her growing presence on the international fencing stage.
These achievements have provided Al Sharji with a significant confidence boost and valuable competitive experience ahead of her Olympic challenge. Expectations are high that she will build on her recent performances, deliver a strong display and challenge for a place in the latter stages of the competition, marking another important step in her promising sporting career.
Senegal is hosting the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games until November 13, with approximately 2,700 athletes representing 206 National Olympic Committees competing across 25 sports and 151 medal events.
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