Israel to Send 11 Athletes to 2026 Youth Olympics in Senegal

The Israeli Olympic Committee's management convened on Tuesday to discuss ongoing matters and approved the composition of the Israeli delegation for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games. The delegation will include 11 athletes, five female and six male, competing in eight sports: boxing, athletics, judo, gymnastics, fencing, archery, swimming, and sailing. Notably, Israel will be represented in boxing and fencing for the first time in the history of the Youth Olympics.

During the meeting, the committee also hosted Ronen, the father of Omer Nautra, who was killed on October 7th. The flag bearers for the delegation will be Itamar Cohen (judo) and Ofir Simcha (swimming). The delegation's leadership includes Yarden Har Lev as head of delegation, Yarden Hiruti as professional manager, Yaniv Ashkenazi as manager of the Association for Support and the Brisbane 2032 Program, Dr. Idit Shuv as team doctor, and physiotherapists Yariv Shapira and Liat Kogon, along with photographer Oded Karni.

The Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to take place in Senegal from October 31 to November 13, 2026, mark a historic milestone as the first Olympic event to be held on the African continent. The games are expected to host approximately 2,700 athletes from 207 delegations, alongside 6,000 volunteers, participating in 151 medal events. A young refugee team will also participate for the first time.

The Israeli delegation also held a preparatory meeting, including team building, a review of the games, and professional content on topics such as medicine, social media, and navigating international situations. Attendees included Yael Arad, Chairwoman of the Israeli Olympic Committee, Adi Bichman, CEO of the committee, and Yuval Wox, the outgoing Israeli Ambassador to Senegal.

Adi Bichman stated, "The Israeli Olympic Committee is proud to send a young and quality delegation to the Youth Olympic Games, representing the future generation of Israeli sports. For our athletes, this is their first opportunity to be part of the Olympic stage, compete against the best in the world, and proudly wear Israel's colors. We believe in them, in the professional path they have taken, and in their ability to perform at the crucial moment and represent Israel with great pride on the international stage."

Additionally, the committee approved changes to the Athlete of the Year selection process, based on recommendations from a professional committee headed by Itai Margalit. The updated system aims to prioritize athletic achievement and establish a more professional and uniform selection mechanism. Key changes include consolidating the Coach of the Year awards into two categories: Coach of the Year for a women's team and Coach of the Year for a men's team, based on the gender of the athletes coached, not the coach. A coach cannot win both awards in the same year. For Athlete of the Year, the best athletic achievement will be the primary basis for selection, with international athlete rankings used to break ties. Awards for Young Athlete, Young Sportswoman, and Breakthrough of the Year will also be presented.