"VAN" (Sports Desk - 12.11.2026) :: Kalidou Koulibaly didn’t wait until he’d landed in Senegal to start following his country’s success at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The Senegal captain is in Dakar preparing for two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan on 12 and 16 November, after being called up by head coach Patrick Vieira. But as a Dakar 2026 ambassador, he was already following the action on his flight over. That’s where he watched Maguette Diop win the men’s 80kg beach wrestling title.
Diop's gold came last Saturday in Saly, just minutes after Élisabeth Diatta claimed the women’s under-55 kg title.
“I watched him on the plane. I’m very proud of what he achieved and to see that [beach] wrestling has a place at the Games, because people have been asking for it for a long time. You can also see Senegal’s strength: the lion came out and brought us the gold medal,” he said in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com at the Youth Olympic Village in Diamniadio.
Fiercely proud of his country, Koulibaly values his role as a Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games ambassador, which he sees as a unique opportunity to showcase Africa’s strengths and potential.
“It was very important to me. It’s the first time an African country has hosted an event like this. Having the Youth Olympic Games here in Senegal is incredible, especially in Africa. [...] It was important for us to represent Senegal well, and we did that, particularly with the Opening Ceremony. It was magnificent.”
Cr-Olympics
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