Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics: futsal men's bronze medal match details

Dakar 2026 represents the first time an Olympic Games has been held in the continent of Africa. The Youth Games bring together young athletes across multiple sports in Senegal under the motto ‘Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates’.

Beach handball at Dakar 2026

The second edition of the Youth Olympic Games to feature men’s and women’s beach handball will bring together 16 teams in Dakar, Senegal, from 9 to 13 November, with all six IHF continental confederations represented.

Beach handball will be front and centre in its final week across five match days at Saly Beach West.

The men’s gold medal match will be the last event of Dakar 2026 to get underway when it throws-off at 1230hrs, just after fencing and breaking have started their final events.

Dakar 2026 will be full of history-making moments, including fully gender-balanced events and athletes, with beach handball’s eight men’s and eight women’s teams featuring exactly 80 athletes in each.

Teams and qualification

Amongst the total of 16 teams at Dakar 2026, Europe (EHF), North America and the Caribbean (NACHC), Asia (AHF), South and Central America (SCAHC), Oceania (OCHF) and Africa (CAHB) are all represented on the Senegal sand in the beach resort of Saly, a one-hour drive south of the capital, Dakar.

All nations appearing qualified for Dakar 2026, not through a traditional qualification system, but a set of principles and sport-specific eligibility criteria agreed between the International Olympic Committee and the IHF.

Four teams will be playing on continental, home sand with Kenya’s women and Tunisia’s men joining the host nation’s two teams.

Five teams from Europe will be present, two each from Asia, South and Central America and North America and the Caribbean while the Cook Islands men will be representing the whole Oceania continent.

Cook Islands tradition and player experience

While every nation and team brings their own style and personality, the Cook Islands will be performing a ‘Tila’ traditional chant before their games and it is something worth coming early to witness.

Similar to the New Zealand ‘Haka’, the ‘Tila’ represents the whole Cook Islands delegation at Dakar 2026, slightly different to the ‘Pe’e’ they have performed at IHF World Championships previously, and specific to their beach handball team.

For some beach handball players, Dakar 2026 will represent their competitive, international debut and for others, it will represent their fifth championship in a row after making their debuts back in 2024.

Whatever their experience, all 160 players (each team is allowed a squad of 10) are representative of the future senior team players in the sport, with some already appearing at senior level.

Venue and what happens next

With triathlon, sailing and beach wrestling amongst others all taking place at the same venue that beach handball is based at – Saly Beach West, or ‘SBW’ as the locals call it – the sport is placed right amongst the 1,000s of fans in attendance.

Whether it is through the free, fun sessions of basic beach handball skills on-site for anyone, but particularly schoolchildren, or athletes from other sports watching the beach handball athletes in training ahead of competition, the sport is placed right amongst the fans.

Related on Apex Sports News

• Elsabet Amare targets gold for Ethiopia at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics

• Shourya Ambure wins bronze as India enjoys mixed day at Dakar Youth Olympics

• Tirthank Pegu wins Youth Olympics bronze, becomes first Indian male swimmer with medal

Sources

• olympics.com

• ihf.info