With just 185 days to go until the start of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Dakar, the focus of beach handball on the global stage is coming more and more into focus.

Taking place from 31 October to 13 November, Dakar 2026 will feature beach handball at an Olympic Games for the second time after it made its successful debut at Buenos Aires 2018 and the process of confirming 16 teams (eight men’s and eight women’s, 160 athletes in total) for Dakar 2026 is well underway.

“I am excited, it’s an honour”

And from a continental perspective, it is looking good for the home teams so far, with both winning the African Youth Games titles late last year.

One of the players who won gold in Angola last year is men’s captain Abdouramane Diop, and the player known as ‘Yahoo’ to his teammates, will never forget his African Youth Games experience, thanks to a 2-0 (12:11, 18:12) win over Togo in the final.

“The match against Togo was very difficult, especially the first set, which was very close, but thanks to our determination, we were able to win. It was an incredible moment, an unforgettable day and I felt proud to have won a gold medal for my country,” said the player to ihf.info.

“I am excited and it’s an honour for us to host the Youth Olympic Games – it’s a unique opportunity to participate. I am looking forward to meeting the other athletes and discovering new cultures. We will have many difficult matches at the Youth Olympic Games, but the type of match like we played against Togo, will prepare us mentally for what's to come and I will prepare myself physically and mentally to be ready.”

And Diop, a specialist or wing player who started playing just over a year ago, also revealed his plans for the year ahead in a sport which has captured his heart.

“I love the speed and intensity of the game, the camaraderie with my teammates, and fair play,” he explained. “I play in pretty much every attacking position and wherever the coach and the team needs me. This year I hope to continue improving, train hard, recover well and win an Olympic medal.”

 

Senegal’s young pioneers paving the way for future generations

Africa has a long association with beach handball – Egypt hosting the first-ever IHF World Championship in El Gouna in 2004 and providing the first-ever men’s gold medallists. The continent also held the first-ever IHF Youth Beach Handball World Championship, in Mauritius in 2017, and again in Tunisia last year.

“Africa has seen an increase in the organisation of beach handball events, most recently with the Youth Beach Handball World Championship hosted in Tunisia last year. This demonstrates a growing willingness and capability of African nations to host international competitions,” explained IHF Beach Handball Working Group Chair, Giampiero Masi.

“Countries like Egypt in 2004, Mauritius in 2017 and Tunisia in 2025 have been proactive in organising international continental tournaments, thereby promoting the sport and providing necessary requirements for teams to compete and the continent is gradually developing a higher level of competition in beach handball.

“More African nations are beginning to invest in the development of youth programmes, recognising the importance of nurturing young talent for the future growth of the sport and while infrastructure tailored to beach sports remains a challenge across many African nations due to limited resources and funding, it doesn't require a lot of financial resources.”

And the beach version of the sport also provides a pathway for handball nations to compete at a global level, as witnessed last year in Hammamet.

“At Tunisia 2025, Senegal became the first-ever men’s national side from the country to play at any IHF Men’s World Championship event in any handball discipline and that was both historic and strategically significant, especially when you consider the upcoming Youth Olympic Games,” said Masi.

 

“It is a landmark achievement. This alone places their performance in Tunisia in a broader historical context. They were the team to break national ground in any IHF men’s event and it is a huge motivational and symbolic milestone for Senegalese handball. They are now pioneers, paving the way for future generations and raising the sport’s profile at home.

“For the women’s team, who also competed at this global level in Tunisia, it marked a crucial step in developing elite women’s beach handball in their country, positioning them for increased visibility and competitiveness ahead of the Games. While their results may not have placed them among the top-ranked teams yet, the impact and importance of their participation are far more significant.

“Competing at Tunisia 2025 gave both teams essential international experience, including exposure to different playing styles, pressure environments, and high-level tactics - all vital for their Youth Olympic preparations as it allowed coaches to assess strengths and gaps and begin tailoring development plans,” he added.

“Their participation elevated Senegal as a regional beach handball leader and sent a powerful message about African representation on the world stage. Senegal could very well surprise the world at Dakar 2026.”

 

The French connection in Senegal, via Switzerland

The Senegal Handball Federation (Fédération Sénégalaise de Handball FSHB) has been supported by the International Handball Federation in its development of Senegalese beach handball through a long-term development programme defined by the FSHB, with specific funding and support.

This has included coaching education from two French experts in Mika Illes and Valerie Nicolas, who have been with the teams for over a year both on-site in Senegal, at tournaments and remotely, plus IHF Delegate Jerome Rolland, who has been working with Senegalese officials, including the refereeing pair of Marie-Thérèse Coly and Mama Isseu Niang, who whistled at the African Youth Games.

“The level of these young players is approaching international standards, even though there's still a lot of room for improvement before they can challenge the world's top nations. Individuals are emerging as leaders and are beginning to grasp all the nuances of beach handball; this is a major positive,” said Iles, who works with the men’s team, to ihf.info, reflecting on the continental success last year.

“There is much to be done in Africa at this level, but what we are currently achieving with Senegal, as well as the work of Togo, Kenya, and Tunisia, proves that it is possible. There is an incredible pool of athletes, and implementing the sport is relatively simple and quick. We have high expectations for Senegal after the African Youth Games and to demonstrate that this sport can become a lasting part of African culture.”

Valerie Nicolas has been focused on working with the Senegal women’s team and, like Iles, is happy with the progression of her side so far.

“I am proud of the team for winning all six of their matches in Angola last year. Apart from Kenya, whom we played (and lost 1-2) at the IHF Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championships, we didn't know our opponents and have lost to them there, we were determined to do better and manage the stress of an official competition as it's important to be in difficult situations to see how the girls react to new instructions during matches,” said Nicolas, who was goalkeeper for France when they won the 2003 IHF Women’s World Championship.

“Therefore, the African Youth Games were a step in the team's preparation for the Youth Olympic Games next November. We didn't have any specific objective other than to continue working towards being ready for the Youth Olympic Games.”

That event is now less than 250 days away and preparation with Iles, Nicolas and the teams is in full swing with their next training camps are planned for March. In addition, the Norwegian Embassy in Angola has invited the women’s team to a friendly tournament in April (Nordic Beach Week), the senior African championship takes place the same month, plus there are also plans to host a test event with foreign teams at the Youth Olympic Games site in June, and a trip to the Spanish league in July/August.

And with traditional powerhouses like Tunisia and Egypt now being joined by growing nations who are able to compete at international level, such as Senegal, Angola, Kenya, Togo, South Africa, Morocco, Tanzania and others, the Youth Olympic Games could just inspire the continent even more as it bids to upset the top teams in the world on the sand.

And Nicolas is full of positivity when she looks at the potential of the continent to take up and compete in the sport.

“It's excellent that African countries are taking up this sport. It requires few players and little equipment,” she explained. “With the physical abilities of players and a good grasp of the game, some countries could win competitions and easily compete with other continents.”

Nordic Beach Week 2026

Senegal’s young women also recently participated against top-level European teams in Lobito, Angola earlier this month when they faced off against both Norway and Sweden, plus Angola, at the second edition of the ‘Nordic Beach Week’. 

Nordic Beach Week features beach handball and beach volleyball and is led by the Norwegian and Swedish embassies in Luanda with international cooperation, development, education and sustainability the main themes centred around sport.

About Beach Handball at the Youth Olympic Games

The 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will be held in Dakar, Senegal from 31 October to 13 November 2026. For more information, visit here.

Dakar will be the fourth edition of the YOG, following its debut in Singapore (2010), the second edition in Nanjing, China (2014) and 2018 edition, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Indoor handball featured at the 2010 and 2014 editions, before being replaced by Beach Handball at the 2018 edition, the debut event won by Argentina (women) and Spain (men).

The YOG is a major event which embodies the Olympic spirit, sporting excellence and the promotion of youth. The event has become a pillar of the Olympic Movement and is more than just sporting competitions. The YOG are part of an educational and cultural programme aimed at instilling the Olympic values of respect, friendship and excellence in young people around the world.

The election of Dakar as the host city of the YOG 2026 marks a historic moment for Africa. The decision was taken at the 133rd IOC Session in October 2018, making Dakar the first African city to host the YOG.

Initially planned for 2022, Dakar was postponed to 2026 due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has allowed for better planning of the event and ensured its success.