Youth Olympics 2026: Full list of Indian contingent & sport-wise entries for Dakar
India will field 17 athletes at the Youth Olympics 2026
Dakar 2026 is the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games, and it runs from October 31 to November 13. It will be the first Olympic sporting event ever staged on African soil. The Games were originally scheduled for 2022 but were postponed to 2026 because of the pandemic.
There are 153 medal events across 25 sports, including athletics, futsal, street skateboarding and beach wrestling. India has been present at every Summer Youth Olympics so far: Singapore 2010, Nanjing 2014 and Buenos Aires 2018.
India has won 23 medals across the three editions, including three gold, 16 silver and four bronze. Buenos Aires 2018 was India’s best Youth Olympics Games till date, with the country finishing 17th, winning 13 medals including three gold, nine silver and one bronze.
A total of 17 athletes will represent India in this year’s Games, comprising of 11 women and six men. Shourya Ambure is the only track and field athlete in the contingent, since a race walker could not get a passport in time. Two athletes stand out as medal hopes.
Dhinidhi Desinghu was India’s youngest athlete at the 2023 Asian Games, when she was just 13 years old. She will compete in three events this time around.
The 17-year-old Ambure is also a serious contender, having won silver in the 100m hurdles with a personal best of 13.73 at last year’s Asian Youth Games, and a second silver in the medley relay.
Sports-wise breakdown of India’s contingent for Youth Olympics 2026
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| Sport / discipline | Number of athletes |
|---|---|
| Beach wrestling | 4 |
| Swimming | 2 |
| Badminton | 2 |
| Boxing | 2 |
| Archery | 1 |
| Athletics | 1 |
| Equestrian | 1 |
| Judo | 1 |
| Sailing | 1 |
| Table tennis | 1 |
| Wushu | 1 |
| Total | 17 |
Full list of India’s contingent for Youth Olympics 2026
India’s archery team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Gatha Anandrao Khadake | Women’s individual |
India’s athletics team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Shourya Ambure | Women’s 100m hurdles |
India’s badminton team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Tanvi Patri | Women’s singles |
| Dev Ruparelia | Men’s singles |
India’s boxing team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Gunjan | Women’s 48kg |
| Ambekar Meetei Lairenlakpam | Men’s 50kg |
India’s equestrian team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Sresht Raju Mantena | Individual jumping |
India’s judo team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada | Women’s 63kg |
India’s sailing team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Priyanshi Patil | Women’s windsurfing |
India’s swimming team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Dhinidhi Desinghu | Women’s 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 200m individual medley |
| Tirthank Pegu | Men’s 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly |
India’s table tennis team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Syndrela Das | Women’s singles |
India’s beach wrestling team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Antra | Women’s 65kg |
| Taniya | Women’s 75kg |
| Anuj | Men’s 70kg |
| Deepanshu Khokhar | Men’s 80kg |
India’s wushu team
| Athlete | Event / Category |
|---|---|
| Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu | Women’s Changquan Combined |
India will look to make the most of its 17-athlete contingent at the Youth Olympics 2026, with some of the brightest emerging talents aiming to deliver strong results. The focus will be on converting their opportunities into medals and building India’s presence as one of the world’s leading sporting nations.
Where and when will Youth Olympics 2026 take place?
The event will be held in Dakar, Senegal from October 31 to November 13.
How many Indian athletes will participate at the Youth Olympics 2026?
A 17-member Indian contingent will be in action at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.
How many medals has India won at the Youth Olympic Games?
India has 23 medals in the competition—3 gold, 16 silver and 4 bronze.
Which was India’s best-ever Youth Olympic Games edition?
Buenos Aires 2018 was India’s best Youth Olympics Games till date, with the country finishing 17th, winning 13 medals including three gold, nine silver and one bronze.
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