Kenya has announced a record-breaking team of 53 young athletes for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.

This is the country's largest delegation ever sent to the competition, almost three times bigger than its previous record of 18 athletes.

The Games will run from October 31 to November 13, marking a historic moment as Senegal becomes the first African nation to host an Olympic event.

Around 3,000 athletes under the age of 18, representing 206 countries, will come together to compete.

Team Kenya will compete in 13 sports.

Notably, women make up the vast majority of the squad, with 42 female athletes accounting for nearly 79% of the total team.

Before flying out to Senegal, the entire team will gather in Mombasa for a residential training camp.

Chef de Mission Angela Luchivya explained that the young sports stars have been preparing with their respective sports federations across various locations.

This setup allowed the teenagers to balance their heavy school schedules with intense physical training, with some teams even attending training camps abroad.

"Currently, the teams have been training under their federations in different venues, the reason being most of the athletes have been in school," Luchivya said.

"So we've been using that opportunity to ensure that they continue with their education as well as preparing for Dakar."

Luchivya highlighted that sending a larger team shows Kenya's strong ambition to expand beyond running- the country's traditional area of success- and build a wider base of sports talent for the future.

Many sports will be making their debut for Kenya at these Games.

The ultimate goal is to nurture this young talent so they can represent the nation at the senior Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.

Besides sports training, team officials are putting a huge focus on athlete welfare.

The young competitors will receive medical care, physiotherapy, mental health resources and safeguarding support.

Officials are also arranging specialised diets, organising school exams around the schedule and providing important anti-doping education.

Kenya hopes the Dakar Games will bring medals today while building a strong foundation for long-term international success on the world stage tomorrow.

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