International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry arrived in the Senegalese capital on Monday ahead of Dakar’s Youth Olympic Games.

This first Olympic event to be held in Africa will bring together 2,700 young athletes, predominantly between the ages of 15 and 17, to compete in 35 sports.

Dozens of volunteers welcomed Zimbabwe’s Coventry, who is the first African and first woman to head the Olympic body.

“I’m very excited to be here. I think that it’s been a long time, and now we’re finally here, and it’s great, and the energy is really good,” she said.

“I know Senegal is going to do an incredible job of welcoming the world and the world’s athletes to come and share in our African traditions and our excitement, and we’re very proud of that."

The aim of the Games is not only to inspire young people, but also to promote Olympic values and encourage them to see sport as a vehicle for peace and solidarity.

Wushu, a Chinese martial art, a baseball variant called baseball5, and skateboarding will be making their Olympic debut in Dakar.

The opening ceremony will take place on Saturday in Diamniadio, about 40 kilometres outside of Dakar, with sporting events taking place there, in the capital, and the nearby city of Saly over two weeks.

The Youth Olympics were first held in Singapore in 2010.