Nigeria’s Olympic silver medallist Blessing Oborududu has been selected among 31 elite athletes to serve as Athlete Role Models for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced.
The selection is part of preparations for the Youth Olympic Games, which will take place from October 31 to November 13, 2026 across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly in Senegal. It will be the first Olympic event ever hosted on African soil.
Oborududu, who won silver in wrestling at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, joins a group of Olympic champions, medallists and top international athletes drawn from 25 sports and 10 engagement disciplines.
Other selected Athlete Role Models include France’s Clarisse Agbegnenou (judo), Brazil’s Rayssa Leal (skateboarding), and Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi (athletics).
According to the IOC, the athletes will mentor young competitors during the Games, support training sessions, and lead workshops focused on career development, injury prevention, and mental preparation.
–ChannelAfrica–
