Big blow to India as shooting, hockey out of 2026 Youth Olympics

NEW DELHI: In a big blow to India's medal prospects, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has dropped shooting, weightlifting and hockey from the roster of medal sports for the much-delayed 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal.

Shooting, weightlifting and hockey have been named among 10 non-medal sports, which will be part of the "engagement programme" in the YOG.

In the 2018 Youth Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, India had won 13 medals (3 gold, 9 silver and 1 bronze), out of which shooting had given 4 medals (2 gold and 2 silver), while hockey's share was 2 silver and weightlifting's contribution was one gold.

Paris Olympics double-medallist star shooter Manu Bhaker had won a gold in the girls' 10m air pistol and a silver in mixed 10m air pistol.

In its meeting in Lausanne on December 3, the IOC executive board has confirmed the events and athlete quotas for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to be held from October 31 to November 13, 2026. The Youth Olympics are to be competed among athletes aged between 15 and 18.

"... it was decided to maintain the official involvement of all 35 International Federations (IFs) in Dakar 2026, with 25 sports featuring on the competition programme and 10 to be part of the engagement programme.

"Dakar 2026 will showcase one discipline from each of the 25 sports on the competition programme. Additionally, Dakar 2026 will feature an engagement programme that will showcase 10 sports," the IOC said on its website.

The 25 sports in which medals will be given are athletics (track and field), aquatics (swimming), archery, badminton, baseball (baseball 5), basketball (3x3), boxing, breaking, cycling (road cycling), equestrian (jumping), fencing, football (futsal), gymnastics (artistic), handball (beach handball), judo, rowing (coastal rowing), rugby (rugby sevens), sailing, skateboarding (street), table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, volleyball (beach volleyball), wrestling (beach wrestling), and wushu.

In the 2018 YOG, Simran Kaur had won a silver in the girl's freestyle 43kg but the 2026 edition will have only beach wrestling.

The 10 non-medal sports which will feature in the engagement programme are canoe-kayak, golf, hockey, karate, modern pentathlon, shooting, sport climbing, surfing, tennis and weightlifting.

"These sports will not feature in the competition programme but will be promoted through interactive activities on site and via digital platforms, emphasising their role as integral components and an official part of the YOG," the IOC said.

In total, the Dakar YOG will feature 151 events -- down from the 241 for the 2018 Buenos Aires edition -- equally split between men and women with 72 events for each, alongside seven mixed-gender events.

"For the first time in the history of the Summer YOG, full gender equality will be achieved – not only in the overall athlete quota but also across every sport, discipline and event," the IOC said.

The total athlete quota for the Games has been set at 2,700.

"This aligns with the IOC's commitment to delivering a tailored and efficient programme while maintaining the elite nature of the competition. It will allow the Games to adapt to the local context of Dakar, yet still ensure a competitive platform for young athletes worldwide," said the IOC.

Originally scheduled to be held in 2022 from October 22 to November 9, the 2026 YOG -- the fourth edition of the Summer Youth Games -- was delayed by four years in view of the operational and economical consequences of the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2026 YOG will be held across three host sites -- Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly -- in the Senegal capital.