Mumbai, Dec 6: 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 (3×3), 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.