Vietnamese athletes poses with their medals from the Asian Youth Games 2025. The team have received three slots to compete in the YOG 2026 in October in Senegal. Photo courtesy of SAV

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam have secured six places so far to compete at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 2026 in October in Senegal.

The latest place went to the track-and-field team, and Việt Nam Athletics Federation confirmed that a runner in the women's 400m would be selected to take the responsibility.

In the Dakar event, there will be 36 categories for both men and women.

Eight years ago at the Buenos Aires Games in Argentina, Lê Tiến Long (men's 2,000m steeplechase) and Đoàn Thu Hằng (women's 1,500m) took part but didn't make the top three.

Earlier, the wrestling team announced that they would have three athletes taking part in Dakar. They will compete in the men's 60kg and 90kg and women's 45kg in beach wrestling disciplines thanks to their remarkable results at the World U17 Wrestling Championships 2025.

Tạ Đình Đức, head of the Wrestling Department of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam (SAV) said: "This is good news for Vietnamese wrestling. We have received official notification for beach wrestling events. Currently, my young wrestlers are working hard to prepare for the upcoming world championships to seek more Youth Olympic Games opportunities."

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee informed the Việt Nam Aquatic Sports Association that two swimmers will compete in the men's 200m butterfly and women's 100m freestyle.

The competition will feature 15 individual classes for both men and women.

There are many qualifications in different sports to be organised in the upcoming weeks and Việt Nam are expected to earn more places, according to the SAV.

The fourth YOG will take place from October 31 to November 13. As the first Olympic event on the African continent, it will host 2,700 young athletes (ages 15-18) across three sites – Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly – focusing on 25 sports and cultural education.

The Games represent a catalyst for a sporting, social, cultural, educational and economic transformation that will create new hope, opportunities and confidence for young people.

In the previous Games in 2018, Việt Nam had 13 competitors in seven sports. Among them, Nguyễn Huy Hoàng won gold in the men's 800m freestyle and Ngô Sơn Đỉnh topped the podium of the men's 56kg category.

Both of them are now Việt Nam's golden hopes in international competitions. — VNS