Kenya’s Junior Baseball5 and Judo Teams Return Home After Dakar Youth Olympics

Kenya’s junior Baseball5 and Judo athletes have returned home following their participation in the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games held in Senegal, where they competed against some of the world’s emerging sporting talents.

The Kenyan Baseball5 team delivered a strong performance during the group stage, securing victories against France, Mexico and Syria to book a place in the semi-finals.

Their impressive run, however, came to an end after they faced defending world champions Cuba in the last four, losing their opportunity to compete for the gold medal.

The young Kenyans subsequently shifted their focus to the bronze medal contest, hoping to finish their campaign on the podium. However, Mexico proved too strong once again, defeating Kenya in the third-place playoff.

The result saw the Kenyan side settle for fourth position in the competition after an encouraging campaign that included three group-stage victories.

In Judo, Kenya’s Rael Kulova also concluded her participation in Dakar without securing a medal.

Despite falling short of a podium finish, the judoka remains determined to improve her performance and return stronger in future international competitions.

The experience gained from competing at the global youth event is expected to play an important role in developing the young athletes as they continue pursuing their sporting careers.

Kenya’s participation in the Dakar Youth Olympic Games provided an opportunity for emerging talents in different disciplines to gain international exposure, test their abilities against top competitors and build experience for future competitions.