Shooting, weightlifting, and hockey are among the ten non-medal sports selected for the Youth Olympics’ “engagement programme.”
The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) executive body has dropped shooting, weightlifting, and hockey off the medal sports lineup for the much-delayed 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, dealing a significant blow to India’s medal hopes.
India won 13 medals at the 2018 Youth Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina (3 gold, 9 silver, and 1 bronze). Of those medals, 4 were from shooting (2 gold and 2 silver), 2 from hockey, and 1 from weightlifting.
Manu Bhaker, a talented shooter and double medallist in the Paris Olympics, took home gold in the girls’ 10m air pistol and silver in the mixed 10m air pistol.
It was agreed to keep all 35 International Federations (IFs) officially involved in Dakar 2026, with 10 sports being included in the engagement program and 25 in the competition program.
“Out of the 25 sports on the competition schedule, Dakar 2026 will feature one discipline from each. The IOC said on its website The Dakar 2026 will also have an engagement program that will highlight ten sports.
