Kanari Estifanos and Ghebreab Mantay Named Eritrea’s Flagbearers at Dakar 2026
Two athletics competitors shared the honour for Eritrea at the first Olympic sporting event held in Africa.
Kanari Estifanos and Ghebreab Mantay were named to carry Eritrea’s flag together at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee’s opening ceremony list identifies Estifanos as Eritrea’s female flagbearer and Mantay as its male flagbearer. Both are listed in athletics.
“Eritrea Kanari ESTIFANOS Athletics Ghebreab MANTAY Athletics”
The IOC invited each National Olympic Committee to choose a female and a male athlete to share the flagbearing duties. Eritrea selected two representatives from the same sport. The official list also names the flagbearers for the Youth Refugee Olympic Team.
From Asmara to the opening in Senegal
In September, Eritrea marked the approach of the Games with a flame tour in Asmara. At Asmara Stadium, senior Olympians handed the flame to members of Eritrea’s Dakar 2026 cycling and athletics teams. A month later, the opening ceremony in Senegal gave two young Eritrean athletes a different honour: representing their country under its flag.
The Games opened on 31 October at the Stade Abdoulaye Wade in Diamniadio. Senegal became the first African country to host an Olympic sporting event. The programme runs through 13 November, with events in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
