TEHRAN - Iran will compete with a 29-athlete delegation across 14 sports at the fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Games, set to take place in Dakar, Senegal, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13, following a four-year postponement.

The final composition of Iran’s team has grown from the initial quota after additional places were secured in judo and fencing. However, Senegal’s hosting of the Games and a reduced sports program compared with the previous edition are expected to make the medal race more challenging for the Iranian delegation.

The 13-day event will mark the first time the Youth Olympic Games are held on the African continent, with athletes competing across 25 sports for medals.

Iran will be represented in two team events: girls’ futsal, featuring 10 athletes, and boys’ beach volleyball, with two competitors. In individual sports, the country will field four athletes in beach wrestling; two each in taekwondo and badminton; and one athlete apiece in swimming, wushu taolu, triathlon, table tennis, boxing, road cycling, athletics, judo and épée fencing.

Iran has competed in all three previous editions of the Youth Olympic Games and won medals at each one. At the inaugural Games in Singapore in 2010, Iran claimed two gold, two silver and one bronze medal. Four years later in China, the team secured three golds and three bronzes.

Iran recorded its best-ever result at the 2018 Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, winning seven gold, three silver and four bronze medals.

Repeating that performance in Dakar, however, will be a difficult task. The number of sports and athletes has been reduced for this edition, limiting medal opportunities. One notable absence is weightlifting, traditionally a major source of medals for Iranian sport. According to the current program, the sport will not feature in Dakar, with Senegal lacking a national weightlifting federation.

Despite the challenges, Iran’s performance at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain has raised hopes for the country’s emerging athletes. Dakar will also provide a valuable opportunity to assess the potential of different sports and give young competitors important international experience as they progress toward senior-level competition.

With 23 medals won across the three previous editions, Iran will arrive in Dakar aiming to maintain its record of reaching the podium. Although the narrower range of medal opportunities makes another record-breaking campaign less likely, the performances of the participating athletes could offer important indications of the next generation’s prospects in international sport.