Senegal is kicking off the Youth Olympic Games on Saturday, bringing an Olympic event to Africa for the first time as the continent seeks a bigger role in international sporting competitions.

About 2,700 young athletes aged 14 to 17 will compete through Nov. 13 in the capital, Dakar , the nearby city of Diamniadio and the beach resort of Saly.

Hundreds of dancers will join a spectacle celebrating Senegalese and African culture, in line with the Fames motto “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates.”

“This is a first opportunity for Senegal and, by extension, for Africa, to discover new sports," Thomas Dieme, a Senegalese student said as Dakar prepared to host the games.…