On October 30, 2026, Senegalese table tennis player Marieme Diallo returned to Dakar after a training camp in Changsha, China, where she and other African athletes have sharpened their skills ahead of the continent’s first Youth Olympic Games.
Sources confirm that the camp was part of the 2026 China‑Africa Year of People‑to‑People Exchanges and that participants focused on table tennis, wushu, changquan and taijiquan. Diallo highlighted longer rally control thanks to new techniques learned from Chinese coaches. Coach Marie Fara Mendy, who accompanied the Senegalese team, praised the rigor, discipline and sports facilities, noting improved serves, returns, consistency on the backhand and footwork for the players.
“What impressed me most was the rigor, discipline and sports facilities. I was also impressed by the attention paid to technical details, the volume of ball practice and the role played by sparring partners,”
These athletes trained in Tianjin Huoyuanjia School and in Changsha City, Hunan Province, where they engaged in friendly matches with local peers and sustained four‑to‑five hour training sessions. Returning home, they express high motivation and confidence, with a goal to represent Senegal and Tunisia with pride in front of their home crowd.
Unconfirmed aspects: The sources do not specify how the experienced training will translate into medal prospects at the Youth Olympic Games.
