DAKAR, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- With the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) fast approaching, Marieme Diallo is putting the finishing touches on her preparations after recently returning from a training camp in China.
"We can keep the ball in play much longer than usual because they taught us the proper techniques," the 16-year-old Senegalese table tennis player told Xinhua, highlighting her improved consistency.
Like Diallo, young athletes from across Africa -- including Senegal and Tunisia -- recently traveled to China to sharpen their form, exchange ideas, and hold friendly matches with local peers ahead of the continent's first Olympic event.
Diallo trained in Changsha City, central China's Hunan Province, where she was struck by the dedication and consistency of her Chinese counterparts. "They have good training methods, which helped us," she recalled.
Accompanying Diallo as a coach with the Senegalese Table Tennis Federation, Marie Fara Mendy also made the trip to China.
"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," Mendy noted.
"There was also the physical conditioning, as well as the patience and kindness of the Chinese coaches despite the language barrier."
The 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges finds Senegalese youth table tennis players back in China for their second consecutive year of intensive training.
"In technical terms, the players improved their serves, returns, consistency on the backhand and footwork. Mentally, they gained more confidence and developed the ability to sustain training sessions lasting four to five hours," Mendy observed.
As she noted, the young Senegalese players returned home "highly motivated" and are approaching the Dakar YOG with both confidence and humility. "Their goal is to represent Senegal with pride in front of their home crowd and showcase the progress made in Senegalese table tennis," the coach added.
That determination was also reflected in the training hall of Tianjin Huoyuanjia School, where four Senegalese athletes also spent time repeatedly refining their moves.
Two boys and two girls embarked on a nearly two-month, closed-door training camp upon their arrival in China in August, focusing on changquan and taijiquan, respectively.
Early on, Wu Yanan, head coach of China's national wushu team, saw clear room for the quartet to elevate their physical conditioning and fundamental skills within a tight time frame.
Wu partnered with Zhao Qingjian, an associate professor at the Capital University of Physical Education and Sports, to design a curriculum covering physical endurance, flexibility, and sport-specific techniques.
After each session, the Chinese coaches checked in with each athlete through an interpreter to monitor muscle condition and physical responses, adjusting training intensity in real time.
Ndiaye Woreye had practiced wushu for several years, though her technique had yet to be shaped by a formal discipline. "The Chinese coaches have been teaching me the finer details of the movements. I hope to achieve good results at the Youth Olympics," she said.
Ousmane Sako, head coach of Senegal's national wushu team, watched closely as the Chinese instructors demonstrated each movement.
Sako said that Chinese martial arts had changed him, making him more focused and patient.
He also hoped to guide his athletes through thorough preparation so they could deliver their best performances, while expecting the Dakar 2026 YOG to inspire more young Senegalese to discover and embrace wushu.
With wushu set to make its debut as an official medal sport at the upcoming Youth Olympics, 17-year-old Tunisian athlete Zaineb Manai spent two weeks at the Tianjin Huoyuanjia School as well.
It was her fourth visit to China, but unlike previous trips for competitions, this one was dedicated entirely to training and preparation. She began practicing wushu at the age of four but took up taijiquan only two years ago.
"My main goal is to help elevate her technical specifications from the perspective of both a coach and a judge, as technical specifications carry significant weight in competition," said Chinese coach Cui Ru.
The two sides developed a packed schedule with five hours of daily training. "I train her just as I train my Chinese students, holding nothing back," said Cui.
Manai shared that the Chinese coaches were wonderful and her Chinese training partners were exceptionally warm and hospitable. Beyond training, they chatted about fun topics like food and culture.
Taijiquan is not just a competitive sport, but also a philosophy of how to live in harmony with oneself and others, she said, adding that the training camp brought her both technical refinement and a boost in confidence.
Manai has already fixed her gaze on Dakar, aiming not merely for a podium finish but for gold.
"In Tunisia, not many people practice wushu yet," she said. "I hope to inspire more Tunisians to practice wushu and taijiquan so that more people will grow to love it."
