Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics: Mexico Wins in Baseball5 and Beach Volleyball, Loses in Rowing, Swimming, Wushu and Badminton

The 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, produced a day of contrasts for Mexico on Sunday. The Mexican national team competed in six sports, winning two and losing four. Mexico secured victories in Baseball5 and beach volleyball, while its athletes fell short in rowing, swimming, wushu and badminton. The day will be remembered in Mexico as a mix of triumph and disappointment. Baseball5: Mexico wins 2-0 Mexico's Baseball5 team won its third group-stage match 2-0 on Sunday. Mexico took the first set 7-5 and dominated the second 16-6. With the win, Mexico finished second in its group with two wins and one loss, advancing to the quarterfinals, where it will face either Senegal or Turkey. The opponent has not yet been confirmed because results from the other group are still pending. Baseball5 is a fast, five-a-side format that requires no pitcher or bat; the ball is hit with the hand. Mexico has shown a strong grip on this format and will look to carry that momentum forward. Beach volleyball: Three straight wins, top spot in Group C Mexico's beach volleyball pair won its third consecutive match to finish first in Group C. The team is unbeaten in the tournament and has advanced directly to the pre-quarterfinals (round of 16). It will next face the best third-placed team. Rowing: Rodriguez and Serrano fall behind Mexico's Rodriguez-Serrano pair lost in rowing. Mexico clocked 2:28.91, while the opposing pair finished in 2:16.57, a gap of 12.34 seconds. The margin is considered normal in the youth beach sprint double sculls event. Mexico fought until the end but could not keep pace. Swimming: Seventh place in the 200m backstroke Mexico's swimmer finished seventh in the 200m backstroke final with a time of 2:26.84. Reaching the final is an achievement in itself, even though a medal proved elusive. Wushu: Sixth place in the Gunshu preliminary Mexico's athlete placed sixth in the Gunshu preliminary of the Changquan Combined event with 8.540 points. It is unclear whether the 8.540 is the score for the Gunshu routine alone or part of an aggregate. Wushu is a new sport at this edition of the Youth Olympics. Badminton: Straight-games loss to Smrithi Adeputa and Tanvi Patrice Mexico's shuttler lost 11-21, 14-21 to the pair of Smrithi Adeputa and Tanvi Patrice. Under the 21-point format, the scoreline is normal. The Mexican player trailed in both games and the opposing pair won comfortably. Overall assessment Sunday was a mixed day for Mexico: two wins and four losses. The victories in Baseball5 and beach volleyball raised medal hopes, while the defeats in other sports brought disappointment. Dakar 2026 is being held after a postponement, and wushu is a new addition. Mexico has delivered a mixed performance so far and will look to improve in the coming days. The team's morale remains high after reaching the quarterfinals and pre-quarterfinals, and it is preparing to perform better in the matches ahead.