Grenyelis Garcia and Yenireé Castillo will become the first women’s boxers to represent Venezuela at a Youth Olympic Games when competition begins at Dakar 2026. Boxing takes place from 7–12 November, with ten titles contested across five women’s and five men’s divisions.
Grenyelis Garcia and Yenireé Castillo are preparing to make history for Venezuelan boxing at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The young athletes will become the country’s first female boxers to compete at a Youth Olympic Games, with Garcia entering the women’s 51kg category and Castillo representing Venezuela at 54kg.
Although they followed different routes into the ring, both were introduced to boxing by their families.
For Garcia, the sport has been part of her life for seven years. Her grandfather, father and mother were all involved in boxing, while her cousins and brothers also shared the family’s knowledge and passion for it.
“I started boxing seven years ago thanks to my grandfather, my father and my mother,” said Garcia. “They were all part of the boxing world and introduced me to the sport.
“I grew up surrounded by boxing gloves and spending time in boxing gyms. Boxing was always a frequent topic of conversation, and my cousins and brothers also know the sport very well.”
Garcia will arrive in Dakar following a successful period on the international stage.
She won the women’s 51kg title at the South American Youth Games, defeating Panama’s Lía Córdoba in the semi-final before overcoming Brazil’s Elissandra Santos by unanimous decision in the final.
The Venezuelan then secured a bronze medal at the World Boxing U19 Championships in Budva, Montenegro. Garcia defeated England’s Serena Mali, Russia’s Svetlana Iakhontova and Azerbaijan’s Gular Huseynova during her run to the semi-finals.
“I am so happy and thrilled to have won the South American title and to continue representing Venezuela at the World Championships and the Youth Olympic Games,” Garcia said.
Castillo’s introduction to boxing came through her father, who competed as both a weightlifter and boxer. She began training at the age of 11 and quickly developed her own connection with the sport.
“I started boxing when I was 11 years old because of my father, who was an athlete and a boxer,” said Castillo. “He introduced me to the sport, and I liked boxing because of the effort, the dedication, the passion in the ring and the adrenaline.
“Boxing is my passion. It is my life.”
Castillo, who is from Coro in the Venezuelan state of Falcón, also gained valuable international experience ahead of Dakar.
She competed at the World Boxing U19 Championships in the women’s 54kg category, beginning her campaign with a unanimous victory over Cuba’s Liyanet Benítez before reaching the quarter-finals.
Her attention has now turned entirely towards representing Venezuela on the Youth Olympic stage.
“I am so proud of myself for qualifying for the Youth Olympic Games,” Castillo said. “I have been preparing intensely to represent my country well and bring a medal home to Venezuela.”
Venezuela has previously won two boxing medals at the Youth Olympic Games. Samuel Zapata claimed silver and Fradimil Macayo earned bronze at Singapore 2010, but the country has yet to produce a Youth Olympic boxing champion.
Garcia and Castillo will therefore enter the competition with the opportunity to secure Venezuela’s first female Youth Olympic boxing medal—and potentially its first gold.
Garcia has made that ambition clear.
“My goal is to win the first Youth Olympic gold medal for Venezuela,” she said.
The boxing competition at Dakar 2026 will be held at the Dakar Expo Centre from 7–12 November. Garcia and Castillo will step into the ring carrying their own ambitions, their families’ influence and the opportunity to open a new chapter for women’s boxing in Venezuela.