After progressing from a boxing newcomer to a regional gold medallist in three years, Seychelles’ Franco Leeroy Zialor will compete in the men’s 60kg division at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Boxing takes place from 7–12 November across five men’s and five women’s categories.
Franco Leeroy Zialor’s journey from discovering boxing to competing at the Youth Olympic Games has taken just three years.
The 17-year-old began boxing in 2023 and will now represent Seychelles in the men’s 60kg category at Dakar 2026, the first Olympic sporting event to be held on African soil.
Zialor is one of four athletes representing Seychelles at the Games and the country’s sole boxer. He will join 115 other young boxers from 77 National Olympic Committees when competition begins at the Dakar Expo Centre on 7 November.
Despite his relatively short time in the sport, Zialor has already gained experience in several countries and tested himself in a range of competitive environments.
His first international opportunity came in 2024, when he travelled to Rostov, Russia, for a youth boxing tournament. The experience provided an early introduction to competing away from Seychelles and helped accelerate his development.
A significant breakthrough followed at the 2025 Commission de la Jeunesse et des Sports de l’Océan Indien Games, commonly known as the CJSOI Games, where Zialor won a gold medal for Seychelles.
He was one of two Seychellois boxing champions at the regional event, establishing himself as a promising young athlete within the country’s developing boxing programme.
Zialor’s preparation intensified throughout 2026, with an extensive programme of international competitions and training camps designed to develop his technical and tactical abilities.
He competed at an international tournament in Brandenburg, Germany, before attending a training camp in Sierra Leone. Zialor then won silver at the Eswatini National Youth Games, where he gained further experience against regional opposition.
His final stage of preparation included an international training camp and competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 12–20 October, shortly before travelling to Senegal for the Youth Olympic Games.
“I have benefited from a comprehensive preparation programme involving international competitions and training camps,” Zialor said.
“These opportunities have helped me gain valuable experience, improve my technical and tactical abilities and prepare for high-level international competition.”
Away from boxing, Zialor is studying for an Advanced Certificate in Motor Vehicle studies. Balancing his education with training and international competition has required the same discipline and commitment that have driven his rapid progress inside the ring.
Zialor had previously been selected to attend the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok in March but was unable to travel after his flight was cancelled. His subsequent selection for Dakar ensured that he would still receive the opportunity to test himself on one of youth sport’s biggest international stages.
The men’s 60kg competition will feature boxers representing 12 National Olympic Committees, with Seychelles joined by Mauritius, Gambia, Türkiye, Slovakia, Thailand, China, Honduras, Guatemala, Fiji, Equatorial Guinea and Puerto Rico.
Boxing at Dakar 2026 will be held from 7–12 November, with two sessions scheduled each day and ten gold medals available across the men’s and women’s competitions.
For Zialor, the Games represent the next stage of a journey which began only in 2023—and an opportunity to show how far he has progressed in a remarkably short period.
