Africa's bet taekwondo players are in Senegal for the African Taekwondo Championships ©Getty Images

Dakar Arena in the Senegalese capital is due to host the African Taekwondo Championships over the next two days.

Organisers are expecting more than 500 athletes from 54 countries to take part in the event, where bouts will be held across 14 different weight categories.

African Championships could not be held last year, owing to the pandemic, so this is the first edition of the event since 2018.

Host nation Morocco won six gold medals and 16 in total at the last edition.

This year's edition, as well as offering continental titles, will be an important tune-up event ahead of the Olympics for Tokyo 2020-bound athletes.

Balla Dièye, right, represented Senegal at the Rio 2016 Olympics but is now leading the Organising Committee for the African Taekwondo Championships ©Getty Images
Balla Dièye, right, represented Senegal at the Rio 2016 Olympics but is now leading the Organising Committee for the African Taekwondo Championships ©Getty Images

The Ivory Coast and Egypt each qualified four athletes for the Games, while Morocco earned three berths.

Organisers of the African Championships have also earmarked the event as an important learning opportunity ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Balla Dièye, who is President of the Senegalese Taekwondo Federation, a former African champion and appeared at the Rio 2016 Olympics, heads the Organising Committee.

Dièye won his maiden African title 20 years ago, in Dakar.

This will be Senegal's first time hosting the African Taekwondo Championships since.