September 2026

As Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games’ preparation enters its final stretch, what is the main message these Games convey to the youth of the world?

Our message to the youth of the world is one of welcome. The City of Dakar is ready to receive the Olympic family and every participant in the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in a spirit of peace and friendship, and with the legendary hospitality, our teranga, for which the Senegalese people, and Dakar in particular, are known. We look forward to welcoming young athletes from every continent, and to making them feel at home.

“Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates” is the YOG 2026 motto. What does it mean for Dakar to be the first city ever in Africa to host an Olympic event?

It is an unprecedented moment and a powerful symbol. For the first time, the Youth Olympic Games are being held on the African continent  and it is, in a very real sense, Africa as a whole that welcomes the world, with Dakar proud to celebrate on its behalf.
It is also an opportunity to demonstrate Senegalese and African expertise in organising major international events, and to show that our continent is fully equipped to host them.

What were the main challenges on the road to the YOG?

The challenges have been many and varied, touching on socio-economic, infrastructural, cultural, and sporting dimensions. On the socio-economic front, the City of Dakar has spent several months mobilising residents and raising awareness around the Games, with one clear aim: to make them popular and inclusive Games that belong to the people of Dakar. Our preparatory activities reflect this, most notably the community mobilisation walk and the Olympic flame tour.
On infrastructure and sport, the City has launched roadworks, new sports facilities, and the redevelopment and beautification of public squares, so that the sporting world can be received in the best possible conditions.
Finally, on the cultural side, Dakar is ready to showcase the rich heritage that makes it unique. In the end, that may well be what is most remembered of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first to be held on African soil.

The Youth Olympic Games are an extraordinary “lab” to experiment sport-related initiatives, from new sports to skill-building, from infrastructures to new ways of activating people. What will last in Dakar after the Games?

What matters most to me is the legacy these Games will leave for sport in Dakar. That legacy takes several forms: sports infrastructure built to international standards; the expertise we have gained from our partners, particularly those from abroad; training and introduction to disciplines that have until now been little practised here; and, above all, a new awareness among young people of the value of sport in their lives.

As an Olympic City, what are the main lessons learnt that you would like to share with the Union’s Members, and what would be your expectations from the Union’s Members in terms of legacy management experience?

The main lessons we would share lie in the frameworks we put in place to deliver the Games: planning, coordination, and the monitoring and evaluation of activities. Exchanging experience with other experts, institutions and organisations specialised in the Youth Olympic Games has also been an invaluable contribution. From the Union’s Members, the City of Dakar naturally hopes for the support and shared experience that host cities offer one another — on organisational matters, and on the management of Olympic legacy in the years that follow the Games.