2023-10-16 11:44:12
The 141st Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today took note of the progress made in preparing for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026.
Speaking in a video message, Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, underlined his confidence in the Dakar project: “I am convinced that President Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye and his team on the organizing committee will tirelessly continue their efforts to fulfill all the commitments made in Buenos Aires in 2018 and thus make the YOG Dakar 2026 a historic success for the entire Olympic family”.
After captivating presentations from Mamadou Ndiaye, IOC member in Senegal, and Ibrahima Wade, general coordinator of the organizing committee, the president of the IOC Coordination Commission for Dakar 2026, Kirsty Coventry, declared: “We are a united team, with a common goal: to ensure that the YOG Dakar 2026 is a huge success and has a positive impact on young people, not only in Senegal, but around the world.”
Editing plan
During the Session, an update was taken on the finalization, over the coming months, of the Games edition plan. This reference document for the activities launched by the organizing committee in the coming years is supposed to define all the key elements necessary for the delivery of the event.
Sports program
The Dakar 2026 organizing committee is working in close collaboration with the International Federations and the IOC to find solutions to optimize the overall program of the event. Work is currently focused on key aspects of the competitions – athlete quotas, number of events, formats and schedule. They will continue over the coming months.
Sites et infrastructures
The Session was also informed of the progress of the renovation and construction work carried out in preparation for the YOG. In particular, the detailed schedule for the modernizations to be carried out, work on which should begin in the first quarter of 2024, was discussed.
Youth mobilization
“Dakar en Jeux”, a major initiative of Dakar 2026, is regarding to launch its second edition. This program is designed to enable Senegalese communities to embrace sport and the Olympic spirit in the run-up to the YOG. Through various sporting events and workshops, Dakar en Jeux will engage young people in the region, encourage physical activity and raise awareness of the values of the Olympic Movement. The success of the inaugural 2022 edition has paved the way for a second edition, with even greater impact and inclusion.
Addressing IOC members, Kirsty Coventry said: “Even three years before the Games, the YOG is impacting thousands of young people in Senegal and building the legacy that the YOG will bring to local communities.”
In addition to the Dakar en Jeux festival, Dakar 2026 continues to dedicate itself to the deployment of several activities aimed at involving and mobilizing young people in the host country and outside.
These include the Olympic, civic and sports certificate – an educational program focused on Olympic values launched in 2023 which should concern 900,000 students and 11,000 schools by 2026. Classes will be provided throughout Senegal to students aged 9 at 15. So far, schools in the regions of Tambacounda, Kolda and Ziguinchor have had the opportunity to participate in the program; other regions should join the ranks in 2024.
As for the initiative called Kids Olympic Skills, it will be launched in 2024 and will have the mission of promoting education and mobilizing young people through sport. This national project will allow children aged 6 to 18 to discover a whole series of sports, as a prelude to the YOG.
As a reminder, the Dakar 2026 YOG will take place from October 31 to November 13, 2026 and will bring together the best young athletes in the world. These Games, which will take place on three sites (Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly), aim to serve as a catalyst for the transformation of Senegal through sport, while becoming a model for future hosts of the YOG.
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