2023-10-31 14:42:18
The second edition of the Dakar en Jeux festival begins today. For a week, the event will be an occasion for celebration in the regions which will host the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2026, the first Olympic event organized on the African continent. This second edition will run until November 4, 2023.
Following the success of the first edition, during which thousands of people participated in demonstrations, sports initiations, concerts and cultural activities, the 2023 edition will place greater emphasis on the contribution of sport and spreading the Olympic spirit in Senegalese communities in the run-up to the YOG Dakar 2026. The events will take place in the YOG host regions of Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
Tens of thousands of spectators and 2,000 athletes are expected to take part in the five-day festival, which is a key initiative launched by the Dakar 2026 Organizing Committee (COYOG). The festival aims to promote the next YOG, while mobilizing young people in the region, promoting physical activity and raising awareness of the values of the Olympic Movement.
As Kirsty Coventry, Chair of the Dakar 2026 YOG Coordination Commission, said: “After the tremendous success of the very first edition in 2022, Dakar is preparing for a new celebration and a new excitement in the perspective of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Dakar en Jeux is not only a showcase for sport, it is also regarding adopting the values of the Youth Olympic Games and building bridges between communities. will have the opportunity to see incredible athletes, feel the thrill of competition and meet people who share the same passion for sport and culture.”
The festival program was created by young people, for young people and is implemented by the YOGOC in partnership with the Senegalese National Olympic Committee, the city of Dakar, the cities of Diamniadio and Saly, the Senegalese government and the Committee Olympic International.
The festival begins today, October 31, with an opening ceremony held at the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar. There are three years left before the official start of the YOG Dakar 2026. The ceremony will bring together the 46 departments and 14 regions of Senegal who will present their traditional dances and costumes, thus underlining the vision of the OCOG to associate the country with the YOG host as a whole.
Paul Tergat, Olympic medalist, IOC member and ambassador for this edition of Dakar en Jeux, said in this regard: “I am honored to be the ambassador for this second edition of Dakar en Jeux 2023. It’s really great. to see the evolution compared to the first edition. With new sports added to the festival program, whether initiations or competitions, this means that even more young people are engaged in sport.”
The festival program also includes various sporting events, workshops and shows, including concerts, slams and street art demonstrations, streets where a fresco on the Olympic values will be painted by graffiti artists from the region. The program also gives pride of place to competitions and sporting initiations, including the organization of a special day dedicated to urban sports, offering the opportunity to discover sports such as rollerblading, BMX and skateboarding.
In addition to the events organized in Dakar, the city of Diamniadio will also be in the spotlight and will host athletics and futsal competitions, as well as a series of concerts by young artists.
The town of Saly will organize an introduction to beach handball and beach volleyball, as well as a beach wrestling competition and other sporting activities at Obama Beach. The city will also conclude the festivities with a closing ceremony featuring music and dance performances.
The Dakar en Jeux festival will take place each year as part of the preparations for the Dakar 2026 YOG, which will be held, as a reminder, from October 31 to November 13, 2026, and where the best young athletes in the world will compete. The YOG will take place in the three cities of Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly and aim to play the role of catalyst to transform Senegalese youth through sport.
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