YOG Dakar 2026: Senegal on its way to Athens to receive the Olympic flame

Less than two months before the opening of the “Dakar 2026” Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the countdown is accelerating. The Senegalese delegation flew yesterday to Athens, Greece, where it will take part, Thursday, September 10, in the official lighting and handover ceremony of the YOG “Dakar 2026” flame.

It is at the Panathénaïque stadium, a mecca in Olympic history, that Senegal will officially receive the “Dakar 2026” YOG flame on Thursday September 10. Built entirely of marble, this historic site will mark the start of the flame’s journey across the country before the opening of the Olympic Games. Departing from Blaise Diagne International Airport (Aibd) aboard an Air Senegal flight, the Senegalese delegation is made up of officials from the State, the sports movement, Cojoj and the media. It is led in particular by Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, president of the Senegalese National Olympic and Sports Committee (Cnoss).

Also among the members of the delegation are Djirèye Clotilde Coly, Minister of Youth and Sports, Ibrahima Wade, general coordinator of the Organizing Committee for the Youth Olympic Games (Cojoj), Baïdy Agne, vice-president of Cnoss, Abass Fall, mayor of Dakar, Augustin Senghor, former president of the Senegalese Football Federation and current mayor of Gorée, Lamine Niang, general director of Sspp Le Soleil, and Pape Alé Niang, general director of Rts.

The delegation is expected in Athens during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, around 3:40 a.m. local time. From Wednesday, she will continue preparations for the official ceremony scheduled for Thursday at the Panathenaic Stadium. Beyond the protocol, the handing over of the flame constitutes a strong moment in the march towards “Dakar 2026”. It marks the passing of the Olympic baton to a continent which is preparing to host, for the first time in history, an Olympic event.

The return of the Senegalese delegation is planned for the night of September 11 to 12. The flame will then travel, from September 14 to October 30, the 14 regions of Senegal through around thirty stages. She will travel across the country before reaching the Senegalese capital for the opening of the Olympic Games, scheduled from October 30 to November 13, 2026. After several years of preparation, Senegal is approaching this Youth Olympic Games with the ambition of making it a major sporting, cultural and popular event, but also a showcase of its know-how, its hospitality and its legendary Téranga.

Moussa DIOP, special envoy to Athens (Greece)