YOG Dakar 2026: President Bassirou Diomaye Faye focuses on the legacy of the Games and the integration of young volunteers
Three days before the opening of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, is calling for national mobilization to ensure the success of this historic event for Senegal and the African continent. Beyond the competition, the government is also called upon to prepare the legacy of the Games, with particular emphasis on learning and the integration of the 6,000 young volunteers mobilized.
Senegal is entering the home stretch of preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). On the occasion of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday October 28, the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, invited the population to give a warm welcome to the foreign delegations expected for this international sporting event.
Scheduled for October 31 at the Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade Stadium, the official opening ceremony will take place in the presence of several heads of state and government, as well as the president and members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The Head of State urged the government, state services and the Organizing Committee of the Youth Olympic Games (COJOG) to ensure the smooth running of the sports and cultural program. He also reiterated his call for national unity and popular mobilization around the success of this event, which will place Senegal at the center of international sports news.
The Senegalese delegation, called “Team Senegal”, received the national flag from the hands of the President of the Republic on October 26, in the presence of representatives of the sports movement. Bassirou Diomaye Faye wished him every success for this competition.
Final adjustments before opening
Beyond this call for mobilization, the authorities are continuing to monitor the latest preparations. According to the Prime Minister’s communication to the Council of Ministers, several operations remain at the center of government attention, in particular the health and cleanliness of sites, sanitary and emergency systems, transport as well as the reception and accommodation of official delegations and guests.
The ministers were invited to ensure close supervision of operations falling within their competence and to put in place a monitoring system throughout the duration of the Games, in order to facilitate the reporting and resolution of possible difficulties.
October 31 will also be marked by the holding of the Dakar Summit devoted to the theme “Sport for Development”, to which the President of the Republic attaches particular importance.
The legacy of the Games beyond the infrastructure
The post-YOG issue is also among the government’s priorities. The ministers were instructed to finalize, under the supervision of the Prime Minister, the legacy strategy for the Games in all its dimensions, beyond just the sports infrastructures.
Particular emphasis will be placed on setting up a learning and integration system for the 6,000 young volunteers mobilized as part of the event. This orientation places the promotion of the skills acquired by these young people among the post-competition challenges.
The authorities also asked the various ministerial departments to preserve the documentation produced during the preparations, in order to capitalize on the knowledge and experience acquired for the organization of future events of the same scale.
Through these guidelines, the government intends to prepare not only for the smooth running of the YOG Dakar 2026, but also for the impact of this first Olympic organization on the African continent. The challenge will be to make this event a lasting lever for youth, sport and the international influence of Senegal.
