The postponement of Dakar 2026 allows the IOC, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the International Federations (IFs) to better plan their activities, which have been strongly affected by the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, by the subsequent postponements of major international sports events, and by the operational and financial consequences of the global health crisis. Link to the official announcement here.
Dakar 2026 envisions the Games as a springboard to put Senegal and by ricochet all of Africa on the international stage. It will showcase the culture, traditions and values of the country, that its people are determined, ambitious, and emerging with confidence.
Senegal has youth at its centre: the average age is 18 and of the 15 million people, nearly half are under the age of 15. Young people are the agents of change, the building blocks of the future. That is why the Youth Olympic Games are viewed as the impetus to put young people at the forefront of real transformation – promoting economic and social development in alignment with human rights, environmental sustainability, national pride, unity, peace, tolerance and inclusion.
Dakar 2026 will give young people the chance to embrace and contribute to the successful hosting of a global event, instilling a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence that will endure for years to come. It will be organised in the spirit of “Teranga’’ – Senegal’s distinct brand of hospitality and respect. It will be the Games of cultural exchange and discovery that open Africa to the world and the world to Africa, with art, music and culture at the heart of the Games.
VISION
The vision of Dakar 2026 reflects the choice to build on the Youth Olympic Games as a catalyst for the transformation of Senegal and the African continent, both economically and socially through the mobilisation of young people. Its impact will help to better establish the Olympic values, support the emergence of Senegal and inspire the transformation of Africa.
It is combined with the increasingly clear affirmation of a resolute option for economic and social emergence and thus carries the seeds for a positive influence in the process of transformation at economic, social, cultural and environmental levels in Senegal.
“Dakar 2026, youth and sport united to contribute to the transformation of Senegal, and a source of inspiration for Africa”
MISSION
Our mission is to deliver safe, secure and festive Games that feature the world’s best young athletes competing in popular and inclusive sports in a spirit of excellence, friendship and respect.
Dakar 2026 aims to be transformative Games that will serve as a catalyst for capacity-building for young people and for the development of sport in Senegal and Africa. It will create hope, open doors and generate opportunities for youth, in due respect of human rights.
The key elements of Dakar 2026 mission are:
- Gather together, in a safe environment, the best young athletes around sporting, popular, inclusive and festive Games that value Excellence, Friendship and Respect
- Strengthen the image of Senegal in the world through sport, art and culture
- Contribute to economic emergence, social development, and preservation of the environmental in, Senegal and Africa
- Promote the culture of volunteering through the involvement of young people in the Games organisation and in sharing and discovering African cultures and the world
- Contribute to educating Senegalese, African and global youth on sustainable development and citizenship
OBJECTIVES
Dakar 2026 has set several goals that go beyond the competitive dimension of sport. They encompass the organisational, economic, eco-citizen, cultural and symbolic aspirations which sport, at large, has the capacity to fulfil.
The key messages for Dakar 2026 objectives are:
The YOG are a powerful tool for the IOC and Dakar 2026 to reach and engage young people to get involved in sport and the Olympic Movement in the longer term. The IOC and Dakar 2026 intend to engage with youth both internationally and locally.
Senegal has no less than 5 million young people aged between 15 and 34 years old, and it can rely on Dakar 2026 to enhance its young and valuable demographic potential, and to pave the way for a new generation committed to act as conveyers of the idea that sustainable development can be achieved through sport. Through youth engagement, youth mobilisation, confidence, empowerment, non-discrimination and inclusion, Dakar 2026 can become a catalyst to inspire change for the young people of Senegal.
The Senegalese National Olympic Academy (ANOS) in its programme "On the road to Dakar 2026" has already undertaken actions since January 2019 to mobilise young people for the success of the Dakar 2026 project.
Additionally, the involvement of the Ministry of National Education aims at reaching teachers and as many young people as possible because education on Olympic values starts in the schools. The partnership with the Senegalese National Institute of Physical Education and Sports – INSEPS will facilitate in the teaching of Olympic values through sport. Students in Physical Education will be at the heart of education through sport, which they will implement in the different high schools and colleges.
Transformation is at the heart of the Dakar 2026 project. The main goal is to deliver transformative Games in the African context, which celebrate sport and the world’s best young athletes and provide opportunities for sporting, social, cultural, educational and economic changes, especially for young people.
The Dakar 2026 Transformation Strategy compiles three ambitions. These ambitions are broken down into various key goals in line with the Games vision, mission and objectives, as presented below:
- Transformation for sport
- Transformation by, with & for youth
- Transformation of the cities and the country
Dakar 2026 aims to put the YOG at the heart of societal transformation of not only the cities of Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, but also Senegal and Africa.
