PREPARATIONS for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games have moved decisively from planning to delivery, organisers said this week, as a comprehensive progress report took centre stage at the 145th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session.
With fewer than 270 days remaining before the opening ceremony, the organisers confirmed that venue construction, national coordination and athlete accommodation are on schedule for the first Olympic event to be staged on African soil.
The update was a focal point of the Session in Milan, held as the city prepares to host the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
Alongside the Dakar report, the session re-elected Juan Antonio Samaranch (Spain) as IOC vice-president for a second four-year term. Three new members were also elected to the IOC executive board: Ingmar De Vos (Belgium), Jae Youl Kim (Korea) and Neven Ilic (China). In addition, olympian Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha (Ireland) was elected as a new IOC member.
The progress update was delivered by Youth Olympic Games organising committee president Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye and general coordinator Ibrahima Wade, who emphasised that Senegal has now firmly entered “Games year”.
Infrastructure across the three host zones — Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly — is nearing completion, with several venues already hosting operational test events.
Coordination commission chair Humphrey Kayange told the session that while momentum is clearly building, the commission remains “clear-eyed” about the remaining priorities.
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Attention has now shifted towards systematic monitoring and fine-tuning the athlete experience to ensure the Games meet Olympic standards.
One of the key milestones highlighted was the progress of the Youth Olympic Village, which has been designed with a long-term legacy in mind. After the Games, the village will be converted into student accommodation, leaving a lasting contribution to Senegal’s higher education infrastructure.
National support continues to underpin preparations, with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye maintaining direct involvement in the Games’ delivery.
This high-level political backing was on display during the recent “One-Year-To-Go” celebrations, which drew widespread national participation.
“We are now in the final stretch,” Ndiaye told IOC members. “Our framework is robust, and the Omega countdown clock in the heart of the capital offers a daily reminder of the approaching milestone.”
Public engagement has been further strengthened through the fourth edition of the Dakar en Jeux festival, which featured an international futsal tournament and welcomed representatives from 42 national olympic committees (NOCs). The event provided a valuable opportunity to test logistics while simultaneously building excitement among local communities.
At the same time, the launch of Jambaar26 — the volunteer programme named after the Wolof word for “hero” — aims to recruit 6 000 citizens to support Games operations.
The report also underscored Dakar 2026’s broader continental ambition. Through the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy, nearly 200 of the 400 available positions have already been filled by participants from 25 African NOCs, ensuring that the administrative and technical expertise developed through the Games remains within Africa.
Kayange concluded by noting that the arrival of the Olympic flame in September will serve as a powerful unifying moment. The flame will tour all 14 regions of Senegal, supported by Olympic Solidarity, in a nationwide celebration designed to bring African nations together.
Scheduled to take place from October 31 to November 13, 2026, the Dakar Youth Olympic Games will feature 2 700 athletes aged 17 and under.
With the Chefs de Mission Seminar set for April, the road to Dakar is now clearly mapped, setting the stage for a historic event that promises to redefine the Olympic footprint in Africa.
