With just months to go before the opening of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, organisers are moving into a new phase of preparations, marked by venue testing, volunteer mobilisation and the rollout of youth-focused programmes.
According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), preparations for Dakar 2026 are steadily advancing into the operational stage, with test events and key organisational systems being implemented ahead of the Games.
During a presentation at the 146th Session of the International Olympic Committee, held in Lausanne in June 2026, the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (YOGOC) provided an update on progress made in the lead-up to the opening ceremony scheduled for 31 October 2026.
The President of the organising committee, Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, praised the commitment of all stakeholders, saying that “the progress achieved is the result of a shared effort involving the organising committee, the IOC, international federations, national Olympic committees and the wider sporting community.”
For his part, Humphrey Kayange, the chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Dakar 2026, said the Youth Olympic Games were “no longer just an idea on paper, but a visible reality in Senegal and across the Olympic Movement.”
The eight competition venues selected for the Games are currently hosting a series of test operations designed to validate technical systems and organisational procedures before the competition begins.
The Jambaar26 volunteer programme has already attracted nearly 23,000 applications for approximately 6,000 volunteer positions that will be deployed during the Games.
At the same time, the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy is supporting more than 250 young professionals in developing skills related to the organisation and management of major sporting events.
Through the “Youth in Games” initiative, around 300,000 young Senegalese are expected to participate in Olympic-related activities within schools and local communities.
The Youth Olympic Flame Tour is scheduled to begin in September following the lighting ceremony in Athens on 10 September, before arriving in Dakar on 12 September.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026 across the three host sites of Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
The event is expected to bring together approximately 2,700 athletes aged 17 and under, making Dakar the first African host of an Olympic competition.
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