Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics ‘a bridge to 2028 Los Angeles Games’

Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics ‘a bridge to 2028 Los Angeles Games’

Senegal is preparing to make Olympic history when Dakar hosts the Youth Olympic Games from 31 October to 13 November – the first Olympic event ever staged in Africa. But beyond the 13 days of competition, the bigger test will be what the Games leave behind for Senegalese sport.

Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics a bridge to 2028 Los Angeles Games

Some 2,700 young athletes are expected to compete, while thousands of young Senegalese have been trained for jobs linked to the event.Malick Diouf, head of the Prims agency and founder of the Dakar Sport Summit, an annual forum on the sports economy, told RFI the Games could help prepare a new generation of African athletes for international competition while giving Senegal the skills to host more major events i