Momentum accelerates as Dakar 2026 enters Games year

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DAKAR: Key facts Dakar 2026 has entered the delivery phase, with venue works and operational readiness advancing as the Games year begins.
Preparations are supported by strong national coordination, growing public engagement and a clear focus on youth legacy.
Key milestones ahead include the Chefs de Mission Seminar in April and the arrival of the Olympic flame on the African continent in September.
Delivered by Dakar 2026 Organising Committee (YOGOC) President Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye and General Coordinator Ibrahima Wade, the update marked a shift from planning to delivery, with progress accelerating across governance, venues and operations. Coordination Commission (CoCom) Chair Humphrey Kayange also addressed the Session, highlighting the great progress and tangible momentum towards Dakar 2026, while noting that the CoCom remained clear-eyed on the priorities and how these would be monitored and systematically addressed.

Delivery and readiness advancing across venues

Dakar 2026 continues to build confidence through tangible progress on venue works, with several sites having already hosted operational testing. Venue renovations are designed to support long-term access for young athletes, while the Youth Olympic Village will subsequently be turned into student accommodation. International Sports Federations are actively engaged through regular site visits and targeted webinars, with the Chefs de Mission Seminar in April marking a key operational milestone.

The preparations are supported by strengthened national coordination. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye attended the One-Year-To-Go celebrations and remains closely involved in the preparations, while the YOGOC continues to engage regularly with the highest authorities.

 “We are now in Games year, with exactly 270 days to go until the Opening Ceremony,” Ndiaye told the IOC Members, stressing that preparations are underpinned by a strengthened governance and close-monitoring framework established jointly with the IOC and Games delivery partners.

Celebrations and events driving public momentum

Public engagement continues to build through milestone celebrations, including the One-Year-To-Go celebrations (https://apo-opa.co/4anraKC), alongside the fourth edition of the Dakar en Jeux (https://apo-opa.co/4awkyuu) festival, which included an international futsal competition. The festival also served as a key moment for international engagement with representatives from 42 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) across five continents taking part in open days.

In the heart of the capital, the Dakar 2026 OMEGA countdown clock (https://apo-opa.co/4awkACC) now provides a daily reminder of the approaching milestone, marking the days until these Games.

Building a lasting youth legacy

At the heart of Dakar 2026 remains its long-term legacy for African young people. Through the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy (https://apo-opa.co/4rxsXna), nearly 200 of the 400 available places are currently filled, with participants from 25 African NOCs set to join the YOGOC. This legacy focus is complemented by Jambaar26 (https://apo-opa.co/3M7fTG8) (“hero” in Wolof), the Dakar 2026 volunteer programme, launched last December and aiming to mobilise 6,000 volunteers across Senegal.

CoCom Chair Kayange concluded: “Beyond the sports venues and accommodation, the legacy of Dakar 2026 will be formidable, trained young human capital across Africa.” Looking ahead, he noted that the arrival of the Olympic flame in September, marked by a nationwide tour across all 14 regions of Senegal and local celebrations across the continent, will unite communities and bring together African countries around the flame, with the support of Olympic Solidarity.

Dakar 2026 will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, bringing together around 2,700 young athletes aged up to 17 across three host zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.