The staging of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games has become the central pillar of the African sports agenda. This was underlined during the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa -ANOCA-, held in Luanda (Angola), where the organisation positioned the event as a strategic priority for the continent and a key test of maturity for the African Olympic movement.
Dakar 2026 will be the first Olympic event ever staged on African soil, a milestone with strong symbolic and political significance. For ANOCA, the project goes beyond the organisation of a multi-sport competition and is framed as an opportunity to consolidate years of investment in structures, youth programmes and sports governance, with a clear focus on international credibility and long-term legacy.
In this context, the President of ANOCA and member of the International Olympic Committee -IOC-, Mustapha Berraf, stated that “2026 will be a decisive year for the African Olympic movement. With the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, we are assuming a historic responsibility and there is no room for error. That is why we will mobilise all our resources and energy to ensure this event is a success that marks a turning point for African sport”.
Dakar 2026 as a catalyst for African sport
From the perspective of ANOCA, Dakar 2026 is conceived as a catalyst to accelerate processes already under way across the continent. Preparations for the event are closely linked to grassroots initiatives such as Olympafrica centres, the upgrading of sports infrastructure and the professionalisation of event management and organisational systems, with particular attention to youth sport.
This strategy is directly connected to the work carried out in recent years, including partnerships with international federations, the launch of new continental competitions and the strengthening of school sport. Dakar 2026 is thus presented as the culmination of a roadmap designed to transform the short-term impact of the Games into a structural boost for African sport.
Governance involving all 54 African NOCs
One of the key pillars in the preparation of Dakar 2026 is the governance model. ANOCA emphasised in Luanda its commitment to collaborative decision-making, under which all programmes and projects linked to the Games will be submitted to the General Assembly — composed of the 54 National Olympic Committees across the continent — prior to final approval.
Athletes are also expected to play a central role. The ANOCA Athletes’ Commission, chaired by Gabi Ahrens (Namibia), will be actively involved in the preparations, through an eight-month training programme that will reserve dedicated places for African Olympians. “The direct involvement of athletes is essential to ensure sporting credibility and the real impact of Dakar 2026,” it was stated during the Executive Committee session, highlighting the intention to integrate athletes’ experience into the organisational process.
Dakar 2026 as a starting point
Beyond the competition itself, ANOCA places legacy at the heart of its criteria for success at Dakar 2026. The organisation aims for the Games to leave behind operational infrastructure, consolidated training programmes and increased organisational capacity across the continent, particularly in youth and grassroots sport.
Berraf stressed that Dakar 2026 should be understood “not as an end point, but as a solid foundation for the future development of African sport”. Preparations for the event are therefore shaping up as a turning point, with the focus not only on 2026, but on Africa’s longer-term positioning within the international Olympic and sporting system.
