With 200 days to go until the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, sport is beginning to take shape as something more than competition: it is becoming a concrete pathway for personal rebuilding for thousands of displaced young people across Africa. In Uganda, where lives are marked by displacement, initiatives led by the International Olympic Committee are opening doors that once seemed unreachable, connecting sporting dreams with real development opportunities.

Through its community program Game Connect and with the support of the Olympic Refuge Foundation, the IOC has started to build a support network that combines training, emotional guidance, and access to sport. Within this framework, 34 young refugees receive support from Olympic Solidarity with a clear goal: to become part of the first Refugee Youth Olympic Team set to compete at Dakar 2026, in a process that goes beyond competition and becomes deeply human.

The Olympic dream born in contexts of displacement

Among those selected are stories like Emmanuel and Aline, teenagers who were forced to flee the Democratic Republic of the Congo and who now see sport as a way to shape their future. Emmanuel, a 100-meter sprinter, does not hide the emotion he felt upon being selected: for him, it is not only a personal opportunity, but also a chance to represent his family and a community that has had to rebuild far from home.

Aline, meanwhile, discovered her talent almost by chance after years of playing football informally. Today, she trains in sprint events within a structured environment that allows her to develop her potential. Her vision goes beyond competition: she dreams of becoming a coach and giving back to other young people what she is now receiving. In her story, sport emerges as a space not only for competition, but also for recovering identity and building new certainties.

From sport to social transformation in Uganda

The impact of Game Connect goes beyond those aiming for Dakar 2026. In vulnerable communities in Kampala, figures like Otim Ambrose show how sport can become a tool for structural change. Having experienced displacement himself, Ambrose channeled that experience into the creation of Play Pure, an initiative that promotes healthier lifestyles and safe spaces for children and young people aged 6 to 25.

Testimonies within these spaces reveal deep transformations. Opeje, one of the participants, explains how she moved from a life marked by uncertainty and exposure to risky behaviors to one grounded in discipline, respect, and confidence in the future. In a country hosting nearly two million refugees, the reach of programs like Game Connect—having engaged more than 28,000 young people—shows that sport can be far more than recreation: it can become a starting point to reimagine life.