With just 100 days until the start of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the work taking place behind the scenes is already delivering results as significant as those that will unfold in the competition venues. Across Africa, thousands of young athletes and hundreds of coaches are taking part in training programs, camps, workshops, and competitions supported by Olympic Solidarity, an initiative designed to make the Games far more than a two-week event: a platform to strengthen sport across the entire continent.
The Young Athlete Development (YAD) programme, led by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), reflects this long-term vision. Since 2025, investment in youth development has enabled the launch of more than one hundred initiatives across Africa, benefiting nearly 15,000 athletes and more than 700 coaches from 52 National Olympic Committees. The strategy combines financial support, technical education, and collaboration with the International Federations to build a sporting ecosystem capable of continuing to grow well beyond Dakar 2026.
An investment that strengthens sport from the ground up
Preparation for Dakar 2026 goes far beyond training the athletes who will compete at the Games. The programme is committed to strengthening every stakeholder involved in sports development, from coaches and referees to administrators and sports leaders. With an investment of nearly USD 10 million allocated to the Young Athlete Development programme since 2025, Africa has received 39 percent of the funding distributed so far, highlighting the continent’s importance to the Olympic Movement during this Olympic cycle.
That support has resulted in 105 initiatives implemented across 52 African National Olympic Committees, where Olympic Solidarity and the International Federations are working together to create sustainable change. The programmes include training camps, athlete support initiatives, technical education, and the strengthening of national sports systems, ensuring that the knowledge gained remains within each country and continues to benefit future generations of athletes.
Knowledge as a legacy for future generations
One of the programme’s defining characteristics is its collaborative approach. In disciplines such as 3×3 basketball, FIBA organized a high-performance training camp in Dakar that brought together young players from Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, and Senegal, alongside coaches, referees, and table officials. The joint training allowed every participant to share experiences and develop common tools to raise the competitive standard, reinforcing a model in which every member of the sporting ecosystem plays a vital role in athlete development.
The same philosophy has been adopted by World Athletics, which has organized workshops and training camps since 2025 in cities such as Dakar and Nairobi, combining technical preparation with education on nutrition, athlete safeguarding, anti-doping, and long-term career development. Participating coaches then transfer that knowledge to their home countries, extending the programme’s impact far beyond the training camps. These efforts are complemented by initiatives such as the Regional Education and Development Tournament organized by United World Wrestling in Guinea-Bissau, which combines competition, education, and technical training to strengthen national federations across West Africa. Together, these initiatives form a global strategy to develop athletes, coaches, and sports organizations around the world.
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