The Organizing Committee for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games has announced a new initiative that will allow talented young people from National Olympic Committees across Africa to join the organizing team through the Learning Academy. This program, supported by Olympic Solidarity and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), aims to strengthen sporting capacities on the continent and ensure broad representation at the event.
The news was presented this week to the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee by the president of the Dakar 2026 Coordination Commission, Humphrey Kayange.
Scholarships to encourage participation by African NOCs
With the aim of facilitating the participation of African NOCs, Olympic Solidarity and ANOCA will fund scholarships to cover the travel and accommodation expenses of the selected participants. This support will ensure that young professionals from across Africa can access this unique opportunity.
The application process for the scholarships will be communicated to the NOCs after the summer, and the selected participants will begin their training at the Learning Academy in early 2026, before joining the Dakar 2026 organizing team.
Practical training in sports management
The Learning Academy is designed to offer young African professionals practical experience in sports management and event organization. Each African NOC will be able to nominate candidates to participate in the program, which includes two weeks of intensive training in Dakar. Subsequently, those selected will take on roles within the Organizing Committee, contributing to the strengthening of NOCs and capacity building on the continent.
Over the next 16 months, up to 400 young professionals, including 53 selected through the African NOCs, will receive training and join the organizing team. The first 41 participants have already begun their duties.
As always, the Olympic Movement
The President of the Coordination Commission, Humphrey Kayange, highlighted the importance of this initiative: “Through the Learning Academy, we are creating a lasting legacy for the Olympic Movement, which could serve as a model for future host cities of the Youth Olympic Games or the Olympic Games, starting here in Dakar.”
