The objective is set in stone: to promote Olympic values and generate enthusiasm for the 2026 Youth Games. In short, to prepare the ground to ensure the success of the first Olympic event in history organized in Africa in two years.
The program includes a subtle mix of sports demonstrations – 5-a-side baseball, fencing, breaking, judo, karate, taekwondo and wushu – and concerts, with a discovery of Senegalese and African culture as a backdrop. Headlining the event is an international 3x3 basketball tournament for under-16s. A trendy urban festival, then. In keeping with the times.
Logic: the IOC is taking advantage of the opportunity to treat itself to a new inspection tour in Dakar and its surroundings. The Coordination Commission for the YOG 2026 is holding its sixth meeting until Friday, November 8. It is led by the vice-president of the body, Moroccan Nawal El Moutawakel.
Africa, then. Finally. Thomas Bach travelled it last month, crisscrossing the continent at a fast pace for one of his last presidential tours before handing over the keys to his office in Lausanne. Five countries in about ten days. Senegal to start, Kenya to finish, with intermediate stops in South Africa, Lesotho and Uganda.
The beginnings of a future edition of the Olympic Games, the real ones, on the African continent? Thomas Bach explained it last month at a press conference in Nairobi: Africa cannot aspire to host the event until it presents a solid candidacy. Elementary.
By coincidence, the IOC President was once again questioned on the same subject this week in Lausanne, during a question-and-answer session with young journalists from around the world. It was organized by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), as part of its centenary.
When asked by a young reporter from Kenya about Africa's chances of hosting the Olympic Games one day, Thomas Bach stuck to familiar ground. He repeated a refrain heard many times: " We already have the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in 2026. If Africa wants to host an Olympic Games, the first thing to do is to present a proposal. We can then discuss this as part of our new Olympic host selection process. If an African country shows interest, we are at its disposal to develop, with it, the best possible Olympic project, in accordance with its long-term development plan for its country and for the youth of its country."
More unexpected was his response to a Moroccan journalist's question about the possibility of a joint bid by several African countries. Would a continental project be in line with the IOC's objectives in terms of sustainability and inclusion? In theory, perhaps. In reality, not sure.
“The distribution of sites does not necessarily mean that a project is more sustainable, explained Thomas Bach. This unfortunatly may even have a counterproductive effect on sustainability, considering the emissions caused by transport, team logistics, spectators, tripling the number of people employed in the organising committees, etc. Diversification of sites is therefore not synonymous with sustainability. What is important for a sustainable organisation is the number of sites rather than their distribution (…). If you don't have existing facilities, go for temporary facilities. Only if temporary facilities are, for some reason, impossible – that is, according to the state of technology, almost impossible – can you diversify your activities."
Thomas Bach reminded us: Paris 2024 followed this approach perfectly. For an African country, the task seems much more complex.
