The organization of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games has invited middle and high school students in Senegal to participate in a competition to create the first ever Olympic mascot in Africa. Launched last Wednesday, the competition brought together 494 candidates from 41 establishments, across 16 departments of the country. "We decided to target the group of students aged between 12 and 18 who are in schools because there is no better way to involve young people than asking them to show imagination and creativity for the creation of the mascot. Since the beginning, the process has been carried out with great professionalism because all the actions have been assumed with responsibility by the Ministry of National Education", rejoiced Ibrahima Wade, general coordinator of the OCOG. The instruction: imagine a character who reflects excellence, friendship and respect. The winner will be announced in June. The jury, composed of 17 people, is chaired by Moustapha Guirassy, Minister of National Education. At his side to decide, Senegal's only Olympic medalist in history, Amadou Dia Ba (Olympic vice-champion in the 400 metres hurdles in Seoul 1988), the designer Odia, the painter Kalidou Kassé, representatives of the OCOG, the artistic director Moe Sow and Soda Diarra, director of tourist promotion.
