Ben Amed Azize Zougmore
11 Mai 2026•Mise à jour: 11 Mai 2026
AA / Istanbul / Ben Amed Azize Zougmore
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye stated on Monday that the 2026 Youth Olympic Games will be “an African event” carrying a lasting legacy in terms of infrastructure, social cohesion, and organizational expertise, while French President Emmanuel Macron called for making sport a lever for growth, education, and development for the continent.
Speaking at a panel on sport and development in Nairobi at the initiative of Presidents William Ruto and Emmanuel Macron, Bassirou Diomaye Faye emphasized that Dakar will host “for the first time in Africa” an Olympic competition of this scale.
“Africa is hosting, but Dakar is rising,” declared the Senegalese head of state, stating that the event should promote “the values of brotherhood, tolerance, and peace” associated with the Olympics.
The Senegalese President indicated that the investments made for the Games, particularly in renovating and constructing centralized sports facilities in several municipalities, are already contributing to strengthening “social cohesion” and democratizing sports practice.
He mentioned that the projects related to the organization currently involve “about 1,000 to 2,000 people,” and that the event will leave a dual legacy, both in terms of infrastructure and human capital, thanks to the expertise gained in the preparations.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye also thanked France for its “perfect collaboration” in organizing the Games, especially in terms of security, before calling on “African youth and women” to come to Dakar to celebrate “this African and global sports festival.”
Also speaking at the same panel, Emmanuel Macron stated that Africa is at “a decisive moment” with the successive organization of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and the 2030 World Cup in Morocco.
“There is no continent that will host as many major sporting events in the coming years as Africa,” affirmed the French President.
Emmanuel Macron presented sport as a tool for youth empowerment and integration, as well as “the best prevention policy” in public health matters.
“We learn from young people the rules, discipline, self-confidence,” he said, believing that sport can promote access to education and employment.
The French head of state also emphasized the need to strengthen African sports infrastructure, mentioning projects supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) and several international partners.
According to him, over 400 sports projects have been developed in about fifty African countries in recent years, including the construction of fields and equipment for football, basketball, and athletics.
Emmanuel Macron finally argued for a better structuring of the sports economy on the continent, regretting that African talents are still “too often valued elsewhere.”
“You have some of the world’s best athletes (…) and they are taken in other championships, in other competitions. This is not good for the African continent,” he declared, calling for the development of an African sports industry that is more job-creating and locally enriching.
