Faye calls for Dakar 2026 YOG to create jobs
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Senego
At the Dakar Summit on Sport and Sustainable Development, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye called for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games to be a lever for jobs and development. He also urged participants to respect the Olympic Truce, according to his speech at the King Fahd Palace.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Saturday called for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to serve as a lever for job creation and sustainable development. He was speaking at the King Fahd Palace in Dakar during the presidential segment of the Dakar Summit on Sport and Sustainable Development, Senego reports.
The head of state listed among the priorities the construction of high-level and community sports facilities, talent training and the development of a sports economy that creates jobs and wealth for young people. He also called for respect for the Olympic Truce, following a resolution presented by Senegal and adopted by UNESCO’s Executive Board.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye took part in a panel with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, Prince Albert II of Monaco, International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry and Makhtar Diop, managing director of the International Finance Corporation. Discussions focused in particular on funding for sport and the legacy of the Games. The Senegalese president announced that the state would follow up on the summit’s conclusions.
The summit is part of preparations for the Dakar 2026 YOG, whose opening ceremony is scheduled for Saturday evening at Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio. It is the second edition of the summit, following the one held in Paris in 2024.
