Faye seeks lasting economic legacy for Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Le Soleil
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has called for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games to become a lasting driver of economic and social development. At a summit held in Dakar on 31 October, he backed investment in school sport, training and infrastructure, according to Le Soleil.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Saturday 31 October 2026 in Dakar called for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to become a lasting driver of economic and social development. He was speaking at a summit on sport and sustainable development held ahead of the opening ceremony, Le Soleil reports.
Faye said the Games should help develop a sporting generation of young people and foster a sports economy. He cited school and university sport, amateur participation, training, coaching and infrastructure funding as among the measures needed to achieve this goal.
The president also highlighted the construction and renovation of high-level and community sports facilities. In his view, this infrastructure should serve young people and the population after the Games, promote personal development and strengthen social cohesion. He said the state would mobilise the country’s stakeholders to preserve this legacy and support the sports sector.
The summit was attended by heads of state and government, the president of the International Olympic Committee and foreign delegations. It follows the handover of the Senegalese flag on 26 October to the 136 athletes selected for the YOG, at a ceremony presided over by Faye.
