Interview: Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games to boost China-Africa sports exchanges

Ibrahima Wade, general coordinator of the Organizing Committee of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), speaks during an interview with a Xinhua reporter at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium in Dakar, Senegal, Jan. 11, 2026.  (Photo by Aliou Mbaye/Xinhua)

DAKAR, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Sport has a unique power to bring people closer together and promote dialogue among civilizations, and the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will serve as a vivid platform for such exchanges, said Ibrahima Wade, general coordinator of the Organizing Committee of the Dakar 2026 YOG.

Speaking to Xinhua on Sunday on the sidelines of the second edition of the "Panda Cup" China-Senegal badminton friendly tournament, Wade said the YOG, the first Olympic competition ever to be held on the African continent, would inject sports-driven momentum into China-Africa people-to-people exchanges.

"The Dakar 2026 will mark a historic moment," Wade said. "Under the slogan 'Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates,' the Games carry a collective ambition - that of an Africa which is confident, open and fully engaged on the international stage."

Wade noted that 2026 has been designated as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, and that sport is increasingly becoming "a strong connector between peoples and a practical channel for mutual understanding."

In this context, cooperation between Senegal and China in preparing for the YOG has been both concrete and long-term, he said, combining immediate operational support with lasting capacity-building.

In terms of hardware support, Wade highlighted the donation of more than 13,000 items of sports equipment from the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee to the Dakar 2026 organizing committee.

"This legacy from the Hangzhou Asian Games is extremely important for us," he said. "It has helped ease budgetary pressure during the preparation process and, at the same time, strengthened the long-term operational capacity of our national sports federations."

Wade also noted that several Chinese companies are participating in the construction of sports infrastructure in Senegal, adding that their technical expertise and construction quality have been widely recognized.

Regarding the presentation of the Games, Wade said Chinese expert teams are involved in preparations for the opening ceremony. He revealed that a team of Chinese choreographers is scheduled to arrive in Dakar on Jan. 12 to work jointly with Senegalese artists.

In addition, Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, Olympic Worldwide Partner, will provide digital infrastructure support for the Games, enabling Dakar 2026 to align with modern, innovative and connected Olympic standards.

Capacity building among young people, Wade said, remains one of the most valuable aspects of China-Senegal cooperation. According to him, 96 Senegalese athletes have received systematic training in China, with the aim of achieving strong performances at the YOG.

"Allowing young Senegalese to build capacity in areas such as sport and technology is the most valuable dimension of this cooperation," he said.

Wade also pointed to wushu, which will make its debut as an official competition sport at the Dakar 2026.

"This is a historic breakthrough," he said, noting that Senegal was among the countries that supported the inclusion of wushu in the Youth Olympic program. With Chinese support, wushu has gradually developed a training and competition system in Senegal.

"We even dream, why not, of seeing a wushu final between Senegal and China," Wade said. "And may the best win."

Quoting a Chinese proverb - "A single pillar cannot support a house" - alongside a Senegalese saying - "One finger cannot pick up a stone" - Wade said the two expressions "perfectly capture the essence of China-Africa cooperation: unity, solidarity and shared benefits."

According to him, the significance of the Dakar 2026 goes far beyond sport itself.

"It is about showing the world that Africa matters, that Africa has the capacity and the confidence to contribute to the Olympic movement," he said. "In October 2026, the world will see a Senegal that is ready, and an Africa full of vitality. We look forward to writing a new chapter of China-Africa friendship in the Olympic history together with our Chinese friends." ■