What legacy do you hope Dakar 2026 will leave for Senegal and the African continent?
Legacy is very important because ultimately there is no point in hosting games if there is no legacy. That’s why we’ve worked a lot with the IOC on how to put heritage at the heart of the philosophy of the Games. We already have our sustainability, impact and legacy plan, which focuses on three aspects.
The first is the social aspect, which looks at how sports can strengthen human rights and take care of the social rights of all people involved in the process.
The second aspect is environmental sustainability. We have placed environmental protection and sustainability at the core of our activities and we are working with national stakeholders responsible for the issues such as the Minister of Environment and some other public and private organizations to increase culture. Taking care of the environment in the entire country, not just for the games, but also before and after the games.
And lastly an economic aspect; How can we ensure these games have a positive impact on the local private sector? In Senegal, there are a lot of small and medium-sized enterprises, so we are looking at how to make them part of the games.
These are the three main aspects that we are looking at in our legacy program and at the end of the Games, we hope to make a real impact not just for Senegal but for the whole of Africa.
Dakar 2026 recently released its goals for the YOG – Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates – What is the significance of this?
This is an important point, the motto of Dakar 2026. This is the first time that the Youth Olympic Games will be held in Africa. That’s why we chose this motto, Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates. It’s a great way to show that it’s not just games for Tucker; It is a game for the world and the whole of Africa is involved.