Dakar 2026 One Year to Go: how the IOC is supporting young athletes on the road to the Youth Olympic Games

03 November 2025 – With one year to go to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), one young Senegalese athlete has already given the host nation reason to celebrate. With support from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through its Olympic Solidarity programme, Tening Faye made history earlier this year by becoming the first Senegalese athlete to win a medal at the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships.

Key facts

• History made: Tening Faye became the first Senegalese athlete to medal at the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships.

• Faye’s success was supported by an Olympic Solidarity-funded training camp in Dakar, aimed at preparing young African athletes.

• Olympic Solidarity is expanding youth support across Africa, helping athletes and coaches prepare for Dakar 2026 through targeted funding, training and development programmes.

How did Tening Faye’s journey lead to a historic medal?

Faye’s bronze medal in the -44kg category was the result of talent, determination – and timely support. Ahead of the competition, she took part in a taekwondo training camp in Dakar, organised by World Taekwondo and supported by the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity programme. The camp gave her access to expert coaching and high-level preparation, helping her reach the semi-finals in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, where she came up against the eventual gold medallist from Ukraine.

“I am very proud of the medal for my country,” said Faye after the competition. “I think this will inspire the younger generation, and more people will go and practise taekwondo in Senegal.”

The Olympic Solidarity Taekwondo Camp, held from 15 to 23 April this year, is part of a broader effort to support young athletes on the pathway to Dakar 2026. The camp aims to help develop young African talent through expert training, with the goal of seeing them compete at the YOG and, ultimately, future Olympic Games. This second edition of the camp, following its launch in 2024, brought together 36 young athletes and nine national team coaches from Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan and Gambia. Participants took part in daily technical sessions led by World Taekwondo instructors, a Virtual Taekwondo competition day, and coach education sessions designed to strengthen coaching expertise across the region.

“We are proud to continue this initiative, which not only nurtures athletic talent but also promotes the Olympic spirit and cultural understanding,” said World Taekwondo President Dr Chungwon Choue.

Although Faye was narrowly defeated in a close three-round match by the eventual gold medallist, her performance secured a historic podium finish for Senegal. Her achievement is inspiring young athletes across the country who are dreaming of success on home soil at next year’s YOG.

How are young athletes being helped to prepare for Dakar 2026?

Beyond the World Taekwondo camp, many more young athletes across Africa are benefitting from Olympic Solidarity support as they prepare for Dakar 2026.

Working closely with International Federations (IFs), Olympic Solidarity supports a wide range of youth-focused activities in Senegal and beyond – from training camps, mini competitions and coaching and athlete entourage education to longer-term projects that help strengthen national sports structures.

Through this collaboration, IFs such as World Taekwondo receive targeted funding to organise athlete preparation initiatives, with a particular focus on National Federations that typically have smaller delegations at Olympic events.

Ahead of Dakar 2026, investment in youth programmes has been expanded, with a particular focus on African National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and sports on the Dakar 2026 programme.

Through its Youth Athlete Development programme, Olympic Solidarity offers NOCs various types of support:

• Help in identifying and training young athletes;
• Financial support for athletes taking part in participation pathway events; and
• Flexible training and competition opportunities delivered by IFs for selected athletes, coaches and officials.
• In some cases, it also offers a targeted technical course for coaches and athletes’ entourage members.

This growing network of support is helping ensure that more young athletes like Faye have the opportunity to train, compete and shine on the international stage.

What is Olympic Solidarity?

Olympic Solidarity is an IOC programme that provides assistance to all NOCs, with a particular focus on those with the greatest need. This support is delivered through a range of programmes that prioritise athlete development, as well as the training of coaches and sports administrators, and the promotion of the Olympic values.

For the 2025–2028 cycle, Olympic Solidarity has a development and assistance budget of USD 650 million, funded by the share of broadcast rights from recent Olympic Games that belongs to the NOCs. Olympic Solidarity redistributes these funds through programmes offered to all NOCs recognised by the IOC.

Now, with less than one year to go until the Dakar 2026 YOG, athletes like Faye are already showing what’s possible when this kind of support is in place – and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.

The Dakar 2026 YOG will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, bringing together 2,700 of the world’s best young athletes up to the age of 17. The Games will be held across three host sites in Senegal: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.