Senegal has made major investments to build, renovate and modernise its sports facilities to host the Youth Olympic Games, set for 31 October to 13 November 2026. New or upgraded venues now stand in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. These three cities will host the competitions. But the facilities raise bigger questions than just organising the Games. How should the government finance, manage and maintain them in the long term after the competition?
We put these questions to two researchers, Djibril Diouf, a specialist in public-private partnerships, and Amadou Moctar Ndiouck, an expert in the law and management of sports infrastructure. They argue that the Youth Olympic Games could help reshape Senegal’s model. They also discuss the respective roles of the government, local authorities and the private sector in funding sports facilities.
