The Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 will be the first to include the participation of a Youth Refugee Olympic Team. This was decided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board during its meeting today in Lausanne, Switzerland. The decision marks the latest step in the IOC’s ongoing commitment to support refugees and displaced people through sport, at all levels.
Dakar 2026 will be the first Olympic event held on the African continent, and in the spirit of hosting African Games for the world, the focus in putting together the first Youth Refugee Olympic Team will be on selecting African-based athletes.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We look forward to selecting a team which not only shines a light on the global displacement and refugee crisis but also highlights the importance of bringing together the finest young athletes, in the spirit of Olympism, at inclusive Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.”
The exact composition and selection of the Youth Refugee Olympic Team for Dakar 2026 will be determined at a later date and will once again be decided by the IOC Executive Board.
Africa currently hosts more than 47 million out of the more than 120 million displaced people globally – the Youth Refugee Olympic Team in 2026 will serve to draw attention to this reality. Through its work, the Olympic Refuge Foundation has for many years been supporting displaced people across the African continent through sport.
Currently, the Foundation has active programmes in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Kenya and Uganda. It has also previously worked in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – reaching and supporting thousands of young people affected by displacement.