Two months to go to Dakar 2026: Keeping sport fair for the next generation
With just two months to go until the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), a range of measures are being implemented to help protect fair competition and equip young athletes with the knowledge they need to navigate the challenges of elite sport. From education and awareness-raising initiatives to monitoring systems and coordinated response mechanisms, these efforts aim to ensure that all 2,700 athletes can compete on a level playing field.
Key facts
- Through the Athlete Education Programme, athletes and entourage members will learn about key topics, including competition manipulation
- Six IOC Believe in Sport Ambassadors will engage directly with participants throughout the Games, helping young athletes recognise and respond to risks related to competition manipulation.
- The Joint Integrity Unit (JIU) brings together the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee and Senegalese authorities to ensure coordinated action on integrity matters.
For many participants, Dakar 2026 will be their first experience of a major international multi-sport event. Beyond the field of play, the Youth Olympic Games offer a valuable opportunity to help young athletes understand the responsibilities that come with elite sport and the role they can play in protecting the integrity of competition.
The Youth Olympic Games are a unique opportunity to help young athletes understand the importance of integrity and the values that underpin sport.
“As we prepare for Dakar 2026, it is essential that the IOC and its partners work together to ensure that this celebration of youth and sporting achievement is not undermined by wrongdoing.”
The Athlete Education Programme
Through the Athlete Education Programme, athletes and their entourage members will learn about competition manipulation and the risks associated with betting, match-fixing and the sharing of insider information. The aim is to equip participants with the knowledge and practical tools needed to recognise suspicious approaches, make informed decisions and know where to seek support if concerns arise.
Six Believe in Sport Ambassadors
Supporting these efforts, six athletes from around the world have been selected as IOC “Believe in Sport Ambassadors” for Dakar 2026. Throughout the Games, they will engage directly with athletes and entourage members, sharing their own experiences and helping bring integrity education to life through peer-to-peer discussions and interactive learning activities.
Through realistic scenarios involving betting, competition fixing and the sharing of insider information, participants will be encouraged to consider the consequences of their decisions and learn how to respond appropriately when faced with integrity-related challenges.
The Joint Integrity Unit
As part of these efforts, the IOC has established a Joint Integrity Unit (JIU) for Dakar 2026. Bringing together the IOC, the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee and Senegalese authorities, the JIU will help prevent, identify and address potential integrity issues throughout the Games period.
The JIU builds on a model successfully implemented at every Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games since London 2012. It will operate from the opening of the Youth Olympic Village on 27 October until its closure on 13 November 2026, enabling rapid information sharing and coordinated action should any concerns arise.
The JIU's work will be supported by the Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC), which will oversee efforts to prevent, detect and address potential cases of competition manipulation and any breaches of the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions.
"The YOG present an excellent platform to raise awareness among young athletes of issues related to competition manipulation, and that will be the priority of the Unit,” said Friedrich Martens, Head of the OM Unit PMC.