Mustapha Berraf, President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ACNOA), toured the venues of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. His itinerary combined competitions and meetings with African delegations.
From 3×3 to the ring, then to the initiation stands
On Saturday, the day began at the Tour de l’Œuf complex, where 24 national teams competed in 3×3 basketball, for both boys and girls. Mustapha Berraf followed the matches there and exchanged views with Andreas Zagklis, Secretary General of the International Basketball Federation, as well as with Sonja Greinacher, Paris 2024 Olympic champion and a role model for young athletes in Dakar. He also met the President of the African Basketball Confederation.
In the afternoon, he went to the Diamniadio exhibition centre, where Olympic boxing made its debut under the auspices of World Boxing, which for the first time oversaw an Olympic boxing competition on behalf of the IOC. Fifteen round-of-16 bouts, spread across five weight categories, marked the first day. Alongside Gennadiy Golovkin, President of World Boxing, Mustapha Berraf took part in the meeting devoted to athlete welfare, preparing young competitors for high-level sport, and their future after their careers. Discussions also covered the role of Richard Torrez Jr., Olympic silver medallist and an inspiring figure for Dakar’s youth.
The day ended with initiation activities. At the shooting stand of the International Shooting Sport Federation, he was welcomed by Hazem Hosny and Melis Giraud, members of the executive committee, as well as by Jomana Elsayi, Egyptian air rifle shooter and ambassador of the initiative. At the Hockey5s site on Place du Souvenir, he watched children take their first steps in hockey alongside Darcy Bourne, British international field hockey player and IOC role model athlete. These two disciplines are among the ten sports of the “Sports d’engagement” programme, which lets the general public discover new activities outside official competitions.
Archery and sand
On Sunday, Mustapha Berraf attended the under-18 classic archery final at the Stade Abdoulaye Wade. Frenchman Maël Lamouret came out on top against Taiwan’s Chen Pin-An.
The final leg took place at Saly Beach West, where the beach wrestling finals were held in front of a large crowd. These events, making their debut at the Youth Olympic Games, reflect the deep roots of wrestling in Senegalese sporting culture. In the girls’ 45 kg category, Ndeye Khady Anna Diatta won gold, giving Senegal its third title and the top spot in the medal table, with three golds and one bronze.
This journey, from basketball to archery by way of boxing and hockey, reflects the commitment of Mustapha Berraf and ACNOA to a sport that educates, unites and opens up prospects for the young people of the continent. It also allowed the ACNOA President and his delegation to strengthen their exchanges with athletes at the Youth Olympic Village. During these exchanges, they reaffirmed the importance of encouraging, supporting and investing in the emerging sporting talent of the African continent.
The President also thanked the Government and people of Senegal, as well as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), for their efforts in successfully organising the first Youth Olympic Games on African soil.
