Youth Olympics: the IOC opts for Senegal in 2022

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has designated Senegal to host the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2022.

Botswana, Nigeria and Tunisia were candidates for the organization of the sporting event, but the IOC Executive Board meeting on Friday favoured the Senegalese candidacy.

They believe that Senegal has “the most solid project”.

This country will be the first in Africa to host an Olympic event, if the choice of its candidacy is confirmed at the meeting of the International Olympic Committee, 8 and 9 October 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Senegalese candidacy is organized around three sites: the capital, Dakar, the new city of Diamniadio and the coastal city of Saly.

“It is time for Africa, Africa is the cradle of many successful Olympic athletes, and Africa is a youth continent,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.

In February 2018, in South Korea, the members of the IOC Executive Board unanimously decided that the 2022 edition of the Youth Olympic Games would be awarded to the African continent.

Thus, it would be the first time in Olympic history that such an event takes place on African soil.

The next edition of the YOG will be held in Buenos Aires from 6 to 18 October 2018.

The YOG 2020, for the third edition, will take place in Lausanne (Switzerland), headquarters of the IOC.

The first edition took place in Singapore in 2010, and the second in Nianjing (China) in 2014.