JOJ 2926: "No PowerPoint today," Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye's powerful speech to diplomats

One week before the historic opening of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the president of the Organizing Committee (COJOJ), Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, hosted a luncheon for the diplomatic corps at the Keur Ayo residence on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Deliberately setting aside technical presentations and logistical reports, the head of COJOJ delivered a passionate plea for the "soft power" of Senegal and Africa. Addressing the ambassadors, he called for Dakar 2026 to be a unique opportunity to transform the continental narrative and celebrate a youth united by sport.

As the opening of the first Olympic Games on African soil approaches, Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye has chosen the path of heartfelt diplomacy to address the diplomatic corps accredited to Senegal. Gathered this Saturday, October 24, 2026, for lunch in Keur Ayo, the ambassadors listened to a speech focused on the intangible legacy and symbolic significance of the event.

Immediately foregoing a technical presentation on the organization or infrastructure of the Olympic Village, the president of the Organizing Committee for the Youth Olympic Games (COJOJ) immediately refocused the discussion on the issues at stake. "The world doesn't choose a country because it has well-organized the queues. It chooses it because it has felt something," declared Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye.

A fourth pillar for Senegal's influence

For the president of the Organizing Committee for the Youth Olympic Games (COJOJ), Dakar 2026 is an opportunity to enhance the country's international standing. "For a long time, when we talked about Senegal's soft power, we mentioned three things: our stability, our Teranga (hospitality), and our diplomacy. That's true. It's our gold. With the Youth Olympic Games, I propose adding a fourth: our youth," he stated.

Underlining the integration and coexistence aspects of these Games, Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye noted that 2,700 young athletes from 200 countries are preparing to live together in Diamniadio, Dakar, and Saly. Praising diplomacy through sport, he highlighted the power of the Olympic Village: “Your Excellencies, you who practice diplomacy every day, you know how difficult it is to get two countries that no longer speak to each other to talk. Well, we are going to have young people from all countries sleeping in the same building. And they will talk to each other [...]. That's the soft power of the Youth Olympic Games. It's not written in press releases. It's experienced in the Village's canteen.”

Writing a new narrative for Africa

Recalling his recent speech in Washington before the World Bank, the head of the COJOJ invited diplomats to perceive the Games as "the greatest charm offensive ever organized by Senegal".

Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye emphasized the extensive international media coverage that will help project a positive image of the continent. “For 15 days, 500 journalists from around the world will tell a different story than what is usually told about Africa. They won't be reporting on the crisis, the coup, or emigration. They will be telling the story of an Africa that welcomes,” he argued. He further highlighted the event's structuring dimension, citing the training of 400 young people from 30 countries for the organization and the establishment of a Heritage Observatory in conjunction with the ANSD (National Agency for Statistics and Demography) to assess the Games' real impact.

A call for the mobilization of chancelleries

In conclusion to his speech, the president of the COJOJ invited the ambassadors to leave the comfortable setting of their chanceries to experience the competitions closer to the people, in Iba Mar Diop or at the skate and breaking sites.

“After November 13th, when it’s all over, keep telling this story. Tell your capitals: ‘I was in Dakar in 2026. I saw the Olympic rings light up in Africa for the first time. And it went well. Very well, even,’” he declared, concluding that this testimony was worth “more than a gold medal.”