Seoul 1988: Why Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye believes that Mamadou Koumé's book on Dia Bâ "rectifies an injustice"

The Senegalese sporting community and the Olympic movement gathered this Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the Pullman Hotel to celebrate a legendary figure in African athletics. Through the book launch of the work dedicated to Amadou Dia Bâ—written by journalist Mamadou Koumé, in collaboration with Cheikh Tidiane Fall, Abdoulaye Dabo, and Khalifa Ndiaye, and published by Éditions Sportives Africaines—sporting figures relived one of the greatest achievements in the country's history.

Sponsor of the event, the president of the Organising Committee of the Youth Olympic Games (COJOJ) and of the CNOSS, Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, hailed the unforgettable memory of September 28, 1988 in Seoul, where El Hadj Amadou Dia Bâ won the silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles in 47 seconds and 23 hundredths.

“If we are here tonight, it is for a medal that is 38 years old. And that hasn’t aged a day,” Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye emphasized from the outset. Addressing an audience of former officials, athletes, and enthusiasts, he reiterated the unique nature of this achievement: “The only one. The only Olympic medal in the history of Senegal. In 60 years of participation, from Tokyo 1964 to Paris 2024. Can you believe it? Just one. And it’s his.”

" The Teranga of the track" and a lesson in dignity

Recalling the exceptional journey of the boy from Koungheul who became a Pikine native, the head of Senegalese Olympic sport retraced the years of sacrifice of the athlete, from training at the Demba Diop Stadium with spikes full of holes to his three consecutive Olympic finals in Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988) and Barcelona (1992).

For Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, Amadou Dia Bâ embodies far more than a sporting achievement. “Dia Bâ represents respect. Never a raised voice. He ran, he won, he went home. That’s what I call the Teranga of the track. Elegance,” he stated, before emphasizing the moral significance of this quest: “Dia Bâ taught us one thing: you can come from a small country and look the big guys in the eye. In 1988, Senegal had no tartan track. No mental coach. No Olympic bonus. They had a man. Who believed it was possible. And who did it.”

He also urged young athletes to take inspiration from this example: “I often tell the young people at the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy: you want to understand the Games? Don’t go on Google. Watch Dia Bâ’s race. In 47 seconds, you’ll understand everything. The effort, the fear, the overcoming, the dignity in defeat that becomes victory.”

An injustice rectified before Dakar 2026

Warmly congratulating Mamadou Koumé and the collective of authors, the president of the COJOJ emphasized the duty of remembrance fulfilled by this book for the benefit of younger generations. "This book, dear authors, thank you for writing it. Because our children no longer know who Dia Bâ is. They know Sadio Mané, but they don't know El Hadj. You have just rectified an injustice," he asserted.

This publication is all the more timely as it comes just one week before the historic opening of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. "In one week, we will welcome the world to the Youth Olympic Games. 2,700 young people will run on the track where Dia Bâ ran. It's come full circle. The man from Seoul will welcome the children of Dakar. It's magnificent," concluded Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye in a heartfelt tribute to the legend of Senegalese athletics.