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DAKAR, Senegal, March 6, 2026/ — Sokhna Dia was on her way to her job as a cleaner at the Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (YOGOC) offices when she received a call that changed her life: her application to join the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy had been successful. Sokhna, 25, had been struggling to find work when she accepted a job as a cleaner for YOGOC. Little did she know the path it would lead her on and now she is part of the team preparing to host the first-ever Olympic Games to be hosted in Africa – Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). The Dakar 2026 Learning Academy is a new flagship legacy initiative designed to recruit and train over 400 young professionals in Games delivery. The training programme marks a key step in building local expertise ahead of the YOG and ensuring a strong human legacy. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

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International Olympic Committee (IOC)