Ghanaian researcher calls Youth Olympic Games in Senegal a test for Africa — MyJoyOnline

Hosting the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, is an important milestone for Africa’s participation in the global Olympic movement and a test for national sports policy on the continent. This assessment was made by sports management lecturer Frank Appiah Kusi in a commentary published by MyJoyOnline.

The author notes that Africa has not yet hosted the Olympic Games for adults, while hosting the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal has become a historic milestone for the continent. In his view, the event should encourage African countries to align sports strategies with international standards, invest in infrastructure and integrate sport into educational programmes.

Protection of young athletes

Kusi points out that the development of youth sports in African countries is hindered by fragmented policy frameworks and weak implementation of adopted standards. He identifies gaps in athlete protection as a separate problem: inconsistent compliance with safety rules, insufficient medical support and a lack of accountability mechanisms.

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According to the author’s assessment, parents’ trust in sports institutions depends on effective child protection protocols, anti-harassment policies and proper medical support. He stresses that parents should be involved as partners in the development of children’s and youth sports, while sports activities should be viewed not as an alternative to education but as a complement to it.

The experience of Singapore and Argentina

The commentary also mentions the experience of Singapore, which hosted the first Youth Olympic Games in 2010, and Argentina, where the competition took place in 2018. In Kusi’s view, these examples demonstrate the importance not only of complying with regulatory requirements but also of engagement with communities and cultural programmes.

The author believes that Ghana and other African countries can use the experience of the Youth Olympic Games to strengthen youth sports, social inclusion and preparations for potentially hosting the Olympic Games in the future.