Back
30 October 2026
As the first Olympic event to take place on the African continent, Dakar 2026 represents an important opportunity to strengthen the protection of the next generation of athletes and promote clean sport.
Working closely with the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee, the ITA has developed a comprehensive anti-doping program tailored to the specific characteristics of the Youth Olympic Games, with particular attention to the rights, wellbeing and protection of young athletes, many of whom will be experiencing anti-doping controls for the first time.
The ITA is responsible for the independent oversight of the anti-doping program, including testing and results management on behalf of the IOC. Approximately 220 in- and out-of-competition doping controls are planned during the Games, based on a risk assessment and an intelligence-led test distribution plan developed by the ITA. Sample collection will be carried out by the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee under the ITA’s supervision, with all samples analysed by the WADA-accredited Laboratoire Anti-Dopage Français (LADF) at Université Paris-Saclay in France.
Putting education at the heart of clean sport is a central priority of the ITA’s activities at Dakar 2026. Recognising that many participants are at the beginning of their sporting careers, the ITA is placing particular emphasis on equipping young athletes with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions and understand their anti-doping rights and responsibilities.
Ahead of the Games, the ITA developed a dedicated NOC Clean Sport Education Guide in collaboration with the IOC to support National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in preparing their athletes and Athlete Support Personnel. The guide provides practical resources to help young athletes understand anti-doping rules, recognise potential risks and approach the testing process with confidence. Additional learning opportunities have been made available through the IOC’s Athlete365 platform and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)’s Anti-Doping Education and Learning platform (ADEL), including dedicated educational content for young athletes participating in major events.
During the Games, the ITA is joining forces with WADA to deliver the “Together for Clean Sport” program as part of the IOC’s Athlete Education Programme (AEP), a key component of the Youth Olympic Games experience. The joint initiative provides young athletes with opportunities to learn about clean sport through interactive activities, direct engagement with anti-doping experts and exchanges with former elite athletes.
The ITA’s on-site education activities are led by ITA Senior Education Officer Team Lead and New Zealand Olympian Nikki Hamblin, alongside Education Officer and former elite basketball player Anita Hartung, with support from ITA Education Ambassadors Billy-Scott Irakoze OLY and Kady Kanouté Tounkara OLY who also bring experience as former athletes. They work in close collaboration with WADA’s Athlete Engagement team, including representatives from its Athlete Council and Olympians. Together, they combine anti-doping expertise with lived experience of elite sport, creating a dynamic and approachable environment where young athletes can ask questions, share perspectives and strengthen their understanding of clean sport. Through these interactions, athletes are supported to build the knowledge, confidence and values needed to navigate sport with integrity throughout their careers.
With the majority of Dakar 2026 participants being minors, safeguarding and the protection of young athletes are equally important priorities throughout the anti-doping process. The ITA has incorporated age-appropriate procedures into its Games-specific Anti-Doping Manual, with safeguards designed to protect athletes’ rights, privacy and dignity during sample collection.
Dakar 2026 will also mark the first deployment of the ITA’s new International Safeguarding Awareness Training for the anti-doping workforce, launched in October 2026 through the ITA Academy. The training, which is mandatory for doping control officers assigned to the Games and strongly recommended for volunteer chaperones, aims to strengthen awareness of safeguarding principles and help personnel recognise and respond appropriately to situations involving vulnerable individuals. This initiative forms part of the ITA’s broader commitment to embedding athlete protection and safeguarding into anti-doping operations and workforce development.
Beyond the implementation of the Games-time program, Dakar 2026 also offers an opportunity to contribute to the development of anti-doping capacity in Senegal and across the African continent. A total of 20 African doping control personnel, comprising ten Senegalese personnel and ten international personnel from other African countries, will contribute to sample collection operations. The group brings together individuals with different levels of experience and qualifications, allowing for practical learning and knowledge exchange under expert guidance.
A key contribution to the implementation of the Dakar 2026 anti-doping program comes from the African Regional Anti-Doping Organisations (RADOs). RADO Zone I, represented by Rym Zerifi, and RADO Zones II & III, represented by Issoufou Aliou, play a central role in coordinating and implementing the Games-time doping control operations on behalf of the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee. Their involvement, extensive regional expertise and operational leadership are instrumental in delivering the anti-doping program across the three Games clusters of Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. This collaboration also demonstrates the important contribution of African RADOs to major international sporting events and their role in strengthening sustainable anti-doping capacity across the continent.
The program will also benefit from the involvement of an expert from the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD), deployed under its cooperation agreement with NADO Senegal to support technical knowledge transfer and local capacity building. Through this approach, the ITA aims to ensure that the Games contribute to the longer-term development of local and regional expertise, supporting sustainable anti-doping activities beyond Dakar 2026.
Benjamin Cohen, ITA Director General, said: “The Youth Olympic Games bring together young athletes at an important stage of their sporting journey. Our responsibility is not only to deliver an independent and effective anti-doping program, but also to ensure that these athletes feel informed, respected and protected throughout the process. Through our onsite “Together for Clean Sport” collaboration with WADA, we have a unique opportunity to complement education activities with meaningful engagement, helping young athletes build the knowledge, values and confidence they need to compete clean throughout their careers. At the same time, we are extremely pleased to work with colleagues from anti-doping organisations from Senegal and across Africa. This represents a unique opportunity to strengthen the fight against doping on the continent, so that the positive impact of these Games continues well beyond the competition itself.”
Through its independent testing program, education initiatives, safeguarding measures and collaboration with local and international partners, the ITA aims to contribute to a safe and fair sporting environment for all athletes participating in Dakar 2026, while helping to strengthen the foundations of clean sport for future generations.
