ALIBABA Cloud recently announced to power the Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026 (“Dakar 2026”) — the first Olympic sporting event to be held in Africa — with its proven cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Dakar 2026 will take place in Senegal, the first country on the African continent to be awarded of hosting an Olympic sports event.
Alibaba Cloud is committed to supporting the digital transformation of the Olympic Games, delivering a future-ready digital foundation that enhances the operational efficiency and fan engagement of the Youth Olympic Games.
Antoine Azokly, Head of Youth Olympic Games Technology & Energy at International Olympic Committee, said: “As a result of our ongoing partnership, the integration of Alibaba Cloud’s proven AI and cloud technology into Dakar 2026 exemplifies our shared commitment to making the Olympic events more efficient, sustainable, and engaging. This collaboration will not only benefit the Youth Olympic Games but also leave a lasting digital legacy for sport in Africa.”
Under the partnership, the Dakar 2026 Organizing Committee will deploy Alibaba Cloud’s Apsara Stack, a comprehensive private cloud solution, to build a secure, scalable, and high-performance infrastructure for the Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026. The platform will serve as the core IT infrastructure, hosting digital applications and services required for the planning, operation, logistics, and post-event activities for the Dakar 2026, enabling enhanced fan experiences and streamlined event logistics.
The Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 will be held in Senegal from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13, across three host cities: Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly. The Games will bring together 2700 of the world’s best young athletes, with a maximum age of 17. A total of 35 sports will feature on the YOG program, including 25 competition sports and 10 engagement sports.
