The vibrant heart of Dakar turned into an electric celebration of youth, sport, and heritage today as the official Hockey Focus Day took centre stage at the iconic Place du Souvenir during the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Marking a historic milestone as the first Olympic event ever hosted on African soil, Dakar 2026 has embraced Hockey5s as a featured engagement sport. Today’s dedicated Focus Day brought that vision to life in full colour, welcoming hundreds of local schoolchildren, aspiring athletes, and passionate fans across three action-packed sessions.
Three Sessions, Endless Energy
Staged on the purpose-built 10m x 15m Hockey5s court framed by official FIKAGEAR rebound boards, the day was split into three energetic sessions (09:30, 14:00, and 16:00 local time). Each block offered local youth an immersive, hands-on gateway into the fast, fun world of Hockey5s:
- High-Octane Hockey5s on Screen: Sessions kicked off with video showcases highlighting the speed, skill, and excitement of top-tier international Hockey5s.
- Meet & Greet with Darcy Bourne: IOC Athlete Role Model Darcy Bourne (Great Britain) personally welcomed groups of children, sharing her journey to international hockey and inspiring them to chase their dreams.
- Masterclass Skills Demonstration: Bourne teamed up with Joy to showcase dazzling stick skills, aerial control, and lightning-fast footwork.
- Mid-Session Photo Call: A special photo opportunity ensured school groups and children on tight schedules took home a treasured keepsake from the day.
- Senegal Hockey Federation (FSGH) Presentation: Leaders and representatives from the local federation presented the roadmap and expanding footprint of hockey across Senegal.
- Hands-On Skills Clinics: Under the guidance of certified Senegalese coaches, trained through specialized FIH Academy Educator courses, eager participants picked up sticks, tested their aim against the rebound boards, and played out their very first mini-games.
- Demo Group Celebration: Every session concluded with memorable group photos uniting the young players, local coaches, and international role models.
From kids as young as 6 years old, all the way up to 16 year olds, spent the day learning about hockey and played on the Hockey5s pitch. All the local schools from the region sent students accompanied by teachers to participate in the sessions.
Reflecting on the occasion, FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “With the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games – a historic milestone as the first Olympic sporting event ever to be hosted on African soil - now underway, today’s Hockey Focus Day was a fantastic opportunity to introduce many young local people to our sport for the very first time.
Through our dynamic and inclusive Hockey5s format, and with Athlete Role Model Darcy Bourne on site, we brought the excitement of hockey directly to the next generation.
This is exactly what the Olympic spirit is about: inspiring young people, creating opportunities and building a lasting legacy for our sport in Africa.”
The Power of Role Models
For Great Britain international Darcy Bourne, being on the ground in Dakar as an official IOC Athlete Role Model has been a deeply inspiring experience:
“Working with young people has given me so much energy and joy and faith in humanity,”Bourne shared. “You can make such an impact in their lives just in small doses. You remember someone that you met who was inspiring and gave you belief in something when you were young. And I hope that if we do that, we can improve the future.”
“To get the opportunity to be a role model for young, aspiring, competitive athletes from all over the world is an honour. I've just been obsessed with the Olympics forever... I thought it was just such an amazing opportunity.”
Honouring Heritage: A Tribute to Abdoulaye Mbengue
The day reached an emotional crescendo during the final session. The National Hockey Committee of Senegal (Fédération Sénégalaise de Hockey sur Gazon) took the floor for a poignant celebration honouring the lifelong heritage, dedication, and pioneering contribution of its late President, Abdoulaye Mbengue, who passed away only a few days before the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. M. Mbengue played an instrumental role in laying the foundations for hockey in Senegal and building the Senegalese Hockey Federation, which joined the FIH family in 2024.
As Senegalese coaches and children gathered around the centre of the pitch, the tribute served as a reminder that hockey’s rapid rise in the region stands firmly on the shoulders of visionary leaders who nurtured the grassroots game long before the Olympic spotlight arrived in Dakar.
A Lasting Legacy for Africa
With daily workshops running through 14 November at Place du Souvenir, Hockey Focus Day was far more than a single day of celebration, it was a catalyst for sustainable development.
Equipped with lasting court infrastructure gifted through the FIKAGEAR and FIH Academy partnership, and driven by a newly empowered network of certified local coaches, Dakar 2026 has planted seeds that will see Senegalese hockey flourish for generations to come.
