Sierra Leone has joined National Olympic Committees and OlympAfrica Centres across Africa in celebrating the arrival of the Olympic flame on the continent ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The celebration, held at the OlympAfrica Centre in Goderich, Freetown, brought together more than 100 children for sporting, educational and cultural activities aimed at promoting the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.
The continental initiative, held under the theme “Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates,” forms part of the Olympic Values Education Programme and seeks to engage young people through fun and participatory activities.
Speaking on behalf of the National Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone, Chef de Mission Yayah Koroma thanked the children and teachers for their participation, describing the occasion as an important step towards Dakar 2026.
“This is the first Olympic Games to be staged on African soil. Today, we are happy to welcome the Olympic flame. I hope this will serve as an inspiration to you to take your education and sport very seriously,” Koroma said.
Director of OlympAfrica Sierra Leone, Frank Sima Turay, said the celebration was organised to mark the historic arrival of the flame in Africa and educate children about Olympism.
“We are so happy to receive the flame at the Centre. As we are dealing with children, it is important to bring them together to celebrate and teach them about Olympism,” Turay stated.
Dean of the Olympic Academy, Alie Gibril Koroma, also educated the participants on Olympism and its role in promoting peace, human dignity, education, culture and international cooperation.
Activities at the event included a flame procession, a symbolic run with the flame, fun games, a tournament, mascot colouring, art and cultural activities, sustainability exercises and future-thinking sessions.
The event concluded with the presentation of certificates to more than 100 participants.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Senegal from October 31 to November 13, 2026, marking the first Olympic event to be held on African soil.