Ouagadougou hosts Sahel games with 540 athletes

Burkina Faso is set to pulse with the energy of sport and solidarity as it hosts the second edition of the Sahel Alliance Games (JAES) from 7 to 16 September 2026 in Ouagadougou.

A total of nearly 540 athletes, coaches, and officials from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are expected in the Burkinabè capital. According to the organisers, the delegation will comprise 376 athletes and 164 coaches and officials. These figures were announced on Saturday 5 September during a press conference held at the Stade du 4-Août.

Eleven disciplines on the programme

Athletes from the three member states of the Sahel States Confederation will compete in eleven disciplines, including athletics, boxing, cycling, football, handball, judo, karate, kung-fu wushu, wrestling, taekwondo, and archery.

The various events will take place at several venues across the capital, notably the Stade du 4-Août, the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000, the CNOSB martial arts hall, the National Sports Medical Centre, along Boulevard Capitaine Isidore-Noël-Thomas-Sankara, and at the Hamdalaye Hippodrome.

Enhanced reception and security measures

The delegations are expected to arrive in Ouagadougou on 5 and 6 September, with their departure scheduled for 17 September. The official opening ceremony is set for Tuesday 8 September at 9 a.m. at the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000.

Furthermore, the authorities have assured that all competition and accommodation sites have undergone inspections and security measures. Special arrangements have been made to facilitate the welcome and movement of delegations, as well as security around the sports venues.

Sport in the service of fraternity

Under the high patronage of the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, this second edition of JAES aims to be much more than a sporting event. The organisers intend to use sport as a means of bringing the peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger closer together.

The event is also presented as an opportunity to boost economic and tourist activity in Ouagadougou, while contributing to the development of the national and sub-regional sports movement.

Just hours before the kick-off, the authorities are finally inviting the public, especially the residents of Ouagadougou, to turn out and cheer on the athletes, making these Games a true people’s festival marked by fraternity and sharing.