Burkina Faso is set to pulse with the rhythm of sport and solidarity as it hosts the second edition of the Sahel States Alliance Games (JAES), scheduled for September 7–16, 2026, in Ouagadougou.
Nearly 540 athletes, coaches, and officials from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are expected in the Burkinabè capital. Organizers announced that the delegation will comprise 376 competitors and 164 support staff. The figures were revealed on Saturday, September 5, during a press conference held at the Stade du 4-Août.
Eleven sports on the programme
Sportspeople from the three member nations of the Sahel States Confederation will compete across eleven disciplines, including athletics, boxing, cycling, football, handball, judo, karate, kung-fu wushu, wrestling, taekwondo, and archery.
The events will take place at several venues across the capital, such as the Stade du 4-Août, the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000, the CNOSB Martial Arts Hall, the National Sports Medical Centre, on Boulevard Capitaine Isidore-Noël-Thomas-Sankara, and at the Hamdalaye Hippodrome.
Enhanced arrangements for hospitality and security
The delegations are due to arrive in Ouagadougou on September 5 and 6, with their departure scheduled for September 17. The official opening ceremony is set for Tuesday, September 8, at 9 a.m. at the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000.
Furthermore, authorities confirm that all competition and accommodation sites have undergone security checks and safety measures. Special provisions have also been made to facilitate the reception and movement of delegations, as well as to ensure security around the sports venues.
Sport as a bridge for brotherhood
Under the high patronage of the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, this second edition of the JAES aims to be far more than a sporting event. Organisers hope 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 tourism activity in Ouagadougou, while contributing to the growth of national and sub-regional sports movements.
With the kick-off just hours away, authorities are urging the public, particularly residents of Ouagadougou, to turn out and cheer on the athletes, making these Games a true popular celebration marked by fraternity and sharing.