After skateboarding was once authorized as an Olympic department, Senegalese skate boarders are running to qualify for the Dakar 2026 Early life Olympic Video games, which can be held of their nation in 2026.
The rustic’s first skate park, established in 2022 within the Ngor district of the capital Dakar, is filled with younger folks and youngsters virtually each day of the week.
Within the modest park established with the initiative of nationwide athlete Moussa Mbengue, younger persons are running continuous with the inducement of the 2026 Early life Olympic Video games to be held in about 2 years.
Positioned in a facet side road between rental constructions in Ngor, the place urbanization continues swiftly, the park’s recognition amongst Senegalese adolescence is expanding day-to-day.
Mbengue, the park’s supervisor and nationwide skateboarder, advised the AA reporter in regards to the targets of the Dakar 2026 Early life Olympic Video games and the tale of the park.
Pointing out that he began skateboarding at the streets of Ngor in 1993, 43-year-old Mbengue stated that even the title of skateboarding was once no longer recognized within the nation at the moment.
Mbengue stated, “All the way through my adolescence, I used to be running as a surf trainer at a lodge the place foreigners got here very incessantly. I requested for a skateboard from one of the vital vacationers. He introduced it and that is the reason once I met skateboarding for the primary time, and I will be able to even say that I had the primary skateboard in Senegal. I discovered skateboarding at the streets and Then I become a countrywide athlete.” he stated.
Pointing out that hobby on this recreation larger after skateboarding was once authorized as an Olympic department, Mbengue said that he and his adolescence good friend established the rustic’s first skate park in 2022 with their very own efforts.
Noting that the hobby within the park has larger with the 2026 Early life Olympic Video games to be held in Dakar, Mbengue emphasised that many households need their youngsters to be skilled in skateboarding by way of bringing them to the park.
Mbengue stated, “We’re getting ready 67 youngsters and younger folks, elderly between 5 and 18, for the Olympics right here with our personal method. I discovered skateboarding by way of falling at the streets. They’re very fortunate, they paintings in this kind of park. There are already authorized and nationwide athletes amongst them. Lots of them discovered skateboarding on this park. ” he stated.
“We give hope to younger individuals who need to pass to Europe with fishing boats”
Emphasizing that he has spent virtually each day there with the youngsters for the reason that day they opened the park, Mbengue said that their function is to get a medal within the Olympics.
Mbengue underlined that aside from their Olympic targets, skateboarding additionally offers hope to many younger folks and persisted as follows:
“This park has touched the lives of such a lot of younger people who we give hope to younger individuals who have given up hope on Senegal, and to younger individuals who need to pass to Europe illegally on fishing boats. They really feel that they may be able to come right here and be part of one thing vital. I unquestionably convey younger folks, particularly youngsters from my very own group, right here. This can be a recreation. “Coping with the department professionally saves those youngsters from the streets.”
Emphasizing that lots of the youngsters and younger folks receiving training within the park come from low-income households, Mbengue defined that they nonetheless want beef up each in making the park extra skilled and when it comes to apparatus.
Mbengue stated, “You can’t call for that those low-income households purchase skateboards, helmets and protecting apparatus. We purchase the entire youngsters’s apparatus ourselves, by way of amassing donations with a pal of mine from Switzerland. We established the park, however we nonetheless have numerous shortcomings. We’ve got been sporting out all of the procedure from the start with our personal method and donations.” .
“Women can experience skateboards too”
17-year-old Cherif Maleyni Samb, who gained the nationwide championship in skateboarding this 12 months, stated that he began skateboarding at the streets in 2021 and become a medal-winning athlete because of this park.
Samb stated, “My function is to win a medal for my nation within the Olympics. I paintings for hours each day. I consider in myself within the 2026 Olympics.” he stated.
16-year-old Hadia Diallo, who was once coaching within the park, stated that she noticed boys skateboarding in her group and that she become taken with it too.
Pointing out that he had no issue in skateboarding as a result of he was once already browsing, Diallo stated, “After I first began this recreation, I encountered some prejudices, however I didn’t pay attention to any person. Women too can skateboard, this can be a department of sports activities. I’ve 2 years forward of me. I need to paintings exhausting and compete within the Olympics.” he stated.
The primary Olympics to be held in Africa
The African continent hasn’t ever hosted the fashionable Olympics, which have been first held in Greece in 1896.
Despite the fact that Egypt and South Africa’s programs at the matter at other instances had been inconclusive, Senegal was once entitled to host the primary Olympic group at the continent.
The 2022 Summer season Early life Olympic Video games, which have been initially deliberate to be held in Dakar in 2022, had been postponed to 2026 because of the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020.
Within the Olympics, whose professional title has been modified to “Dakar 2026 Early life Olympic Video games”, 244 occasions can be held in 35 other sports activities branches.
No less than 4,500 athletes, elderly between 15 and 18, from many nations are anticipated to take part within the Olympics, which can be held in 3 towns in general, together with Dakar.
As well as, for the primary time in Olympic historical past, it’s aimed to reach complete gender equality with equivalent numbers of female and male athletes competing in each recreation and tournament.
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