Burkina Faso is gearing up for a vibrant celebration of sport and unity as Ouagadougou hosts the second edition of the Alliance of Sahel States Games (JAES) from 7 to 16 September 2026.
Around 540 athletes, coaches, and officials from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are expected in the Burkinabè capital. Organisers announced on Saturday 5 September during a press conference at the Stade du 4-Août that the delegation would comprise 376 competitors and 164 support staff.
Eleven sports on the programme
Athletes from the three member states of the Confederation of Sahel States will compete in eleven disciplines: athletics, boxing, cycling, football, handball, judo, karate, kung-fu wushu, wrestling, taekwondo, and archery.
Events will take place at several venues across the city, including the Stade du 4-Août, the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000, the CNOSB martial arts hall, the National Medico-Sportive Centre, along Boulevard Capitaine Isidore-Noël-Thomas-Sankara, and at the Hamdalaye Hippodrome.
Enhanced hosting and security measures
Delegations are scheduled to arrive in Ouagadougou on 5 and 6 September, with departure planned 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.
Authorities have assured that all competition and accommodation sites have undergone security checks and protective measures. Special arrangements have been made to facilitate the reception and movement of delegations, as well as to secure the perimeters of sporting venues.
Sport as a tool for 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. Organisers intend to use sport as a bridge to bring the peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger closer together.
The event is also seen as an opportunity to boost economic and tourist activity in Ouagadougou while contributing to the development of national and sub-regional sports movements.
With the kick-off just hours away, authorities are calling on the population, especially residents of Ouagadougou, to turn out in force to cheer on the athletes and turn these Games into a true popular festival of fraternity and sharing.
