Burkina Faso is set to pulsate with the rhythm of sport and camaraderie as the second edition of the Sahel Alliance Games (JAES) takes place from 7 to 16 September 2026 in Ouagadougou.
Approximately 540 athletes, coaches, and officials from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are expected to converge on the Burkinabè capital. According to the organisers, the delegation will include 376 athletes and 164 coaches and officials. The figures were announced on Saturday, 5 September, during a press conference held at the Stade du 4-Août.
Eleven sports on the agenda
Sportsmen and women from the three member countries of the Sahel States Confederation will compete in eleven disciplines: athletics, boxing, cycling, football, handball, judo, karate, kung-fu wushu, wrestling, taekwondo, and archery.
The events will take place across several venues in the capital, including the Stade du 4-Août, the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000, the martial arts hall at the CNOSB, the National Sports Medical Centre, along Boulevard Capitaine Isidore-Noël-Thomas-Sankara, and at the Hamdalaye Hippodrome.
Enhanced reception and security measures
Delegations are expected to arrive in Ouagadougou on 5 and 6 September, with 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 assure that all competition and accommodation sites have undergone security checks and reinforcement. Special measures have been implemented to facilitate the reception and movement of delegations, as well as security around sports venues.
Sport as a vehicle for brotherhood
Under the high patronage of the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, this second JAES edition aims to be far more than a sporting event. The 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 growth of the national and sub-regional sports movement.
With the kick-off just hours away, the authorities are calling on the public, especially the residents of Ouagadougou, to turn out in force to cheer the athletes and make these Games a true people’s festival marked by fraternity and sharing.
