World Youth Skills Day: IOC says sport helps young people build skills for future

GENEVA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 16th Jul, 2026) On World Youth Skills Day, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) highlighted how sport is helping young people develop the skills they need to succeed in education, employment and life. The impact of this work is particularly visible in Africa, where a significant moment for youth development is approaching in just over 100 days, when the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will become the first Olympic event ever held on the continent.

The IOC, through its Olympism365 strategy, supports a range of initiatives that combine regular sport with tailored learning and skills development. Since 2022, these initiatives have reached 106,900 young people across 27 countries in Africa and Latin America, while also training 3,700 coaches and educators and supporting 237 local organisations.

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Delivered in collaboration with 55 co-founders and implementing partners, they are helping strengthen the capacity of institutions to integrate sport into education and employment pathways.

As Africa prepares to host the Dakar 2026 YOG, continued investment and partnerships will help expand sport-based education, skills development and livelihood opportunities across the continent and beyond.

Observed annually on July 15, World Youth Skills Day highlights the critical need to equip young people with technical, vocational, and future-ready competencies for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.