The international development pathway towards the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 continued this week with the third African Techno293 training camp, bringing together young windsurfers and coaches from across the continent.
Sailors and coaches representing Tunisia, Madagascar, Angola, South Africa, Algeria and Egypt spent four intensive days training together, focusing not only on racing performance, but also on long-term development of windsurfing programmes within their countries.
The initiative, supported through the ongoing African development programme ahead of the Youth Olympic Games, aims to provide athletes and coaches with access to international-level training, modern equipment and technical knowledge, helping to create stronger foundations for windsurfing across the continent.
Coach Max Wójcik highlighted the importance of the project:
“Today marks the end of four fantastic days during which countries from Africa are teaching both their coaches and athletes how to sail and race in the Techno293 class. All of this is aimed at integrating Africa into international competition, creating equal opportunities and providing education through sailing where, until now, it was not possible.”
Beyond the on-water sessions, the camp also focused on coach education, equipment preparation, race tactics and creating sustainable structures that will allow the participating nations to continue developing after the Youth Olympic Games.
With Dakar 2026 approaching, the programme continues to play an important role in expanding international participation and ensuring that more young athletes from Africa have the opportunity to compete on the world stage.
