Latest news with #SummerYouthOlympicGames
Mid East Info
4 days ago
- Business
- Mid East Info
Alibaba Cloud to Power First Youth Olympic Games in Africa to Boost Efficiency and Engagement - Middle East Business News and Information
Dakar 2026's core digital services to be deployed on Alibaba Cloud's digital infrastructure Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, today announced to power the Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 ('Dakar 2026') – the first Olympic sporting event to be held in Africa – with its proven cloud and AI technologies. Dakar 2026 as the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games will take place in Senegal, the first country on the African continent to be awarded the honor of hosting an Olympic sports event. As the official cloud service provider of the IOC, Alibaba Cloud is committed to supporting the digital transformation of the Olympic Games, delivering a future-ready digital foundation that enhances the operational efficiency and fan engagement of the Youth Olympic Games. The initiative was announced during a signing ceremony in Hangzhou, China among Alibaba Cloud, the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee (YOGOC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Antoine Azokly, Head of Youth Olympic Games Technology & Energy at International Olympic Committee said: 'As a result of our ongoing partnership, the integration of Alibaba Cloud's proven AI and cloud technology into Dakar 2026 exemplifies our shared commitment to making the Olympic events more efficient, sustainable and engaging. This collaboration will not only benefit the Youth Olympic Games but also leave a lasting digital legacy for sport in Africa.' 'As we prepare to host Africa's first Olympic event, partnering with Alibaba Cloud marks a crucial step in our journey to deliver a technologically advanced and seamlessly operated Youth Olympic Games,' said Ibrahima Wade, General Coordinator of Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee, 'The implementation of Alibaba Cloud's digital technologies across our core services will not only ensure efficient Games operations but also create a lasting technological legacy that will benefit Senegal and the African sporting community long after the Games conclude.' Under the partnership, the Dakar 2026 Organizing Committee will deploy Alibaba Cloud's Apsara Stack, a comprehensive private cloud solution to build a secure, scalable and high-performance infrastructure for the Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026. The platform will serve as the core IT infrastructure, hosting digital applications and services required for the planning, operation, logistics and post-event activities for the Dakar 2026, enabling enhanced fan experiences and streamlined event logistics Notably, Alibaba Cloud will support Dakar 2026 with digital flame services, leveraging its latest AI and cloud technologies to create dynamic, immersive visual experiences for global audiences and sports fans. The Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 will be held in Senegal from October 31 to November 13, across three host cities: Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly. The Games will bring together 2700 world's best young athletes, with a maximum age of 17. A total of 35 sports will feature on the YOG programme, including 25 competition sports and 10 engagement sports. About Alibaba Cloud: Established in 2009, Alibaba Cloud is the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group. It offers a complete suite of cloud services to customers worldwide, including elastic computing, database, storage, network virtualization services, large-scale computing, security, management and application services, big data analytics, a machine learning platform and IoT services. Alibaba maintained its position as the third leading public cloud IaaS service provider globally since 2018, according to IDC. Alibaba is the world's third leading and Asia Pacific's leading IaaS provider by revenue in U.S. dollars since 2018, according to Gartner.
Techday NZ
5 days ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Alibaba Cloud to power digital services at Dakar 2026 Games
Alibaba Cloud will provide the digital infrastructure for the Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, the first Olympic sporting event hosted in Africa. The upcoming Games will be held in Senegal, marking the country as the first on the continent to organise an Olympic sporting event. This fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games will take place across Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly from late October to mid-November, bringing together 2,700 young athletes, all aged under 18, to compete in 35 sports. Cloud support As the official cloud service provider of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Alibaba Cloud will deliver a digital foundation aimed at improving operational efficiency and engagement among fans attending or following the Games. The company's Apsara Stack, a private cloud solution, will form the core IT infrastructure for the event, ensuring secure and scalable support for digital applications and services vital for planning, operations, logistics, and post-Games activities. Explaining the objectives, Antoine Azokly, Head of Youth Olympic Games Technology & Energy at the International Olympic Committee, said: As a result of our ongoing partnership, the integration of Alibaba Cloud's proven AI and cloud technology into Dakar 2026 exemplifies our shared commitment to making the Olympic events more efficient, sustainable and engaging. This collaboration will not only benefit the Youth Olympic Games but also leave a lasting digital legacy for sport in Africa. The cooperation aims to utilise cloud and artificial intelligence technologies to support a range of core digital services. According to organisers, this approach is expected to facilitate both streamlined event management and enhanced experiences for spectators and participants. Organisers' comments The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee (YOGOC) anticipates that Alibaba Cloud's systems will help modernise Games operations and leave ongoing benefits for Senegal and the broader African sporting community. Ibrahima Wade, General Coordinator of the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee, said: As we prepare to host Africa's first Olympic event, partnering with Alibaba Cloud marks a crucial step in our journey to deliver a technologically advanced and seamlessly operated Youth Olympic Games. The implementation of Alibaba Cloud's digital technologies across our core services will not only ensure efficient Games operations but also create a lasting technological legacy that will benefit Senegal and the African sporting community long after the Games conclude. The Apsara Stack platform chosen for Dakar 2026 will host a variety of digital applications and services required to meet the needs of the Games. It caters for planning, real-time operations, logistics management, as well as post-event reporting and analysis, with the intention of both enhancing the fan experience and ensuring efficient coordination among all stakeholders. Technological features An element highlighted for Dakar 2026 is Alibaba Cloud's support for digital flame services. These employ the company's latest advances in cloud and AI to create dynamic and immersive visual features for audiences globally, echoing the central role played by symbolic Olympic traditions in engaging attendees and viewers. As part of the collaborative model, the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee, Alibaba Cloud, and the IOC have agreed to implement these technological solutions following discussions in Hangzhou, China. The 2026 Games are the largest sporting undertaking by Senegal, and organisers expect the event's systems will also serve as a model for future sports events across the continent, aiming to advance digitalisation within African sport while leaving long-term operational tools and knowledge for use in local communities.
Zawya
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Zawya
Humphrey Kayange becomes Chair of the Coordination Commission for Dakar 2026
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Humphrey Kayange ( has been named as the new Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission ( for the 4 th Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026 ( Kayange was appointed by IOC President Thomas Bach following a request from President-elect Kirsty Coventry, who stepped down from her position as Chair of the Commission after her election as IOC President in March. For over a decade, Kayange represented Kenya in rugby sevens, captaining the national team, winning the Singapore Sevens in 2016 and competing at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. His leadership on the field earned him recognition in the World Rugby Sevens Series and a 2023 World Rugby Hall of Fame induction. An IOC Member and Athletes' Commission member since 2021, Kayange has been a member of the Coordination Commission for Dakar 2026 since 2022. He brings further experience through his role on the Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and leadership positions in sports administration, including Chair of the Kenyan NOC Athletes' Commission, Executive Board member of the Kenya Academy of Sports and Kenya Rugby Union. As Chair of the Coordination Commission, Kayange will lead the efforts to support the YOGOC in the planning and delivery of the YOG Dakar 2026. Working in close collaboration with National Olympic Committees, International Federations, Olympic Movement stakeholders and local authorities, his role will be key in ensuring that all aspects of the project are developed and executed to deliver the first Olympic sporting event to be hosted on the African continent. On his appointment as Chair, Kayange said: 'My vision is driven by empowering young athletes. I'm honoured to serve the Olympic Movement and help provide a platform for young people to pursue excellence. Dakar 2026 will unite young athletes from around the world, celebrating African innovation and the Olympic spirit.' Kayange will chair the upcoming Coordination Commission meeting in Dakar, Senegal on 7 and 8 May, which will also be attended by the IOC President-elect. The YOG Dakar 2026 will take place for two weeks from 31 October, bringing together the world's best young athletes aged up to 17 years. The Games will be held across three host sites (Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly). Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Olympic Committee (IOC).
