By Angu Lesley
Football Writer,kick44.com-Cameron
Douala is stepping up preparations to host the 2026 Dixiades, with organisers determined to deliver a successful edition of Cameroon’s major national youth sporting festival.
The economic capital has entered an important phase of preparations as officials inspected competition venues and held a strategic meeting to assess the level of readiness ahead of the Games. The Dixiades will bring together some of the country’s most promising young sporting talents, representing all ten administrative regions of Cameroon.
The inspection brought together officials of the Cameroonian National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSC), Douala administrative authorities, representatives of the Douala City Council and members of the various commissions responsible for organising the Games. CNOSC First Vice President Célestine Tsama, née Engoulou, and Secretary General Ojong David were among the senior officials involved in the exercise.
Also present were Emmanuel Tataw, head of the central communication commission for the Dixiades; Jean Keller Kotte, president of the marketing commission; Marie Laure Soppo, née Moukoko, Littoral Regional delegate for communication; and a representative of the Governor of the Littoral Region. The sporting family was equally represented, with the President of the Littoral Regional Olympic and Sports Committee (CROS), the President of the Association of Cameroonian Sports Journalists (AJSC) and members of different organising committees taking part.
The venue tour gave officials an opportunity to assess the facilities earmarked for the competition and identify areas requiring attention. The discussions that followed focused heavily on logistics, infrastructure, competition venues and the various operational requirements needed to stage a smooth and successful multi-sport event.
For Douala, the challenge goes beyond simply providing venues. The city will welcome delegations from across Cameroon, making effective coordination and organisation crucial. With the Dixiades serving as a platform for young athletes to showcase their abilities, organisers are keen to create an environment in which talent can flourish and the next generation of national sporting stars can emerge.
The 2026 edition is also expected to carry a message that goes beyond sport. By bringing young people from Cameroon’s ten regions together, the Dixiades provide an important platform for national unity, friendship and cultural exchange. Organisers are therefore looking to make the Games not only competitive but also memorable for the athletes and communities involved.
With preparations gathering momentum, Douala is positioning itself to welcome Cameroon’s sporting future. For the organisers, the objective is clear: deliver a well-organised Games and use the power of sport to bring the country’s youth together — because when Cameroon competes together, Cameroon grows together.
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