Dakar is the favoured candidate to host the Summer Youth Olympic Games ©Getty Images

Dakar in Senegal is in pole position to stage the 2022 Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) after a proposal to ensure an African host was approved here today.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) members voted on two proposals at their Session -to shift the event back from 2023 to 2022 and to "proactively" seek an African location.

IOC President Thomas Bach said afterwards that he hoped the event could pave the way towards a Summer Olympic Games in Africa in either 2032 or 2036.

An IOC delegation has already visited Senegal to meet with Government officials and tour expected venues.

They reported back that they were satisfied with the West African nation's credentials and believed that it fulfilled all the necessary criteria.

A similar process will now be undertaken in other countries before a decision is made at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires in October.

It is not yet clear whether there could be a genuine vote in the Argentinian capital or if, more likely, one recommendation will be put forward.

"Africa is the home of so many very successful Olympic athletes," added Bach. 

"Africa is a continent of youth.  

"That is why we want to take the Youth Olympic Games 2022 to Africa. 

"The IOC will proactively approach a number of African NOCs to evaluate the feasibility of such a project."

Nawal El Moutawakel was among many African IOC members to praise the decision ©Getty Images
Nawal El Moutawakel was among many African IOC members to praise the decision ©Getty Images

It was explained afterwards that the IOC will spend the "next few weeks" engaging with selected African NOCs to "establish the feasibility of staging the Youth Olympic Games 2022". 

This will be "based on the criteria established by the revised YOG model, including use of existing infrastructure and affordable temporary fields of play, enhanced flexibility and adaptation to the local context, with the event to be used as a catalyst for wider youth and sport engagement programmes".

The proposal was welcomed jubilantly by IOC members from Africa.

Morocco's Nawal El Moutawakel said it provided a "great glimmer of hope" for a continent which has for "so long been on the margin of our Olympic Movement".

Ethiopia's Dagmawit Berhane claimed that the continent's youth "has been hoping and always dreaming to have the world come to Africa and experience the African nations". 

Buenos Aires is due to host the third Summer Youth Olympic Games in October to follow the first two editions in Singapore and Nanjing in 2010 and 2014 respectively.

Nowhere in Africa has ever hosted an Olympic Games event.

Cape Town in South Africa came closest when reaching the candidature stage of the 2004 edition, an event ultimately awarded to Athens.