Sport for Tomorrow Consortium (SFTC) Secretariat, in cooperation with the Japan Sports Agency and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), participated in the side events—“Seminars & Symposiums” and “Booth & Panel Exhibitions”— held at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) from August 20 to 22, 2025, at PACIFICO Yokohama.

In the “Seminars & Symposiums,” the session focused on the theme “Building Trust through Human Resource Development and Co-Creation in and through Sport.” Organizations from both Japan and African countries shared practical initiatives and approaches to addressing social challenges through sport.
With speakers including representatives from the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Organizing Committee and other international partners, the session featured lively discussions on youth development and the potential for strengthening Japan–Africa collaboration through sport.

＜Seminars & Symposiums＞

◆ Opening

○ Opening Speech ｜Ms. MOMII Keiko｜General Director, the Japan Sports Agency

○ Introduction of Sport for Tomorrow ｜Mr. ABE Atsushi｜Director of the secretariat of SFT consortium／Japan Sport Council

◆ Showcasing the initiatives of each speaker

○ “Road to 5 Project for the Development of Africa’s Sports Industry”｜ Ms. SAYA Setsuko｜Deputy Director, OECD Development Centre

Based on the current situation in which the sports industry accounts for only about 0.5% of GDP in the African region—compared to the global average of 2–3%—an interim report was presented on the Road to 5 initiative, which aims to raise this figure to 5%.

○ “Solving Social Issues and Building a Sustainable Society Through Community Sports Clubs”｜Mr. KISHI Takumi｜Representative, A-GOAL

Initiatives were shared in which local community sports clubs serve as hubs to address social issues such as poverty alleviation, education, and employment.
Programs under A-GOAL aim to foster sustainable development and expand the platform that supports these efforts.

○ “The Africa 55 Koshien Project and Human Resource Development Through the Baseballership® Method”｜Mr. TOMONARI Shinya｜Representative, Japan Association for the Promotion of Baseball and Softball in Africa (J-ABS)

The Baseballership® educational method, which aims to cultivate reliable human resources by enhancing non-cognitive skills and fostering values such as “Discipline,” “Respect,” and “Justice.”

○“Legacy-Building Initiatives Leveraging Major International Events”｜Ms. Fanta Diallo｜Director of Engagement, Dakar Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee

Ms. Diallo introduced initiatives designed to create long-term legacies through the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, including the annual cultural and sports festival “Dakar en Jeux” and Olympic Education outreach programs delivered to local primary schools. These activities engage young people and surrounding communities, strengthening their connection to the Games.

◆ Panel Discussion with the three speakers

A panel discussion was held with the three presenters on the themes of “Co-creation and Trust,” “Social Issues and Sports,” and “Next-Generation Leadership Development.”
The session explored the multifaceted potential of sport in addressing social challenges and fostering future leaders.

★ Voices from Participants

• “I was particularly impressed by how baseball is being used in Africa not as a business, but as a tool for human development. I felt that this approach could also be applied to Japan’s school sports activities.”

• “It was an extremely valuable opportunity to learn about the growth potential of the sports market not only in Africa and Japan, but also in other countries.”

＜Booth & Panel Exhibitions＞

The exhibition featured an overview of Japan’s international sports exchange and cooperation initiative, Sport for Tomorrow (SFT), along with practical examples of SFT activities implemented across Africa.
Visitors also experienced the fusion of sports and technology through Virtual Rowing, and explored JICA’s practical case studies in the field of “Sport and Development.” These exhibits highlighted diverse approaches to leveraging sport for social impact both in Japan and internationally.

The initiatives highlighted throughout this event directly aligned with the overarching theme of TICAD 9, “Co-creation of Innovative Solutions.” , and they underscored once again the potential and social significance of sport as a powerful driver of development.

Information shared from each speaker through the stage event is as below
■ OECD: new approaches to engagement in Africa from the perspective of the sports industry
■ Japanese sports organizations: partnership models uniquely enabled by Japan, as well as the development of on-the-ground networks across the African continent.
■ the Dakar Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee: initiatives to create long-lasting legacies through major sporting events.

These discussions offered multifaceted perspectives on how sport can be leveraged and highlighted the broad possibilities for future Sport × Africa collaboration.

Moving forward, the SFTC Secretariat will continue contributing to the creation of sustainable partnerships that allow Japan and Africa to learn from one another, fostering youth development and addressing community challenges through sport.