World Book and Copyright Day is being celebrated this Thursday in Thiès through a joint initiative of the Ministry of Culture, Crafts and Tourism and the National Center for Popular and Sports Education (CNEPS). The ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Culture, Amadou Bâ.

In his address, he emphasized the symbolic significance of this joint celebration, seeing it as the expression of a strong conviction. According to him, "books and sports are two complementary paths towards the same destination: to form the well-rounded citizen, strong in body and mind."

This 2026 edition takes place in a particular context, a few months before the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) which Senegal will host next November.

For Minister Amadou Bâ, these Games go beyond the purely sporting realm. Following in the footsteps of Léopold Sédar Senghor's vision, he presents them as an opportunity for giving and receiving, a space for exchanges between cultures, peoples and generations, in which books play a vital role.

At the heart of this celebration, the minister announced that the theme "Reading to achieve better: the book, ally of the athlete and the citizen" highlights the common values between reading and sports practice, including discipline, rigor, perseverance and self-improvement.

In this context, Amadou Bâ announced that his ministry has taken concrete action by providing the CNEPS library with a significant number of books, making it a true space of knowledge for athletes and the public.

Speaking directly to the young athletes, the minister encouraged them to incorporate reading into their overall training. He emphasized the need to combine physical performance with intellectual development, reminding them that the greatest champions are also distinguished by their ability to understand, analyze, and draw inspiration.

Beyond the context of Thiès, this initiative is part of a national movement. Regional cultural centers are also mobilized to promote reading, in the inclusive spirit of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

The ceremony was also an opportunity to reiterate the importance of respecting copyright, considered an essential lever to support creation and guarantee the vitality of the cultural sector.

“Protecting the rights of writers, researchers and creators means guaranteeing the vitality of our cultural ecosystem. It means encouraging the production of quality works, it means nourishing future generations with stories, knowledge and ideas. Supporting our authors, buying their books, respecting their rights: this is a commitment that each of us can make today,” he said.

Through this celebration, the Minister of Culture intends to strengthen the synergy between culture and sport, with the ambition of building a balanced Senegalese youth, capable of meeting the challenges of tomorrow, both on the field and in the spaces of knowledge.