Youth archers step up Dakar 2026 preparations in Lausanne

With the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games approaching, Bulgaria’s Neda Kenderova and Georgia’s Daviti Basiladze stepped up their preparations with five days of training at the World Archery Excellence Centre in Lausanne.

Their visit, from 14 to 18 September, was the first of three training camps funded by Olympic Solidarity to support qualified archers in the final stage of their preparations for the Games.

The project also involves the archers’ own coaches, who will build on the work done in Lausanne and guide them through the competition in Dakar.

Olympic Solidarity supports National Olympic Committees and their athletes through programmes designed to provide additional training and competition opportunities. For archery, the support is giving young athletes preparing for Dakar access to dedicated training camps alongside their existing national-team programmes.

For Kenderova, the Lausanne camp meant more time spent training and an opportunity to work on the details of her shooting.

She highlighted the intensive work with coaches Kyeongsu Jeoung and Howard Catherine.

“I spend the whole day here,” she said. “It helps me with the technique, the concentration, the equipment, everything.”

The 16-year-old Bulgarian has worked with her coach, Vencislav Velikov, since she started the sport five years ago. Velikov, who competed at the 2011 World Archery Championships in Turin, sees good training and concentration as key to helping the next generation of Bulgarian archers improve their scores.

In Dakar, Kenderova’s goal is to shoot her best score and perhaps finish in the top eight.

She explains that archery now fills her free time.

“I spend all my free time shooting,” she said. “I love the sport and that’s all I think about.”

For these young athletes, that commitment means balancing training with school.

The other participant at the camp, Georgia’s Daviti Basiladze, has good memories of his first visit to Switzerland. He won gold at the second leg of the European Youth Cup in Sion in 2023.

“It was a good competition for me. I tried my best and won gold.”

At the time, aged just 13, Daviti was the youngest archer in his category. Competing against archers who were up to four years older than him, he went on to win the recurve under-18 men’s gold medal.

Daviti first picked up a bow at the age of four, but as he explains, it was mostly about fun.

“I wasn’t serious. I was just playing around. But six years ago I started shooting seriously and I’ve been trying my best since.”

Accompanying the Georgian archer was his father and coach, Guram Basiladze. A former number one archer in his country, Guram said he was proud and happy to coach his son as he prepared for Dakar.

Guram believes a medal in Dakar is possible and would mean a great deal to their country.

Daviti shares that ambition.

“I’m wearing a T-shirt with the Georgian flag, and I want to get a gold medal,” he said. “I believe in myself, I trust myself.”

Training and competing abroad also means spending time away from family and friends.

The 16-year-old reflects on being away from home.

“Yes, it is difficult, but you know, this is archery.”

His family’s support and understanding help him cope with the distance.

“My family knows that this is important to me, that I need these training camps to get a high score.”

The Lausanne camp is the first of three Olympic Solidarity-supported training opportunities at the Centre ahead of Dakar.

Two further camps are confirmed: one for an archer from Slovakia, Adela Tollarovicová, from 4-10 October and another for an archer from Singapore, Tabitha Ern Lin Yeo, from 18-24 October.

Edward Kensington, head of Olympic Games Universality, explained the role of Olympic Solidarity’s athlete scholarship programme.

“It contributes to a more level playing field by providing access to improved training and competition experiences,” Kensington said.

He encouraged the archery community to share information about Olympic Solidarity opportunities widely, so athletes and member associations can benefit through their own National Olympic Committees.

The Youth Olympic Games offer a unique opportunity for young athletes, with a narrow age window for participation.

For Kenderova, the chance to represent Bulgaria at an Olympic event brings both nerves and pride.

“I can say it’s a bit scary, but I’m proud because I’m happy to be there,” she said. “I’m happy because I deserve it.”