2026 SCHOOL LEAGUE: From Talent Scouting to Elite Status
The second edition of the National School League concluded on Saturday, August 29, at the Goho multi-sport stadium in Abomey. Over the course of eight days, 1,488 young athletes from Benin’s twelve departments competed in five disciplines: football, handball, basketball, volleyball, and athletics. Organized by the Beninese Office for School and University Sports (OBSSU) under the aegis of the Ministry of Sports and Civic Engagement, the event aims to identify national talents and guide them toward elite-level competition.
Attending the closing ceremony alongside OBSSU Director General Victor Soumon Lawin, Minister of Sports Benoît Dato highlighted the competition’s pivotal role. He described it not merely as a one-off event, but as a tool for evaluating school sports policy.
« It serves as the primary framework for the comprehensive evaluation of all our sports programs. It acts as a barometer, allowing us to measure the quality of work being done in our schools and across the entire country, » the Minister stated.
To ensure that these emerging talents do not fade into obscurity, the government plans to establish age-group championships. This system will keep young athletes within a structured competitive circuit before channeling them toward centers of excellence and sports clubs.
Disciplined Champions and Model Citizens
Benoît Dato also emphasized the educational dimension of sport, urging young people to embody key values: respect, fair play, discipline, civic-mindedness, and responsibility.
« We want each of you to become an ambassador for respect, fair play, discipline, civic-mindedness, and national responsibility. Sport should shape your minds just as it strengthens your bodies, » he insisted. Following the podium ceremonies and medal presentations, the real challenge now lies in the Beninese sports system’s ability to provide long-term support for these future champions.
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