Senegalese Athletes Angered By World Cup Bonuses | Football/Soccer

As she continues a life where funds are in short supply, Diongue focuses on her own training plan while teaching fencing to children in the French town of Asnieres-sur-Seine.

"My coach accepts me for free because he understands I can't pay 2,000-4,000 euros (£1,763-£3,526,$2,125-4,250) a year," she explained. "Before the 2020 Olympics, I had three jobs but ended up with burnout and almost gave up.

"Thankfully, I had my family, friends and coaches to help me and I also received donations - I managed to get 3,000 euros (£2,650, $3,200) in total."

When she finally received her bonuses after her participation in her first Olympics, it was mainly to cover her debts.

As Senegalese authorities prepare to host the 2026 Youth Olympics, the first Olympic event in Africa, new infrastructure is being built or renovated in and around the capital Dakar.

During the last Games in Tokyo, nine athletes represented Senegal, but the nation's only Olympic medal remains the silver won by 400m hurdler Amadou Dia Ba in Seoul in 1988.

Once again, what could appear a solid investment for the future continues to cause angst among some of the athletes hoping to shine for Senegal in future senior Olympics.

"There were a lot of investments made with the stadium or Dakar Arena, yet these are not used most of the time during the year," Hamadel Ndiaye points out.

"The equipment in the gym there is barely used and I think it's a shame because it would be easy to gather a national team and organize training camps."