Bahati Foundation to Debut at 2026 FIFA World Cup — A Preview of Something Bigger
The countdown is on. With eight FIFA World Cup matches set to take place at SoFi Stadium this June and July, Culver City is gearing up for one of the most exciting summers in its history and the Bahati Foundation will be right at the center of it.
In partnership with the Afro Village Consortium, the Bahati House Sports Lab has been selected to participate in Culver City's official World Cup programming. On July 19, Main Street in Downtown Culver City's Town Plaza will come alive as the two organizations showcase a preview of their interactive, sport-focused, and culturally rich programming to international and local fans alike.
But this summer is just the beginning.
A Pan-African Vision for 2028
In January, Rahsaan Bahati — 10-time U.S. National Cycling Champion and founder of the Bahati Foundation — joined Rashid Bahati and the Afro Village Consortium in presenting an ambitious proposal to the Culver City Council: the African Cultural Pavilion, a first-of-its-kind Hospitality House for the 2028 LA Olympics.
While traditional Olympic Hospitality Houses represent a single nation, the African Cultural Pavilion would serve the entire African diaspora — potentially bringing together six to twelve countries under one roof. Proposed for Media Park at 9091 Culver Blvd, the Pavilion would be a hub where athletes, families, and fans gather to celebrate Pan-African sports, culture, business, and technology. All five Culver City Council members expressed enthusiastic support.
The 2026 World Cup festivities serve as the proving ground a live test of programming, community engagement, and international outreach before the eyes of the world.
An artist's rendition of the potential design of the African Cultural Pavilion that is proposed to occupy Media Park during the 2028 L.A. Olympics was presented to the Culver City City Council in January. The groups looking to host this pavilion will work with Culver City to host programming during the 2026 World Cup. || Photo credit: Afro Village and Bahati House Sports Lab
Sports, Health, and Community at the Core
The Bahati Foundation has always believed that sport is a vehicle for something greater. That belief comes to life through Motion Equals Healthy, our established youth program that we plan to bring to children in the Culver City Unified School District as a permanent legacy initiative.
"Let that be a leave-behind program that we offer to Culver City and the Culver City children," Rashid Bahati shared with the council. "They would be engaged in afterschool programs that would deal with cycling and other sport activities."
This is the intersection we've always championed: sports, technology, health — and now, an international stage to share it from.
What's Next
We invite you to join us on July 19 in Downtown Culver City and be part of this historic moment. Stay connected as we continue to build toward the 2028 Olympics and toward a pavilion that celebrates the full breadth and brilliance of the African diaspora on the world stage. Thank you, Erin Akamine from Culver Crescent, for covering this story HERE