Meet the Olympic team bringing hope to millions of refugees
Photo: Olympic Refuge Foundation
The glittering world of the Olympics, featuring athletes that have enjoyed years of dedicated training and support, may not appear to be a fit for people still rebuilding their lives after fleeing persecution and war.
But a team comprised entirely of refugees is defying expectations, and representing more than 100 million displaced people in the process.
This year, 37 athletes are competing under the flag of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Olympic Team in 12 sports ranging from breaking to swimming.
“I am so happy to be here,” judoka Muna Dahouk said on Monday (local time) after losing her preliminary round of the women’s judo 57kg category to Panama’s Kristine Jimenez.
Dahouk, whose father taught judo, started training at six years old in Damascus.
After being forced to flee from Syria to the Netherlands in 2019, she went on to compete in international judo competitions, including the Tokyo 2020 Games.
In Paris, Dahouk still has another shot on the Olympic stage in the mixed event.
“We are showing people what the refugees can do even if we have had hard conditions. We can fight to do the impossible,” she said.
“We didn’t give up easily even if we got through circumstances beyond our control. But even these we fight, and we are showing everyone what we are.”
In Paris, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team is competing under the acronym ‘EOR’, standing for the French translation of the Refugee Olympic Team ‘équipe olympique des réfugiés’.
Where do IOC Refugee Olympic Team athletes come from?
First created before the 2016 Rio Games, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team consists of athletes identified by the respective National Olympic Committee of their host country.
The IOC says the objective is not only to help refugee athletes to compete in the Olympic Games, but also to continue their sporting career and build their future.
“This will be a symbol of hope for all refugees in the world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis,” IOC president Thomas Bach said.
“It is also a signal to the international community that refugees are our fellow human beings and are an enrichment to society.”
Athletes competing in Paris come from 11 countries of origin:
- Iran
- Syria
- Afghanistan
- Cameroon
- Congo
- Ethiopia
- Cuba
- Venezuela
- Sudan
- Eritrea
- South Sudan.
The refugee status of each team member is verified with their host country by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
How is the team selected and trained?
This year’s refugee athletes are hosted by 15 different National Olympic Committees, ranging from Canada to Jordan.
Many train thanks to the support of IOC scholarships, funded by the Olympic Solidarity program.
The final Olympic team is chosen by the IOC, based on criteria including sporting performance, countries of origin, and balance of sports and gender.
Scholarships help athletes with training costs and missed work before the Games, and the team is managed by the Olympic Refugee Foundation.
The Paris 2024 IOC Refugee Olympic Team spent several days in the Normandy region town of Bayeux for training and bonding before heading to the Olympic Village in Paris; many told Guardian that sport helped them cope with displacement, bereavement and starting over from nothing.
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