The IOC Refugee Olympic Team
The Paris 2024 Games features the largest-ever Refugee Olympic Team.
Photo. Source: Angelo Romano / Wikimedia Commons.
With the Olympics upon us, people are banding together to support their countries’ teams and shine a light on the 32 sports of the Paris 2024 Games, from basketball, to rowing, to gymnastics and judo.
For the third time, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team is representing over 100 million displaced individuals at this year’s Olympics. The team features 37 athletes from 11 different countries in 12 different sports.
After participating in the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, they are ready to continue as the symbol of equality the world needs.
“I think it’s nice to see these athletes being recognised for their talents and proudly representing where they come from and their origin story. It also brings more awareness to refugees or displaced athletes and people in general,” Dantaye Simpson, the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Advisor at Sport Manawatū said.
The Refugee Olympic Team was announced in March of 2016 by Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to raise global awareness of the migrant crisis in Europe. Proudly balanced in the representation of sport, gender, religion and culture, this independent participant team has captured the hearts of those who witness them band together.
“The Refugee Olympic Team is a symbol for hope and resilience. These athletes show what can be achieved when talent is recognized and developed,” Kam Wa Tsang, a Certified Sports Nutritionist CISSN and High Performance Coach said.
“I believe events like the Olympics is the perfect platform in promoting diversity and inclusion for sport. Specifically with the inclusion of refugee and displaced athletes, sport is used as a vehicle to enhance inclusivity and social cohesion, while reducing isolation by uniting people of all backgrounds around a common passion,” said Tyson Huia, an Experienced Strength and Conditioning Practitioner.
“These athletes show what can be achieved when talent is recognised and developed. In addition, allow the world to show when people have opportunities to train and compete against the best around the world.”
Sport is a livelihood for some, and a source of entertainment for others. Source: Pixabay / Pexels.
Some of the greatest triumphs at the 2024 Olympics are at the hands of refugee athletes. Jamal Abdelmaji clocked a personal best in the men’s 10,000 metres, and so did Perina Lokure Nakang in her women’s 800 metres.
Barbari Zharfi, a mother and refugee made her Olympic debut in Judo.
“I want to give it my all,” Zharfi told Olympics.com.
When wanting to ensure that all athletes have equal opportunities to participate and excel in sports, Tsang mentioned several strategies that are essential, including awareness and education, mentorship and role models, inclusive policies and practices, scholarships and financial support and the Grassroots Development Programme, which is used to empower vulnerable communities.
Tsang commented how on how it is crucial to have initiatives focused on developing sports from the grassroots level, providing access to training and facilities for young athletes from diverse backgrounds.
When asked about an athlete within the Refugee Olympic team that she is inspired by, Simpson noted Eyery Gebru, a professional racing cyclist.
“Road rider Eyery Gebru looks to be a promising rider. She has been through huge loss and displacement and has pushed through this and continued as an athlete.”
Not only is the Paris 2024 Olympics allowing the Refugee Olympic Team an opportunity to unify, but it has also broken the record for most LGBTQIA+ athletes participating in the games.
The 191 openly Rainbow athletes is a leap from the 186 athletes that competed at the Tokyo Olympics. The vast majority are women, with the highest representation from Team USA according to Outsports.
“I feel there has always been a stigma around athletes in the LGBTQIA+ [community], and we are slowly breaking these down with representation and visibility,” Simpson said, when asked about the importance of Queer athletes.
The Olympic Games serve to promote excellence and offer athletes the chance to become recognisable on a national and international basis.
But it is important to realise that there is so much injustice going on in the world. From migrant crises to everlasting war and social divisions, this should not be forgotten. The Refugee Olympic Team are a testament to what can be done when people come together and represent not just one country, but the displaced people from across the world.
“The team embodies the spirit of perseverance and the possibility of a brighter future, inspiring not only other refugees but also the global community to support and advocate for displaced populations,” Tsang said.
Since 2017, the IOC established the Olympic Refugee Foundation (ORF) to support refugees over a long-term period. A commitment that is consistently being built upon.