The Paris Olympics will host the Refugee Team, consisting of 36 athletes from 11 countries competing in 12 different sports. These athletes were selected from over 70 scholarships, announced by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach on Thursday. Instead of competing under the Olympic flag, the team will have its own emblem featuring a heart surrounded by arrows, symbolizing how lost refugees can find their way back. The team will be known as EOR, short for Équipe Olympique des Réfugiés.
The chef de mission of the team is Masomah Ali Zada of Afghanistan. She expressed the significance of having their own emblem, creating a sense of belonging and representing the over 100 million individuals who share their experiences. The team aims to stand proudly for these individuals at the upcoming Olympics, starting on July 24th. A total of 23 men and 13 women will be competing in various sports including athletics, badminton, boxing, breaking, canoeing, cycling, judo, shooting, swimming, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling.
Boxer Cindy Ngamba and Ethiopian runner Farida Abaroge are among the women participating in the team while Iranian taekwondo athlete Kasra Mehdipournejad and Venezuelan shooter Edilio Francisco Centeno Nieves are among male athletes representing the country. Mehdipournejad expressed his excitement at seeing his Olympic dream come true but unfortunately a third runner on the team was recently suspended for a positive doping test. The Refugee Team was first established by IOC for Rio de Janeiro’s 2016 Olympics to allow athletes who had been forced to leave their home countries to continue competing; in Rio there were ten athletes representing this team with Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini being the first to compete. This year in Tokyo’s Olympics saw an increase in participation with twenty-nine athletes competing across twelve sports.
This team has become a symbol of hope for millions around the world who have been forced to flee their homes due to persecution or violence. Their presence at the Olympics serves as a reminder that no matter where you come from or what circumstances you may face; everyone deserves to have dreams and aspirations fulfilled.