Paris, France. The refugee team has been announced to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris Refugees and migrants
Thirty-six athletes from 11 countries were named members of the Refugee Olympic Team on Thursday. They will compete in 12 sports at this year’s Paris Games. This was reported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with reference to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The refugee team, which represents millions of displaced people around the world, will take part in the Olympic Games for the third time. According to UNHCR, as of September 2023, there were approximately 114 million people around the world who were forced to flee their homes. For the first time, the refugee team will compete under its own logo.
The team composition was approved by the IOC Executive Committee (EC) based on a number of criteria, including, first of all, results each athlete and his refugee status confirmed by UNHCR. “We welcome you all with open arms. You enrich our Olympic community and our societies,” said IOC President Thomas Bach, addressing all members of the team.
Manizha Talash from Afghanistan will represent the refugee team in the breakdancing competition. It is one of four sports, along with skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing, that the IOC has added to the 2024 Games.
Media reports back in 2021 months before the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan and imposed strict restrictions on women, Talash was determined to compete in the Paris Games. Now she will compete in a new Olympic sport as a refugee.
“The Refugee Olympic Team must remind us of the resilience, courage and hope of all those who have been forced to flee their homes because of war and persecution. These athletes represent what people are capable of, even in the face of extreme adversity,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
“Sport can offer respite, escape from everyday worries, a feeling of security, a moment of pleasure. This can give people a chance to heal physically and psychologically and become part of society again,” he added.
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