Six young refugee athletes will compete in the Youth Olympic Games starting tomorrow in Dakar, Senegal, the first time a refugee team has entered the competition.
The Refugee Olympic Team delegation comprises three female and three male competitors, all currently residing in Africa, according to fundacionacnur.org. They will participate in athletics, judo, and taekwondo alongside 2,700 other competitors from around the globe.
This milestone arrives ten years after the inaugural Refugee Olympic Team debuted at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The upcoming competition also marks the first time an Olympic event takes place on African soil.
“Dakar 2026 is a motivo de orgullo for Africa and for all people forced to flee,” said Edem Wosornu, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, using the Spanish term for a source of pride while speaking in Dakar. Wosornu added that these athletes demonstrate what displaced individuals can achieve when given an opportunity.
Yiech Pur Biel is the team’s chef de mission. A UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and a refugee from South Sudan, Biel competed in the 2016 Rio Games as part of the original refugee team.
“Hace diez años subí al escenario olímpico como atleta refugiado,” said Yiech Pur Biel. “Hoy, ver a una nueva generación de jóvenes refugiados seguir ese mismo camino es algo increíblemente especial.”
The roster features Arno competing in the men’s -55 kg judo category while residing in Kenya, Clement contesting the men’s 800 meters from Kenya, and Florence running the women’s 200 meters from Uganda, as reported by fundacionacnur.org.
The International Olympic Committee created the team, which is managed by the Olympic Refuge Foundation with backing from World Athletics, the national Olympic committees of Kenya and Uganda, and UNHCR. Marathon great Eliud Kipchoge serves as a mentor to the young competitors.
The competition runs from October 31 to November 13, taking place as global forced displacement surpasses 117 million people. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 39 million of those displaced individuals.
