![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() This article was originally published by the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. For profiles of all athletes, click here.The refugee team members as announced by the IOC can be found here.Together with the IOC, the ORF, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and other partners, UNHCR is leading the global call for a world in which all displaced people, including those with disabilities, can equally access and participate in sport. This will be the second time a Refugee Team has participated in the Olympic Games, following the first at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.Īs part of its more than 25-year partnership with the IOC, UNHCR works with the IOC and the ORF to harness the power of sport to help create a world where every person forced to flee can build a better future. They serve as a reminder that everyone deserves the chance to succeed in life.” These athletes embody the hopes and aspirations of the more than 80 million people around the world who have been uprooted by war and persecution. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will feature 33 sports and 339 medal events held at 42 venues across Japan. “It shows what is possible when refugees are given the opportunity to make the most of their potential. Surviving war, persecution and the anxiety of exile already makes them extraordinary people, but the fact that they now also excel as athletes on the world stage fills me with immense pride. UNHCR is incredibly proud to support them as they compete at the Tokyo Olympics. “They are an exceptional group of people who inspire the world. In just three years, Paris 2024 will welcome the world for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. Tokyo 2020 also saw the Czech Republic and Slovenia play in the event for the first time. “I am thrilled to congratulate each of the athletes who have been named in the Tokyo 2020 Refugee Olympic Team,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who is also Vice Chairman of the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF). For the Americans, their triumph in the Finals over France marked their fourth straight Olympic gold - and 16th in 19 Games appearances. They will compete in 12 Olympic sports in the Games, sending a powerful message of solidarity and hope to the world this summer, bringing further awareness to the plight of over 80 million displaced people worldwide. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, celebrates the announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of the Tokyo 2020 Refugee Olympic Team. After years of training, 29 refugee athletes will head to Tokyo in July to participate at this summer’s games. The 2020 Olympic Games will officially begin on Friday, July 23 with the opening ceremony schedule to begin at 8 p.m. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |