Forty-three promising athletes are being lined up to compete at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio in a team made up entirely of refugees.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that Team Refugee Olympic Athletes (ROA) will compete at the Games. Out of the 43 that have been identified, between five and 10 will be selected to take part.
Team ROA will get its own welcome ceremony at the Games, like other teams, and will march behind the Olympic flag before host team Brazil at the opening ceremony. The IOC will provide uniforms and a team entourage including coaches and technical officials.
“By welcoming the team of Refugee Olympic Athletes to the Olympic Games Rio 2016, we want to send a message of hope for all refugees in our world,” said IOC president Thomas Bach. “Having no national team to belong to, having no flag to march behind, having no national anthem to be played, these refugee athletes will be welcomed.”
The athletes were identified by National Olympic Committees, with candidates receiving funding from the IOC to assist their qualification efforts. If refugee athletes go on to win medals during the Rio Games, an Olympic flag will be raised, and the Olympic anthem will be played.
