Refugee Olympic Team Tokyo 2020 shortlist announced
IOC marks World Refugee Day by releasing list of 37 Refugee Athlete Scholarship-holders from nine nations with the team named next June.
The IOC has released the list of Refugee Athlete Scholarship-holders who will aim to represent the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) at Tokyo 2020.
The announcement came on World Refugee Day (20th June) with all 10 members of the first ROT at Rio 2016 bidding to compete at a second Games.
Among the 37 names are 13 new individual athletes, and a group of athletes preparing at the Tegla Loroupe Refugee Training Centre in Kenya.
The team for Tokyo 2020 will be announced in June next year.
"We want to send a very strong signal of hope with the Refugee Olympic Team and we want to remind everybody on the magnitude of the refugee crisis." - IOC President Thomas Bach
IOC President Thomas Bach said, "With the announcement of the list of Refugee Scholarship-Holders, we want to show that refugees are an enrichment to sport and to society.
"This team is the continuation of a human journey that started with the first IOC Refugee Olympic Team Rio 2016."
Bach added that this team will most likely be bigger than the one in Rio.
"Qualification standard does not mean the overall international qualification standards. We want to identify those athletes who either fulfill these criteria or at least come as close as possible to these criteria.
"We cannot say at this stage how big the team will finally be. We can say with some confidence that it will be bigger than the team from Rio 2016."
Dreams realised at Rio 2016
The first ROT at Rio 2016 received universal praise after overcoming huge obstacles to compete in Brazil.
Swimmer Yusra Mardini is the most recognisable of the 10-strong team after fleeing the Syrian Civil War in August 2015 as a teenager.
After her boat almost capsized in the Aegean Sea on her way from Turkey to Greece, Mardini eventually made it to Germany where she resumed training before competing in Rio.
Iranian-born taekwondo player Raheleh Asemani was initially in the first ROT.
But after being granted Belgian citizenship, she went on to represent her new country with the blessing of Thomas Bach.
Former long-distance runner Tegla Loroupe was the driving force behind the first ROT and she was named 2016 United Nations Person of the Year in recognition of her efforts.
The Kenyan reprises her role as Chef de Mission in Tokyo, and hopes the team can win a medal in Tokyo.
ROT Rio 2016 provided the spark for the creation of the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) by the IOC in 2017.
The foundation uses sports-based projects to support refugee populations around the world with a focus on protecting, developing and empowering young people in vulnerable situations.
Together with the United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are now initiatives in settlement and camps in more than over 45 countries.
A new team at Tokyo 2020
All 37 of the Refugee Athlete Scholarship-holders are in contention to represent ROT at Tokyo 2020.
They come from nine nations and compete in eight different sports.
(* - Represented ROT at Rio 2016)
Jamal Abdoul-Magid - Athletics: 10.000m
Country of origin: Sudan
Currently living in Tel Aviv
Ubaa Dinta Achoto - Athletics: 800m/1500m)
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living in: Kenya
Wael Fawaz Al-Farraj - Taekwondo (-58 kg)
Ciuntry of origin: Syria
Currently living in: Jordan
*Rami Anis - Swimming (100m butterfly)
Country of origin: Syria
Currently living in Turkey
Dominic Lokolong Atiol - Athletics: 1500m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
Josephine Tain Augustinho - Athletics: 1500m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
*Yiech Pur Biel - Athletics: 800m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
Ukuk Utho’o Bul - Athletics: 5000m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
*James Nyang Chiengjiek - Athletics: 400m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
Duol Charles Elijah - Athletics: 800m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
Joseph Elia Ernesto - Athletics: 800m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
Amir Mohammad Hosseini - Taekwondo (-58kg)
Country of origin: Islamic Republic of Iran
Currently living: Germany
Dorian Keletela - Athletics: 100m
Country of origin: Democratic Republic of Congo
Currently living: Portugal
*Yonas Kinde - Athletics: Marathon
Country of origin: Ethiopia
Currently living: Luxembourg
Dina Pouryounes Langeroudi - Taekwondo (-49kg)
Country of origin: Islamic Republic of Iran
Currently living: The Netherlands
*Anjelina Nadai Lohalith - Athletics: 1500m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
Simon Lodai Lohuju - Athletics: 1500m, 5000m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
*Rose Nathike Lokonyen - Athletics: 800m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
*Paulo Amotun Lokoro - Athletics: 1500m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
*Yolande Mabika - Judo (-70kg)
Country of origin: Democratic Republic of Congo
Currently living: Brazil
Aran Mahmoud - Badminton
Country of origin: Syria
Currently living: The Netherlands
Tekleweyni Malake - Athletics: 1500m
Country of origin: Eritrea
Currently living: Israel
Lydia Philip Mamun Athletics: 800m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
*Yusra Mardini - Swimming: 100m Freestyle
Country of origin: Syria
Currently living: Germany
Simon Ayong Mauris - Athletics: 5000m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
Kasra Mehdipournejad - Taekwondo (-80kg)
Country of origin: Islamic Republic of Iran
Currently living: Germany
*Popole Misenga - Judo (-90kg)
Country of origin: Democratic Republic of Congo
Currently living: Brazil
Gaston Nsazumunkiza - Athletics: 5000m
Country of origin: Democratic Republic of Congo
Currently living: Kenya
Clementina Ihure Rilando - Athletics: 1500m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
Abdullah Sediqi - Taekwondo (-58kg)
Country of origin: Afghanistan
Currently living: Belgium
Wael Shueb - Karate (Kata)
Country of origin: Syria
Currently living: Germany
Asif Sultani - Karate (-75kg)
Country of origin: Afghanistan
Currently living: Australia
John Lokibe Taban - Athletics: 5000m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
Cyrille Fagat Tchatchet II - Weightlifting (94kg)
Country of origin: Cameroon
Currently living: United Kingdom
Rose Ihisa Uwaro - Athletics: 200m
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya
Farid Walizadeh - Boxing: (-56kg)
Country of origin: Afghanistan
Currently living: Portugal
Chajen Dang Yien - Athletics: Javelin
Country of origin: South Sudan
Currently living: Kenya