REFUGEE <br> ATHLETES

REFUGEE
ATHLETES

Refugee Athlete Support

Refugee status should never be a barrier to people fulfilling their sporting potential.

To make this a reality, we work alongside Olympic Solidarity which ensures that the Olympic dream is a goal everyone can aim for. Together we focus on refugees but Olympic Solidarity also provides assistance to thousands of athletes globally who are in need of help due to inequalities in access to sport.

Through the Refugee Athletes Support programme, we make sure National Olympic Committees - the committees who prepare national teams for the Olympic Games – have the opportunity to support refugee athletes living in their host countries.

Paris 2024 team

The IOC Refugee Olympic Team represents more than 100 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Made up of 37 athletes, hosted by 15 National Olympic Committees and competing across 12 sports, the team demonstrates to the world that refugees are an enrichment to the society.

The team is led by the Chef de Mission, Masomah Ali Zada; herself a member of the Refugee Olympic Team Tokyo 2020. The majority of athletes on the team are supported through the Refugee Athlete Scholarship Programme, which is managed by the ORF and funded by Olympic Solidarity. The IOC Executive Board (EB) selected the Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024. To be eligible, athletes must be elite competitors in their respective sport and be refugees in their host country, recognised by UNCHR, the UN Refugee Agency. Balanced representation in terms of sport, gender and regions will also be taken into consideration.

The Refugee Olympic Team's participation in the Olympic Games is not only a testament to their resilience and excellence but also sends a powerful message of hope, belonging, and inclusion.

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EOR Highlights Tokyo 2020

EOR Highlights Tokyo 2020

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Olympic Refuge Foundation
Maison Olympique
1007 Lausanne, Switzerland

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