As the first refugee to win an Olympic medal, Cindy Ngamba made history on Monday, August 5, inspiring optimism among refugees everywhere.
Ngamba won against Davina Michel of France in the 75 kg boxing division to go to the semi-finals and at least earn a bronze. Her narrative is a pivotal point in Olympic history as well as one of the highlights of these Games.
Ngamba proudly exhibited a board bearing the name of the refugee squad, a tiny group of 37 athletes who together represent over 120 million displaced people worldwide, after her victory.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) formed this team in 2016, and Ngamba hopes her success will serve as a beacon of hope for those who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, or natural disasters.
Qualifying for the Paris Olympic Games is an extraordinary achievement. But for some athletes, the journey has been even more challenging as they have had to leave their home countries and live as refugees. These athletes are competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics as part of the refugee Olympic team, established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
What does IOC stand for?
IOC, or International Olympic Committee, is the nonprofit international organization behind the Games.
What is the IOC Refugee Olympic Team?
The IOC Refugee Olympic Team made its entrance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony in a spectacular floating parade. The 37-strong team will compete across 12 sports, representing the hopes and dreams of 120 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.
Previously, refugees and asylum-seekers were largely excluded from competition at national, regional, and international levels. Since the first Refugee Olympic Team, comprising 10 athletes, competed at the Rio 2016 Games, more sports federations and associations have found ways to include refugee athletes and teams in major sporting events. Masomah Ali Zada, who competed in road cycling at the Tokyo 2020 Games, will lead the largest team yet as its Cheffe de Mission and spokesperson in Paris.
Who is on the IOC Refugee Team for the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Image Source: Paris 2024
The team represents over 100 million displaced people around the world. Selection was based on the athletes’ sporting achievements and their refugee status, verified by the UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency. According to the UNHCR, a refugee is someone who cannot return to their country of origin due to a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
Most of the athletes were selected from the Refugee Athletes Scholarship Program, funded by the Olympic Solidarity Initiative and overseen by the Olympic Refugee Foundation. The 37 athletes are hosted by National Olympic Committees in countries such as Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA. They will compete in a variety of sports, including athletics, badminton, boxing, breaking, canoeing, cycling, judo, sport shooting, swimming, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling. This is an increase from the 29 refugee athletes who competed in Tokyo.
- Adnan Khankan, judo
- Alaa Maso, swimming
- Amir Ansari, cycling
- Amir Rezanejad Hassanjani, canoe slalom
- Arab Sibghatullah, judo
- Cindy Ngamba, boxing
- Dina Pouryones Langeroudi, taekwondo
- Dorian Keletela, athletics (track and field)
- Dorsa Yavarivafa, badminton
- Eyeru Gebru, cycling
- Farida Abaroge, athletics
- Farzad Mansouri, taekwondo
- Fernando Dayan Jorge Enriquez, canoe sprint
- Francisco Edilio Centeno Nieves, shooting
- Hadi Tiranvalipour, taekwondo
- Iman Mahdavi, wrestling
- Jamal Abdelmaji, athletics
- Jamal Valizadeh, Greco-Roman wrestling
- Kasra Mehdipournejad, taekwondo
- Luna Solomon, shooting
- Mahboubeh Barbari Yharfi, judo
- Manizha Talash, breaking
- Matin Balsini, swimming
- Mohammad Amin Alsalami, athletics
- Mohammad Rashnonezhad, judo
- Muna Dahouk, judo
- Musa Suliman, athletics
- Nigara Shaheen, judo
- Omid Ahmadisafa, boxing
- Perina Lokure Nakang, athletics
- Ramiro Mora, weightlifting
- Saeid Fazloula, canoe sprint
- Saman Soltani, canoe sprint
- Tachlowini Gabriyesos, athletics
- Yahya Al Ghotany, taekwondo
- Yekta Jamali Galeh, weightlifting
How are the Athletes Supported?
The refugee Olympic team is funded by the Olympic Solidarity Initiative, which provides financial support to National Olympic Committees worldwide. These Committees identify refugee athletes living in their countries and support them throughout their training, preparation, and competition. Each of these programs is managed by the Olympic Refugee Foundation.
Masomah Ali Zada, the Chef de Mission for the Refugee Olympic Team and a competitor in Tokyo, welcomed the athletes during the team announcement, saying, “With all the challenges you have faced, you now have a chance to inspire a new generation, represent something greater than yourselves, and show the world what refugees are capable of.”
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