The Paris Olympics will host a unique team of athletes, made up of 36 refugees from 11 countries. These athletes will compete in 12 different sports under their own emblem, featuring a heart surrounded by arrows. The team was announced by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach at an event on Thursday.
Masomah Ali Zada, the chef de mission for the refugee team, spoke about the significance of having their own emblem, which she believes creates a sense of belonging and empowerment for over 100 million people who have experienced similar circumstances. She expressed her excitement about wearing it proudly.
The team consists of 23 men and 13 women who will compete in athletics, badminton, boxing, breaking, canoeing, cycling, judo, shooting, swimming, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling. Notable athletes include Cindy Ngamba and Farida Abaroge from Ethiopia among the women and Kasra Mehdipournejad from Iran in taekwondo and Edilio Francisco Centeno Nieves from Venezuela in shooting among the men.
However, on Tuesday it was announced that a third runner on the team had been suspended for a positive doping test. This is unfortunate news but it is important to remember that all athletes are held to high standards and any violation of those standards will be punished accordingly.
The refugee team was originally created by the IOC for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro to provide asylum for athletes who were forced to leave their home countries. In Rio there were 10 athletes on the team with Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini becoming the first to compete. Three years ago in Tokyo, the team grew to 29 athletes across 12 sports._
