Twenty-nine athletes competing across 12 sports and from 13 host National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will be part of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team (EOR) Tokyo 2020.
The athletes were selected from the refugee athletes currently supported by the IOC through the Olympic Scholarships for Refugee Athletes program. It is stated that the refuge athletes will send a powerful message of solidarity and hope to the world this summer, bringing further awareness to the plight of over 80 million displaced people worldwide.
The 29 athletes met for the first time weeks ago in a virtual ceremony, during which IOC President Thomas Bach officially announced their participation in the Games in Tokyo this summer.
The team will compete under the Olympic flag. At the Opening Ceremony on 23 July, the athletes will enter the stadium in the second position immediately after Greece, sending a strong message of inclusion and showing the world the strength of the human spirit.
The selection of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team Tokyo 2020 was based on several criteria including, first and foremost, each athlete’s sporting performance and their refugee status as confirmed by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Personal background, as well as a balanced representation in terms of sport, gender, and regions, were also considered.
(IOC)
