UNHCR warmly welcomes today’s announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of the refugees who will compete as a team in the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Rami during a training session at the S and R Rozebroeken swimming pool in Gent. "On a weekly basis, I train most days," says Rami. "I train in the morning and in the evening, on average I train nine times per week." ; Rami Anis started formal swimming training as a 14-year-old growing up in Aleppo. He credits his Uncle Majad, who swam competitively in Syria, with instilling a passion for competing in the water. “Swimming is my life,” Rami says. “The swimming pool is my home.” As bombings and kidnappings in Aleppo grew more frequent, his family put him on a flight to Istanbul to live with an older brother who was studying Turkish. “The bag I took had two jackets, two t-shirts, two trousers – it was a small bag,” Rami recalls. “I thought I would be in Turkey for a couple of months and then return to my country.” “The swimming pool is my home.” As months turned to years, he used the time to hone his swimming technique at the prestigious Galatasaray Sports Club. Yet without Turkish nationality, he was unable to swim in competitions. “It’s like someone who is studying, studying, studying and he can’t take the exam.” Determined to prove himself, Rami rode an inflatable dinghy to the Greek island of Samos. Eventually he reached the Belgian town of Ghent, where he’s been training nine times a week with former Olympic swimmer Carine Verbauwen. “With the energy I have, I am sure I can achieve the best results,” he says. “It will be a great feeling to be part of the Olympics.”
Syrian swimmer Rami Anis trains for Rio 2016 Olympic GamesRami during a training session at the S and R Rozebroeken swimming pool in Ghent, Belgium. “On a weekly basis, I train most days,” says Rami. “I train in the morning and in the evening, on average I train nine.”
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warmly welcomes today’s announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of the refugees who will compete as a team in the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. They include two Syrian swimmers, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and six runners from Ethiopia and South Sudan. They all fled violence and persecution in their countries and sought refuge in places as wide-ranging as Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Kenya and Brazil.
The initiative to send a refugee team to the Rio Games is unprecedented and sends a strong message of support and hope for refugees worldwide. It also comes at a time when more people than ever are being forced by conflict and persecution into fleeing their homes. The global population of refugees, internally displaced people and asylum seekers reached a record 59.5 million at the end of 2014 and has continued rising since.
“We are very inspired by the Refugee Olympic Athletes team – having had their sporting careers interrupted, these high-level refugee athletes will finally have the chance to pursue their dreams,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “Their participation in the Olympics is a tribute to the courage and perseverance of all refugees in overcoming adversity and building a better future for themselves and their families. UNHCR stands with them and with all refugees.”
The participation of a refugee team in the Olympics represents a major milestone in UNHCR’s long-standing partnership with the IOC. This relationship, which dates back 20 years, has been instrumental in promoting the role of sports in the development and well-being of refugees, particularly children, all over the world. We have, through our joint projects, supported youth programmes and sporting activities in at least 20 countries, rehabilitated sporting fields in several refugee camps, and provided sports kits to refugee youth.
The announcement of the refugee team coincides with the launch of UNHCR’s #WithRefugees Campaign which is an integral element of the UNHCR – IOC partnership for the 2016 Rio Games. The cornerstone of the #WithRefugees Campaign is a petition asking governments to ensure that every refugee child gets an education, that every refugee family has somewhere safe to live, and that every refugee can work or learn new skills to make a positive contribution to their community. The petition will be handed in before the UN High Level meeting on Refugees and Migrants, scheduled for the 19th September in New York.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The refugee team members as announced by the IOC are:
Rami Anis, Syria, swimming
Yusra Mardini, Syria, swimming
Paulo Amotun Lokoro, South Sudan, athletics
Yonas Kinde, Ethiopia, athletics
Yiech Pur Biel, South Sudan, athletics
James Nyang Chiengjiek, South Sudan, athletics
Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, South Sudan, athletics
Rose Nathike Lokonyen, South Sudan, athletics
Popole Misenga, Democratic Republic of the Congo, judo
Yolande Bukasa Mabika, Democratic Republic of the Congo, judo
For profiles of the athletes, click here.
For media queries, please contact:
In Geneva: Nora Sturm, [email protected]
In Nairobi: Duke Mwancha, [email protected]
In Brasilia: Luiz Godinho de Santos, [email protected]
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