A team of up to ten refugees could take part in the Rio Olympics after the Lausanne-based International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave the plan the green light on Wednesday.
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It has been revealed today that a Refugee team will compete at the Olympics under the banner of the famous five rings. They will be called Team Refugee Olympic Athletes. “Therefore we will welcome these refugee athletes to the Olympic games with the Olympic flag and with the Olympic anthem”, Thomas Bach said, the IOC President.
He said the team would compete under the flag of the International Olympic Committee, adding: ‘I can just give you my feeling, but I believe that this team could feature between five and 10 athletes.
Athletes that become refugees are usually stuck in an unfair limbo.
“By welcoming the team of Refugee Olympic Athletes to the Olympic Games Rio 2016, we want to send a message of hope for all refugees in our world”, Bach told reporters.
One athlete in contention for the team is Yolande Makibe, a jodoka (practitioner of judo) who found asylum in Brazil after leaving the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, CNN reported.
There were already three names identified last December, who were athletes forced to flee their home countries in the midst of the crisis. The team uniforms will be provided by the IOC.
The IOC will also provide coaches and travel, among other expenses, for the ROA team members via the Olympic Solidarity program. If an athlete from Team ROA happens to win a medal, the Olympic flag will be raised and the Olympic Anthem played.
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Athletes chosen for the Olympic team will go through drug-testing procedures administered by the World Anti-Doping Agency, Bach said.
