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The Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 will be the first to include the participation of a Youth Refugee Olympic Team.
The 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games will see African-based refugee athletes participate for the first time ever in the event.
The International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said a team will be selected to shine a light on the globe regarding the refugee crisis. This he said will help highlight the importance of bringing together the finest young athletes.
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10:00 - 26.10.2024
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His motivation stems from the gold-medal winning exploits the sportsmen and women have brought to the country
"We look forward to selecting a team which not only shines a light on the global displacement and refugee crisis, but also highlights the importance of bringing together the finest young athletes, in the spirit of Olympism, at inclusive Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026,” Bach told Olympics.com.
The exact composition and selection of the Youth Refugee Olympic Team for Dakar 2026 will be determined at a later date, and will once again be decided by the IOC Executive Board.
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07:30 - 25.10.2024
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Africa currently hosts more than 47 million out of the more than 120 million displaced people globally. The Youth Refugee Olympic Team in 2026 will serve to draw attention to this reality. Through its work, the Olympic Refuge Foundation has for many years been supporting displaced people across the African continent through sport.
Currently, the Foundation has active programs in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Kenya and Uganda. It has also previously worked in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – reaching and supporting thousands of young people affected by displacement.
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