Well-deserved recognition to Olympism for its success in restoring the dreams of many athletes

“The Olympic team and its Foundation remind us that sport also serves to remember, reflect and alleviate the harsh reality experienced by so many people in the world,” said King Felipe VI at the beginning of his speech. “We encourage them to continue fighting for their dreams and we thank Thomas Bach for his support, leadership and drive.”

Back in 2016, and after the outbreak of the refugee crisis in 2015, Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, managed to materialize an idea that had been in his head for a long time; to give a place to those athletes, who due to the crises in their respective countries, were forced to move away from sports.

It was at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where the world met the first 10 refugee athletes in history. The acceptance and support that this team would have during those games demonstrated to the IOC that they had taken the right path.

“The Olympic Refugee Team was created because we wanted to help those athletes who no longer had a flag, anthem or home to achieve their dreams. We gave them the anthem, the flag and a home in the Olympic Village and thus demonstrated to the world that refugees are an enrichment for society and we sent a strong message of hope to the world,” said the IOC president.

In Oviedo, Bach was accompanied by Masomah Ali Zada, an Afghan cyclist from the Shiite minority, resident in France and the Venezuelan boxer, a refugee in Uruguay, Eldric Sella.

During her teenage years, Masomah’s choice to dedicate herself to cycling made her a victim of constant physical and psychological abuse by the Taliban. In 2016, together with her parents, three brothers and a sister, fled Kabul and sought asylum in France, where she has lived since then and where she has been studying at university as an engineering career. France also gave Masomah the chance to train for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where she finished 25th.

In Tokyo also competed Sella. The 25-year-old boxer, Caracas born, and a refugee since 2018 finished 17th in the middleweight category (69-75kg). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) played a very important role in his participation in these Games, since they managed to process a visa that would allow him to travel through the United States to Japan, despite having an expired passport.

“This motivates us to continue preparing and doing our best for the Olympic cycle that ends in 2024, as well as to continue to impact more people. The Olympic Refugee Team gave me the opportunity to compete in Tokyo and now allows me to try to earn a place to do it in Paris,” said Eldric after receiving the award.

The Olympic Foundation for Refugees

Created in 2017, its mission is to facilitate the sports and personal protection and development of displaced athletes not only at important Olympic events but also throughout the year. To this end, they work with international organizations, private sector companies, non-governmental organizations and other foundations to establish and promote cooperation programs through sports.

The recognition received by Bach from the Princess of Asturias, Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz, demonstrated that the creation of the refugee team is one, or else, the greatest recent achievement of Olympism. Since the presentation of those 10 athletes in Rio 2016 to the 29 in Tokyo and with the commitment to increase the number on the way to Paris 2024, the movement has continued to take hold and prove the world that sport is a very powerful tool for the aid, cooperation and development of those who are being seriously affected by multiple current conflicts worldwide.

This mission not only gave them a purpose, it also restored their sense of belonging, of having a country and its people supporting them, encouraging them, and giving them a home. The power to train in the best way and make sports a career.

In short, the creation of the Olympic Team and Olympic Foundation for Refugees gave many people back a dream they seemed to have forgotten. And we, the lovers of Olympism, will be looking forward to seeing them parade in Paris with their new flag, the anthem and their bodies full of hope, pride and passion.