Paris Olympics 2024: IOC Announces 36-Member Refugee Olympic Team

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a 36-member Refugee Olympic Team for the upcoming Paris Olympics. The team, comprising 36 athletes from 11 different countries, will compete across 12 sports. It is worth mentioning that this is the first time the team will compete under its own emblem.

The announcement was made by IOC President Thomas Bach during a live-streamed ceremony. The composition of the team was approved by the IOC Executive Board (EB). According to the IOC, the team selection was based on a number of criteria, including each athlete’s sporting performance and their refugee status as verified by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The majority of the athletes were selected from among the refugee athletes supported by the IOC through the Refugee Athletes Scholarship Programme. The organisation also mentioned that the Refugee Olympic Team will represent more than 100 million displaced people around the world.

"We welcome all of you with open arms. You are an enrichment to our Olympic Community, and to our societies. With your participation in the Olympic Games, you will demonstrate the human potential of resilience and excellence," said Thomas Bach. The IOC has also unveiled a new emblem to bring a unique identity to the team. The emblem has a heart surrounded by way marker arrows. While the arrows in the emblem represent the team members, the heart represent the belonging the team hopes to inspire and that athletes and displaced people around the world have found through sport.