Refugee Olympic Team arrives in Doha ahead of Tokyo Olympics

Tribune News Network Doha The athletes of Refugee Olympic Team arrived in Doha on Sunday to start their training camp to be held by the Qatar Olympic Commi...

Tribune News NetworkDohaThe athletes of Refugee Olympic Team arrived in Doha on Sunday to start their training camp to be held by the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) ahead of their participation in the 2020 Olympics Games to be staged in Tokyo, Japan from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The training camp comes in light of Qatar’s support to refugees around the world and as an initiative that reflects the strong partnership between the QOC, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees through the Olympic Refuge Foundation.The QOC is a supportive and founding partner of the Olympic Refuge Foundation which aims to continue the efforts adopted by the IOC over the past years to support refugees all over the world.The Refugee Olympic Team to participate in Tokyo Olympics is composed of 29 athletes from 11 countries selected by the IOC Executive Board from the 55 Refugee Athlete Scholarship-holders. The 29 members of the Refugee Olympic Team will be competing across 12 sports at Tokyo Olympics including; athletics, swimming, badminton, boxing, cycling, judo, karate, shooting, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling.The team’s roster includes: Abdullah Sediqi (Afghanistan)-Taekwondo (Men’s 68kg) , Ahmad Badreddin Wais (Syria)-Cycling (Men’s Road Cycling), Ahmad Alikaj (Syria)- Judo, Aker Al Obaidi (Iraq) -Wrestling (Men’s 67 Greco-Roman), Alaa Maso (Syria) – Swimming (Men’s 50m Freestyle), Anjelina Nadai Lohalith (South Sudan)- Athletics (Women’s 1500m), Aram Mahmoud (Syria)-Badminton (Men’s Singles), Cyrille Fagat Tchatchet (Cameroon)-Weightlifting (Men’s 96 kg), Dina Pouryounes Langeroudi (Iran)-Taekwondo (Women’s 49kg), Dorian Keletela- (Congo) Athletics (Men’s 100m), Eldric Samuel Sella Rodriguez (Venezuela)- Boxing (Men’s 75kg), Hamoon Derafshipour (Iran)- Karate (Men’s 67 kg), Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed (Sudan)-Athletics (Men’s 5000m), James Chiengjiek Nyang (South Sudan)- Athletics (Men’s 800m), Javad Mahjoub (Iran)- Judo, Kimia Alizadeh Zenozi (Iran)- Taekwondo (Women’s 57 kg), Luna Solomon (Eritrea)- Shooting (Women’s 10m Air Rifle), Masomah Ali Zada (Afghanistan)-Cycling (Women’s Road Cycling), Muna Dahouk (Syria)-Judo, Nigara Shaheen (Afghanistan)-Judo, Paulo Amotun Lokoro (South Sudan)- Athletics (Men’s 5000m), Popole Misenga (Democratic Republic of Congo)-Judo, Rose Nathike Likonyen (South Sudan) -Athletics (Women’s 800m), Saeid Fazloula (Iran)-Canoe (Men’s 500m), Sanda Aldass (Syria)- Judo, Tachlowini Gabriyesos (Eritrea) -Athletics (Men’s Marathon), Wael Shueb (Syria)- Karate (Men’s Kata), Wessam Salamana (Syria)-Boxing (Men’s 57kg) and Yusra Mardini (Syria)- Swimming (Women’s 100m Butterfly). These athletes will act as a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide and bring global attention to the magnitude of the refugee crisis. The Refugee Olympic Team’s Chef de Mission is Tegla Loroupe. She will be assisted by 20 coaches and officials. Created in 2015, the Refugee Olympic Team competed for the first time at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with 10 athletes from 4 countries including two swimmers, one Judoka, two long-distance runners and five middle-distance runners. The Refugee Olympic Team’s participation in the Olympic Games is a symbol of hope and peace for refugees around the world.QOC hosts a camp for the athletes to prepare for 2020 Games