Refugee Olympic Team athletes begin their training at Aspire ahead of Tokyo Olympics

Tribune News Network Doha The athletes of Refugee Olympic Team began their training camp at Aspire Dome in Doha on Monday. The camp is being held under the...

Tribune News NetworkDohaThe athletes of Refugee Olympic Team began their training camp at Aspire Dome in Doha on Monday. The camp is being held under the auspices of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) ahead of their participation in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. 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 training camp 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.This will be the second appearance for Refugee Olympic Team athletes in Olympics Games as they competed for the first time in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with 5 athletes from South Sudan, two athletes from Syria, two athletes from Democratic Republic of Congo and one athlete from Ethiopia. During the Opening Ceremony, the team will march with the Olympic flag in second position, immediately after Greece and for all official representations of the team (including possible medal ceremonies), the Olympic flag will be raised, and the Olympic anthem will be played.The Syrian athlete Aram Mahmoud who will participate in Badminton competitions stressed that he is happy to visit Qatar for the first time and lauded the efforts made by the Qatari officials to hold this successful training camp in Doha. “The Olympic Games will provide us with the opportunity show the world what we can do and that we can compete at this high level” said Aram Mahmoud. The team’s roster:Abdullah Sediqi (Afghanistan), Ahmad Badreddin Wais (Syria), Ahmad Alikaj (Syria), Aker Al Obaidi (Iraq), Alaa Maso (Syria), Anjelina Nadai Lohalith (South Sudan), Aram Mahmoud (Syria), Cyrille Fagat Tchatchet (Cameroon), Dina Pouryounes Langeroudi (Iran), Dorian Keletela- (Congo), Eldric Samuel Sella Rodriguez (Venezuela), Hamoon Derafshipour (Iran), Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed (Sudan), James Chiengjiek Nyang (South Sudan), Javad Mahjoub (Iran), Kimia Alizadeh Zenozi (Iran), Luna Solomon (Eritrea), Masomah Ali Zada (Afghanistan), Muna Dahouk (Syria), Nigara Shaheen (Afghanistan), Paulo Amotun Lokoro (South Sudan), Popole Misenga (Democratic Republic of Congo), Rose Nathike Likonyen (South Sudan), Saeid Fazloula (Iran), Sanda Aldass (Syria), Tachlowini Gabriyesos (Eritrea), Wael Shueb (Syria), Wessam Salamana (Syria), and Yusra Mardini (Syria).