It's now official, the refugee Olympic team has been announced by the International Olympic Committee and among the 36 athletes selected, 6 are judokas.
Their names are Sibghatullah, Mahboubeh, Muna, Adnan, Mohammad and Nigara. We are used to seeing them on the World Judo Tour. For months, they have been fighting literally and figuratively to be part of the great Olympic adventure and now, in Paris this summer, we will have the pleasure of following them during individual and mixed team competitions.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We welcome you to the IOC Refugee Team with open arms and hearts, in the true Olympic spirit of solidarity, peace and excellence. Congratulations!»
Muna said: “I have a happiness that I cannot explain. I am so happy and proud of myself and all the refugee athletes. I will see you soon in Paris.»
The selected judokas are: Mohammad Rashnonezhad (-60kg), Muna Dahouk (-57kg), Arabic Sibghatullah (-81kg), Nigara Shaheen (-63kg), Adnan Khankan (-100kg) and Mahboubeh Barbari Zharfi (+78kg).
The full roster of 36 athletes comes from 11 different countries of origin and is currently hosted by 15 different National Olympic Committees. In Paris, they will compete in 12 different sports: swimming, athletics, badminton, boxing, break, canoeing, cycling, judo, shooting, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling.
The Refugee Olympic Team – Photo by the Olympic Refuge Foundation
On the road to Paris 2024, we will take the time to find out more about each of them. The first team of refugees was present in Rio in 2016 where two judokas competed against each other. Five years later, we had a full mixed team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which will still be the case in the French capital.
As the event draws closer, we'll take the time to learn about each one, so stay tuned for more information on Sibghatullah, Mahboubeh, Muna, Adnan, Mohammad and Nigara. In the meantime, don't forget their names because they are the true representatives of our society and throughout their lives, they inspire millions of people across the world.
