International Olympic Committee announces names of refugee athletes

LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday approved the list of 29 refugee athletes who will compete at the Tokyo Olympics under the Olympic flag.

During the opening ceremony on July 23, the refugee athletes -- from 13 host National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competing in 12 sports -- will enter the stadium "in second position after Greece".

Kenya's Tegla Loroupe, Olympian and former marathon world-record holder, will be the team's Chef de Mission.

The selection of the refugee team for Tokyo was based on the athletes' sporting performance and their refugee status as confirmed by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Personal background and "balanced representativity in terms of sport, gender and regions, were also considered".

The full Refugee Olympic Team (EOR) delegation will meet for the first time in Doha on July 12 and 13, before flying to Tokyo on July 14.

On Tuesday, the 29 athletes met for the first time in a virtual ceremony during which IOC president, Thomas Bach, officially announced their participation in the Games. IANS

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