Lausanne, Switzerland, June 8, 2021: The International Olympic Committee has revealed the names of the athletes who will represent the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games next month.
The final 29 athletes announced on Tuesday, June 8 come from 11 countries and were selected by the IOC’s Executive Board from an initial group of 55 IOC Refugee Athlete Scholarship-holders. The countries include Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.
"The refugee athletes are an enrichment for all of us in the entire Olympic community," IOC President Thomas Bach said at the virtual ceremony from Lausanne.
"The reasons we created this team still exist. We have more forcibly displaced people in the world right now and, therefore, it went without saying that we wanted to create an IOC Refugee Olympic Team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics".
During the Opening Ceremony on July 23, the team will enter the new National Stadium with the Olympic flag in second position, immediately after Greece.
The team will stay in the Olympic village, like all the other 206 National Olympic Committees taking part, and continue to receive IOC support after the Games.
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 29 athletes include:
Abdullah Sediqi (Afghanistan) - Taekwondo (Men’s -68kg)
Ahmad Baddredin Wais (Syrian Arab Republic) - Cycling (Men’s Road)
Ahmad Alikaj (Syrian Arab Republic) - Judo (Men’s Mixed team)
Aker Al Obaidi (Iraq) - Wrestling (Men’s Greco-Roman -67kg)
Alaa Maso (Syrian Arab Republic) - Swimming (Men’s 50m Freestyle)
Aram Mahmoud (Syrian Arab Republic) - Badminton (Men’s singles)
Dina Pouryounes Langeroudi (Islamic Republic of Iran) - Taekwondo (Women’s -49kg)
Hamoon Derafshipour (Islamic Republic of Iran) - Karate (Men’s -67kg)
Javad Majoub (Islamic Republic of Iran) - Judo (Men’s Mixed team)
Kimia Alizadeh Zenozi (Islamic Republic of Iran) - Taekwondo (Women’s -57kg)
Masomah Ali Zada (Afghanistan) - Cycling (Women’s Road)
Muna Dahouk (Syrian Arab Republic) - Judo (Women’s Mixed team)
Nigara Shaheen (Afghanistan) - Judo (Women’s Mixed team)
Saeid Fazloula (Islamic Republic of Iran) - Canoe (Men’s 500m)
Sanda Aldass (Syrian Arab Republic) - Judo (Women’s Mixed Team)
Wael Sheub (Syrian Arab Republic) - Karate (Men’s Kata)
Wessam Salamana (Syrian Arab Republic) - Boxing (Men’s -57kg)
Yusra Mardini (Syrian Arab Republic) - Swimming (Women’s 100m Butterfly)