Nagoya, Japan, September 20, 2026: The OCA Refugee Team received a warm welcome from the athletes’ representatives of the Olympic Council of Asia on Sunday as OCA Athletes Committee Chair Ding Ning and Vice Chair Shiva Keshavan met the team at the Athletes Village ahead of their competitions at the 20th Asian Games.
The meeting with the two refugee athletes and their coaches was an opportunity to welcome them to Nagoya and reaffirm the OCA’s support as they prepare to compete on the Asian Games stage for the first time.
“We are very happy to welcome you to the Asian Games and to have you here with us in the Athletes Village,” said Ding Ning. “You are part of our Asian sporting family, and we want you to know that you have our full support. We wish you both the very best for your competitions. Go out there, enjoy the experience and give it your best.”
Vice Chair Shiva Keshavan said the team’s participation was an important moment for the athletes and for the wider sporting community.
“As athletes, we know how much work, sacrifice and determination it takes to stand on the start line at a major Games,” said Keshavan. “You have already come a long way to be here. Now it is your moment to compete, enjoy the experience and be proud to represent yourselves and the wider Asian sporting community. We are here to support you, and we wish you the very best of luck.”
The OCA Refugee Team is making its Asian Games debut in Nagoya, with two refugee athletes competing in taekwondo. Their participation provides an opportunity for refugee athletes to continue their sporting journeys and compete alongside athletes from across Asia.
For the OCA Athletes Committee, the meeting also reflected its commitment to ensuring that every athlete participating at the Asian Games feels welcomed, respected and part of the wider Asian sporting community.
The Athletes Committee leadership will continue to engage with the team throughout the Games and offer its support during their participation in Nagoya.
The two athletes are Mahmoud Al Jasem Al Mohammad Al Hussein, 24, who will compete in the men’s 80kg Kyorugi (combat), and Talah Al Hassan Al Hinide, 18, in the women’s -49kg Kyorugi. Both athletes are from the Syrian Arab Republic and stay in the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan.
