On Tuesday, the IOC introduced that boxer Ms. Ngamba and taekwondo athlete Mr. Al-Ghotany can be carrying the IOC flag on behalf of the committee’s Olympic team through the opening ceremony.
“Boxer Cindy and taekwondoin Yahya will probably be carrying the [IOC] flag, not representing one nation, however over 120 million forcibly displaced individuals worldwide,” UNHCR mentioned in a web based assertion.
Representing refugees
Ms. Ngamba was born in Cameroon and moved to the UK when she was 11 and Mr. Al-Ghotany left Syria together with his household as a baby following the outbreak of conflict.
Each athletes obtained Refugee Athlete Scholarships funded by the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity initiative and have voiced that they’re proud to symbolize refugees worldwide.
“It’s an honour for me to symbolize this particular workforce and carry the flag for the tens of millions of us all over the world,” Ms. Ngamba mentioned. “My largest hope is that at this 12 months’s Olympic Video games, we will make individuals get up and listen. Present them what refugees are able to – as a result of we’ve got some huge ambitions.”
Sharing related sentiments, Mr. Al-Ghotany mentioned: “On the Opening Ceremony, I will probably be eager about everybody that has helped me on my journey – my buddies, my household – but additionally the greater than 100 million individuals all over the world, who, identical to me, have needed to flee their properties. I symbolize all of them.”
UNHCR mentioned the participation of refugees within the Olympic Video games demonstrates their resilience and excellence, serving as a logo of hope and inclusion.
Olympic award
On the official IOC Session on Tuesday, it was additionally introduced that UNHCR’s Excessive Commissioner, Filippo Grandi, will become the third recipient of the Olympic Laurel – an award that was created to “honour excellent people for his or her achievements in training, tradition, improvement and peace by sport.”
IOC President Thomas Bach mentioned the UNHCR chief “has supported in an unprecedented method the essential function sport can play for inclusion, belonging and bodily and psychological well-being of refugees.”
He famous that following the announcement of the IOC Refugee Olympic Group for the 2016 Rio Video games on the UN Common Meeting, he sought Mr. Grandi’s assist because the incoming UN Excessive Commissioner for Refugees.
He mentioned that Mr. Grandi enthusiastically supported the initiative and later joined the Olympic Refuge Basis’s Board as Vice-Chair in 2017.
“I’m proud to obtain this award on behalf of my colleagues at UNHCR, and for the tens of millions of individuals all over the world who’ve been compelled to flee their properties,” Mr. Grandi mentioned.
The Excessive Commissioner will probably be given the award through the opening ceremony of the Olympic Video games on Friday.
Let the Video games start…
Headed to Paris for the Olympic Video games on Friday is UN Secretary-Common, António Guterres.
In a video message welcoming individuals to the video games launched on Tuesday, the Secretary-Common celebrated the ability of sport and its means to unite individuals and produce hope.
His encouragement to individuals within the “spirit of the Olympic truce” is to construct bridges and foster solidarity “and attempt for the last word purpose: peace for all.”
Throughout his journey to Paris, Mr. Guterres will meet with IOC President Bach and can maintain bilateral conferences.
