Addressing the IOC Session, Biel expressed his pride in the newly announced Refugee Olympic Team, saying the athletes have the chance to become “great ambassadors” for the millions of young refugees around the world.
“I look forward to seeing how these young athletes perform in Dakar,” Biel said. “I will do everything I can to mentor them, not only during the competition but also in life. I truly believe Dakar will be a life-changing experience for them and for refugees across the world who will be watching.”
Hosted by the National Olympic Committees of Kenya and Uganda, the team is made up entirely of athletes based in Africa and will represent the millions of displaced people living across the continent.
The Dakar 2026 Refugee Olympic Team comprises:
- Arno (Kenya – Judo, men’s -55kg)
- Clement (Kenya – Athletics, men’s 800m)
- Florence (Uganda – Athletics, women’s 200m)
- Lourance (Kenya – Taekwondo, women’s -49kg)
- Nyataba (Kenya – Athletics, women’s 800m)
- Rachid (Uganda – Athletics, men’s 200m)
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games provide a unique platform to showcase the potential of young refugee athletes while highlighting Africa’s leadership in responding to global displacement and reinforcing the International Olympic Committee’s commitment to solidarity and inclusion.
According to UNHCR, more than 117 million people worldwide are currently displaced, with nearly 39 per cent under the age of 18. East and Southern Africa alone hosts around 16 million displaced people, with Uganda and Kenya accommodating the largest refugee and asylum-seeker populations in the region.
Originally from South Sudan, Biel spent much of his childhood in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp. He competed as part of the historic first Refugee Olympic Team at Rio 2016 before later becoming an IOC Member, a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and a board member of the Olympic Refuge Foundation.
Reflecting on his own journey, Biel said: “It has been ten years since I competed at the Rio Olympic Games as part of the first Refugee Olympic Team. Sport completely transformed my life. It opened doors for me and gave me the opportunity to positively impact the lives of other refugees by becoming a role model and inspiring the next generation.”
Talent identification in Kenya and Uganda
Several members of the team earned their places through selection trials held in Kenya and Uganda.
In Uganda, where almost two million refugees and asylum seekers are hosted, athletes were chosen from the Olympic Refuge Foundation-funded Game Connect community programme. It marks the first time that participants from an ORF community initiative have progressed directly into elite competition through the Refugee Athlete Support programme, funded by Olympic Solidarity.
The Olympic Refuge Foundation and Olympic Solidarity will continue supporting the athletes in the lead-up to the Opening Ceremony on 31 October. Before the Games, the six selected competitors will attend a training camp in Kaptagat, Kenya, alongside other refugee athletes preparing for possible selection to the LA28 Refugee Olympic Team.
Supporting refugees through sport
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will be held between 31 October and 13 November, bringing together around 2,700 athletes aged 17 and under across the host zones of Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
Through the Refugee Athlete Support programme, the Olympic Refuge Foundation, working alongside National Olympic Committees and International Federations, enables talented refugee athletes to continue competing despite the challenges of displacement.
To qualify, athletes must be recognised refugees in their host country under UNHCR criteria and compete at an elite level in their respective sport.
Founded by the IOC, the Olympic Refuge Foundation uses sport as a tool to help young people affected by displacement rebuild their lives. Working with local partners and coaches, the Foundation creates safe environments where refugees can play sport, develop friendships and regain a sense of stability and belonging.
