These 10 nation-less athletes have formed the first-ever all-refugee Olympic team
The International Olympic Committee has announced a 10-person "all-refugee" team that will compete at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this summer. "The refugees have no home, no team, no flag, no national anthem. We will offer them a home in the Olympic Village together with all the athletes of the world," IOC President Thomas Bach said Friday.
It is the first time a refugee team has competed in the Olympics, and they will function just as any other team, but with their expenses footed by the IOC, Al Jazeera reports.
The team is made up of:
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"Their participation in the Olympics is a tribute to the courage and perseverance of all refugees in overcoming adversity and building a better future for themselves and their families," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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