The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) has officially unveiled the IOC Refugee Youth Athlete Team, marking a powerful milestone in the Olympic Refugee Program. The announcement, made through NOC-K’s social media platforms, sets the stage for a transformative journey as fourteen young refugee athletes begin their road to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
This inaugural youth team consists of nine athletes specializing in athletics and five in judo. Their training base has been established in Kakuma, a refugee settlement in northwestern Kenya, underscoring the global significance and local grounding of the initiative. Dakar 2026 will be the first Olympic event hosted on African soil, and this team is poised to make history alongside the Games.
The selection and launch were celebrated in an emotional ceremony attended by athletes, their families, and key stakeholders. The Refugee Youth Athlete Team is the result of a strategic collaboration between NOC-K, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The program offers a holistic support system, including coaches, physiotherapists, safeguarding officers, and educators, ensuring the young athletes receive both athletic and academic development.
NOC-K President Paul Tergat and Secretary General Francis Mutuku formally welcomed the athletes into the program. In a heartfelt handwritten message, Tergat reflected on the athletes’ symbolic role: “I have been where you are before. I remember having dreams as bold and ambitious, but yours is more special. You’re carrying dreams, and you’re a symbol of hope for all the refugees in the world.”
The unveiling of the youth team follows the formation of the senior Refugee Team earlier in February, aimed at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. With the spotlight now on the youth, the IOC Refugee Youth Team embodies resilience, inclusion, and the unifying power of sport.
As preparations intensify, all eyes are on Dakar 2026, where the team will proudly raise the Refugee flag, symbolizing determination, global unity, and the life-changing potential of athletic opportunity.
