•
Plans for up to six refugee athletes to head to Japan
• Ileana Rodriguez, a former refugee and a London
2012 Paralympian, will be the team’s Chef de Mission
• Commercial partners Airbnb, Panasonic and ASICS
pledge to support the team
• IPC to work with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, on
using the Games platform to raise awareness of refugee athletes and the world’s
79.5m forcibly displaced
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed plans to send up to
six athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games as part of a Refugee Paralympic
Team (RPT). The IPC will work with its commercial partners and UNHCR, the UN
Refugee Agency, to create awareness of the plight faced by refugee athletes and
send a message of hope to the almost 80 million forcibly displaced worldwide.
Leading the team will be Ileana Rodriguez – herself both a former refugee and a
London 2012 Paralympian – who has been appointed the Chef de Mission for the
RPT. Rodriguez will work with the IPC to select the RPT for Tokyo 2020, which
will be chosen from a strong pool of already identified refugee Para athletes
with the potential to make the Games.
The IPC is offering a range of in and out of competition support to the
prospective RPT athletes. The IPC will:
• Help prospective athletes meet the qualification
target and eligibility criteria for the Games.
• Provide funding for athletes to attend Tokyo 2020
qualification events.
• Support athletes to prepare for competition, such
as coaching support – this is because of the training limitations that COVID-19
is imposing on refugee athletes.
• Support up to six athletes selected for Tokyo 2020
with their participation at the Games.
• Provide Games legacy support, helping the RPT
athletes to compete in further competitions through to the end of 2021.
To be considered for the team, athletes must have confirmed refugee status in
accordance with international, national and regional law. Athletes will be
subject for selection by the IPC and/or their international federation. This is
primarily based on performance and them meeting the eligibility criteria. No
athletes have currently been selected for the RPT for Tokyo 2020.
Several of the IPC’s commercial partners have already offered their commitment
to help the RPT:
• Airbnb – Worldwide Paralympic Partner, Airbnb, as
part of its mission of belonging has been supporting refugee initiatives since
2015 through its “Open Homes” programme and Paralympian Experiences - and will
be a lead partner of the Refugee Paralympic Team.
• ASICS – Official Supplier of the IPC, ASICS will
also be the official sport apparel kit provider of the RPT at the Tokyo 2020
Paralympic Games.
• Panasonic - Worldwide Paralympic Partner Panasonic
recently published a photo book “Ayase Haruka meets Beautiful Athletes”
showcasing their "Beautiful Japan towards 2020” campaign. Part of the
proceeds from the sales of this book will be donated to supporting the RPT.
Additionally, the IPC will work in close collaboration with UNHCR to leverage
the RPT and the Games in sending a strong message of support to all refugees
and others forced from their homes by conflict and persecution. While they all
face significant challenges, those with disabilities are frequently at
heightened risk and face barriers to accessing assistance, services and
opportunities. Together with UNHCR, IPC will continue to promote the active
inclusion and full participation of refugees with disabilities in society
through Paralympic sports.
For Tokyo 2020, the IPC and Chef de Mission Rodriguez are assembling a team to
fully support the needs of the RPT. As a former refugee and Paralympian,
Rodriguez offers the RPT invaluable insights. Born in Cuba, she and her
family left for the United States when she was a teenager in the hope of
finding better treatment for a malformation of the spine which left her
paralysed.
After becoming a US citizen, Rodriguez competed in swimming for Team USA at the
London 2012 Paralympic Games. She was a finalist in the women’s 100m
breaststroke SB5 in London. The 35-year-old is an architect who runs a
consultancy that specialises in creating accessible design for buildings.
Speaking of her appointment, Ileana Rodriguez, said: “It is an honour to be
appointed by the IPC for this role. As a former refugee who was lucky enough to
compete in the Paralympics, I appreciate the value of having a Refugee
Paralympic Team - it represents sports beyond nationalities and our athletes
who will compete in Tokyo will be a symbol of hope for other refugees around
the world.
“We will also be proud to represent the legacy of Sir Ludwig Guttmann. He was a
refugee who found a new home to welcome him and repaid that kindness by helping
create one of the world’s great movements, the Paralympic Movement. I hope the
RPT will encourage others around the world to support refugee athletes and give
them the platform to raise awareness of the plight faced by all refugees.”
Dominique Hyde, Director of the Division of External Relations at the UN
Refugee Agency, added: “Despite living a razor-edge existence and facing
challenges to their training routines due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
resilience and determination of these refugee athletes continues to shine
through.
“UNHCR is delighted to support this initiative of the International Paralympic
Committee. It will showcase the incredible abilities of these refugee
Paralympians who have overcome, at times, insurmountable obstacles to reach the
pinnacle of sport for all athletes.”
The RPT builds on previous refugee initiatives created by the IPC. At the Rio
2016 Paralympic Games a two-person team of refugee and asylee athletes formed
the Independent Paralympic Athletes Team. The athletes were: Ibrahim Al Hussein
of Syria, who competed in the 50m and 100m S10 freestyle swimming events, and
Shahrad Nasajpour of Iran, who competed in discus F37.
The
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the
Paralympic Movement. It co-ordinates the organisation of the Summer and Winter
Paralympic Games, and serves as the
International Federation for 10 sports, for which it supervises and
co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC’s vision
is to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and
excite the world.
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