• The athletes and where they are refugees from: Ibrahim Al Hussein (Syria), Alia Issa (Syria), Parfait Hakizimana (Burundi), Abbas Karimi (Afghanistan), Shahrad Nasajpour (Iran), and Anas Al Khalifa (Syria).
• International stars Chris Martin,
Alphonso Davies, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Barbara Hendricks, Khaled Hosseini, Asmir
Begović champion the refugee cause and welcome the “world’s most courageous
sports team” in a heart-warming reveal video https://youtu.be/dhlCevI-vIM
• IPC working with UNHCR, the UN
Refugee Agency and Airbnb to support the team and raise awareness of the 82
million displaced people globally.
The International Paralympic
Committee (IPC) has today confirmed the six athletes who will represent the
Refugee Paralympic Team (RPT) at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The athletes,
one woman and five men will compete in Para athletics, Para swimming, Para
canoe and Para taekwondo.
The team represents the more than 82
million people around the world who have been forced to flee war, persecution,
and human rights abuses, 12 million of whom live with a disability. The Chef de
Mission for the team is Ileana Rodriguez, a refugee from Cuba who competed in
the London 2012 Paralympic Games in swimming for the USA.
Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said:
“I would urge people everywhere to support the world’s most courageous sports
team, the Refugee Paralympic Team. These athletes exemplify how change starts
with sport: they have suffered life-changing injuries, fled for their safety
and undertaken dangerous journeys, but despite the many barriers put in their
way, they have become elite athletes ready to compete at the Tokyo 2020
Paralympic Games.
“Sport is a powerful tool to include
refugees with disabilities in society and the announcement of the Refugee
Paralympic Team is a poignant moment for the IPC – we are delivering on a
commitment we made at the UNHCR Global Refugee Forum in 2019 to promote equal
participation in sporting events for refugees.”
The IPC is working with UNHCR, the UN
Refugee Agency, to provide opportunities for these remarkable Para athletes to
tell their stories at the Games and send a strong message of hope and
inspiration to others around the world who have been forced to flee. While all
refugees face significant challenges, those with disabilities are frequently at
heightened risk and face additional barriers to accessing assistance, services,
and opportunities.
UNHCR, the IPC and the RPT athletes
are calling for a world in which all displaced people – with or without
disabilities – can equally access sport and a commitment to an inclusive and
equal world for all. RPT athlete Abbas Karimi, who was a member of UNHCR’s
Global Youth Advisory Council and who has recently been named a UNHCR High
Profile Supporter epitomises this commitment as a passionate advocate for
disabled refugees’ access to and inclusion in sport – at all levels.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Filippo Grandi welcomed the announcement.
“I am thrilled to congratulate each
of the six athletes named today as members of the IPC Refugee Paralympic Team.
I am also immensely proud of our collaboration with the International
Paralympic Committee in promoting inclusion of refugees with disabilities in
sport. These athletes, as individuals and as a Team are sending a message of
hope and inspiration to refugees around the world. They are truly trailblazers
in promoting refugee and disability inclusion, in elite sport and in life, and
we hope their example will move us one step closer towards an inclusive and
equal world for all,” Grandi said.
The RPT was announced via a video by
stars from the worlds of music, sport, literature, stage and screen who
champion the refugee cause. They included Goodwill Ambassadors and High Profile
Supporters from UNHCR, the UN Refuge Agency. The athletes on the Refugee
Paralympic Team for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are:
• Ibrahim Al Hussein, Syrian refugee
living in Athens, Greece, Para swimming – announced by Coldplay frontman, Chris
Martin.
• Alia Issa, Syrian refugee living in
Athens, Greece, Para athletics (club throw) – announced by British actress and
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
• Parfait Hakizimana*, Burundian
refugee living in the Mahama Refugee Camp, Rwanda, Para taekwondo – announced
by opera singer and French Legion d’honneur recipient and UNHCR Goodwill
Ambassador Barbara Hendricks.
• Abbas Karimi, Afghan refugee living
in Fort Lauderdale, USA, Para swimming – announced by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
Khaled Hosseini, the best-selling author of The Kite Runner and himself an
Afghan refugee.
• Anas Al Khalifa, Syrian refugee
living in Halle, Germany, Para canoe – announced by footballer and UNHCR High
Profile Supporter, Asmir Begović, who was forced to flee his home in Bosnia and
Herzegovina at a young age, first arriving in Germany.
• Shahrad Nasajpour, Iranian refugee
living in Phoenix, USA, Para athletics (discus) – announced by Bayern Munich
and Canada footballer Alphonso Davies, himself a refugee originally from
Liberia and recently announced as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.
*Parfait’s participation in the Games
is subject to him being classified by 1 August 2021.
The RPT Tokyo 2020 will compete under
the IPC flag, and will be the first Team to enter the Japan National Stadium
during the opening ceremony.
The IPC has been able to support the
RPT to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games thanks to the generous backing of
commercial partners:
• Airbnb – Worldwide Paralympic
Partner. Airbnb, as part of its mission of belonging, has been supporting
refugee initiatives since 2015, first through its Open Homes programme, and now
Airbnb.org and Paralympian Experiences –
and is the lead partner of the Refugee Paralympic Team.
• ASICS – Official Supplier of the
IPC. ASICS is the official sport apparel kit provider of the RPT at the Tokyo
2020 Paralympic Games.
• Panasonic – Worldwide Paralympic
Partner. Panasonic published a photo book entitled Ayase Haruka meets Beautiful
Athletes showcasing their “Beautiful Japan towards 2020” campaign. Part of the
proceeds from the sales of this book were donated to supporting the RPT.
Catherine Powell, Global Head of
Hosting at Airbnb, said: "I'd like to congratulate the six members of the
Refugee Paralympic Team competing in Tokyo 2020 officially announced today.
When I read the stories of Abbas, Shahrad, Anas, Alia, Ibrahim and Parfait,
their journeys seem so different, yet there is a common thread – how often one
person helped change their lives by welcoming these terrific athletes into
their new communities and making them feel they belong, I encourage you to go
and read more about these athletes and join Airbnb in cheering them on!”
Tokyo 2020 President Hashimoto said:
“The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee welcomes the participation of the Refugee
Paralympic Team at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, following its debut at the
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. I hope that the Refugee Team will show the world the
endeavour, the resilience and the hope of human beings through sporting
competition, and that they will perform at their best with a wish for peace. We
will continue to cooperate with the IPC and relevant local municipalities and
will make every effort to ensure everything proceeds smoothly and safely for
the Refugee Team.”
The RPT also honours 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. The RPT builds on previous refugee initiatives created by
the IPC. At the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games a two-person team of refugee and
asylum-seeking athletes formed the Independent Paralympic Athletes Team.
Ileana Rodriguez, Chef de Mission for
the Refugee Paralympic Team, added: “I am so pleased for all the athletes who
have made it to the Refugee Paralympic Team. This past year has been especially
challenging for refugee athletes, but they are no stranger to toughness in
their lives. Showing the very best of human spirit, they will be a team like no
other at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. They will proudly represent the 12
million refugees around the world who have a disability and show that everyone
has potential.”
Credit photo Getty Images
Michael Phelps Teaches Swimming
Most of us can swim, but there’s a
difference between dog paddling on vacation and swimming for fitness. If you’re
looking to unlock the low-impact, calorie-burning benefits of swimming, check
out this course from Michael Phelps on This Skills. The 26-time Olympic gold
medalist will cover everything you need to feel confidant and comfortable
swimming laps. You’ll learn all the basic strokes, plus wall kicking, diving
and other techniques, but you’ll also get a glimpse into the mindset of the
most decorated Olympian of all time.
No comments:
Post a Comment