Refugee athletes take centre stage in Dakar as exhibition celebrates historic Youth Olympic Games debut

DAKAR, Senegal – The first-ever Refugee Olympic Team to compete at the Youth Olympic Games was celebrated in Dakar on Tuesday evening through a special photographic exhibition and diplomatic event highlighting the talent, determination and aspirations of young athletes forced to flee.

Organized by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the Embassy of Switzerland in Senegal and TO Foundation, Refugee Talent: Dreams Beyond Borders, Through Sport brought together the Refugee Olympic Team, representatives of the Olympic movement, the diplomatic community and partners to celebrate the power of sport to create opportunities, foster inclusion and strengthen a sense of belonging.

The event took place during the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which run from 31 October to 13 November and are the first Olympic sporting event ever held on African soil.

At the heart of the exhibition are portraits and images of the young refugee athletes taking part in Dakar 2026, capturing their training and their journey to the Games.

"The participation of these young athletes at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar sends a powerful message about what is possible when refugees are given opportunities to pursue their talents and their dreams. On a continent that hosts millions of people forced to flee, they are showing that refugees are not defined by displacement, but by their potential, aspirations and contributions," said Abdouraouf Gnon Konde, UNHCR Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

The six-member Refugee Olympic Team is composed entirely of athletes based in Africa, with equal representation of young women and men. The athletes, hosted in Kenya and Uganda, are competing in athletics, judo and taekwondo. The team is led by Yiech Pur Biel, a refugee Olympian, IOC Member, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and member of the Board of the Olympic Refuge Foundation.

For Yiech Pur Biel, who fled conflict in South Sudan, grew up in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp and competed as a member of the first Refugee Olympic Team at Rio 2016, accompanying the young athletes to Dakar has particular significance.

"It is an extraordinary opportunity to change how the world sees us – not just as refugees but as active participants in our own futures who can thrive and succeed, and impact the lives of others," said Yiech Pur Biel, Chef de Mission of the Refugee Olympic Youth Team.

The Embassy of Switzerland in Senegal and TO Foundation joined UNHCR in organizing the event, with representatives of the Olympic Refuge Foundation and members of the Refugee Olympic Team attending as guests of honour.

"Being a refugee does not define a person. These young athletes remind us that behind every journey of exile, there are also talents, ambitions and dreams. Sport can help change perceptions, build connections and open up new perspectives. But these young people must also have real opportunities to develop their potential and pursue their goals. This is the ambition that Switzerland wishes to support, alongside its partners," said Tamara Mona, Ambassador of Switzerland in Senegal.

“As Senegal makes history hosting Africa's first Olympic event, welcoming the Refugee Olympic Team to Maison CSS is a deeply personal honour.” said Nachson Mimran, Head of International Relations for the Senegalese Olympic Committee and Founder of to.org. “Both sport and photography possess a unique magic: they act as a Trojan horse to strip away labels and reveal pure human potential. When we look past the tragedy of displacement, we see extraordinary courage, resilience, and talent. Providing young refugee athletes with world-class infrastructure and dignity proves a simple truth: when given a stage, their dreams know no borders.”

Dakar 2026 marks the fourth appearance of a Refugee Olympic Team at an Olympic event, following Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, but the first time a Refugee Olympic Team has participated in the Youth Olympic Games.

Download the event photos here

Media contacts

• For UNHCR, Fidelia Bohissou, [email protected]
• For Embassy of Switzerland in Senegal, Sarah Valentina Fall, [email protected]
• For TO Foundation, Alex Godwin-Brown, [email protected]
  

Notes to editors

About the Refugee Olympic Team at Dakar 2026

The Refugee Olympic Team competing at Dakar 2026 comprises six athletes, with equal representation of women and men. All are based in Africa and are hosted by the National Olympic Committees of Kenya and Uganda. They compete in athletics, judo and taekwondo. The team comprises Arno in judo; Clement, Florence, Nyataba and Rachid in athletics and Lourance in taekwondo.

The team is managed by the Olympic Refuge Foundation and supported by the National Olympic Committees of Kenya and Uganda, the International Olympic Committee, World Athletics and UNHCR.

About UNHCR

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, protects people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. UNHCR also works with the world of sport to expand opportunities for displaced people, recognizing sport as a tool for protection, inclusion, development and belonging.

About the Embassy of Switzerland in Senegal

The Embassy of Switzerland in Dakar represents Switzerland in Senegal, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania. It works to strengthen Switzerland’s bilateral relations across the region, including through political dialogue and cultural cooperation. In the context of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the Embassy has joined forces with UNHCR and TO Foundation to present this exhibition, which celebrates the talent and aspirations of young refugee athletes. The initiative reflects a shared commitment to inclusion and to the role sport can play in fostering dialogue, building connections and promoting social cohesion.

ABOUT TO.ORG / TO FOUNDATION

Founded by Nachson and Arieh Mimran, to.org is a platform built on the mission of tikkun olam – the shared goal of healing our world. By bringing together its pillars – Foundation, Ventures, and Create (a network of world-class talent, activists, artists, and architects) – the organization turns moonshot ideas into real-world action. Whether investing in new companies that fuel Earth’s most vital ventures or collaborating with refugees to construct future cities, to.org focuses on projects that ensure both the planet and people can thrive and coexist for generations to come.

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