Athletes On First-Ever Olympic Refugee Team Land Corporate Sponsor
FOSTER CITY (CBS SF) -- Ten elite athletes fleeing war and instability in Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, comprise the world's first-ever Refugee Olympic Team. Through support from the International Olympic Committee and newly-announced sponsorship by Foster City-based Visa Inc., these athletes will be competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro this summer.
The creation of this first-of-its-kind Olympic refugee team, comprised of individuals fleeing persecution, war or natural disaster, was spurred not only as a means of helping top refugee athletes compete in the Olympic games, but "...will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis," said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
At the Opening Ceremony in Rio the refugee athletes will be marching with the Olympic flag.
The creation of the refugee team was announced in June but Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini was the only member of the team to initially be sponsored by Visa. But, on Wednesday Visa announced that it would be sponsoring the entire 10-person Refugee Olympic Team.
Joining refugee team member Mardini on the Visa team is Rami Anis, who also fled war-torn Syria. They will both be swimming at the Olympics.
Fleeing war in South Sudan are runners Yiech Pur Biel, James Nyang Chiengjiek, Anjelina Nada Lohalith, Rose Nathike Lokonyen and Paulo Amotun Lokoro.
From the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that has experienced decades of violence, are Yolande Bukasa Mabika and Popole Misenga. Both are competing in judo. And from Ethiopia, a country experiencing severe drought and an influx of refugees from neighboring countries, is marathon runner Yonas Kinde.
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While the International Olympic Committee is supporting the team by providing an entourage to meet all the athletes' required technical needs, housing in the Olympic Village, team uniforms, and other expenses associated with preparation, travel and participation in the games, Visa's sponsorship of the refugees will, according to Visa, provide them with additional "tools, resources and support."
Visa did not immediately respond to CBS San Francisco's inquiry into how exactly their company would support the team members or how much money Visa anticipates spending on the team leading up to and during the Olympic games, which begin on August 5th.
Chris Curtin, a Visa marketing executive, said in a statement released Wednesday, "The refugee Olympic athletes are inspiring the world with their incredible stories of perseverance and bravery, overcoming great odds to get to the top of their respective sports and compete on the world's stage."
Mardini, who is only 18 years old, is one of more than 4.8 million registered Syrian refugees who fled violence in their country under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad. In 2015, she fled from Syria to Turkey before crossing the sea to Greece on an inflatable dingy with 20 other people.
According to a statement Visa released in early June, "A few miles from the Grecian shore, the boat's engine failed and Mardini and her sister, two of only three swimmers onboard, swam for three hours, pulling the boat to safety."
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees's 2015 annual Global Trends Report, states that worldwide displacement was at the highest level ever recorded. The report finds that at the end of 2014, the number of people forcibly displaced worldwide had risen to 59.5 million, compared to 37.5 million just a decade prior.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the UNHCR stands with the newly-created Refugee Olympic Team.
"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," Grandi said.
Some of the refugees on the team have used their spot in the limelight to send a message to the world and their home governments about the pains of war.
South Sudanese runner and Olympic Refugee Team member Yiech Pur Biel, 21, told a Reuters reporter at the Kenyan team camp in Eldoret, "Our participation in the Olympics should send a message to our leaders that we could be flying the South Sudanese flag instead of the IOC flag on the global stage," Biel said. "They should consider the future of the youth, who can use their talent to build the nation and showcase it abroad."
By Hannah Albarazi - Follow her on Twitter: @hannahalbarazi.
