Refugee Olympic Team eyes strong show in Tokyo

They are resolute, hoping to excel at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. The athletes of the Refugee Olympic Team (EOR) concluded a short training camp at Doha’s Aspire Zone with a lot of determination as they prepare for the biggest sports show on the planet.

In their final training session yesterday at state-of-the-art Aspire Dome, the athletes thanked Qatar for giving them an ideal opportunity to gear up for the Games. 

“We are grateful to Qatar,” chanted the 29 members of the Refugee Olympic Team forming a chain during their training session yesterday.          

The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) President H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani also met the team and wished them success. 

“We are honoured to have the opportunity to make a small contribution to the inspiring journey of the Refugee Olympic Team. We know how hard they have worked to be able to compete at the Olympic Games and we hope that this training camp at the state-of-the-art Aspire will help them to compete at their best in Tokyo,” said H E Sheikh Joaan. 

“The team’s performances will not just inspire billions of people but will also raise awareness about the scale of the global refugee crisis. At the Qatar Olympic Committee we are passionate about ensuring that refugees and displaced people have access to sport. We believe strongly in the role sport can play in empowering people and bringing hope at times of great hardship. Through our work with the Olympic Refuge Foundation we will continue to support refugees in any way we can.”

Yusra Mardini, who was a competitive swimmer representing her country in international events before the war in Syria, said she was ready for the Games.   

“We are thankful to Qatar for hosting this training camp at a world class venue,” Mardini told reporters yesterday.   

“My target in Tokyo would be to swim better than my time and give my best. I trained in Hamburg and my training has been fantastic. I am happy about the process I made in the past few years. I feel ready,” the 23-year-old said.  

“I use my voice to bring awareness about the refugees in the world and what is happening in the world. I consider it as a job and responsibility to represent all the refugees in the world and I love my job.”  

Dorian Keletela, who has been mentored by the Athens 2004 Olympic silver medallist in the 100 metres, Francis Obikwelu, is hoping for a especial performance in Games. 

“I am really looking forward to do something especial in Tokyo. I am going to give my best. We are very happy to come to Doha and happy to experience great facilities here at Aspire,” Keletela, who trains at Sporting Clube de Portugal, the same club that generated other elite athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo, told reporters yesterday. 

The 29 members of the Refugee Olympic Team will be competing across 12 sports at Tokyo 2020. The world-class Hamad International Airport (HIA) welcomed the team and provided a dedicated counter for the team. 

The athletes also participated in Tokyo 2020 workshops with IOC officials during the training camp.

Mohammed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation, said: “We were pleased to host the Refugee Olympic Team (EOR) in Aspire Zone, and we harnessed all possibilities and means of technical and administrative support to benefit from all our training facilities equipped for several different sports. It is a great honour for the Qatar Olympic Committee to choose Aspire Zone to host the training camp. I wish them all the best in their participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.” 

The QOC Secretary General Jassim Rashid Al Buenain thanked ministries and governmental and private entities for their cooperation with the QOC and their contribution to the success of Refugee Olympic Team training camp.  

In this regard, Al Buenain lauded the efforts made by Ministry of Interior, Supreme Committee for Crisis Management, Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways and Aspire Zone to help the QOC organise the training camp.