Refugee Para athletes relish chance to compete at global level

The Refugee Paralympic Team proudly kicked off the Tokyo Paralympics Opening Ceremony on Tuesday, representing both the 82.4 million people displaced globally and the estimated 12 million among them living with disabilities. The six-person team, originally hailing from four nations and participating in five sports, were led by flag-bearers Alia Issa, whose family fled fighting in Syria and now lives in Greece, and Abbas Karimi, a swimmer from Afghanistan who has resettled in the United States.

When asked why it was important to have a Refugee Paralympic Team, Shahrad Nasajpour, an Iranian currently living in the United States, said “inclusion” was the short answer. Despite coming from various backgrounds and using different languages, the Para athletes felt a kinship with one another.

“In a family there is no need for words. When I met Abbas, I felt like I had met an old friend. I felt the same when I met the other refugee athletes. I want to give hope to people, and I hope that the refugee team can keep gaining strength as we move to the Paris [Games]."

Syrian swimmer Ibrahim Al Hussein

The Paralympics offer an opportunity for athletes with physical, vision or intellectual impairments to compete at an international level. A classification system groups eligible athletes according to their impairment by breaking them down into 10 different categories, such as impaired muscle power or vision impairment. Most importantly for the Refugee Paralympic Team is the opportunity to give refugees with disabilities tuning into the Games hope and belief and undoubtedly inspire a new generation to take up sport regardless of limitations.

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Source: The UN Refugee Agency