MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Ten refugees will compete at the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil's Rio as part of the recently-formed Refugee Olympic Team, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) press-release published Friday.
"Ten refugee athletes will act as a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide and bring global attention to the magnitude of the refugee crisis when they take part in the Olympic Games Rio 2016 this summer. The athletes will compete for the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) – the first of its kind," the IOC statement reads.
The team will include five athletes from South Sudan, two from Democratic Republic of Congo, two from Syria and one from Ethiopia, who will compete in athletics, swimming and judo, according to the document.
The ten athletes were selected based on four criteria, including sporting level and official refugee status verified by the United Nations, with the assistance from International Federations and the UN Refugee Agency.
