Six refugee athletes have gathered at a high-altitude training camp in Kaptagat, Kenya, to prepare for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, where they will make history as the first Refugee Olympic Team to compete at the event, Made In Africa Sport reports.
The athletes, who are based in Kenya and Uganda, met together for the first time at the camp near Eldoret, taking part in conditioning sessions, team briefings and media training ahead of the Games, scheduled for 31 October to 13 November.
The camp has also given the athletes an opportunity to build friendships and team spirit before competing in athletics, judo and taekwondo.
Clement, a 16-year-old 800m runner elected team captain by his teammates, said training together had helped the group push each other and develop stronger bonds.
“When you practise alone, you don’t get experience, but when you have a partner they can push you, or if you have energy you can push your training partner,” he said.
“And the friendships we have built here are great, we love each other.”
Clement targets gold and hopes to help orphans
Clement has set his sights on winning gold at Dakar 2026, but his ambitions extend beyond the podium.
“What I’m looking forward to in Dakar is winning a medal – not silver, or even bronze. I want gold,” he said, according to Olympics.com.
He also hopes to use his success to support vulnerable children by building a home for orphans where they can find safety, access to nutrition and support.
“My heart tells me to do that,” he added.
Kipchoge shares advice with young athletes
The athletes received guidance from Kenyan Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, who serves as the Refugee Team‘s official mentor.
During a mentoring session, the marathon great spoke about teamwork, discipline, respect and the commitment required to compete at the highest level.
“My advice to you all is first, to be disciplined. Being disciplined means knowing what you’re doing and having a goal and working towards your goal,” Kipchoge said.
“Respect yourself first and then respect others. And lastly, remember that this world belongs to all of us.”
The team’s chef de mission, Yiech Pur Biel, also shared his experience as a member of the first Refugee Olympic Team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
He reminded the athletes that their participation would carry meaning beyond their individual results.
“Just by participating in Dakar 2026, whatever the outcome, you will be representing millions of refugees,” he said.
Six athletes to represent the Refugee Team
The Dakar 2026 team comprises three female and three male athletes, providing full gender parity across the three sports.
The athletes are Arno, 15, in men’s judo; Clement, 16, in the men’s 800m; Florence, 16, in the women’s 200m; Lourance, 16, in women’s taekwondo; Nyataba, 17, in the women’s 800m; and Rachid, 16, in the men’s 200m.
Four athletes are based in Kenya and two in Uganda.
The project is a collaboration involving the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, the Olympic Refuge Foundation, World Athletics, the National Olympic Committee of Uganda and Athletics Kenya, with funding from the IOC‘s Olympic Solidarity programme.
Two of the athletes were identified through the Olympic Refuge Foundation’s Game Connect programme.
The team’s participation also draws attention to displacement across Africa. East and Southern Africa hosts an estimated 6.4 million refugees and asylum-seekers, almost half of whom are children under 18. West and Central Africa, the region hosting Dakar 2026, is home to 20.1 million forcibly displaced and stateless people.
The Youth Olympic Games will run from 31 October to 13 November in Senegal, marking the first time an Olympic sporting event has been held on African soil.