Athlete Refugee Team members in training
A three-year journey to the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 is entering its final stretch for athletes on the U20 World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team (ART).
During this period, members of the ART have been professionally training as they strive for selection on to the team that will compete with their peers from around the world at the event taking place from 27-31 August.
To mark the progress made, World Athletics has produced a yearbook about the programme.
In 2023 the focus of the programme was on training, access to more local and regional competitions for much needed experience, and mentorship on the rules and regulations of the sport – helping to teach the young refugee athletes how to become professional athletes. The programme was fortunate to have support from World Athletics Coaches Education and Certification System (CECS) trained coaches and it has been a time to consolidate the interface between sport and education.
The latest edition of the U20 ART yearbook begins by taking the reader on a visit of the Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement, home of the refugee athletes – an important milestone for the programme to discover their world, first hand.
It was also a valuable opportunity to meet with local county government officials, staff from the local branch of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the refugee athletes, various non-governmental organisations (NGOs), teachers, parents and other refugee run associations. To complete the mission, there was insight from Eldoret and Kapsabet in Kenya, where some of the leading refugee team members train.
Much of the 2023 yearbook focuses on the U20 programme, sharing achievements, challenges and aspirations. It also highlights how this World Athletics refugee programme is impacting the refugee and host community working relationship.
The yearbook ends with the World Athletics pledge submitted at the Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 12 December 2023.
The hope is that by sharing this unique journey, a better understanding can be gained about how athletics is making a difference for this marginalised population. This engagement is but a drop in the ocean but every drop counts and every life saved is victory for humanity. Seeing these refugee athletes progress both in athletics and academics is the best opportunity that we can offer them for a better future.
Alice Annibali for World Athletics