Refugee Team Competes at Youth Olympics in Dakar
Athletes from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi compete in judo, athletics and taekwondo at the Youth Olympic Games.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Olympics
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A team of refugee athletes is competing at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, in judo, athletics and taekwondo. The team includes athletes from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, and none of them won a medal, though judoka Arno Yafunga narrowly missed a bronze.
Why it matters
The team's participation highlights the experiences of young people who have grown up as displaced persons, many after fleeing conflict. Their presence at an international sporting event draws attention to refugee communities and the opportunities sport can offer.
Arno Yafunga, 15, narrowly missed a judo bronze medal, while 16-year-old Rashid Rochene did not qualify for the 200 metres final after competing in the semi-finals. The source does not report the team's overall results across all events.
The players
Yiech Pur Biel
Yiech Pur Biel is a former refugee athlete who fled war in South Sudan, lived in the Kakuma refugee camp, and competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the first Olympic refugee team.
The details
Athletes trained and competed after living as refugees in Kenya and Uganda, and Yiech Pur Biel served as the team's chef de mission. Lourence Numukiza, 16, competes in taekwondo, and her family fled conflict in Kivu, DR Congo.
Timeline
Yiech Pur Biel fled war in South Sudan and arrived at the Kakuma camp in 2005.
Yiech Pur Biel competed at the first Olympic refugee team at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Lourence Numukiza began taekwondo training in 2024.
Rashid Rochene ran in the men's 200 metres semi-finals on the Tuesday before publication.
Season Trajectory
The Dakar squad extends the path opened by the first Olympic refugee team at the 2016 Rio Games, which brought refugee athletes onto the Olympic stage. Its youngest members, several aged 15 and 16, suggest the program is building a pipeline toward future Olympic competition.
The team's results in judo, athletics and taekwondo determine how refugee athletes are represented in future youth and senior competitions. Fantasy and betting markets do not apply to this event, so the practical effect for most readers is in following the team's remaining competition schedule.
The takeaway
Refugee athletes are competing on the youth Olympic stage, and their presence shows how sport can offer young people a platform after displacement. Following the team's remaining events is one way to see that progress in real time.
Further reading
For more on past competitions, see our Olympics coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Kuwait Times.
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