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Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024 to have base in Kenya
The Refugee Olympic Team (EOR) will have a base in Kenya to prepare for the next year's Olympic Games in Paris, with eight athletes set to train in the North Rift of the country.
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) has worked with the United Nations High Commission of Refugees and Athletics Kenya to find athletics training bases starting this month, with these visits led by its President Paul Tergat.
Kenya hosted five EOR athletes prior to Rio 2016 - all from South Sudan - with another four coming to the country from the same nation ahead of Tokyo 2020.
During a visit, the NOC head praised the work of Olympian and former women's marathon world-record holder Tegla Loroupe for their work in including refugees into sports programmes, like this one.
"The first batch of the athletes competed during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Loroupe was the Chef de Mission of the [EOR] Team," said Tergat, the double Olympic 10,000 metres silver medallist, according to Kenyan publication The Star.
"We are very proud of the work and achievements that Loroupe, through her Foundation, has done in giving opportunities to these athletes."
This time, eight athletes are set to be at the training base.
Anjelina Nadai Lohalith is hoping to compete in her third Olympic Games as part of the EOR team with the South Sudanese athlete ready to race the women's 1500m again.
Dominic Lokolong, also from the country that spent seven years officially in a civil war, is to race the men's 1500m at his first Games.
Kun Waar and Rose Ihisa, competing in the men's and women's 400m respectively and originally from South Sudan, are on the team; as are their compatriots John Lokibe and Josephine Tein in the men's and women's 800m.
Emmanuel Ntagunga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is to enter the men's 5,000m, while Gasto Nsazumukiza, also from this country, is the only member of the EOR team in Kenya who will not compete in athletics.
Nsazumukiza is set to compete in taekwondo.
NOC-K secretary general Francis Mutuku promised they would continue working with the refugees throughout the build-up to Paris 2024.
"The Refugee Team will now be working under NOC-K and we want to ensure that we get a good place for their training and produce proper results," said Mutuku.
"These athletes will fly the International Olympic Committee flag.
"We are not just looking at training camps but a good place for them to train.
"We are working hand in hand with Athletics Kenya and UNHCR to ensure that they perform well."
Parties visited the Complete Sports in Kaptagat, Lornah Kiplagat High Altitude Performance Centre in Iten, Kipchoge Keino facility and Ndura Sports Complex in Kitale as part of its training camp inspections.
The Paris 2024 Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11 2024, followed by the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8.
(01/06/2023) Views: 840 ⚡AMP
by Michael Houston
Paris 2024 Olympic Games
For this historic event, the City of Light is thinking big! Visitors will be able to watch events at top sporting venues in Paris and the Paris region, as well as at emblematic monuments in the capital visited by several millions of tourists each year. The promise of exceptional moments to experience in an exceptional setting! A great way to...
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