The refugee Olympic team has been awarded the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports 2022, as announced by the jury in Oviedo. The foundation and the refugee Olympic team take over from Teresa Perales, who obtained this distinction last year.
As explained by the spokesman for the jury, it is awarded for “the opportunity they offer athletes in conflict zones and places where human rights are violated develop their sports and personal activities. The refugee Olympic team unites the highest values of sport such as integration, education, solidarity and humanity, which represents a message of hope for the world.”
The Refugee Olympic Team It is endorsed by the International Olympic Committee and was created in 2015. It competed for the first time in Rio de Janeiro 2016. 10 athletes from Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria and South Sudan participated in those games, competing in athletics, judo and swimming. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, the team was made up of 29 athletes.
Refering to foundation, was created in 2017 by the IOC and has the support of UNHCR. Its objective is to develop and protect the sports development of displaced athletes throughout the year and not only in the Olympic events.
The Princess of Asturias Award for Sports has awarded figures such as Teresa Perales, winner in 2021, Pau and Marc Gasol, the new york marathonthe Spanish soccer team, the tennis player Rafa Nadal, the Formula One driver Michael Schumacher or the New Zealand rugby team, better known for the ‘All Blacks’.
