Refugee Olympic Team Earns Laureus Sport Award

(ATR) The Laureus Sport Awards recognize the 10 refugee Olympians who competed as a team at Rio 2016 with a special award.

The 10 athletes from war-torn countries such as South Sudan and Syria were given the Laureus Award for inspiration through sport for their performances at the Games in Rio de Janeiro. The award was announced a day prior to the Laureus Sport for Good Awards ceremony taking place in Monaco on Tuesday.

"This award is for the 65.4 million displaced people globally, who cannot go to their homes because of strife," refugee Olympic team chef de mission Tegla Loroupe said in a press conference on Monday. "Each of the 10 inspirational people in our team have triumphed over adversity and endured unimaginable journeys to get to the start line."

Laureus Academy Member and IOC Coordination Commission chair for Rio 2016 Nawal El Moutawakel said the refugee athletes embodied the Olympic spirit and "Nelson Mandela’s message that sport can instill hope where once there was only despair".

"We talk about resilience and determination as being key attributes of successful athletes, this team has it in droves," Moutawakel said in a statement.

The athletes from Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and South Sudan competed in athletics, swimming and judo during the Games and will be presented with the Laureus statuette on stage at Tuesday’s award ceremony.

The refugee Olympic team will be honored along with athletes and teams across eight awards categories. The best sportsman, sportswoman, team, comeback, breakthrough, action sportsperson, sportsperson with a disability and sporting moment of the year will take home the coveted Laureus awards Tuesday evening.

The winners are chosen by a secret ballot vote by members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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