In a significant step, the International Olympic Committee announced that it will invite a number of refugee athletes to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio in a delegation of their own. “The IOC has decided to invite the highest-qualified refugee athletes to the Olympic Games in Rio,” said IOC Chief Thomas Bach at a refugee camp in Greece. “We want to send a message of hope and confidence to the refugees and turn the attention of the world to the fate and problem of the 60 million refugees of the world,” continued Bach, adding that the team will consist of up to ten refugees who will stay at the Olympic Village with the rest of the athletes from across the globe. The cross-nation team of refugee athletes will be formed of highly qualified athletes. These athletes will consist of refugee athletes who had fled their home countries and are able to qualify for the Olympics despite turmoil back home. Athletes who have already been identified include a Syrian swimmer who is training in Germany, a Congolese judoka in Brazil, and an Iranian taekwondo athlete in Belgium, announced the…
