IOC selects 10 athletes for first ever refugee team to compete in Rio

[Dougz]

[QUOTE]The International Olympic Committee (IOC) named today 10 refugee athletes who will compete as a team at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this summer, with hopes of shining a light on the harrowing refugee crisis.

Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini was among those named to the IOC's Refugee Olympic Team, a year after she swam for her life across the Aegean Sea to escape war at home.

“These refugees have no home, no team, no flag, no national anthem,” IOC President Thomas Bach said today while revealing the makeup of the team. “We will offer them a home in the Olympic Village together with all the athletes of the word. The Olympic anthem will be played in their honor and the Olympic flag will lead them into the Olympic Stadium.

“This will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis.”[/QUOTE]

[url]http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/ioc-names-10-athletes-refugee-team-rio-olympics/story?id=39583396[/url]

[Conely]

holding it in Rio is still a really bad idea but this is pretty cool

[Source]

Fair enough, but keep politics out of the Olympics, how can they justify having a refugee only team when the point of refugees going to another country is to gain a status there, in some ways this segregates them from the country they are attempting to join.

[Mingebox]

Poor bastards. Escaped from some hellhole only to be sent to Rio.

[Steel]

I have a sense of dread deep in my stomach, like the IOC isn't doing this to raise awareness but to get some positive press once the games start.

[Maestra Fénix]

Since they are from different countries, it would be a good idea to bring up again the [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Team_at_the_1992_Summer_Olympics"]Unified Team and make them participate under that flag.[/URL]

[Deunan]

[QUOTE=Maestro Fenix;50449365]Since they are from different countries, it would be a good idea to bring up again the [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Team_at_the_1992_Summer_Olympics"]Unified Team and make them participate under that flag.[/URL][/QUOTE]

They do participate under that flag, as that's the flag of all independant entrants

[Demeschik]

the suicide squad

[McSkinny]

Makes sense, repping Syria itself isn't probably on the highest priority for folks leaving said country.

[QUOTE=Demeschik;50449538]the suicide squad[/QUOTE]

Oh my god.

[Anyx]

[QUOTE=Demeschik;50449538]the suicide squad[/QUOTE]

Oh... oh dear. I feel bad for laughing.

[Sableye]

[QUOTE=Steel & Iron;50449237]I have a sense of dread deep in my stomach, like the IOC isn't doing this to raise awareness but to get some positive press once the games start.[/QUOTE]

Oh yes they need the positive press once the games open and sbit starts falling apart. These games will make Sochi look completely tame

[theevilldeadII]

it really should not be held in rio

[OmniConsUme]

[QUOTE=theevilldeadII;50460075]it really should not be held in rio[/QUOTE]

It will be because the IOC is just as (If not more than) corrupt as FIFA.