Refugee Paralympic Team
THE REFUGEE PARALYMPIC TEAM AT THE PARIS 2024 PARALYMPIC GAMES
Eight athletes and one guide runner will compete as part of the largest-ever Refugee Paralympic Team (RPT) at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, representing more than 120 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. They are based in six countries and will compete across six sports – Para athletics, Para powerlifting, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo, Para triathlon, and wheelchair fencing.
Zakia Khudadadi (Para taekwondo)
Khudadadi competed at Tokyo 2020 just days after a harrowing escape from her home country. She now lives in Paris, France, and won the 2023 European Taekwondo Championship in the 47kg category.
Guillaume Junior Atangana (Para athletics)
The vision impaired sprinter will line up alongside his guide and fellow refugee Donard Ndim Nyamjua. He now lives in the United Kingdom and will compete in the 100m and 400m T11 events in Paris.
Ibrahim Al Hussein (Para triathlon)
Paris 2024 will be Al Hussein’s third successive Paralympic Games representing the Refugee Paralympic Team. After competing in Para swimming previously he will line up in Para triathlon in Paris.
Salman Abbariki (Para athletics)
Paris 2024 will be Abbariki’s second Paralympic Games having competed in shot put at London 2012.
Hadi Darvish (Para powerlifting)
Darvish spent two years in a refugee camp when he first arrived in Germany and had trouble finding a sports club that would allow him to train. But he persisted to fulfil his Paralympic ambitions.
Sayed Amir Hossein Hosseini Pour (Para table tennis)
Hossein pour has lived in different refugee camps away from his family since arriving in Germany. He won two gold medals at the Asian Youth Para Games 2021 in Bahrain.
Amelio Castro Grueso (Wheelchair fencing)
Supported by the RPT, Grueso travelled to the 2024 Wheelchair fencing America’s Championship and won bronze in the Men’s Epee Category B, one of his greatest sporting achievements to date.
Hadi Hassanzada (Para taekwondo)
His life has been full of challenges, he says, including the loss of his right hand, but sport has shown him how to turn setbacks into opportunities.
THE REFUGEE PARALYMPIC TEAM AT THE TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPIC GAMES
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed the six athletes who will represent the Refugee Paralympic Team (RPT) at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The athletes, one woman and five men will compete in Para Athletics, Para Swimming, Para Canoe and Taekwondo.
The team represents the more than 82 million people around the world who have been forced to flee war, persecution, and human rights abuses, 12 million of whom live with a disability. The Chef de Mission for the team is Ileana Rodriguez, a refugee from Cuba who competed in the London 2012 Paralympic Games in swimming for the USA.
Parfait Hakizimana
Burundi-born taekwondo fighter set to become first Para athlete to go directly from a refugee camp to compete at the Paralympic Games. (Read More)
Anas Al Khalifa
Syria-born Para canoeist hopes being part of the Refugee Paralympic Team can help him share message of hope with other displaced people. (Read More)
Alia Issa
First ever woman refugee Para athlete overcomes bullying and discrimination as dream of competing at first Paralympics comes true. (Read More)
Ibrahim Al Hussein
A selfless act to rescue his friend in Syria set off a series of random acts of kindness from strangers that helped make Al Hussein’s journey towards Tokyo possible. (Read More)
Shahrad Nasajpour
Born in Iran, the discuss-thrower based in the USA helped spur on the Refugee Paralympic Team and will participate in his second Paralympics. (Read More)
Abbas Karimi
Born without arms, Karimi fled his home in Afghanistan to escape the conflict, explore a new future and pursue his dream of becoming a Paralympic swimmer. (Read More)