IOC Welcomes Refugee Olympic Team, Calls for Compassion for Displaced Persons

© REUTERS / Bruno KellyPeople walk near Olympic rings placed at Madureira Park ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 17, 2016.
People walk near Olympic rings placed at Madureira Park ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 17, 2016. - Sputnik International
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The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) session on Tuesday welcomed the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) participation in the Olympic Games for the first time in history and called on the global community for compassion toward all displaced persons, the IOC said in a statement.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the statement, 10 ROT athletes have been selected from nearly 1,000 potential Olympic competitors with a refugee status.

Popole Misenga, 24 (R), a refugee judoka from the Democratic Republic of Congo, during a training at Instituto Reacao in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 14, 2016. Misenga is a strong candidate for the newly created Refugees Olympic Athletes team for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games - Sputnik International
Refugee Olympic Team at Rio Games to Comprise 10 Athletes – IOC

“President [Thomas] Bach and the other IOC Members rose to their feet and applauded in tribute to the athletes, who will continue to receive assistance from the IOC after the Olympic Games,” the statement reads.

The participation of refugee athletes in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games comes as a result of a process launched last year when Bach announced the decision to allow refugees participate as a separate team under the Olympic flag in a speech delivered at the UN General Assembly.

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