The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has unveiled its first ever team of refugees which will have 10 members and 12 officials and will compete at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games under the Olympic flag. The team includes five athletes from South Sudan, two from Syria, two from Democratic Republic of Congo and one from Ethiopia. The athletes, six men and four women, will compete in the sports of swimming, judo and athletics.

They include swimmer Yusra Mardini from Syria who trains in Germany, South Sudanese middle distance runner Rose Nathike Lokonyen, living in a refugee camp in Kenya, and democratic Republic of Congo judoka Yolande Bukasa Mabika, training in Brazil.

The team will be housed in the athletes‘ village along with all other national teams and will enter the stadium as the penultimate team at the opening ceremony, ahead of the host nation. The IOC had said it wanted to draw the world’s attention to the plight of refugees.