Uganda’s refugees head for Dakar 2026

Twelve young athletes from Uganda have been selected for the Athlete Support Programme, aiming to qualify for the Refugee Olympic Team at the upcoming 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Africa’s first time hosting the event.

The cohort, comprising six boys and six girls, emerged from trials held at Kampala’s Mandela National Stadium, with one boy and one girl chosen for each athletics discipline: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, and 3,000m.

Selected participants will benefit from Olympic Solidarity’s Youth Athlete Development Grants and mentorship from Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan long-distance legend and double Olympic marathon champion. Kipchoge, who previously mentored the World Athletics Under-20 Refugee Team, will provide guidance and inspiration to these young athletes.

The trials were organised by the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) in collaboration with World Athletics, the Uganda Olympic Committee, the Uganda Athletics Federation, and the Game Connect consortium. Preliminary events held across refugee settlements in Adjumani, Kyangwali, Rwamwanja, and Kampala involved over 600 participants, marking the first direct link between ORF’s community work and the elite athlete pathway through its Refugee Athlete Support Programme.

Uganda hosts nearly two million refugees, mainly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, making the initiative particularly impactful. The Youth Olympic Games in Dakar will be the first to feature a Youth Refugee Olympic Team, highlighting Africa’s response to displacement and providing a platform for young athletes to showcase resilience and talent.

Thanks to the Youth Athlete Development Grant, refugee athletes will receive ongoing support in sports including athletics, judo, baseball5, and taekwondo, strengthening their preparation for the international stage. The ORF continues to support similar programmes across Burkina Faso, Burundi, Kenya, and Uganda, with past initiatives in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

BY SPORTS DESK

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