Olympian Yiech Pur Biel has been appointed Chef de Mission for the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) for the Dakar 2026 YOG, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Friday, June 19, 2026, on the eve of World Refugee Day.
The IOC, the organisation responsible for overseeing the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games worldwide, indicated that this appointment marks a new step in Olympic sport’s commitment to refugee inclusion.
A member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team competing in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Yiech Pur Biel participated in this historic edition, which allowed refugee athletes to compete under the Olympic flag.
With this new responsibility, he will accompany the Refugee Olympic Team at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which will be the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games to include this team.
According to the IOC, this participation represents a further step forward in promoting Olympic values, particularly solidarity, openness and inclusion through sport.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to take place in Senegal, will be a significant event for the African continent and the Olympic Movement, with the inclusion of a team representing young athletes whose lives have been marked by displacement and exile.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will be held from Saturday, October 31 to Friday, November 13, 2026 in Senegal. This historic edition will be the first Olympic event organised on the African continent.
The competition will bring together approximately 2,700 young athletes aged 17 and under, competing in 25 sports on the official programme with also 10 commitment sports and 153 events for medals.
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