From Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, young refugee athletes are turning sporting dreams into reality, with a father-son judo journey and a six-member Refugee Olympic Team showcasing their talent, resilience and hope for a new generation.

By sportswriters Hu Jiali, Gao Jianfei and Hong Zehua

DAKAR, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- When 15-year-old Arno Botay Yafunga stepped onto the judo mat at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, his father, Arnold Yafunga, also his coach, was watching proudly from the sidelines.

"I feel great joy and happiness in my heart because it's not easy to come here and do what he did," the father said. "The Olympic Games are big, and this is the first time in Africa. To see him compete here is a great joy for me and a dream come true."

From Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya to the Olympic stage, the father and son have made the journey together.

In Dakar, Arno became the first athlete from the Refugee Olympic Team to compete at a Youth Olympic Games. He went on to reach the bronze medal match in the men's under-55kg event, finishing fifth.

"These Games have opened up a big dream for me, and I want to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles," he said. "Dakar has opened the door for me to pursue that dream."

Although Arno narrowly missed out on a medal, the journey was already a remarkable one for the father and son.

"My father, as my coach, knows my strengths and weaknesses better than other coaches," Arno said. "Wherever I go, he motivates me and is always by my side. He is my role model."

Arnold was a black belt judoka who once dreamed of competing at the Olympic Games. In 2017, the family fled conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and sought refuge in Kenya, where they spent time in Kakuma before later settling in Nairobi. Although Arnold had to give up his Olympic ambitions to support his family, his passion for judo never faded.

Arno and his brother often watched their father train and gradually became interested in the sport. Arnold later returned to judo and became his son's coach.

"I like judo because of my father and how seriously he takes training. I wanted him to take me with him and train me to be more confident on the tatami and in life," Arno said.

Like Arno, 16-year-old Clement Niyomuhoza, captain of the Refugee Olympic Team, hopes the competition will help more people recognize the abilities of refugee athletes.

Niyomuhoza began training in athletics in 2024. After taking part in selection trials in Kakuma and later in Eldoret, Kenya, he failed to qualify on his first attempt. He continued training, however, and eventually secured a place on the team. His teammates later chose him as captain.

"As a refugee, some people think we have no talent and cannot do anything in sports. But for me, this competition means a lot because we want to show our talent. We want to show that, as refugees, when you have talent, you can do something," he said.

As captain, Niyomuhoza also hopes his experience will encourage more children living in refugee camps to take part in sport.

"My message to them is that they can do anything. They should join the sport they like -- athletics, taekwondo, judo, or boxing. Whatever sport they like, they can make it," he said.

In 2016, the International Olympic Committee established the first Refugee Olympic Team for the Rio Olympic Games. South Sudan's Yiech Pur Biel was among its members.

Ten years later, he has returned to the Olympic stage in a different role, as Chef de Mission of the Refugee Olympic Team at Dakar 2026, accompanying six young athletes on their journey.

"It has now been 10 years since we competed as a Refugee Olympic Team. Today, we are here in Dakar for the first Youth Olympic Games on African soil, and for the first Refugee Olympic Team to compete at the Youth Olympic Games," he told Xinhua.

The six-member team comprises three girls and three boys, all based in Africa. They are competing in athletics, judo and taekwondo.

For Pur Biel, the team's participation is about more than sport. It is also an opportunity to make the experiences of displaced people more visible.

"This is a representation of millions of refugees. As we speak now, there are 117 million displaced people globally," he said. "This is a representation of those displaced children who are being forced to leave their own countries."

The figure refers to people forcibly displaced worldwide, rather than refugees alone. UNHCR estimates that more than 117 million people were forcibly displaced globally in 2026, with children accounting for approximately 39 percent of the total.

"As Chef de Mission, my role is to mentor them and continue to tell the world that, despite being a refugee, you can do something," Pur Biel said. "Through sport, it gives us hope and also gives us a chance to practice our talent, be part of global sporting activities and become ambassadors."

"You know the similarities of coming from war-torn countries, facing frustration and living through a traumatic life. And now you can find yourself in sport, where you can find safety," he said.

The Refugee Olympic Teams have competed at the last three Olympic Games in Rio, Tokyo and Paris. At Paris 2024, boxer Cindy Ngamba won her first-ever Olympic medal, a bronze.

"In 2016, we showcased our talent and brought hope to millions. In 2021, we also competed and reached some finals. In 2024, we won our first medal," she said. "We never know; we may win a medal here or reach a final."

Pur Biel said dozens of athletes had received support from the Olympic Refugee Foundation. He added that the support would continue beyond Dakar, helping refugee athletes prepare for the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

He also hopes the young athletes will encourage others in refugee communities to take up sport and education.

"I want to encourage them to work hard, take opportunities and take education seriously, because education and talent work together," he said.

A decade later, a younger generation of refugee athletes has made its debut at the Youth Olympic Games on African soil.

Their results may not yet have brought them onto the podium. But this time, they are not simply the subjects of other people's stories. Through their performances and their experiences, they are telling their own.