Sport and refugees weekly: 29 August 2021

A special team of refugees is making history at the Tokyo Paralympics (SBS)

While the Tokyo Olympics saw the second Refugee Olympic Team participate, these Paralympics are the first to feature a Refugee Paralympic Team. In Rio, 2 refugee athletes made up an independent team, and with six athletes forming the first Refugee Paralympic Team, this team is three times larger than at Rio. Learn more about the athletes forming this team.

First woman on Paralympic refugee team urges others to try sport (France 24)

Alia Issa, the first and only female member of the Refugee Paralympic Team said it was an honour to be at Tokyo, and urged other women with disabilities to get involved in sport. The 20-year-old, whose parents are from Syria, was born in Greece, and will compete in the club throw event. She started para sports three years ago, and hopes her story inspires others to follow her lead.

Kanmi helping to build a brighter NI through universal language of football (Belfast Telegraph)

Adekanmi Abayomi is a solicitor who fled Nigeria for Northern Ireland after being attacked multiple times in his home country. He also plays football, using it as a tool to foster harmony in his adopted city. For Kanmi, football can not only help ethnic minorities and local communities build better relations, but can also be a tool to foster integration between ethnic minorities themselves.

Cricket can be a lifeline for Afghan refugees arriving in the UK (The Times)

The Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation, along with its partner Bat for a Chance, is helping young Afghan and minority cricket players, between the ages of 11 and 15, receive coaching and  play against other hubs in a national tournament. For many kids who find it hard to integrate into a new society, cricket allows them an avenue to live their passion and feel more comfortable in their new surroundings.

Southwest Houston soccer team of 24 migrants and refugees finds path to college (Houston Chronicle)

The 24 players of revision Houston FC soccer team became a family while playing together, and now they have made their way to college. Many of them are first-generation college students. ReVision Houston, a non-profit organisation, strives to stop the cycle of isolation that many disconnected youth face. Participating in activities like football help them navigate through their teenage years and school lives.

402 Development Academy offers free club soccer for refugee children (1011 Now)

A new soccer club in Lincoln, Nebraska is offering free soccer opportunities for refugee children, to help them adjust to life in their new surroundings and set them up for future success. Set up by Kenan Sahuric, an immigrant whose family fled Yugoslavia, the soccer field is a safe space to learn and grow.  

This information has been compiled by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.