IOC President Thomas Bach said: “I am delighted to welcome Masomah to her role as Chef de Mission. Having seen her journey from when she left Afghanistan to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and now becoming the leader of the Refugee Olympic Team, I can’t think of anyone better to represent this team and the more than 110 million displaced people around the world. Like all the other athletes on this team, she shows us what refugees and displaced people can achieve and contribute to society, and I look forward to seeing her lead by example.”
He added: “We also welcome Bernadette to her role as Deputy Chef de Mission. The IOC has a close partnership with UNHCR, without which the Refugee Olympic Team would not be possible. This date is a testament to that friendship. Bernadette brings years of humanitarian experience to ensure that all athletes on the team receive the necessary support and protection that their precarious situation requires.”
Ali Zada was born in Afghanistan into a conservative community where girls were not encouraged to ride bikes. She became the target of threats when she and a group of women began competing competitively. Despite the many obstacles she faced, she persevered and eventually competed as a member of Afghanistan’s national women’s cycling team. He became a refugee in 2017 and sought asylum in France. Soon after, she received an IOC refugee athlete scholarship, which was another step towards achieving her dream of competing in the Olympics.
He is currently studying civil engineering at the University of Lille. Appointed to the IOC Athletes’ Committee in July 2022.
Upon learning of her appointment, Ali Zada said: “For me it is a pride to be able to represent not only the athletes and the team, but also the more than 100 million displaced people around the world. In Paris, we have the opportunity to show the world what refugees are really capable of and redefine the way the world sees us.”
He follows Tegla Laroupe, who served as Chef de Mission for the first Rio 2016 Refugee Olympic Team and the Tokyo 2020 Refugee Olympic Team.
As Chef de Mission, Ali Zada will serve as the head and representative of the Refugee Olympic Team, ensuring that the interests of all Team members are met and that the platform provided by the Olympics serves to demonstrate the role that can be role sport can play in creating inclusive societies and the enrichment that refugees can be in our communities.
Castel-Hollingsworth joins the Paris 2024 Refugee Olympic Team as Deputy Chef de Mission. He brings more than 20 years of experience in humanitarian contexts working with displaced people. Most recently she served as Senior Protection Coordinator in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, after which she deployed to emergency support missions in Burkina Faso and Cameroon.
Castel-Hollingsworth said: “I have seen first-hand the benefits that sport and play can bring to violently displaced and stateless communities, providing a sense of belonging and opportunity and bringing positive psychological, physical and many other protective benefits. It is a great honor for me to support the Refugee Olympic Team and to see the positive role that elite sport can play for refugees. I’m really looking forward to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”
From the Group to wider support for displaced people
At the United Nations General Assembly (UN) in October 2015, faced with the global refugee crisis that has displaced millions of people around the world, IOC President Thomas Bach announced the creation of the Refugee Olympic Team – the first of its kind – to take part of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The Rio 2016 team consisted of 10 athletes, who sent a powerful message of hope to the world through their journeys to the Games and their performances in Rio. Another 29 athletes competed as part of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at Tokyo 2020.
There are currently 62 athletes benefiting from a refugee athlete scholarship, training and competing in the hope of being selected for the Paris 2024 Refugee Olympic Team. They are from 11 countries, living in 19 host countries and representing 13 sports.
Supporting refugees and displaced populations remains a key priority for the IOC and is part of Recommendation 11 of the Olympic Agenda 2020+5. The Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) was established in 2017 to build on this commitment and work to build a movement that ensures youth affected by displacement thrive through safe sport. The Foundation operates in lieu of a traditional National Olympic Committee, managing refugee athlete scholarship holders and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024.