They don’t represent a country because they don’t have one right now. They are of different religions, ethnicities and colours. They are displaced individuals trying to get a grip on their lives, festered by violence, pain and death. Uprooted from their place of birth, they are left without an identity—the very fabric that binds all humans. Forced to settle on alien land, marginalised and scoured at, they look for something to live with a semblance of normalcy.
In sport, they have found just that.
The International Olympic Committee’s Refugee Olympic Team has been a symbol of resilience and hope. Thirty-six faces representing more than 120 million displaced people across the world.
The IOC fielded a refugee team for the first time at the Rio Olympics (10 athletes) and followed it up at the Tokyo Games (29 athletes).
For a refugee, pursuing sport is often the last thing on their mind.
Yet between enduring hardships, endless paperwork and unending waits, these athletes have found time to play and forget their strife and loneliness for a while.
No one has seen this turmoil as up close as Masomah Ali Zada.
Born in Afghanistan, she was forced to spend her childhood in Iran. There is a story of neglect behind her new name, too. Masomah narrates how it was not the name she was given when she was born in Afghanistan.
“I was born during a period of war, and I lived with my uncles. Every year, a girl child was being born in the family. So they called me by a name that meant “this girl child is enough.”
So when she was forced to live in Iran, “there, they said it was not a good name and changed it to Masomah.”
After she returned to Afghanistan, where she started pursuing her passion—cycling—she was harassed and threatened by the Taliban government.
Yet she never forgot to dream. She trained even while she was getting teased and stoned in Afghanistan. She never gave up after she sought asylum in Lille (France).
She represented the Refugee Team at the Tokyo Olympics and this time she is the chef de mission.
Masomah, during a virtual interaction with this daily from Paris, explains the challenges a refugee faces in a new host country.
“All refugees face difficulties. It can be different from person to person and it also depends on the host country. In general, most of the difficulties and challenges are due to a lot of paperwork. When we arrive in a new country, we have to wait for papers and it’s a long time. During this period, we cannot do anything. We cannot learn the language. We don’t have access to education so we wait,” she said.
Sometimes these long waits can be torturous. At the same time, it offers an opportunity too. Like sport.
“It’s the only possibility that helps refugees to just pass the time and wait. Most refugees in this period try to play a sport, also to remain healthy, mentally and physically. Also, for people who like to study, finding a university that accepts refugees can be tedious. So is finding work.”
At the same time, they have to think about their families back home. “We have our families who are still in our country and we miss them and would like to help them,” she said.
“Amid all these challenges, we arrive in a new country where there is no one to help. For myself, there was a French community that helped.”
