Refugee Olympic Team

Showing their international solidarity and support of the refugee community the International Olympic Committee has created “Refugee Olympic Team”, consisting entirely of elite athletes who have been affected by the worldwide refugee crisis. They will be treated like all other teams participating in this year’s Games in Brazil and they will be financial supported by Olympic Solidarity, who will help with their preparations and qualification efforts.

IOC Creates Refugee Olympic Team

IOC President Thomas Bach stated: “Having no national team to belong to, having no flag to march behind, having no national anthem to be played, these refugee athletes will be welcomed to the Olympic Games with the Olympic flag and with the Olympic Anthem.”

The Team will march behind the Olympic Flag in the opening ceremony, in front of the host team Brazil. The team will be made up of between 5 and 10 athletes and Team uniforms will be provided by the IOC.

Refugees to Have Their Own Team in Rio

The Rio Olympic Games will be held 5th to 21st August, with 10,500 athletes competing from 206 different countries. Over the 17 days 306 medals will be awarded. Summer 2016 is a once in a life time opportunity to visit Brazil. Green passport, in conjunction with the Brazilian Ministry of tourism, gives a list of suggested itineraries around Brazil focusing on World Heritage Sites and the Olympic venues. There are also some Olympics events that will give you the chance to not only see top athletes from around the world perform, but will also enable you to see some of the amazing scenery and natural beauty that Brazil has to offer.

Beach Volleyball will be held on the legendary Copacabana beach.

Road Cycling will pass through some of the most picturesque parts of the city, including the start-finish in Copacabana, as well as Ipanema, São Conrado, Barra da Tijuca, Grumari and Vista Chinesa.

Marathon Swimming will also take place on Copacabana beach and swimmers will race over a 10km open-water circuit.

Next Steps to Learn Portuguese

If you’re thinking of going to Brazil this summer why not make your trip more fulfilling by learning a bit of Portuguese before you go? At Cactus we offer Portuguese language classes with qualified teachers. Classes take place online and in schools across the UK, including Brighton, Edinburgh and London. We also offer private language classes and corporate language training. Start your free trial with Cactus!