adminCollin Matiza Sports Editor
AFTER having been out of the limelight for the past two years, seasoned Zimbabwean sports administrator Robert Mutsauki will once again fall under the spotlight when he leads the first Refugee Olympic Team at next month’s Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Refugee Olympic Team is being fielded for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games and it is the initiative of the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, who wanted it to act as a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide and bring global attention to the magnitude of the refugee crisis when they take part in the Rio Games.
The first Refugee Olympic Team, which is made up of 10 refugee athletes from four countries — the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Syria — will compete in three sporting disciplines — athletics, judo and swimming — at the Rio Games and they will be under the guidance of former chief executive of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, Mutsauki.
As part of the IOC’s pledge to aid potential elite athletes affected by the worldwide refugee crisis, the National Olympic Committees were asked to identify any refugee athlete with the potential to qualify for the 2016 Oympics.
Such candidates then received funding from the Olympic Solidarity to assist with their preparations and qualification efforts.
Forty-three promising candidates were later identified before they were trimmed down to 10 refugee athletes who will now take part in the Rio Games from August 5 to 21.
The athletes will compete under the Refugee Olympic Team — the first of its kind — and march with the Olympic flag immediately before host nation Brazil at the Opening Ceremony.
Bach named the athletes on June 3 after they were approved by the organisation’s Executive Board.
It was Bach, who also directly appointed Mutsauki as the team manager of the Refugee Olympic Team for the Rio Games where he will work with 11 other officials, including coaches, from six countries — Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Kenya, Luxembourg and Switzerland.
And Mutsauki, who is now running his own sports consultancy company in Harare, yesterday said he felt honoured and humbled to receive a direct appointment from the IOC to lead their first Refugee Olympic Team at this year’s Olympic Games.
“For me it’s a unique and interesting challenge because this is the first time that I will be working with athletes with different backgrounds at the Olympic Games.
“Five of the athletes — three males and two females — are originally from South Sudan and are based in Kenya and the other two — a male and a female — are originally from the DRC and based in Brazil and then there’s also one male and one female who are originally from Syria but they are now based in Belgium and Germany respectively.
“There is also one male athlete who is originally from Ethiopia but he is now based in Luxembourg and will compete in the marathon event at the Rio Games.
“This team should not be confused with the Independent Olympic Athletes who have been allowed to compete. There are some athletes from Kuwait whose country is suspended but they have athletes who have qualified and it (the Refugee Olympic Team) is a team selected by the International Olympic Committee.”
Mutsauki said the IOC are meeting the expenses of the whole team and they are also facilitating its kit sponsorship.
“The whole team, including its coaches and officials, will stay in the Olympic Village just like other athletes from the participating countries and will operate like any other team just like Team Zimbabwe.
“But all these 10 athletes (in the Refugee Olympic Team), with the exception of Yonas Kinde of Ethiopia who attained the qualifying standard time of 2 hours 17 minutes in the men’s marathon, are participating at the Rio Games by invitation (from the IOC).
“It is not going to be easy to manage the team but I have experience of being the chef de mission of Team Zimbabwe at the Olympic Games twice in 1996 in Atlanta, USA, and 2004 in Anthens, Greece, and have attended all Olympics Games since 1996 in different capacities.
“This is a unique team because of its diversity and it is difficult managing a team with athletes from different countries at a short period of time. We will be in the spotlight as this is the first time that the team will be competing at the Olympic Games so everything we will do will be under the microscope.
“The media will also be a challenge as they will not be only interested in the competitors but also the human aspect and how the athletes handle the media maybe stressful as they may not have the experience but at the same time you need them to express themselves so it can be a dilemma,” Mutsauki said.
The veteran Zimbabwean sports administrator also said the Refugee Olympic Team’s participation at the Rio Games goes beyond competing only “but it is more of integrating the refugees into the Olympic Movement and they will be given a chance to mingle with other athletes considering their background”.
Mutsauki is scheduled to leave for Rio de Janeiro on July 23 and he will be the first member of the Refugee Olympic Team to arrive in the Brazilian capital for the Games.
The rest of the team members and officials will start to arrive in Rio from July 25 up to July 29 and they will be arriving in batches as they are coming from different venues and some will come with the teams from the countries they are based.
“I will actually spend sometime with the team in Rio and I am leaving next weekend (on July 23) for the team registration and ensure that the athletes and delegates are accredited. There will also be sports entries and to get the athletes into the Olympic Village and also the Olympic Games system.
“I am the team administrator responsible for operations and logistic issues and I will work with 11 other officials who come from different countries and the coaches as well.
“The most important thing is to see the job done and I believe failure is not an option. It is a challenge which I embrace as it is interesting,” Mutsauki said.
Like all teams at the Olympic Games, the Refugee Olympic Team will have its own entourage to meet all the required technical needs of the athletes. Olympian and former marathon world record-holder Tegla Loroupe of Kenya was also named the team’s chef de mission, while Isabela Mazão (Brazil), who was proposed by the UNHCR, will act as the deputy chef de mission.
They will work with a crew of five coaches and five other team officials, including team manager Mutsauki of Zimbabwe.
The Refugee Olympic Team Athletes
*Rami Anis (Male): Country of origin — Syria; host NOC — Belgium; sport — swimming
*Yiech Pur Biel (Male): Country of origin — South Sudan; host NOC — Kenya; sport – athletics, 800m
*James Nyang Chiengjiek (Male): Country of origin — South Sudan; host NOC — Kenya; sport — athletics, 400m
*Yonas Kinde (Male): Country of origin – Ethiopia; host NOC — Luxembourg; sport — athletics, marathon
*Anjelina Nada Lohalith (Female): Country of origin – South Sudan; host NOC — Kenya; sport — athletics, 1500m
*Rose Nathike Lokonyen (Female): Country of origin — South Sudan; host NOC — Kenya; sport — athletics, 800m
* Paulo Amotun Lokoro (M): Country of origin — South Sudan; host NOC — Kenya; sport — athletics, 1500m
*Yolande Bukasa Mabika (F): Country of origin — Democratic Republic of the Congo; host NOC — Brazil; sport — judo, 70kg
*Yusra Mardini (F): Country of origin — Syria; host NOC — Germany; sport — swimming
*Popole Misenga (M): Country of origin – Democratic Republic of the Congo; host NOC – Brazil; sport — judo, 90kg
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