‘They shot my dad in front of me’ – African refugees eye Olympics

James Lokidichi fled the conflict when he was a child, carrying his younger brother with him, and has a permanent scar on the right side of his head.

He recounts the day in 2011 when family members were killed by armed men and forced to leave his home in what is now South Sudan, but pain is still buried beneath the surface. Holding back tears, he recounts the experience.

“They shot my dad and my uncle in front of me”, the 23-year-old told BBC Sport Africa.

“They burned the house, and I also perished as I cried for my parents and uncle.” My mother was shot in the hand by them. She left us after fleeing.

When my mother ran away, I grabbed my brother. They]the fighters] said ‘ Leave these boys’. “

He is pursuing a spot on the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) in light of his childhood trauma and believes that sport can lead to a better life.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was scouting talented runners, judokas, and taekwondo athletes to support through scholarships last week at the Lornah Kiplagat Sports Academy on the outskirts of Iten, where the middle-distance runner was one of more than 100 people.

Lokidichi, inspired by Kenyan marathon great Eliud Kipchoge, hopes to provide motivation for fellow residents in the refugee camp in the north-west of the country.

” When we get successful, we will go assist those who remained behind. We will advise others in the camp, “he said.

In 2016, the ROT made their inaugural trip to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Cindy Ngamba, who was born in Cameroon, won the team’s first medal at Paris 2024 by taking bronze in middleweight boxing.

The first significant IOC event to take place on African soil, the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics, is currently being prepared for a refugee squad.

Laurence Namukiza, a teen, hopes to make it a priority with her three taekwondo victories at the trials.

Angelina Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), is the 15-year-old student at a school in Kakuma.

When the practice of the discipline was introduced to Namukiza’s school in the middle of last year, the camp’s hardships caused it to become mandatory: residents received monthly handouts were reduced from 1,500 Kenyan shillings ($11.60, $ 9.20) to 950 Ksh ($7.40, $ 5.80) per month.

She said, “I promised myself that I would do well so that I can help my family.”

“The food is distributed for five people, but there are 16 people in the family.”

Without formal education and certifications, finding employment is challenging. My mum]is] suffering to feed us.

Namukiza’s family was forced to leave their Uvira, Democratic Republic of Congo, home in 2010, when she was still a baby.

The fourth-born in a family of nine children, taekwondo has instilled the values of discipline and resilience.

She gained self-defense skills as well as gender stereotypes.

Why are you taking up this sport, people still ask me, I can remember. It’s for boys’, “she recalled.

” With taekwondo training, now I know how to fight. I have faith in myself, can defend myself from harm, and can assist other Kakuma girls.

The ROT trials were co-hosted by Kenya’s National Olympic Committee (NOC), Athletics Kenya, and the UNHCR, as well as World Athletics, and the respective judo and taekwondo federations.

A range of emotions were on show amid a competitive atmosphere, with anticipation, anxiety and resilience etched on faces.

Additionally, there was a vested sense of freedom.

“When we remove them for one day or two days out of the Kakuma camp, they feel appreciated and validated”, Paul Tergat, the president of Kenya’s NOC, told BBC Sport Africa.

“That’s why it’s crucial to give them the opportunity and exposure.”

Former 800m world champion Janeth Jepkosgei, now an ROT coach with World Athletics, is well aware of the unifying power of sport.

The 41-year-old said, “I would like to take these athletes to the next Olympics and I would love to see them reach the finals.”

When they cross the line and emerge victorious, we would like to change that depressing moment.

More than 820, 000 refugees and asylum seekers are residing in Kenya, according to the most recent UNHCR data.

That figure may increase as Sudan’s civil war continues and fighting rages on in the eastern DRC.

“No-one wants to be a refugee”, Tergat said.

We want to give them respect and dignity through sport. We must encourage and give them the opportunity to develop their talents because they are our brothers and sisters.

The winners were recognized at the conclusion of the trials, but one thing was certain: winning did not result in automatic selection for an IOC scholarship.

The athletes are anticipating fate to strike upon them when they return to Kakuma.