Paris 2024: Refugee Paralympic Team leaves with historic medals and legacy
Zakia Khudadadi, the Refugee Paralympic Team’s (RPT) first-ever medal winner, will carry the team’s flag at the Paralympic Closing Ceremony in Paris on Sunday, bringing an end to a remarkable Paris 2024 Paralympics.
The RPT had eight athletes and one guide runner competing in six sports: Para athletics, Para powerlifting, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo, Para triathlon, and wheelchair fencing. Khudadadi, who competed in women’s Para taekwondo K44-47kg, and Guillaume Junior Atangana, who competed in the men’s T11 400m in Para athletics, both won bronze medals. They dedicated their achievements to “refugees around the world.”
Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), was thrilled when he announced Khudadadi as the Closing Ceremony flag bearer. He praised the team, saying, “We are super proud of each and every one of you. With medals around your neck or not, each of you are all winners.”
UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, also praised the team’s performance. She noted that their presence symbolized perseverance and hope, reminding people everywhere of the universal desire for safety and a chance to achieve their dreams.
For Khudadadi, who has been living in France since escaping her home country in 2021, carrying the flag is a moment she will cherish. She said, “To carry the flag for the Refugee Team makes me proud, not just for myself but for all female refugees around the world.”
Throughout the Games, team members achieved personal milestones. Ibrahim Al Hussein finished sixth in the Para triathlon, meeting his goal. Atangana and his guide runner, Donard Ndim Nyamjua, set personal bests and won bronze in the Men’s T11 400m. Wheelchair fencer Amelio Castro Grueso had a strong debut, making it to the second repechage round before narrowly losing to the top-ranked fencer.
Other athletes included Hadi Hassanzada in Para taekwondo, Sayed Amir Hosseini Pour in Para table tennis, and Hadi Darvish in Para powerlifting. Salman Abbariki competed in Para athletics on the second-to-last day of the Games.
The Refugee Paralympic Team’s performance highlights the struggles faced by people with disabilities who are forcibly displaced. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is working with the IPC, the International Olympic Committee, and the Olympic Refuge Foundation to support these athletes. This Games has created a strong foundation for the team, with hopes for continued success in the 2028 Los Angeles Games and beyond.
“This has been the summer of dreams for refugee athletes worldwide,” said Menikdiwela.
