Refugee Athletes Transform Years of Displacement into Continental Competition Glory
Nairobi, 17 May 2026
Five remarkable athletes who fled war and spent years separated from families in Kenyan refugee camps are now competing at Africa’s premier athletics championships in Accra. Their extraordinary journey includes Perina Lokure Nakang, who reunited with her mother after six years apart, and Abdifatah Aden Hassan, still searching for his parents whilst pursuing Olympic dreams. These competitors represent the decade-old Athlete Refugee Team, proving that displacement need not define potential. With UNHCR backing and world-class coaching, they’re rewriting narratives about refugee capabilities on athletics’ biggest continental stage.
From Displacement to Championship Competition
On Thursday, 15 May 2026, five extraordinary athletes walked into the UNHCR national office in Accra not as cases or statistics, but as competitors representing the Athlete Refugee Team at the African Senior Athletics Championships [1]. These athletes - Perina Lokure Nakang, Solomon Okeny, Abdifatah Aden Hassan, Dario Lokoro, and Kun Waar Liem - carry stories of war, displacement, and remarkable resilience that span years of separation from families and life in refugee settlements [1]. Their presence in Accra marks a significant milestone in what has become a decade-old World Athletics initiative designed to provide sporting opportunities for displaced populations [2]. The team’s participation demonstrates how sport can serve as a powerful vehicle for hope and human potential, even in the most challenging circumstances.
Individual Journeys of Remarkable Resilience
Perina Lokure Nakang’s story exemplifies the personal cost of conflict and the power of perseverance. Having fled to Kakuma Refugee Camp in northern Kenya in 2010 due to war in South Sudan, she was separated from her mother for six years before their emotional reunion [2]. On 16 May 2026, she competed in Heat 2 of the women’s 800 metres at the championships, though she did not progress past the qualifying round [2]. Despite the disappointment, Nakang remains focused on future opportunities, stating: ‘Next time, people will organise for me another game, I’ll do my best, I’ll take medal or gold, I’ll try next year to put my effort’ [2]. Her teammate Solomon Okeny shares a similar background, having lived as a refugee in Kakuma since 2010 and now competing in the 400 and 800 metres [2]. Okeny reflects on his journey with measured optimism: ‘Being a refugee, it has been difficult before…It really gave me hope, and seeing myself growing, and doing my best’ [2].
Olympic Dreams and Global Inspiration
Abdifatah Aden Hassan represents perhaps the most poignant story of hope amid uncertainty. The 1500-metre specialist fled Ethiopia in 2009 and remains part of the IOC Refugee Athlete Scholarship programme whilst still searching for his parents [2]. His ambitions extend far beyond continental competition, as he explains: ‘Really, everything is going well. I’m very happy. My hope is to become a world classic championship and Olympian. And also I want to motivate other refugees all over the world and inspire them’ [2]. The personal cost of displacement is equally evident in Kun Waar Liem’s experience, who fled South Sudan at age seven and has not seen his parents since [2]. Meanwhile, Dario Lokoro, who ran the 5000 metres in 16:13 at the Kenya trials, maintains his focus on preparation and competition: ‘to train hard, to come and win’ [2].
UNHCR Support and Expanding Horizons
The United Nations refugee agency’s backing represents more than institutional support - it embodies a recognition of refugee potential and dignity. Tetteh Padi, head of the UNHCR national office in Ghana, articulated this philosophy during the team’s visit on 14 May 2026: ‘The refugee athletes are an embodiment of the resilience of refugees…being a refugee should not be a barrier to realising your full potential’ [1][2]. This sentiment reflects the broader mission of transforming perceptions about displaced populations through sporting achievement. Lieutenant General Jackson Tuwei, President of Athletics Kenya and Vice President of World Athletics, envisions expanding this model beyond East Africa, urging ‘other countries that host the refugees in their countries to also take up in this matter, so that it can then take care of all the refugees within the continent’ [1][2]. Such expansion would provide pathways for athletic development across Africa’s diverse refugee populations, potentially unlocking talent that might otherwise remain hidden in displacement camps.