IOC launches “1 in 100 Million” ahead of Paris 2024

The IOC has launched an initiative for the Olympic Refugee Team. GETTY IMAGES

In support of the Refugee Olympic Team’s journey to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has unveiled the “1 in 100 Million” initiative.

The campaign is designed to highlight the remarkable stories of the 36 athletes who have overcome immense obstacles to compete, and it urges global support for the team as they represent the more than 100 million displaced individuals on the grandest sporting platform worldwide.

Such initiative kicks off with a short film presented in a graphic novel style, showcasing the remarkable athletic abilities and distinctive personal journeys of Refugee Olympic Team members. Cindy Ngamba (boxing), Dorsa Yavarivafa (badminton), and Ramiro Mora (weightlifting), as well as Refugee Athlete Scholarship recipient Kavan Majidi (judo) are all included.

Simultaneously, the film highlights the staggering magnitude of the worldwide refugee crisis. Since the Refugee Olympic Team first appeared at Rio 2016, the global count of displaced individuals has escalated significantly, from nearly 60 million to well over 100 million on the brink of Paris 2024, an alarming surge.

This equates to roughly 1 in every 70 individuals worldwide, as reported by UNHCR in 2023. If all forcibly displaced people were gathered in one location, they would form the 14th most populous nation globally, a population that continues to grow steadily.

An initiative has been unveiled ahead of the Paris 2024 Games for the Olympic Refugee Team. OLYMPICS.COM
An initiative has been unveiled ahead of the Paris 2024 Games for the Olympic Refugee Team. OLYMPICS.COM

The line-up for the Refugee Olympic Team at Paris 2024 was unveiled on 2 May, comprising 36 athletes, including nine from Africa. They are supported by 15 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and will compete in 12 diverse sports: athletics, badminton, boxing, breaking, canoeing, cycling, judo, sport shooting, swimming, taekwon-do, weightlifting, and wrestling.

Utilising state-of-the-art AI technology, the film was meticulously crafted. An essential element of its production involved engaging contributors connected with the refugee community, such as illustrator and author Engy Jarrouj, herself a refugee from Syria, at the creative studio Framestore. Additionally, the film showcases an original musical composition by recording artists Che Lingo and Manon Dave.

This film is part of a larger initiative aimed at giving the Refugee Olympic Team its distinct identity. It pays homage to the design of the team’s inaugural emblem, serving as a unifying symbol for a diverse group of athletes. 

The emblem incorporates arrow markers, symbolising the shared journeys of the athletes, alongside a heart borrowed from the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) logo. This heart represents the sense of belonging that the team aspires to instill, reflecting the connection athletes and displaced individuals worldwide have discovered through sports.

Check out the video below.

For privacy reasons YouTube needs your permission to be loaded.
I Accept



Source link