The 29 stateless athletes picked to compete for the Olympics' refugee team have become a 'symbol of hope' in Tokyo in 2021.
Initially expected to participate via the independent athlete category, they will be competing under the Olympic flag in Tokyo this month as part of the Games' second-ever Refugee Olympic Team.
IOC President Thomas Bach says the creation of the Refugee Olympic Team has been significant saying, "It's a message to the entire world to make the world aware of the magnitude of this crisis, which is growing every day," he said ahead of the Games.
"It's also a message that these forcibly displaced people are an enrichment to all our societies and that we should embrace them like we do in the Olympic Games, to show our unity in our diversity."