STORY: Sports blazing a trail for refugees, says UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Yang Yang
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 27, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 28, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:26
LOCATION: Nairobi
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. pics of Yang Yang visiting the Kakuma Refugee Camp
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): YANG YANG, UNHCR goodwill ambassador and China's Winter Olympic champion
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): YANG YANG, UNHCR goodwill ambassador and China's Winter Olympic champion
4. pics of Refugee Olympic Team (ROT)

STORYLINE:

The now-retired Chinese short-track speed skating superstar and Winter Olympic champion Yang Yang has hailed the impact of the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT), who are preparing to feature in their third Summer Games in Paris in July.
   
Yang, also a goodwill ambassador of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi after visiting the Kakuma Refugee Camp in the East African country.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): YANG YANG, UNHCR goodwill ambassador and China's Winter Olympic champion
"Refugee Olympic Team was very touching for me, because I remembered in 2016, when they walked into the stadium at the opening ceremony (of the Rio Olympics), I was very emotional. They have access to the Olympics, which is the same with other areas. If we give them access, there are many possibilities.
So that's important to have a Refugee Olympic Team there to show the examples and to let people understand this awareness of the refugees. Of course, they still lack support, they need more. For example, they don't have enough coaches and teachers to support the kids' needs, the communities' needs, and they lack equipment, lack opportunity to go out for competition etc., so there are many needs."

In June 2016, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach announced the establishment of a "Refugee Olympic team," and since then at least seven athletes from Kakuma Refugee camp have made their debut in Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games.

Yang was elected an IOC member in 2010. When the IOC decided to establish a Refugee Olympic Team, she was involved in the early discussions and participated in the decision vote.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): YANG YANG, UNHCR goodwill ambassador and China's Winter Olympic champion
"We are promoting the peace. I think the final solution with the issues of refugee is the peace. So, Olympics is an example. I hope the Refugee Olympic Team will show the example to the world. It is important to give them the access."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi.
(XHTV)