03 June 2025 - The Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) Board met at Olympic House in Lausanne this week, to review the success of its global programmes and to endorse a new strategy through to 2030. The new strategy renews the ORF’s commitment to help displaced people through sport for the next five years and beyond.
Since it started, just eight years ago, the work of the ORF has contributed to almost one million young people affected by displacement experiencing safe and inclusive sport, which promotes healing, connection and hope. As part of this, more than 210,000 young people have directly accessed sport through 17 ORF programmes across 12 countries. The training of more than 2,800 coaches to deliver safe sport will ensure that the impact of the ORF’s work continues to be felt by young people for many years to come. All of this is the result of a significant investment of over USD 24 million into safe sport and sport programming.
The Board heard of the huge positive impact that sport is having on the mental health of young people taking part in the Game Connect programme. A recent evaluation found that the number of participants suffering from symptoms of depression had reduced from nearly two-thirds (57 per cent) to just 6 per cent. There was a similar result for those suffering symptoms of anxiety. Overall, the research found that 79 per cent of respondents had “improved psychological well-being” after taking part in the sports activities of the Game Connect programme.
In Bangladesh, the ORF is scaling up the SPiRiT programme, in partnership with Terre des Hommes. The second phase of the project will expand the work into the southern Sundarbans region, where rising sea levels and resulting saltwater intrusion threaten the livelihoods of entire communities.
After three successful years, Terrains d’Avenir in Paris has now concluded. The work of the programme will live on as partners will continue to fund and support spin-off initiatives. The programme successfully trained 167 coaches and enabled more than 9,300 young people to access safe sport. The work through this programme also laid the foundations for an upcoming policy brief to support cities and municipalities to make better use of sport for inclusion.
A highlight of the ORF’s recent work includes Sport Coach+, which has now been delivered in 10 European countries in partnership with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement MHPSS Hub. This year alone, the programme has expanded to Moldova, Slovakia, the UK and Denmark. Using a “train the trainers” model, Sport Coach+ draws on best practices from the sport and mental health sectors to equip coaches to use sport in building young people’s resilience after experiencing trauma and displacement. To date, more than 1,000 coaches have been trained as part of the initiative.
ONWARD AND UPWARD FOR THE REFUGEE OLYMPIC TEAM
Since its creation in 2016, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team has gone from strength to strength, with the team winning its first Olympic medal at Paris 2024, its third Olympic Games appearance and now under the management of the ORF. Since the first Refugee Olympic Team at Rio 2016, 102 athletes have been supported through Olympic Solidarity scholarships, and have had the opportunity to train and compete with the hope of being selected for the Games. Preparations are underway for the Team to take part in the Olympic Games LA 2028, with the first-ever participation of a Refugee Olympic Team at the Youth Olympic Games, at Dakar 2026.
At the meeting, the Board approved the 2024 Annual Report and the financial report, and looked forward to the new strategic period.
The Foundation Board will continue to be led by IOC President Thomas Bach, who has been the Chair since the ORF was created in 2017. Following a recommendation of IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry, Bach was re-elected as Chair by the Board members. The ORF Board also extended the term of UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi as Vice-Chair of the Foundation. HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-faisal Alsaud, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, was appointed as a new Foundation Board member. The Board also renewed the terms of the following members: Qatar NOC President HE Joaan Bin Hamad Al-Thani; IOC Members Yiech Pur Biel, who was a member of the first Refugee Olympic Team in Rio and Team leader in Tokyo, and Paul Tergat, who is also President of the NOC of Kenya; and World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue, all for a period of four years.
