Judoka determined to prove refugees belong at Dakar 2026

Arno Yafunga Botay fled DR Congo with his family in 2017 and will compete at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team. Arno Yafunga Botay is one of six athletes competing for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Dakar 2026 Youth Games Arno Yafunga Botay was six when his family fled the Democratic Republic of Congo after threats to his father's life culminated in an attack on their home which claimed the life of his seven-month-old sibling. Following a spell living in the Kakuma refugee camp in north-west Kenya, the family settled in Nairobi. There, Arno used to watch his father Arnold practising judo and eventually asked him to teach him the sport.

Now, having coming through trials in East Africa, he will compete for the Refugee Olympic Team in the under-55kg category at the Dakar 2026 Youth Games. "I didn't expect to be selected," the 15-year-old told BBC Sport Africa. "I was so excited. I was crying tears of joy." This is the first time that a team of refugees will appear at a Youth Games. "It [means] a lot to me to represent other refugees, represent my community," Yafunga Botay added. The family have been in Kenya since they were forced to leave DR Congo in 2017. "There were people who wanted