Sportsblazingatrailforrefugees,saysUNHCRGoodwillAmbassadorYangYang_GuangmingOnlineYangyang(L)communicateswithmembersofawomen'ssoccerteaminKakumaRefugeeCampinTurkanaCounty,Kenya,onFeb.21,2024.(UNHCR/HandoutviaXinhua)byXinhuawritersLiHualing,LiuWanli,correspondentsKimathiKamau,WangXuchenNAIROBI,Feb.26(Xinhua)--Thenow-retiredChineseshort-trackspeedskatingsuperstarandWinterOlympicchampionYangYanghashailedtheimpactoftheRefugeeOlympicsTeam(ROT),whoarepreparingtofeatureintheirthirdSummerGamesinParisinJuly.YangmadetheremarksduringarecentinterviewwithXinhuaintheKenyancapitalofNairobi."TheOlympicGamesprovidesagreatplatformforallpeopletorealizetheirdreamsbygivingfullplaytotheirtalents,"saidYang,alsoagoodwillambassadoroftheUnitedNationsHighCommissionforRefugees(UNHCR).Yang,whowonthe2002WinterOlympicgoldmedalandrackedupanimpressive59worldchampionshipsinaglitteringcareer,recentlyconcludedatourtoKenyawhereshevisitedtheKakumaRefugeeCampinthenorth-westernpartofthenation.Theshort-trackspeedskater,whowonChina'sfirstWinterOlympicgoldmedal,hasdevotedherselftosportsandpublicwelfare,servingasamemberoftheInternationalOlympicCommittee(IOC)andvicepresidentoftheWorldAnti-DopingAgency.Yanghopestoinspiremoreyoungpeopletopursuetheirdreamswithherstoryoffightingonandoffthetrack.EnteringKakumaRefugeeCampforthefirsttime,Yangwas"shocked"byitslivingconditionsandpeople'senthusiasmtowardssports.Duetowar,disease,famineandotherreasons,over200,000peoplefromroughly20countriesareresidingintherefugeecamp.Yangfoundoutthatalthoughlifeintherefugeecampisextremelydifficult,peoplehaveneverlosttheirconfidenceinpursuingabetterlife,andstillengageinmanysports.Duringhervisittotherefugeecamp,Yangwasdeeplyimpressedbyagymbuiltbya22-year-oldyouthwithhisbarehands.Intheroughtinhouse,barbellpieces,dumbbellsandotherequipmentmadeofcementare"readilyavailable",attractingmanyyoungpeoplewholovesports."Notonlythegym,butthereisagirls'footballteam.Comprisedofover20girlswhohavetriumphedinnumerousmatches,theteamhashadtheopportunitytointeractwiththelocalcommunity,boostingtheirconfidenceandpositivelyinfluencingtheentirecamp,"Yangsaid,addingthatsportsbringpeopleofdifferentracestogetherandincreasemutualtrustandunderstandingintherefugeecamp.InJune2016,IOCPresidentThomasBachannouncedtheestablishmentofa"RefugeeOlympicteam,"andsincethenatleastsevenathletesfromKakumaRefugeecamphavemadetheirdebutinRioandTokyoOlympicGames.RoseNathikeLokonyen,arefugeefromSouthSudan,wasabletocompeteintheRioOlympicsbecauseofherstrongperformanceintrackandfield.Today,sheisstillactiveinsports,advocatingforbringingsportstorefugeechildren.Sport,shesaid,"hasthepowertochangelives."YangwaselectedanIOCmemberin2010.WhentheIOCdecidedtoestablishaRefugeeOlympicTeam,shewasinvolvedintheearlydiscussionsandparticipatedinthedecisionvote."ThisunderscoresthesignificanceoftheRefugeeOlympicTeamestablishedin2016,aconceptIsharedwiththeschoolchildren,manyofwhomwereunawareoftheParisOlympicsandtheparticipationofarefugeeteam,"YangtoldXinhua.Besidesmotivatingthoseactivelyparticipatinginsport,theChineseiceskatingiconalsounderscoredtheimportanceofsportinunifyingpeopleforcedtofleefromtheirhomecountriesbyconflict."Assomeonedeeplyinvolvedinsports,Iassureyouthatsportsplayacrucialroleinthelivesofordinarypeople,becomingalifestylethatpromoteshealth,allowschildrentogrowthroughphysicalactivity,teachesthemthevalsueofteamwork,andeducatesthemonhowtoovercomesetbacks,"Yangstressed.The2002WinterOlympicchampionralliedsportingiconsaroundtheworldtousetheirstardom,platformandpopularitytomakeadifferencetothecommunitiesaffectedbywarbyhighlightingtheplightfacingrefugees.YangwasmovedbythegloomyandchallengingconditionsatKakumarefugeecampbutexpressedoptimismthatprogramsputinplacebytheUNHCRandotherbenefactorsincludingChinawouldalleviatetheconditions.ThisvisittoKakumaRefugeeCampisYang'ssecondtimetoAfricatoengageinpublicwelfareactivities.Afterherretirementin2006,shevisitedaschoolfortheblindinEthiopiaandinteractedwithpatientsatachildren'srehabilitationcentertoencouragethemwithOlympicstories."Theseexperiencessetthedirectionofmylifeaftermyretirement.Irealizedthatsportscanhelpmorepeoplethanjusttrainingandwinningmedals,"Yangsaid.Recallingtheexperienceofthevisit,YangtoldXinhuathatinrecentyears,duetopoverty,conflictandotherfactors,thenumberofrefugeesintheworldhasreached114million,andcontinuestogrow.YangaddedthatfromtheBeijingSummerOlympicGamestotheBeijingWinterOlympicGames,ChinahasactivelyparticipatedinOlympicsandpersistentlycarriedforwardtheOlympicspirit,whichhasbeenfullyaffirmedbytheIOC.AroundKakumaCamp,aChinese-builtroadconnectsthecampwithneighboringcities,makingiteasierforpeopletotravel,andbusinessactivitiesinthecamparethrivingthankstoimprovedtransportation."Iwilltellthesestoriesworldwidetoencourageyoungpeopletofighthardwiththeirhopesanddreams."Inrecentyears,Chinahasstrengthenedcooperationwithmanydevelopingcountriesandachievedfruitfulresultsinsports,culture,economyandtrade,infrastructureandotherfields,benefitingmoreandmorepeople."IwillcontinuetopushforclosercooperationbetweenChinaandtheIOCandUNHCRinthefuture.AndIwillalsodomybesttopromotesports,sothatthespiritofsportscaninfectmorepeople,"Yangsaid,addingshewillbecheeringfortheRefugeeOlympicTeamattheupcomingParisOlympicGames.■Yangyangcommunicateswithamemberofawomen'ssoccerteaminKakumaRefugeeCampinTurkanaCounty,Kenya,onFeb.21,2024.(UNHCR/HandoutviaXinhua)Yangyang(L)communicateswithSomalirefugeesinKakumaRefugeeCampinTurkanaCounty,Kenya,onFeb.22,2024.(UNHCR/HandoutviaXinhua)Yangyang(C)communicateswithamerchantatamarketinKakumaRefugeeCampinTurkanaCounty,Kenya,onFeb.22,2024.(UNHCR/HandoutviaXinhua)Yangyang(L)communicateswithmembersofawomen'ssoccerteaminKakumaRefugeeCampinTurkanaCounty,Kenya,onFeb.21,2024.(UNHCR/HandoutviaXinhua)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.