The World Athletics Championships is scheduled to be held in Tokyo from 13–21 September. The best track and field athletes of the world will converge at the capital city of Japan with the hope of becoming the world champion.
The competition will also feature an Athlete Refugee Team, representing those who have been displaced by conflicts. Supported by the Refugee Athlete Scholarship, a partnership between the Olympic Refugee Foundation, World Athletics, and national federations, these athletes are given access to coaching, medical support, and competition opportunities. The programme offers not just athletic structure, but a sense of belonging.
Athlete Refugee Team at World Athletics Championships 2025 includes six runners- each carrying a story that deserves a place on the podium of global awareness.
World Athletics Championships: All Eyes On Athlete Refugee Team
Farida Abaroge – 5000m
Now 31 and based in France, Abaroge fled Ethiopia in 2016, crossing multiple countries before gaining asylum. Running came to her by chance, but it soon became a calling. She competed in the 1500m at Paris 2024 and now steps up to the 5000m in Tokyo, combining experience with unshakable resolve.
“Running gave me something I’d lost- control over my own future,” she says.
Perina Lokure Nakang – 800m
At just 22, South Sudanese middle-distance runner Nakang is already a beacon of the team’s next generation. Training in Kenya, she’s battled water shortages, illness, and civil unrest—yet made the final at the 2023 World Championships and reached the semifinals at Paris 2024. With a personal best of 2:08.20, she’s not just competing- she’s contending.
Also Read: World Athletics Championships Tokyo: Meet Team Kenya Led By Faith Kipyegon
Musa Suliman – 800m
The youngest of the squad at 21, Suliman’s journey from Sudan through Egypt to Switzerland is marked by resilience. Only beginning to run competitively in 2022, he’s already an Olympian. Tokyo marks his debut at the World Championships, and few stories illustrate a meteoric rise quite like his.
Omar Hassan – Marathon
Hassan, 34, runs not only for himself but for the six younger siblings he cares for in Denmark. After placing 40th in the marathon at the 2023 Worlds, he suffered the loss of his mother—the pillar of his life. His return to racing has been as much about healing as performance. His 1:05.53 at the Berlin Half Marathon in April is proof that he’s still pushing forward, mile by mile.
Emmanuel Kiruhura Ntagunga – Marathon
At 36, Ntagunga’s first appearance at a World Championships comes after years of quiet determination. Fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013, he rebuilt his life in Norway, where running helped him integrate and thrive. This year he finished 11th at the Copenhagen Marathon with a personal best of 2:17.48, earning his place in Tokyo.
Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed – 5000m
A cornerstone of the ART, 30-year-old Mohammed is a two-time Olympian and has competed at two previous World Championships. Based in Israel after fleeing Sudan as a teenager, he brings vital experience to the squad. After missing the 2023 edition, his return is both symbolic and strategic- he’s as much a mentor as a medal hopeful.
