More than 33,000 young people reached by the Olympic Refuge Foundation in 2025
The Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) reached more than 33,000 young people and contributed to the training of more than 1,600 coaches through programme implementation in 2025. The Foundation’s work now spans five continents, touching hundreds of thousands of lives in communities, cities, settlements and camps across the globe. These achievements were discussed when the ORF Board convened in Lausanne this week. Against a backdrop of geopolitical instability, deepening conflicts and a growing number of displaced people worldwide, the Board reaffirmed its commitment to displaced people in 2026.
Key facts
- The ORF enabled access to sport for over 33,000 young people and contributed to the training of more than 1,600 coaches in 2025, as documented in its newly published Annual Activity Report 2025.
- IOC President Kirsty Coventry, IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach and ORF Vice-Chair and former UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi attended the annual Board meeting at Olympic House in Lausanne.
- The ORF Board members, along with IOC President Coventry, all reaffirmed their commitment to supporting young people affected by displacement.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry and IOC Honorary President and ORF Chair Thomas Bach were joined by the ORF Vice-Chair and former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, at Olympic House in Lausanne, from where they connected to the online meeting.
The Board approved the ORF Annual Activity Report 2025, published today. The report outlines the ORF’s initiatives in 2025, including Game Connect in Uganda, SPiRiT in Bangladesh, and Sport Coach+ throughout Europe.
Looking ahead to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, in 2025 the ORF focused on preparations for the first-ever Youth Refugee Olympic Team. Thirty-three young athletes were supported to train and compete as part of the Refugee Athlete Support programme. A further 47 senior refugee athletes were supported through Olympic Solidarity to work towards the LA28 Olympic Games.
Central to its convening role is the ORF’s continued commitment to the Sport for Refugees Coalition, which now boasts more than 170 members globally, who have collectively contributed to sports access for more than 529,000 people affected by displacement since 2023. In addition, the ORF Think Tank continues to be central to the ORF’s advocacy work by bringing together young people with lived experience of displacement, as well as experts from academia, NGOs, and the private and public sectors, to enhance understanding regarding the role of sport in displacement contexts.
Reaffirming our commitment to young people affected by displacement
The Board meeting had originally been scheduled to take place in Amman, Jordan, but plans were changed as a result of the ongoing conflicts in the region – a stark reminder of how quickly a crisis can arise and displace communities.
With humanitarian resources shrinking, the ORF’s independence from government funding ensures that the Foundation can lead when others must step back.
Addressing the Board, IOC Honorary President and ORF Chair Thomas Bach said: “Today we are looking back at activities carried out in 2025 and looking ahead to a busy 2026. But given the present situation in the world, we must look further.”
One issue is very clear - the refugee crisis will not become smaller, and at the same time, the refugee crisis is losing attention. If the ORF wants to maintain its relevance, we have to reach out to broader parts of society and maintain our strong relationship with UNHCR, which is so vital to this work.
Kirsty Coventry, attending her first meeting as IOC President, reassured the Board of the IOC’s commitment to supporting the Foundation – focusing on bringing hope to communities around the world, including to forgotten crises.
Vice-Chair Grandi echoed her comments, calling for the ORF to leverage the visibility of sport to drive greater attention to highlight these crises.
In a pre-recorded message, the recently appointed UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, said: “The work of the ORF makes an important contribution, not only by identifying and supporting refugee athletes, but by keeping the focus on refugees more broadly, and on what they can achieve when given the opportunity. It brings hope and inspiration and creates moments that bring people together. I would like to thank the ORF for your continued commitment.”
High Commissioner Salih also highlighted the significance of the first Refugee Olympic Team to compete at the Youth Olympic Games: “With around 49 million forcibly displaced children globally, this initiative carries particular importance. It reminds us how deeply children are affected by conflict, persecution and displacement.”
ORF Annual Activity Report 2025
This report presents the flagship initiatives carried out by the Foundation over the past year, including the Game Connect program deployed in Uganda, SPiRiT in Bangladesh and Sport Coach+ on a European scale.