Page 21 - Issue 64

Vol.1 Issue 64 ÉLITE

Yet, this initiative also exposed the
FIFA, for example, has strict rules
limitations of the current olympic system.
around the eligibility of players to
Refugee athletes still face immense
represent national teams. In order to
challenges like securing funding and
play for a national team, a player
training facilities and also the extremely
must hold citizenship of that country.
complex bureaucratic processes just to gain
Looking ahead to Paris 2024 and
the right to compete. The very concept of
beyond, the Olympic movement faces
national representation works against
a crucial test. Can it evolve to
them.They are operating at a disadvantage
prioritize athletic merit and human
compared to national athletes who have the
dignity over narrow nationalist
full institutional support of their countries.
agendas? Doing so would mean
In fact, in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 not a
dismantling the exclusionary systems
single medal had been won by the Refugee
that have long dominated
Olympic Team which highlighted even more
international competition. This is not
the gap between a national athlete, having
an easy task, as the Olympic Games
proper training and support from their
and other major sporting events have
country, and the refugee athlete, struggling
become heavily intertwined with
to acquire the same quality of preparations.
geopolitics and the pursuit of soft
power. However, if the Olympic
ideals of fostering global unity, peace,

and the celebration of our shared
humanity are to be realized, then the
playing field must be truly equitable
and accessible to all athletes,

regardless of their national origin or
citizenship status.

This problem extends beyond the Olympics
as well. In many popular sports, citizenship

requirements and registration processes
effectively shut out non-citizen athletes,
including children of refugees born in
camps. The underlying logic, which is never

explicitly stated, is that sports are severely
tied to national identity and the pursuit of
global prestige.

July 2024, p.21