Judoka determined to prove refugees belong at Dakar 2026

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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 to kill me,” Arnold said.

“At the time, I was detained somewhere when people came to our house and attacked my family. The situation led to the death of my child.”

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After finding safety, Yafunga Botay and his elder brother Christian would watch their father training before he headed out to work as a labourer.

Yafunga Botay began receiving instructions in judo rules and techniques at the age of seven.

However, life in their adopted East African nation provided its own challenges.

“I [did] not have the judogi clothes or transport fees for local competitions,” he explained.

“It’s been difficult going to school. There’s no money for school fees.

“My father has no work. He needs to go to work and give us money to go and pay the school fees.

“And here we don’t have support. As a refugee, to stay in Kenya, you need to have documents.

“[Thankfully] the IOC (International Olympic Committee) came with this programme of helping refugees achieve their dreams.”

An Olympic first for refugees

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The Refugee Olympic Team have been mentored by marathon great Eliud Kipchoge (back row, second from right)

The Refugee Olympic Team was first introduced at the Rio 2016 Olympics and Cameroon-born boxer Cindy Ngamba won the team’s first ever medal at Paris 2024 when she claimed bronze in the women’s 75kg category.

In a double first, the team will now make its Youth Olympics debut at Dakar 2026, which is the first Olympic event hosted on African soil.

“As a refugee, we have a right to compete,” Yafunga Botay said.

“A refugee is a human being like other people.”

Father Arnold says the team serves as a message of hope to people around the world who have been displaced.

“Being a refugee does not mean your life is over,” he said.

“Refugees can also do things that surprise people.

“My message to fellow refugees is don’t give up. Keep pushing until the end.”

The six-strong team competing in Senegal is being mentored by two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge.

“He teaches us [to] respect the coach, focus on what you are doing,” Yafunga Botay said.

“I promised him I’ll bring the gold medal [back] so he can see [what] I achieved.”

Discipline and respect

Image source, BBC Sport Africa

Arnold takes a hands-on approach to coaching Arno, grappling with his son in their Nairobi dojo

Judo has become a central part of life for the family.

Arnold still coaches Yafunga Botay and Christian, now 17, occasionally serves as his younger brother’s sparring partner.

The teenager describes his father as “strict” even at home, with a firm focus on the importance of discipline.

“Maintaining his weight is not easy. He [Arno] has to keep training consistently,” Arnold said.

“Judo teaches him respect and helps him interact with others, whether at school or at home.

“Those lessons follow him everywhere. In judo, every time you fall you gain the strength to keep going.”

The owner of the dojo in the Kenyan capital where Yafunga Botay has trained since 2020 says his selection for Dakar 2026 has “changed perceptions” of judo in the community.

“It is helping parents understand that judo is not just a fighting sport – it has real value,” Lawrence Karisa Nyundo told the BBC.

“I have received calls from parents who want to enrol their children.

“It is a big achievement for this club that one of our athletes is going to compete at the Olympics. We are praying that he performs well.”

After Dakar, Yafunga Botay hopes other refugees can benefit from his experience in the future.

“In Kakuma, there are good judokas.

“I think if I achieve [a] gold medal, I can go there and teach them the value of judo.”

Competition at Dakar 2026 begins on Friday, with the opening ceremony a day later and judo events running from 1-3 November.

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