Judoka determined to prove refugees belong at Dakar 2026

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….

The situation led to the death of my child."All you need to know about the Dakar 2026 Youth OlympicsAfrica prepares for historic Olympic moment at Dakar 2026After 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….

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."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….

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."Arnold takes a hands-on approach to coaching Arno, grappling with his son in their Nairobi dojoJudo has become a central part….

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….

We are praying that he performs well."After Dakar, Yafunga Botay hopes other refugees can benefit from his experience in the future."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.

Arno Yafunga Botay fled DR Congo with his family in 2017 and will compete at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team.