Starting his races barefoot, Yiech Pur Biel took his first stride toward a new life as a refugee.
“That moment made me choose self‑reliance and begin anew with determination,” he told BBC Newsbeat.
Biel broke ground in 2016, racing the 800 m for the inaugural Olympic refugee team in Rio.
A decade later, he again writes history, steering the debut refugee squad at the Youth Olympics as Chef de Mission.
Among nearly 3,000 participants, the six‑member crew aims to make a memorable debut while urging, “refugees still need our help,” Biel says. For my money, their voice might reshape international assistance.
Saturday’s opening in Senegal will kick off the inaugural Olympic competition ever held on African ground.
With about 45 million displaced, Africa bears the largest share of the 120 million worldwide crisis.
He views the Youth Olympics as a platform for refugees to speak out and represent Africa’s displaced communities.
“It showcases the hope of camp‑bound youth who’ve lost motivation or chance to shine,” he says.
As a child, Biel fled his South Sudan village after it was attacked.
Arriving in Kenya, he told BBC Newsbeat, “It traumatised me, starting anew alone in Kakuma,” the large camp near the Kenya‑South Sudan border.
“School gave me a fresh start and connected me with peers facing the same hurdles,” he reflects.
He spent his remaining childhood in the camp, where football first caught his eye.
Finding football unsuited, he tried running at an IOC trial, competing barefoot.
That experience convinced him, “If I push harder alone, I can succeed,” he says.
Team member Arno Yafunga Botay, who escaped the DRC in 2017 at age six, also grew up in Kakuma.
“Winning gold would let me return and teach judo’s value,” he explained.
Biel calls it an honor to serve as the squad’s Chef de Mission.
“It’s vital they learn from my journey as an athlete and former camp refugee,” he states.
“Thus this role matters deeply to me and to the competing youngsters,” he adds.
The Dakar 2026 contests kick off later, after Saturday’s opening ceremony.
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