Fifteen-year-old Congolese refugee Arno Yafunga is set to compete in the under-55kg judo category for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, running from October 31 to November 13, as reported by rfi.fr.
The Road from Kinshasa to Nairobi Tatamis
Arno Yafunga arrived in Kenya as a child after fleeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Training out of a modest Nairobi facility, the young judoka follows a strict daily routine balancing early morning running, daytime schooling, and evening combat sessions.
Six young refugees from various African nations will compete across athletics, judo, and taekwondo at the upcoming Dakar games. This tournament marks the first time an Olympic refugee team will participate in the Youth Olympic Games.
The sport runs in the family. Arno trains alongside his father, Arnold, a black belt who also fled the DRC due to safety concerns. Arnold highlighted the administrative and logistical hurdles faced by displaced athletes in Nairobi, including strict work permit restrictions and limited access to professional training equipment.
Chasing Gold on the Continental Stage
Despite the structural challenges of displacement, Yafunga remains entirely focused on the top step of the podium in the under-55kg division.
« Je ne veux pas de médaille d’argent ou de bronze. Mon but suprême est de décrocher l’or, afin de démontrer qu’en tant que réfugiés, nous manquons d’ouvertures pour concourir hors de nos frontières. J’ai failli pleurer lorsque j’ai appris cette nouvelle qui représente tant pour moi. Je veux montrer qu’en tant que réfugiés, nous sommes capables d’accomplir de grandes choses »
Yafunga stated, as reported by rfi.fr. His father echoes that sentiment, emphasizing that refugee status does not preclude elite athletic ambition.
| Metric / Detail | Athlete Profile |
|---|---|
| Athlete Name | Arno Yafunga |
| Sport & Weight Class | Judo, Under-55kg |
| Team Affiliation | Refugee Olympic Team |
| Hometown / Origin | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Training Base | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Target Event | Youth Olympic Games (Dakar) |
With over 800,000 refugees and asylum seekers currently registered in Kenya—half of whom are under the age of 17, according to United Nations figures cited by rfi.fr—the journey of the Yafunga family underscores the intersection of displacement, athletic persistence, and high-performance development on the road to Dakar.
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