As the euphoria surrounding the inclusion of these ten athletes from Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo fizzles out, several questions linger. What does the creation of Team ROA mean, and whom does this team actually represent? What are the legacies of this move? We argue that the creation of Team ROA should be celebrated as a call for more awareness of the world’s refugees. 

As Heather Dichter pointed out in her 2014 H-Diplo essay, a conundrum of sport diplomacy, perhaps its signal paradox, is the extent to which nations have used sport as a proving ground on the world stage. [...] Current American and global politics and their illumination on the playing field demonstrate the extent to which actors within and sometimes without a country deepen understanding of how politics and sport work in the international arena. 

Sport, as the virtuous expression of human self-improvement, honors standing in direct contact with another in the context of values ​​and respect, to seek becoming a better person. Humanitarianism and Olympism share the universal ideals of respect and dignity. Their opposites, terrorism, prejudice and violence are today our main challenges. Perhaps we should see in Olympism and the principles of humanitarianism a tool for reconciliation between peoples and a solution to these conflicts.

Ten refugee athletes will act as a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide and bring global attention to the magnitude of the refugee crisis when they take part in the Olympic Games Rio 2016 this summer. The athletes will compete for the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) – the first of its kind – and march with the Olympic flag immediately before host nation Brazil at the Opening Ceremony.