Refugee judoka Arno Yafunga Botay selected for Dakar 2026 Youth Games under-55kg category

Arno Yafunga Botay, 15, has been chosen to represent the Refugee Olympic Team in the under-55kg judo category at the Dakar 2026 Youth Games in Senegal, with judo events scheduled to run from 1-3 November. He earned his place after coming through trials in East Africa.

Yafunga Botay was six when his family fled the Democratic Republic of Congo following threats to his father's life and an attack on their home that claimed the life of his seven-month-old sibling; the family lived in the Kakuma refugee camp before settling in Nairobi and have been in Kenya since they were forced to leave DR Congo in 2017. In Nairobi he began learning judo from his father Arnold, watching his father train before Arnold went to work as a labourer, and started receiving instruction in rules and techniques at the age of seven.

Reacting to his selection, the 15-year-old told BBC Sport Africa: "I didn't expect to be selected. I was so excited. I was crying tears of joy." He added: "It [means] a lot to me to represent other refugees, represent my community," and said: "As a refugee, we have a right to compete. A refugee is a human being like other people."

Arnold described the circumstances that forced the family to flee, saying: "There were people who wanted to kill me. 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." Arnold has continued to coach Arno at their Nairobi dojo.

Arno outlined the practical barriers the family faced in pursuing sport and education: "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."

The six-strong Refugee Olympic Team for Dakar 2026 is being mentored by two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge; Yafunga Botay said of the mentorship: "He teaches us [to] respect the coach, focus on what you are doing. I promised him I'll bring the gold medal [back] so he can see [what] I achieved." 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.

Judo has become central to the family's daily life: Arnold remains Arno's coach and Arno's elder brother Christian, now 17, occasionally serves as his sparring partner; Arnold said: "He [Arno] has to keep training consistently. 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." Lawrence Karisa Nyundo, owner of the Nairobi dojo where Arno has trained since 2020, told the BBC selection "is helping parents understand that judo is not just a fighting sport - it has real value. 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."

Yafunga Botay has said he hopes his success can benefit other displaced judokas: "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.