03 April 2025 – As the world marks the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) on 6 April, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) highlights how sport is levelling the playing field for refugees through the inspiring stories of Olympic medallist Cindy Ngamba and Terrains d’Avenir coach Shabnam Salahshoor. When Cindy stepped into the boxing ring at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, she carried with her more than gloves and grit. As a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team (EOR), she also conveyed the hopes of millions of displaced people around the world. In the crowd was Shabnam Salahshoor, a refugee from Afghanistan now living in Paris. As Cindy fought her way to a historic bronze medal – the first ever for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team – Shabnam cheered with tears in her eyes. “I felt she was me,” Shabnam remembers. “I said, ‘You’ve got this, Cindy! You’ve got this!’ When she won, it was for all the refugees all over the world. When I think about this moment, I feel like crying.” This year’s IDSDP theme, “Levelling the Playing Field: Sport for Social Inclusion”, is embodied in both Cindy’s and Shabnam’s journeys. Both women left their homes, and both found refuge, strength and belonging through sport. And both are now inspiring others, not only through their achievements, but also through their unwavering belief that sport can change lives. Two journeys, one message: Finding belonging through sport Cindy left Cameroon as a teenager and sought refuge in Great Britain, where she first struggled with loneliness. Fortunately, she found support in the boxing gym. “Sport is all about family. I was able to find boxing and meet so many people in the community. Through bonding with them, my confidence started going up. It saved my life.” Eventually, Cindy found a second family with the GB Boxing team, based at their training centre in Sheffield. With the support of the British Olympic Association, GB Boxing, the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) and Olympic Solidarity’s Refugee Athlete Support Programme, she rose through the ranks and became a three-time English national champion. Her journey reached a defining moment at Paris 2024, where – after serving as a flagbearer for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at the Opening Ceremony – she stepped onto the Olympic podium after earning her historic bronze in the women’s -75kg category. “The Olympic experience has changed my life in many, many ways. I’m over the moon that I was able to get myself a medal and show all the refugees all around the world, and every athlete and every Federation, that we are just like any other athlete. And we aim high.” Cindy Ngamba, IOC Refugee Olympic Team While Cindy was setting her sights on the Olympic podium, Shabnam was rebuilding her life in Paris after fleeing her homeland: “After the fall of Afghanistan, I came here to Paris. I felt totally lost in a new life and I was super depressed,” she says. It was through the Terrains d’Avenir programme – an initiative of the ORF – that Shabnam began to find her footing. Based in the Île-de-France region, Terrains d’Avenir supports displaced young people, including refugees and asylum seekers, in rebuilding their lives and finding a sense of belonging through sport. By widening access to sports such as football, rugby, taekwondo and volleyball, and offering vocational training and awareness initiatives, Terrains d’Avenir has helped more than 9,000 young people connect with their host communities and build brighter futures. Sport can be a point to start from. It saved me. I’ve found a way to fit into society. Shabnam Salahshoor, Terrains d’Avenir coach After completing coaching qualifications through the programme, she now leads women-only football sessions for other refugees in Paris. “The women who come here – I feel like they are my family. A family for people who are far from their families.” Sport as a pathway to inclusion: the IOC’s commitment to displaced people Cindy and Shabnam’s journeys reflect the IOC’s broader work to support displaced people through sport. In 2015, the IOC created the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team, giving athletes who had been forced to flee their homes the opportunity to compete on the world’s biggest sporting stage. Since then, the team has grown significantly: from 10 athletes at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 to 29 at Tokyo 2020 and a record 37 athletes at Paris 2024, living in 15 countries across 12 sports. The team was led by Masomah Ali Zada, a refugee cyclist and the first refugee to serve as Chef de Mission. Looking ahead, a Refugee Olympic Team will be competing at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 – continuing to offer hope and visibility to young displaced athletes. Beyond the Games, the IOC established the Olympic Refuge Foundation in 2017 to ensure that all displaced young people – not just elite athletes – have access to safe sport. Since then, the ORF has, through its work, reached over 950,000 young people affected by displacement. The Foundation has to date supported programmes in 12 countries, including France, where Terrains d’Avenir has helped young refugees like Shabnam rebuild their lives. Across its programme portfolio, the ORF has directly engaged more than 210,000 displaced young people and host community members, offering opportunities for protection, development and belonging. Strengthening the support to refugees and populations affected by displacement was one of the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020+5. Key results achieved can be consulted here. Olympism365: Scaling up sport’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals The IOC’s support for refugees is part of its wider objective to strengthen the role of sport in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve this, the IOC launched the Olympism365 strategy as part of the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 reforms. Through Olympism365, the IOC is reaching tens of millions of people, improving their health and well-being, increasing access to education, and creating more inclusive societies through sport. Working closely with a wide range of partners, the IOC is currently supporting 550 social impact programmes and initiatives in 176 countries. From 3 to 5 June, the Olympism365 Summit: Sport for a Better World will bring these efforts into focus. Taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Summit will unite leaders across sectors to share knowledge, celebrate progress and explore new investment opportunities in sport for development.