Refugee judoka Arno Yafunga targets gold at Dakar Youth Olympics
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Senego
Judoka Arno Yafunga, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo based in Kenya, will compete at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games in the under-55kg category with the Refugee Olympic Team. At 15, he hopes to win gold at the Games, held from 31 October to 13 November, according to RFI Afrique.
At 15, refugee judoka Arno Yafunga, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and based in Kenya, is targeting a gold medal at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, according to a report by RFI Afrique. He will compete in the under-55kg category with the Refugee Olympic Team.
Six young refugees from several African countries are due to compete at the Youth Olympic Games in three disciplines: athletics, judo and taekwondo. This edition, scheduled for 31 October to 13 November, will be the first Youth Olympic Games to host a Refugee Olympic Team.
Yafunga trains in Nairobi after arriving in Kenya as a child. His daily routine combines early-morning running, school and judo in the evening. His father Arnold, a black belt, introduced him to the discipline and accompanies him on the tatami. The young judoka says judo teaches him respect and responsibility.
Arnold, also a refugee in Kenya after fleeing the DRC, discusses the difficulties involving documents, work permits and access to equipment and training venues. According to the United Nations, more than 800,000 refugees and asylum seekers live in Kenya, half of them under 17.
Arno’s participation is part of preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. On 26 October, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye handed the national flag to the country’s 136 athletes selected for the Games, according to our report on the ceremony.
