The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) follows in the footsteps of the IOC. He announced the sending of a refugee team to the Tokyo Games in 2021. It should include up to six athletes. The delegation will be led by Ileana Rodriguez (pictured above), a former refugee from Cuba, selected for the United States in swimming at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The IPC refugee delegation will be made up of athletes having met the selection criteria for the Paralympic Games. The international body will establish a list of selected potential players, then it will support them in their qualification process for Tokyo 2020, in particular by providing them with financial support. The IPC explains that it is working on this project with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), but also with three partners of the Tokyo Games, Airbnb, Panasonic and Asics. The IOC showed the way by forming a refugee team for the first time at the Rio Games, led and directed by former Kenyan athlete Tegla Loroupe. The same year, two refugees from Iran and Syria participated in the Paralympic Games.
