Judoka determined to prove refugees belong at Dakar 2026
Arno Yafunga Botay is one of six athletes competing for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Dakar 2026 Youth Games Arno Yafunga Botay was six when his family fled the Democratic Republic of Congo after threats to his father's life culminated in an attack on their home which claimed the life of his seven-month-old sibling. Following a spell living in the Kakuma refugee camp in north-west Kenya, the family settled in Nairobi. There, Arno used to watch his father Arnold practising judo and eventually asked him to teach him the sport. Now, having coming through trials in East Africa, he will compete for the Refugee Olympic Team in the under-55kg category at the Dakar 2026 Youth Games.
