ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- On a field of uneven yellow soil, a boundary line marked with white lime stretches across the ground. At both ends, wooden goalposts stand with plastic rope-woven nets swaying in the wind. A recent friendly football match in the Bambasi Refugee Camp, near the Ethiopia-Sudan border, brought together two teams: one of refugees and the other from the local Ethiopian community.
The field was alive with enthusiastic spectators, among them Yang Yang, a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
"It felt just like a world championship. The audience was fully engaged, cheering passionately for the honor of their community. That is the beauty of sports," Yang remarked. She joined the UNHCR, or the U.N. Refugee Agency, on a mission to the Bambasi and Sherkole refugee camps on Sept. 23 and 24. By sharing her own experiences, she encouraged refugees to remain hopeful and find positivity through the power of sports.
The Bambasi Refugee Camp was established in 2012 and is now home to approximately 22,000 refugees from Sudan, 58% of whom are under the age of 18.
"Sports teach them to be united and to follow the rules, while the cheers of the crowd give them a sense of encouragement. That is truly meaningful," Yang said. She emphasized that sports have the power to uplift both body and spirit, whether on the Olympic stage or in a refugee camp football match.
The short-track speed skater, who won China's first Winter Olympic gold medal at the 2002 Games, racked up 59 world championships in a glittering career. Since retiring, she has devoted herself to sports and public welfare, serving as a member of the International Olympic Committee and vice president of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Yang hopes to inspire more young people to pursue their dreams with her story of fighting on and off the track.
In 2006, Yang donated about 80,000 yuan ($11,200), the prize money she received for winning a bronze medal at the Turin Winter Olympics, to an international sports charity. Later, the organization invited her to Ethiopia to visit a school for the blind and a children's rehabilitation center, where she shared Olympic stories to encourage patients.
"I worked as a volunteer for one week. That was the first time that I participated in such an event, and it was also the first time that I realized that sports are not only about competition and winning, but also about life, health, education and charity. Since then, I began to explore a broader world through sports," Yang recalled.
This trip marked Yang's second visit to Ethiopia in 19 years, and she felt as though she had returned to where it all began.
At the football field in the Bambasi Refugee Camp, the goodwill ambassador joined the audience in cheering for the players. When the refugee team secured a 2-0 victory, Yang lifted the trophy alongside the players. The audience erupted in chants, sharing a glorious moment that belonged to them.
"For individuals, sports provide a dream to pursue. For teams, players bring honor to their communities. And from a broader perspective, football matches between refugee camps and host communities create valuable interaction, helping refugees better integrate into local society," Yang noted.
In June 2016, then-IOC President Thomas Bach announced the establishment of a Refugee Olympic Team. As an IOC member at the time, Yang witnessed the team's debut and was deeply moved. She subsequently began to pay closer attention to refugee issues. In 2023, she was appointed as a UNHCR goodwill ambassador, hoping to share the joy and benefits of sports with more people worldwide.
At a school in the Sherkole Refugee Camp, Yang shared her childhood experiences with the students. "Coming from a small place, I lived in the countryside when I was little. Life in China in the 1970s was also very difficult, but having a firm dream always gives me strength to move forward."
Nadir Kraballa, 25, has been living in the Sherkole Refugee Camp since he fled Sudan in 2010. Driven by his love for football and years of consistent training, he is now a proud member of the camp's football team.
"There are 30 members in our team, and we have three training sessions every week. This makes us more united," Kraballa told Xinhua, expressing his wish to represent his country, Sudan, in a football match one day.
According to the UNHCR, approximately 122 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide due to poverty, conflict and other factors, and the number continues to grow. The Refugee Olympic Team has grown from 10 athletes at the Rio Olympics in 2016 to 29 in Tokyo and 37 in Paris, competing in an increasing number of sports.
Yang emphasized that participation in the Olympics or other major events is not the ultimate goal, as such opportunities are rare. What matters, she said, is that when refugee athletes do take part, they inspire countless others. These role models are no longer distant figures but people within reach, offering powerful encouragement and hope.
"Furthermore, through the global platforms of the Olympics and UNHCR, more people can learn about the real situation of refugee communities and the struggles of those forced to flee due to conflict or climate change. We also hope that these 'windows' will draw greater attention and bring more practical assistance, eventually building a world in which no one is left behind," Yang said. ■
