Refugee runner Yiech Pur Biel leads historic Youth Olympic team

Yiech Pur Biel (left) is leading the first ever refugee team at the Youth Olympics.

When he first started running, Biel had to compete barefoot, a stark reminder of the challenges he faced after fleeing his South Sudanese village.

“That’s when I decided now it is time to depend on myself and also to start a new life with determination,” he told BBC Newsbeat.

In 2016, Biel made history by running the 800 m as part of the first Olympic refugee team at the Rio Summer Games in Brazil.

Ten years later, he will again be part of a first – this time as Chef de Mission for the inaugural refugee team at the Youth Olympics, a squad of six athletes joining almost 3,000 competitors.

The opening ceremony on Saturday in Senegal will launch the first Olympic sporting event on African soil.

Africa hosts nearly 45 million displaced people, the largest share of the world’s roughly 120 million displaced, underscoring the continent’s central role in the global displacement crisis.

Biel says the Youth Olympics give the refugee team “a chance for them to tell the world and also to represent the population, especially the refugee population, in Africa”.

He adds it is “about representing the hope of young people who are living in a refugee camp, who have lost their motivation or their talent.”

Biel was a child when his home village was attacked, forcing him to flee to Kenya and live in the Kakuma refugee settlement near the Kenya‑South Sudan border.

He recalled that the experience “traumatised me, starting a new life, being alone in Kakuma,” but noted that school helped him interact with peers facing similar challenges.

His later years in the camp saw him develop an interest in football, rounding out a childhood shaped by displacement and resilience.

As the Youth Olympics approach, Biel and his small team aim to make their debut count while sending a clear message that “refugees still need our help”.