[19 August 2024  – Kobe, Japan]  – ASICS will provide official sportswear and shoes to eight athletes and two guide runners selected for the Refugee Paralympic Team (RPT). 

The official sportswear features a design of “Yagasuri,” that represents determination and strength, and incorporates the International Paralympic Committee symbol mark colors of red, blue, and green. The material used is a lightweight material with excellent water absorption and quick-drying properties. 

The Refugee Paralympic team consists of athletes who overcame extreme adversity to compete in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and they will be the first team to march into the opening ceremony at the Place de la Concorde on August 28.

Comments from Athletes

Ibrahim Al Hussein (Para triathlon)

“We feel more like a family than a team. There are many similarities in our difficult paths, and we understand each other as if we know each other’s lives. I am proud to be a member of the Refugee Paralympic Team and to represent so many refugees and people with disabilities.”

Amelio Castro Grueso (Wheelchair fencing)

“It’s an honour to receive this Official Sportswear. I am so excited to wear it in Paris on the biggest stage of all. Sport changed my life, and I can’t imagine my life without it. Being part of this Refugee Paralympic Team and competing in the Paralympics is a dream come true.” 

Zakia Khudadadi (Para takewondo)

“It would be a dream to be the first to ever win a medal for the Refugee Paralympic Team.  If that happens, it will show people that no matter how difficult the struggles they face, they should never give up and provide inspiration and hope to many around the world.”

Yasuhito Hirota, Chairman and CEO, Representative Director of ASICS Corporation says: 

“We are honored to support the Paralympic Refugee Team. Seeing these athletes in action at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will give the world great dreams and hope and inspires us to think about what a truly symbiotic society should be. ASICS is committed to activities that contribute to improving the physical and mental health of all people around the world, based on its founding philosophy of ‘A Sound Mind In A Sound Body’. We will continue to work toward the realization of a truly symbiotic society in which everyone can engage in exercise and sports throughout their lives and remain healthful both mentally and physically.”