The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Nepal marked the first-ever participation of a refugee team in the Rio Olympics by organizing various sporting events for refugees.

Olympian Deepak Bista attended the event and cheered on hundreds of refugees of diverse nationalities and local youth, who competed in football, athletics, badminton and table tennis, while celebrating the spirit of sportsmanship and diversity in Kathmandu, a statement issued by the UN body in Kathmandu said.

“The Rio Olympics has sent a strong message to the world — that refugees are resilient and ready to overcome obstacles to achieve success,” said Bista, who represented Nepal in taekwondo in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

“The refugee team in the Olympic Games is a story of hope and inspiration for people all over the world,” he said. Bista is the most decorated athlete in Nepal’s history with four consecutive goal medals in the South Asian Games and two bronze medals in Asian Games.

Ten athletes from four countries are competing as part of the Refugee Team under the Olympic flag in Rio de Janiero.  Among them are two swimmers from Syria, two judo competitors from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and six runners from Ethiopia and South Sudan.