Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, Deputy Director of the International Protection Division of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, will also join Ali Zada as Deputy Chef de Mission, the organisation chaired by Thomas Bach said.

"I am delighted to welcome Masomah in her role as Head of Mission. After her journey from leaving Afghanistan to competing in the Tokyo Olympic Games and now leading the Refugee Olympic Team, I can't think of anyone better to represent this team and the more than 110 million displaced people around the world," said Thomas Bach.

The German leader also welcomed Castel-Hollingsworth. "The IOC works closely with UNHCR, without which the Refugee Olympic Team would not be possible. Bernadette brings years of humanitarian experience to ensure that all athletes on the team receive the necessary support and protection required by their precarious situation," he stressed.

The IOC highlighted that Ali Zada was born in Afghanistan in a conservative community where girls were not encouraged to ride bicycles, and became the target of threats when she and a group of women began competing. Despite the many barriers she faced, she persevered and eventually competed as a member of the Afghan national women's cycling team.

In 2017, she became a refugee and sought asylum in France. Shortly after, she received a scholarship for refugee athletes from the IOC, taking a step closer to realizing her dream of competing in the Olympic Games. She is currently studying civil engineering at the University of Lille and was appointed to the IOC Athletes' Commission in July 2022.

"It is a pride for me to represent not only the athletes and the team but also the more than 100 million displaced people worldwide. In Paris, we have the opportunity to show the world what refugees are truly capable of and redefine how the world sees us," emphasized Ali Zada, succeeding Tegla Laroupe, Chef de Mission for the first Refugee Olympic Team in Rio 2016 and the Refugee Olympic Team of Tokyo 2020.

In her role, the Afghan will act as a spokesperson for the Refugee Olympic Team, ensuring that the best interests of all its members are met and that the platform provided by the Olympic Games serves to demonstrate the role that sports can play in creating inclusive societies and the enrichment that refugees can bring to different communities.