Lourance Numukiza Makes Youth Olympic Taekwondo Debut for Refugee Team
DAKAR, Senegal. Lourance Numukiza made her Youth Olympic debut on Monday, November 9, as the Refugee Olympic Team’s only Taekwondo athlete at Dakar 2026. She lost 2–0 to Cyprus’ Ioanna Konstantinou in the women’s −49 kg quarterfinals.
The 16-year-old carried the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony before becoming the first athlete to compete in Taekwondo for the Refugee Olympic Team at a Youth Olympic Games.
At the October 31 opening ceremony, Numukiza carried the Olympic flag alongside sprinter Rachid Rochene. Dakar is the first Youth Olympic Games to feature a Refugee Olympic Team. Its six athletes are based in Kenya and Uganda and compete in Taekwondo, judo and athletics.
Numukiza grew up in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp. According to World Taekwondo, coach Jack Otieno introduced her to the sport at her school in 2024. Before traveling to Senegal, she prepared with her teammates at a training camp in Kaptagat, in Kenya’s Rift Valley.
Among the people she looks up to is her team’s chef de mission, Yiech Pur Biel. He also grew up in Kakuma and ran the 800 meters for the inaugural Refugee Olympic Team at Rio 2016. A decade later, he is leading the first refugee delegation to the Youth Olympic Games.
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