Shownotes
This is Unsung. Introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss. In this opening episode of a new series of Unsung, we’re telling the story of the IOC’s Olympic Refugee Team.
This year, the Olympics will feature 36 athletes from 11 different countries of origin, competing in 12 different sports. At the Paralympics, eight athletes and one guide runner will make up the refugee team
This will be the team’s third appearance at the Games, after making its debut in Rio in 2016. Back then, there were close to 60 million displaced people globally. On the eve of Paris 2024, that number has now soared to well over 100 million and is still rising – that’s around 1 in 70 people living on our planet. Putting them all in one place would create the 14th most populous country in the world – and that population is increasing all the time.
But especially in a year typified by highly emotive elections all over the world, there is a tendency to distil the topic of refugees and immigration to faceless numbers and dispassionate data. But each statistic has a human story behind it. You’ll hear a couple of those in this episode.
Matin Balsini and Dorsa Yavarivafa were both born in Iran, the country where almost half of this year’s Refugee Team comes from Iran, giving some indication as to just how bad the situation is for Iranian athletes.
The Iranian government exerts significant control over sports and often uses athletes for political propaganda, enforcing strict compliance with its ideological mandates. Those who dissent or fail to conform face dire consequences.
It’s a repressive environment that stifles freedom of expression and forces many talented athletes to defect in search of safety and the liberty to compete without political interference. Athletes like Matin and Dorsa, who share their painful experiences and emotional journeys in finding a new home in the UK, and the stories of their successful route to the Olympics in Paris.
Many thanks to Matin and Dorsa for speaking to us just weeks before their appearance in Paris, and to the IOC for facilitating the interviews.
Quotes:
Matin
"The one thing I really love about swimming is when you are in the water you cannot hear anything, you basically cannot see anything. And you can scream and no one can hear you."
"At 17, I decided to coach myself. And the hardest thing was, after one year when I improved a lot, the coaches were jealous. They didn't want me to improve because they thought that it made them look small."
"During the session I'd be swimming alone in the pool, and they would just turn the lights off.I had to swim in the darkness."
“I'm so happy that I am going to the Olympic Games and I'm super excited as well. But it's a bit sad for me because I can’t represent my nation anymore.”
Dorsa
“All I had with me for a whole year was my racket. It was just me, my racket, and my mom."
"I was about 14 when we left. It was really hard because I had to leave my family and my friends. I was quiet, depressed, and sad at first, because I was really shocked. But I had to do it, it just wasn't safe for my mom and me to stay in Iran."
"We tried to go, and they pointed a gun at us. They thought we were armed. And then they put us in jail. They separated me from my mom, which was really difficult. I remember how scared I was then. Imagine a 15-year-old girl being away from her mom in a jail. It was the worst nightmare of my life."
"Imagine representing your own country, there is such a power in that. But I'm not able to do that. So that is very sad, but I had to do it."
Explore more
Refugee athlete Eyeru Gebru speaks to Eurosport
Thomas Bach and Masomah Ali Zada at the IOC Refugee Team announcement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ92zcp3gZE
Dorsa Yavarivafa Olympics profile
https://olympics.com/en/athletes/dorsa-yavarivafa
Dorsa Yavarivafa Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/dorsa_yavarivafa/?hl=en
Matin Balsini Olympics profile
https://olympics.com/en/athletes/matin-balsini
Matin Balsini Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/matinbalsinii/?hl=en-gb
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Unsung: Not All Heroes Wear Kits, by Alexis James
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Episode credits
Writing & Narration: Alexis James
Producer: Matt Cheney
Artwork: Matt Walker
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Transcripts
In May 2024, I found myself in Bayeux, Normandy. This quaint medieval town is famous for being the home of the tapestry that depicts the Norman Conquest of 1066. But what you might not know is that it was the first major town liberated by the allies following the D Day lines. British troops would have marched past the Liberty Tree at Place de la Liberte, the square next to Bayeux Cathedral. This tree was planted following the French revolution more than 200
Alexis James [:years ago.
Alexis James [:It all means that in France, Bayeux is seen as a symbol of freedom and liberation. And on this day in May, 1,000 lined the streets to witness the Olympic torch relay. Which began its journey that morning on Omaha Beach passing by his British War Cemetery before coming into the stadium where I stood waiting with my less than infused family.
Alexis James [:Here's a
Alexis James [:clip of me, a 39 year old man, whooping like I'm in a rock concert while my 2 kids stare blankly. Wonder why their dad is excited at the sight of a small flickering flame.
Alexis James [:Here it is.
Alexis James [:Given some of the looks I got from French onlookers, seems my kids weren't the only ones thinking that. But I reckon I had good reason to be excited. You see, not only had this flame traveled all the way from Olympia in Greece, but of the 150 torchbearers that day, there was one in particular I was fascinated by. Her name is Eyaru Gebru. An Ethiopian refugee who found a new home in France after fleeing civil war in her home country. Given Bayers history and reputation, it seems an apt setting for Gabriel to make her mark. And what's more, she'll get another chance to do so in Paris. That's because Gabriel is a professional cyclist who was one of the athletes selected to be part of the IOC refugee team.
Alexis James [:This is her speaking to Eurosport in June describing how her dream of competing at the Olympic Games has helped to overcome the despair of being without her family.
Eyeru Gerbru [:Cycling, it saved my life. Like I don't express, like, in words. Yeah. Before it's like, it was my dream, it was my passion, but now it's it's more than everything. Yeah. Like, it's like my big strength here is I don't have anyone. I'm from my far from my family. And the only thing that I have here is is my dream and the love of for that I have for the cycling.
Eyeru Gerbru [:And, yeah, I want to be good at it and, yeah, to achieve my my dream.
Alexis James [:And so that day in Bayeux, it made me think that at this year's Olympic games, the real unsung heroes will be those athletes prevented from competing under their nation's flag, but who are nevertheless representing more than 100,000,000 displaced people worldwide. They may not win any medals, but their stories must be told. And so to kick off a new series of unsung, I wanted to do just that. Welcome to unsung. Introducing the sports stars you don't know. Telling the stories you can't miss. My name is Alexis James and this is beyond borders. A refugee's journey to the Olympic Games.
Alexis James [:Before we get here from 2 of the refugees taking part in this year's Olympic Games, I thought it'd be worth telling you a little bit more about the refugee program. This was IOC president Thomas Bach's message when he announced the athletes selected to represent the team in 2024.
Thomas Bach [:We recognize your resilience and determination of each and every one of you, And we will support each and every one of you with our Olympic scholarships, also after the Olympic Games Paris 2024. You can count on us.
Alexis James [:This will be the team's 3rd appearance at the games after making its debut in Rio in 2016. Back then, there were close to 60,000,000 displaced people globally. On the eve of Paris 2024, that number has now soared to well over 100,000,000 and it's still rising. That's around 1 in 70 people living on our planet. Putting them all together in one place would create the 14th most populous country in the world and that population is increasing all the time. But especially in a year typified by highly emotive elections all over the world, there is a tendency to distill the topic of refugees This year the Olympics will feature 36 athletes from 11 different countries of origin competing in 12 different sports. At the Paralympics, 8 athletes and 1 guide runner will make up the refugee team. For the first time, the team will have its own emblem featuring a heart at its center surrounded by arrows symbolizing how lost refugees can one day find their way again.
Alexis James [:Looking after those athletes as the chef de mission will be Massoma Alizada. She competed as a member of the refugee Olympic team in Tokyo after settling in France following threats from the Taliban in her home of Afghanistan. This is her speaking at the team announcement.
Massoma Alizada [:Exactly for me, a refugee Olympic team and the member who selected today, they're already winner because, I know how much is difficult to be a refugee. We have a lot of challenges, we have all difficulties, but we didn't give up. And, we wanted to continue as strong as could. And now they are in the Olympic Games. They will present, refugee Olympic team in Paris. They are the symbol of resilience, hope, reunification, and also the hope and the source of inspiration to other refugees and to the world. So for me, it's really important that we have a refugee team in Olympic games, and that represent more than 100,000,000 people around the world.
Alexis James [:While no Olympic refugee athlete has yet won a medal at the games, some have come close. In Tokyo, Taekwondo athlete Kimi Alizade reached the bronze medal bouts, but was defeated at the hurdle finishing joint 5th. She has since received citizenship from her host country and will arrive in France as a proud Bulgarian citizen. When you see the refugees competing in Paris, you'll see them at their physical peak as elite athletes. But the reason they're a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide is because of what they've gone through to get there. There are athletes playing war in Syria. Some who've escaped the tyranny of the Taliban. Political exiles from Venezuela and Cuba and others who've had no choice but to leave repressive regimes that threaten their human rights.
Alexis James [:They found new homes all over the world with nations including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Jordan, Pakistan, Spain, Kenya, and Israel among those offering a safe haven. Several of the team now proudly call the UK their home. Ramiro Mora is a Cuban weightlifter who originally arrived in the country as part of the black bull circus troop and who now holds 3 British weightlifting records. Taekwondo practitioner Farzad Mansouri was Afghanistan's flag bearer at the Olympics 3 years ago, but made his way to the UK following the fall of Kabul in September 2021. Cindyengamba is a Bolton based Cameroonian who as a gay woman is unable to return home due to her sexuality remaining a criminal offense. Given her success in British boxing rings, there are genuine hopes that she can become the 1st refugee to win an Olympic medal. And then there were the 2 athletes I had the great pleasure of speaking to and whose stories I'm thrilled to share in this episode after this short break. Welcome back to Unsung.
Alexis James [:You're about to meet 2 athletes who'll be representing the IOC's refugee team in Paris and potentially beyond. Both of them hail from Iran and given that almost half of this year's refugee team comes from Iran, it gives some indication as to just how bad the situation is for Iranian athletes. The Iranian government exerts significant control over sports and often uses athletes for political propaganda. Iranian Iranian athletes are instead expected to withdraw from events rather than face Israeli opponents. Those who dissent or fail to conform face dire consequences. Just last year, veteran Iranian weightlifter Mustafa Raje was banned from all sports for life after shaking an Israeli athlete's hand on the podium. It's a repressive environment that stifles freedom of expression and forces many talented athletes to defect in search of safety and the liberty to compete without political interference. So it's worth bearing all that in mind as we hear from our 2 young athletes beginning with 23 year old, Matin Balsini.
Matin Balsini [:So my name is Matin Balsini. I was born in Tehran, but originally, I'm from northwest of Iran, which is, Turk area. So I I kinda speak Turkish and it's a Persian book.
Alexis James [:Matin's dad was a bodybuilder, and his grandfather was a wrestler. So sport ran in the family. But the biggest sport in Iran is football. And while he seems happy to laugh about it now, it's fair to say Martin didn't catch the soccer bug.
Matin Balsini [:Everyone in the school were playing football, but me, I wasn't good at football. So they always pick me as the last person, and I always had to stay in as as a goalkeeper. And even in the goalkeeper, I wasn't that much good. I remember once time I scored into my own goal as a goalkeeper. I'm a bit introverted, so I don't like to be in the, like, the group and team as a sport, I mean.
Alexis James [:Instead, he gravitated towards the pool where he could be alone in his lane.
Matin Balsini [:So that's why I choose swimming. The one thing I really love about swimming is when you are in the water, so you cannot hear anything. You basically cannot see even anything, and you can scream, and no one can hear you. I really like this atmosphere, but the worst thing about swimming that I hate is to be wet. I hate that. Especially in the early morning when it's in the winter, it's so hard to jump into the cold water.
Alexis James [:If there's something a little peculiar, dare I say amusing, about a swimmer who doesn't like getting wet, it's somewhat tempered by the fact that one of the things he likes about swimming is being able to scream underwater without anyone hearing you. Whether it's subconscious or otherwise, it struck me as being a pretty powerful metaphor for his time in Iran. Mattan admits that he wasn't a natural talent in the pool, but rather his success was down to hard graft.
Matin Balsini [:I started learning swimming with some of my friends. All of them learned how to swim after 3 month, 2 month. It took 1 year for me to just learn how to swim. I wasn't that much talented in swimming. Took so long for me. I don't like someone being better than me in anything. So at that time, so many people was better than me, and I just I didn't know what to you know, doing 2,000 c tops or 800 or 1000 push ups, It doesn't help me, but I didn't have that knowledge. And I just wanted to do something to improve me.
Matin Balsini [:So at that time, I I thought that this is the best thing that I can do. Eventually
Alexis James [:his hard work paid off and he was called up to represent his country on the world stage at just 15 years old. But soon the drive and ambition that got him to national standard was about to get him into trouble.
Matin Balsini [:The gap between Iranian swimming and the world swimming is a lot. And the coaches, I don't wanna humiliate them, but the coaches in Iran, they don't have that much knowledge of swimming. I had many coaches in Iran until age 17. But from 15 to 17, I couldn't improve even one second. And I was asking myself, I'm doing every single thing that my coach telling me, even I'm doing even extra thing. But why I can't improve? I decided to split up from my team and coach myself by my own.
Alexis James [:After splitting from his Iranian coaches, Matten began writing his own training programs based on clips he found on YouTube or from sets posted on social media by top swimmers. Remarkably, he started to make serious progress.
Matin Balsini [:It's really worked. I didn't expect that, but it's really worked and, I dropped the lots of my PVs in Iran. Right now, when I'm flashback, I'm thinking, how did I did that? Because imagine you don't have a coaches. You don't have that much knowledge about swimming. You are just a 17 years old teenager, and I was writing my own sets every week, and writing my training, and writing my gym sessions, and going to the swimming pool. There is no coach, just me and myself. That was very hard.
Alexis James [:The other thing that Matten found hard was the fact he was lying to Iran's swimming federation.
Matin Balsini [:In Iran, they don't allow you to coach you by yourself. So I lied to them. I said, I have a coach from Europe. So he sent me the sets. For about 2 years, they felt that I have coach from European countries. And after 2 years, when I improved a lot, they were asking me, who's your coach? Can we connect it to him? I said, no. He's he's so expensive.
Alexis James [:1st, the authorities became suspicious of his noticeable improvement. And then they became resentful.
Matin Balsini [:The hardest thing was after 1 year when I improved the logs, the coaches, they're they're jealous. They didn't want me to improve because when you improve by other coach, they think that you make them look smart. So that's why they were just so good with me.
Alexis James [:And so began a prolonged period of harassment for Martin. One of the country's most promising young swimmers was now subject to a bullying campaign by the very people who were supposed to be helping him.
Matin Balsini [:Then I wanted to go to the swimming pool in the early morning. Imagine during the session, I'm swimming in the swimming pool. I was just sitting alone in the swimming pool. They just turned the lights off, And I had to swim in the, like, dark. Sometimes they did that 2 times, 2 times per week, and I had to swim in the darkness.
Alexis James [:Swimming in the darkness, again with the metaphors. Martin wasn't deterred though. And in fact, he offered the perfect response to show them he was unflustered by their petty gestures. He started swimming in the dark anyway.
Matin Balsini [:After they started to do this, I really liked that to swim in the darkness. As I said, I'm so introverted person. So when they did that, they charged me most, you know. After that, I decided to when I come in the early morning to the swimming pool, I didn't even turn on the lights, and I started swimming in the darkness. And after that, they turned the lights on.
Alexis James [:When they discovered that Martin didn't have a European coach, and he was actually coaching himself, and what's more making noticeable improvements to his times, the bullying got worse. Along with the microaggressions that were a dispiriting drip drip, drip of hate, Martin would find himself the victim of vicious rumors and innuendo. It lasted for 4 years. As before though, Martin responded in the only way he knew how. He kept his head down, ignored the bile and continued to work hard. And despite the odds being stacked against him, he shaved 7 seconds off his personal best in the 200 meter butterfly and made the qualification time for the Olympics. Almost reluctantly, Iran selected him to represent the nation at Tokyo in 2021.
Matin Balsini [:When I qualified for Olympic games, that was one of the biggest moment in my life and at the same time also one of the sad time of my life because I didn't have any facilities and, any equipments. You know, I did not have any even even any supports from the our federation or anyone. Just me and my dad. They they're annoying me so much. Despite qualifying, the victimization continued in many forms in a
Alexis James [:seeming bid to interrupt his training and preparation. Ahead of Tokyo, all athletes were due to submit 3 COVID tests, 72 hours, 48 hours, and 24 hours before their flight. The process typically saw the National Olympic Committee send a doctor to each athlete's training camp in order to take the test. All except Martin.
Matin Balsini [:The swimming federation send a message to National Olympic Committee that said, Martin is just a one athlete. You don't need to send one doctor to here to get the COVID test. He can come to your place and give you a COVID test.
Alexis James [:Their insistence that he make the journey himself meant that he would spend the majority of his last 3 days before the Olympics, not in a pool, but behind a wheel.
Matin Balsini [:Imagine 3 days before the Olympic games, I couldn't even go to swimming pool. I had to be in the, like, the National Olympic Embassy at 10 AM every day, and I had to drive from the west of Tehran to east of the Tehran. And I I I remember I spent 8 hours every single day, 8 hours. One way, and one way back. Yeah. So 8 hours every day just in the traffic, just for the COVID test, and they didn't let me train 3 days before they're going to the Olympic games.
Alexis James [:Once in Tokyo, the disparity between the way his federation treat him compared to the support the other athletes enjoyed was stark. Whereas his rivals would have teams of support staff including coaches, physios, chefs, masseurs, not to mention access to gyms and recovery facilities, Martin had nothing. The only other delegates from Iran were government officials treating the visit as a jolly.
Matin Balsini [:We had all the government people, government employees. They came with us today like this for real age As a tourist, I didn't even have a coach for myself. I was just me myself in this Olympic village. I wasn't in a in a room with, like, other athletes. I was sharing my room with 1 of the National Olympic Committee employees, so, didn't have that chance to talk to other athletes.
Alexis James [:Given the 3 days of driving for COVID tests followed by a 21 hour journey to Tokyo, Martin's preparation had been far from ideal. But when he began suffering from leg cramps the night before his competition, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
Matin Balsini [:I saw the recovery center for Brazilian Olympic team. I went there, and there was no one there. And I saw so many ice bath there. So I used this one of the ice bath there secretly because that was, like, 1 AM at night, and no one was there. So I used that ice bath, and that was so cool. When I finished, I I came back to my place, and a day after that, I had a competition. I mean, exactly in the same day, basically.
Alexis James [:It was a bold decision that foundation
Matin Balsini [:and I finished my race. I dropped my pv. I went the competition. I've I finished my race. I dropped my p v. I went 159 for the first time in my life. I went under 2 minute in 200 meter ball fly. I broke my national record, and I became the first person who could go under 2 minute in history of speedrun swimming in in 2 unbeatable flight.
Matin Balsini [:And I was super excited because of this, all the difficulties that I had been through, all the negative thing that I had before that race, After I I saw my time, all gone. All gone. That was a very unique feeling. I was very happy because of my time, and I was at that time, I was super proud of myself. And also I had Arjernally because of the atmospheres and the, like, you know, Olympic games. And I was very, very angry because I was thinking if they let me train at that 3 days before Olympic games and also gave me more facilities, I could go much, much faster. And thinking about these make me much more angry. And also I was very sad at that time.
Alexis James [:With adrenaline fueling a cocktail of mixed emotions, Martin's next move wasn't his wisest.
Matin Balsini [:When I was on my way to go back to my place, a journalist came to me, and she asked me what you are thinking, what how's your feeling this up. So I just mentioned this thing as a fun part. I wasn't at that time, I wasn't complaining about this. I was just saying, yeah. That was I did so good. It could be better if the government helped me more. And, you know, last night, I I had to go and, use the Brazilian ice stuff so quickly. I when I said this thing, at that time, I said that wasn't that much big.
Alexis James [:But the next day, he awoke to a media storm in Iran. It didn't make for good reading.
Matin Balsini [:When I woke up early morning at 7 AM and turned on my phone, and I saw lots of magazines, lots of the TV channels, lots of the, like, the journalists worked on the cakes that I said. Even BBC, Asian BBC, they worked on that, and they said Iranian singer, Limpic singer, used the Brazilian affair secretly a day before his competition. When I saw this title, I said, oh my god. I'm done. I'm done.
Alexis James [:He put some clothes on and went out to walk the streets of Tokyo contemplating his next move. He felt afraid to return and when he finally did at 4 in the morning, there were 3 officials waiting for him.
Matin Balsini [:I saw 3 people are standing in my room and they were waiting for me to come. When I came, I said, I don't wanna talk about this, but they said, why did you say that? Don't you scared of going back to Iran? You are making fun of us, front of the older worlds and stuff. But I I didn't want to do that, but maybe I wasn't that much experience. If I go back to that time, I wouldn't say that. So before that, just our federation was bad with me. But after I say these things, even the Olympic Committee, they changed their mood with me. They didn't even let me to come to the gym for the training after that. And, they started bullying me so so much more than before.
Alexis James [:When his parents were contacted by Iranian officials for what they saw as embarrassing the country on the world stage, there was a dark foreboding to Martin's future in Iran.
Matin Balsini [:My dad sometimes he's still complimenting why did you say that? Because it puts a lots of pressure on them.
Alexis James [:His ambitions hadn't changed. He still wanted to be the best swimmer he could be and make his country and family proud. And he continued to train hard and alone. But his reputation as a troublemaker made him an enemy in his own camp. It was time to reconsider his future. In the hope of getting in the best shape possible ahead of the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, he applied for a short term visa to train in the UK.
Matin Balsini [:The purpose of coming to the UK for me at that time just for preparation for the world championship in the Budapest on on July, I spent lots of the time, lots of money just to come to the UK to train in the better condition, And, you know, train in the peace, basically.
Alexis James [:Based in Guildford from April 2022, training in peace is exactly what he did. Under the guidance of renowned swimming coach Lee Spindlow, Martin swam 20 hours a week and went to the gym 8 hours a week, which left little opportunity to explore this new country. But his only reward was another devastating blow.
Matin Balsini [:Don't having fun. Just commitment, commitment, 100% commitment. I was counting the base for the core championship. I want to do that. I want to do that. 3 weeks before that, they pulled me out of the competition with no reason. You know? They didn't even say say why. Even though I had qualification, I was the only person who had the qualification for the world championship.
Matin Balsini [:They took me out of the competition with no reason. All the world just destroyed in in me in one second. And for 2 days, I didn't know what to do. What should I do right now? Now? And, I was very angry at that time. So and also another thing is no. I don't wanna take over that. Sorry. I wanted to talk about something I I figured it or not.
Alexis James [:It's not the best line at this point, but Martin is clearly still angry and emotional. But it's noticeable that he abruptly stops himself making a comment against the Iranian authorities. Self censoring in a way that maybe wishes he had done back in Tokyo.
Matin Balsini [:So all of these things all of these things together, made me to leave my country and not swimming in my country anymore. I got the visa for 6 months for the competition and the for the preparation for the world championship. After they put me out of the world champ, I decided to not going back to my country anymore.
Alexis James [:It's a decision that no one should ever have to make for any reason, but Martin had been pushed too far. Despite not knowing anyone in the UK, with all of his friends and family back home in Iran, he took the difficult decision to apply for asylum. He had no idea when he'd see his family again. But most frustrating of all was that the decision made in order to continue his journey as a professional swimmer meant putting his sporting career on hold. For a while his asylum case was being processed, Martin was moved from city to city, meaning that keeping a training routine was impossible. When he spent 3 months in the refugee camp in Folkestone, twice a week, he'd walked into the nearest pool.
Matin Balsini [:I woke up at, like, 4 AM, and I just put something and just go to the, swimming pool. And I was walking to the swimming pool for 2 hours to get the the swimming pool. And after I finished the swimming, I had to go back again, and that was, like, another 2 hours just walking. And, that was very tough. So when I came to the UK, I had no one. No one. I didn't have any friends here.
Alexis James [:Occasionally, he'd get messages from Iran, some of her threatening nature. But mainly, he missed his family, while his parents and sister worried about him back home in Iran.
Matin Balsini [:They got used to it. Right now, we I mean, we are talking together every day, at least 2 hours every day, but I I really miss them so much. Hopefully, I can see them after Olympic games this year. If I want to see my family, I need to go to somewhere like Turkey or Georgia.
Alexis James [:When his asylum was accepted, he was able to settle in Guilford where he now works as a lifeguard at the weekend. Allowing him to train during the week. He credits his coach for getting his swimming career back on track.
Matin Balsini [:The good news is my coach everyday he is coming. He has so much commitment. I couldn't train for around 7 or 8 months last year, and it affected me a lot. And I lost lots of my endurance and my abilities in swimming. And it was very hard to get back again, but, with helps of my coach here, Lee Eskindo, and my team here, I could do that again. And I and right now, I'm I'm I'm much better than the Matt in 2021.
Alexis James [:We'll hear more from Matt in later. But after the break, I want to introduce you to another Iranian athlete who's forged a new home in the UK and who also has Paris in her sights. Welcome back to Unsung. Dorsa Yefarifaba is 2 years younger than her compatriot, Martin. But her journey as a refugee was for much longer. And although she also hails from Tehran, her reasons for leaving her home are vastly different. She was only a teenager when on rainy November morning in 2018, her mother told her they needed to pack their bags and leave the only place she'd ever called home.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:I was about 14 when we left. It was really hard because I had to leave my family, my friends, and in that age, you know, when I had to like when I was growing. So it was really, really hard. I had no idea what's gonna happen or, like, how I'm going. I was really confused. When we left, I was quite depressed and sad at first because I was feeling shocked. I was feeling shocked that, wow, what happened? And why did I leave? Why did I leave my family? And stuff? But then, when she explained, I got a bit calmer. So I always had my mom on my side that she would calm me down.
Alexis James [:Dorsa's mother explained that she wanted to change her religion. Something that is strictly forbidden in the Islamic Republic. Conversion from Islam can be punishable by death and it was no longer safe for them to stay in the country.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:She was just like, we have to leave because it's not really safe for me here. And I always want my mom's safety. She was like, it would be dangerous for you as well. So I was like, wow. Okay then. So if it's dangerous for me and you, family comes back.
Alexis James [:When she accepted that she had to leave, Dorsa's first thought was to pack a badminton racket.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:All I had with myself on the way was me and my racket. I always had my racket in my hands. It was only a one racket as well this whole year that I was on the way. It was just me and my racket and my mom.
Alexis James [:The racket would also remind her of her dad who'd be staying behind in Iran to protect them in case his wife and daughter needed to return. It was he who did reduce dose at the badminton despite the fact that under Iranian law, he wasn't allowed to watch her play.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:It all started when I was about 10 years old and my dad introduced me to badminton. So it's all started from there. From then it's been now 10 years now playing badminton and it was really hard for me to play badminton in Iran as we had to wear a hijab and he wasn't allowed to play with any men or any men couldn't see us play or like For example, my dad, he couldn't see me play like imagine that. That's just crazy.
Alexis James [:Dorsa's dad had been a professional table tennis player and her mother enjoyed playing basketball. So just like Mattson's upbringing, sport was a given in Dorsa's home. But it took a while for her to find the one that suited her especially in an environment where women and girls are under particular strict scrutiny.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:At first, I've started with swimming, but still it was a bit difficulties with swimming because we couldn't like swimming in a free space, it was always strict for us, because it's an Islamic country. After that I did play basketball, which, again, it was really really hard. It's just because of being strict. And it is quite hot in Iran in summer, imagine playing with hijab and all that in summer. It was possible, but really difficult. So, I chose badminton because it was quite quite easier. And plus, it wasn't a group sport because I didn't want to play individual and it was quite a busy area in basketball. And so that's why I chose badminton.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:It was an individual sport. And, like, it's kind of, like, relaxing for me.
Alexis James [:Like Masin, she gravitated towards the solitude of individual sports. And she too admitted to not being a natural from the off.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:I did work really hard for it at first. I am a quick learner, I say. I do learn really quick, but then still, I wasn't the best at it when I ever started. At first, I was just playing as a joke, just like to have fun, you know, not really serious. And then when I started playing, my coach was like, she have the potential to be better and be professional. And when I played my first tournament, I got first place in it and my mom and, like, my coach was like, wow. This could get
Alexis James [:bigger. Dorsa soon improved and enjoyed a good relationship with her coaches. Like any thriving young sportswoman, she began dreaming of representing her country at the Olympics.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:I immediately fell in love with it and I started playing more tournaments. And then I started dreaming. I started dreaming about Olympics. And I was like, wow. I will make this reality, all my dreams. I'll make it a reality soon.
Alexis James [:But all that was turned upside down in an instant as she was thrust into a perilous life on the road.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:It was kind of just let's get to Europe and see where we can settle because we used to be in Germany actually first for, like, 10 months, and then they gave us a negative answer of we can't stay there. So after that, we had to leave Germany as well because we would have get deported to our country. And if we get deported to our country, again, it wouldn't be safe for me and my mom and just my family. So, yeah, imagine moving for a year when you're 14 is just really challenging.
Alexis James [:After being refused asylum in Germany, they headed to France and then on to Belgium. During this time Dorsa endured the sort of experiences no teenager should be put through. Including being threatened at gunpoint and even thrown in jail.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:Once I remember, which was the worst experience of my life, we tried to go and then they put up gun at us and said, put your hands up. They thought we are armed and we're gonna, like, do something. And then they put us in jail, and they separated me from my mom, which it was really, really difficult. And I remember how scared I was then. Imagine a 15 year old girl being away from her mom in a jail. That it was it was the worst nightmare of my life. You had to be separated, and then they take me somewhere alone and, ask me questions that I didn't know. They were like, no.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:You're lying. You're lying. But I had no idea, and they they didn't believe I'm 15. So because I was quite tall back then as well and didn't believe me. It was really hard.
Alexis James [:Dorsa and her mother finally made it to the UK. Knowing that they had some friends and family who could help them in London. Her entire journey had lasted a year. Going from Iran to Turkey, Turkey to Germany, Germany to France, France to Belgium, and finally Belgium to England. As you can imagine, Dorsa hadn't been able to play a single minute of badminton during this ordeal. But still she kept the racket with her and wondered what all of her friends were doing while she endured the worst year of her young life.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:I always thought I was like, wow. When I was 15, All other kids in the world, they were playing games at their homes. They had their friends. They were going to school, and I was facing those difficulties. And I was like, just, wow. Like, I didn't deserve to be treated like that when I was 15. Yeah. But was looking for a safe home.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:That's what I was doing. When you try to get to where you wanna go, you will definitely get caught up. It it depends on your luck. So we did face, like, about, I say, 6 times that we faced police and I had to go to jail and I had to be like handcuffed by police.
Alexis James [:Dorsa and her mother were able to stay in Birmingham while they waited on their status for asylum. She enrolled at Sandwell College where she learned to speak English, but it would be another 6 months before she was able to resume training.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:After when we arrived, I didn't know any English or I didn't know how to communicate with people or find a sports hall to just train in it. So in that time, I did outdoor runs. I did go to, like, to parks to just train myself because I couldn't go to gym as well. It was really difficult because I couldn't find anywhere to train for 6 months. So that's a year when it's 6 months that I couldn't train.
Alexis James [:She eventually made contact with Lorraine Cole, the 2006 European senior champion who agreed to become her coach.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:But then when I found somewhere in Birmingham, which it was with Lorraine Cole, I did train with her and she really pushed me up. I was able to get back again, and I started to play tournaments again. She taught me everything.
Alexis James [:After a year of chaos and drama, Dorsa was pleased to be welcomed in Birmingham, and she enjoyed the help and support she'd missed for so long.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:It was a really good college. They helped me a lot with English and with my sport actually as well because I started training in the sports hall in my college as well, so it was really helpful. Everyone was so friendly, and I was having difficulty with English, but they always helped me, they always understood me, and they were so patient with me. So I'm really thankful that I found those people, because they really helped me in my life.
Alexis James [:But the wait to hear about their asylum application meant that Dorset still couldn't be sure where her future lay. And more importantly, it meant that she was still unable to see her dad after their hasty separation in 2018.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:I was on video call with my dad every day this whole 5 years that I didn't see him, which it's a lot to FaceTime every day. But I couldn't because I love my dad. I'm a daddy's girl. And it's just always a connection between me and my dad because we always used to go to gym to train to that as well. So imagine not having him around was the hardest time for me because it's just it was just me and my mom.
Alexis James [:Eventually, after a two and a half year wait, the day came that Dorsa and her mother had been waiting for.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:We got accepted and it was over the moon because we was like, wow, it's all over. All the suffering is over and we can just settle down somewhere safe.
Alexis James [:UK residency allowed them to move closer to family in London. Dawson now trains from Milton Keynes, where she's coached by former team GB badminton player Sarah Sanghi. When she was introduced to Denmark based Iranian player Kaveh Merabi, he suggested that she might be eligible to be part of the Olympic refugee team. It took several months for her to meet the qualifying criteria.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:They told me that I got accepted. Me and my mom immediately started crying And it was such an emotional moment. And then after the call, I called my dad in Iran. And then he started crying as well, which it was so exciting. And so so I was like, wow. So I got a chance to go to Olympics, the biggest events in the world. I was just like, wow. So it was really emotional and I was really happy.
Alexis James [:The scholarship has allowed her to fund her travel and more tournaments in the UK where she's since broken into the top 20. But there was still one thing missing in her life. After so long without seeing him in the flesh, Dorsa was finally able to be reunited with her dad.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:It's been 7 months my dad came from Iran which it was really emotional because I got to sell my dad after 5 years. When he came it was the best feeling ever. Imagine seeing you that after 5 years, it it it is quite a long time because I left him when I was 14. I was quite small and like tiny and I changed, I changed a lot from 14 to 18. It was just amazing because it was at the end of my 18 years old when I saw him. It was my birthday and it was just the best gift. It was just the best feeling as well.
Alexis James [:For the first time ever, he'd be free to watch his daughter play the sport that he'd introduced her to almost a decade earlier.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:Imagine not seeing your daughter play for 19 years especially like from when I've grown up. She couldn't see any sport that I played, Any. And I've been playing sports from when I was 5, and imagine not with him being able to see me. It was really hard for him as well. I had a tournament called Middlesex Gold and it was like a sitting area. He was watching me from them like this. I never forget. Like this.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:And then I was so stressed as well because he thought it was the first time him seeing me play actually tournament. I managed to do it, and he said, wow. You're amazing, and I'm proud of you. And that's when I started crying because I got emotional. So I was like, wow. I made him proud, and that's all I wanted.
Thomas Bach [:Martin Balcini, swimming. Dorsa Yauravafua Badminton. Congratulations to all of you. We will welcome you, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, with open arms and open hearts. In the true Olympic spirit of solidarity, peace and excellence at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Congratulations and welcome.
Alexis James [:Like Dorta, Martin was thrilled to hear his name read out by Thomas Bach in May confirming that he'd made the Olympic refugee team. The athletes spoke to me just weeks before they headed to Paris. They were excited, relieved, happy, but most of all, just like any top athlete preparing for the biggest event of their career, they were hard at work. Training every hour that they gave them. The key thing is they were working under elite coaches and in a safe and supportive environment geared towards their continual improvement. And that's down to the IOC's pioneering refugee scholarships.
Matin Balsini [:They supported me so good to be honest. I think it's a very good program that IOC gives to the, like, the athletes like me who can't be able to swim for their nation. They give you this opportunity to swim or not swim, just mean do your profession as a refugee, and I'm really thankful for this.
Alexis James [:For 2 athletes who opted for individual sports, perhaps because of daunting external factors, they may find it a blessing to be part of a team this time around. A team that, while likely to be the most diverse to ever take part in the Olympic Games, will find that they have plenty in common. Dorsa for 1 is looking forward to meeting her teammates for the first time.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:I can't wait to sit down with them and just hear everyone's story because I know all of us have our own story from where we come from. We're all from different countries as well. I just wanna sit down and just have a chat with them like how was it for you? How was it for you? So I think it will be really nice because we all gonna feel safe around each other because we're all the same and it's just gonna feel really amazing. I can't wait for that. Each of us are 1 in a 100,000,000 which is a really really big number. It is a really big number and we just want to make them to feel proud and tell them you're normal people. We are all normal people as well. We're normal athletes like other athletes.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:There is no difference between all of us. So all I want to say, you guys are not alone and just keep going and put your head up and never be embarrassed of who you are.
Alexis James [:Of course, for Matt and Dorsa, their appearance at the Olympic games will be bittersweet. When they dreamed of this moment as kids, they'd have been winning medals to the sound of the Iranian national anthem, not the Olympic hymn. As for Martin, he'll be in the unique position of appearing in successive Olympic games but representing different teams. Despite being a proud Iranian, it will not be his country's flag next to his name. His emotions are understandably torn.
Matin Balsini [:My feeling right now is a bit complicated. From one point, I'm so happy that I am going to do Olympic games, and I'm super excited as well. But, another point, it's a bit sad for me because I can't assume for my nation, represent my nation anymore. And, the one thing that I really like about Iranian culture is the people are so nice. The people really support you so much. I don't wanna, like, make other refugee hear this. I don't wanna make them sad, but these things are really hard to me because, you know, basically, you don't have nation. So for me, personally, when I was in V1, whenever I went behind the blocks, I was thinking to my town, my city in which I were living.
Matin Balsini [:But now it's a bit hard because I still thinking about them, because I still love my people, my country. But right now, when I I'm thinking, when I go behind the block, can I think about them or not anymore? This is what I'm thinking right now.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:It is really difficult because when I was about 13 or 14 as well before I moved, I nearly made it to the national team. And, when I imagined that I could have, like, played for the national team, imagine representing your own country. There is such a power in that, but I'm not able to do that. So that is very sad, but I had to do it.
Alexis James [:As it's a debut Olympic Games, not to mention a less than ideal preparation for it, Dorset's ambitions are understandably humble.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:It is to gain as much as experience I can because it is my 1st Paralympic at the age 20, turning 21 soon. And so I'm just expecting to enjoy it and to see my top players. I'm really excited and nervous actually. I would just genuinely love to just win a game or 2, because I know it's a big event and a huge top top player is gonna play against me. So all I'm hoping, like, my top goal is just to, like, give a good game and to just maybe win 1 or 2 or maybe more. Who knows?
Alexis James [:Meanwhile, Martin's goal for Paris is to beat his personal best. It may not be good enough to win a medal, but he'll have won his own hard fought battle that those on the podium are unlikely to have experienced. A post on his Instagram account features an illustration of 15 athletes standing on a staggered podium. Every athlete has a ladder underneath them. All except 1. The athlete with his arms raised aloft way down in 9th place. Underneath them is not a ladder, but a rope. Martin's caption says, my only answer to the hearers.
Matin Balsini [:To be honest, we have so many good streamers all around the world right now. But whenever I was talking with my dad that can I someday beat them in my events, my dad said, you already beat them because, you know, you need to ask yourself, if they was born in Iran, what would they do right now? You know what I mean? In Iran, we don't have even the standard swimming pool, even 1. And, no coaches, no swimming pool, no facilities, none none none nothing. Completely nothing. This is how I motivate myself. Whenever I ask myself if they was born in Iran, what would what would they do right now?
Alexis James [:In 2028, the Olympics will arrive in Los Angeles and Martin will be hoping to be there once again. Only this time, he's hoping he'll have a nation's flag beside his name.
Matin Balsini [:I really love to be able to swim to represent UK, Great Britain in the next Olympic games in the 20 28. But for that, I need to improve so much, and I need to go 155, 154 in the 20, miss about fly. And, this is my goal until the Olympic Games, next Olympic Games 2028 to be able to sing for the UK.
Alexis James [:Dorsa also hopes to one day qualify for a British passport. But for now, she's just thankful that she and her family have a place they can safely call home.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:It is very, very hard because imagine not being able to see your home country where you was born and raised. And I always feel sad for that, but I just keep saying all I did was for me and my family's safety and to just get to my goal, to just get to what I wanted. I always get emotional and I always get flashbacks, but then I'm just, like, just think about that it's over and you're in a safe place. And all I think about is Olympics. That's the way I distract myself. You have to focus on that. So just put the past away and move forward.
Alexis James [:And so in Paris this year, the Olympic refugee team will remind us of the resilience, courage, and hopes of all those uprooted by war and persecution. Although they'll shine a light on the world's growing refugee crisis, let's remember they've also earned the right to be considered as an individual athlete who deserve their spot among the best. They'll be cheered on by 1,000,000. Hopefully not just their fellow refugees, but also many others who appreciate what they've been through. Thanks for listening to one song. Best of luck to the refugee team at the Olympics and Paralympics and I'll leave the last word to Dorsa.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:There is always positivity and negativity around the world. There is some people that are upset but I don't really think they understand how difficult it was for me, and it was for my safety and technically for my life. I didn't think it would choose this. I was just looking for a safe home to settle down, so it's not really my fault. But when they say that, I try to explain to them how difficult it was for me that when you were sitting at home having your best life, I wasn't. I was in difficulty. It is really hard for me when I hear the negativity. And I tell them, but you wasn't in my place to see how it was.
Dorsa Yavarivafa [:So we can't judge each other.
Alexis James [:Thanks for listening to Unsung. It was written and narrated by me Alexis James and produced by Matt Cheney. Artwork by Matt Walker and the executive producer is Sam Barry. Unsung is an off field production bringing you the untold and unsung in audio, digital and print. To enjoy more of our storytelling head to off dash field.net. Catch you next time on Unsung.
