PEACE AND VICTORY AT THE HEART OF THE “JAPANESE TRADITIONAL ART” INSPIRED ASICS REFUGEE PARALYMPIC TEAM KIT AT TOKYO 2020

ASICS is the official supplier of the International Paralympic Committee and the official sport apparel kit provider outfitting the Refugee Paralympic Team (RPT).

The concept for these items has been dubbed “JAPONISM™”, and it expresses the power and pride of the Team by blending a traditional Japanese sense of beauty with the latest technology.

It features a series of colourful lines that come together and fold into one on a brilliant white canvas alongside the IPC’s red, blue and green Agitos symbol for Paralympic Movement.

The six athletes of the RPT have all had to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to participate in one of the world’s largest sports events – the Paralympic Games.

The Refugee Paralympic Team will be the first team to march into the Opening Ceremony to begin the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games on August 24.

“It is an awesome feeling to be wearing the colours of this team. Well actually we’re not a team, we’re a family and we all feel a kinship to one another,” said swimmer Al Hussein who will compete in the 100m breaststroke (SB9) and 50m freestyle (S9) events. He adds, “Getting on that medal rostrum will be tough but us being in Tokyo is a victory for the 82 million displaced people around the world just like us who have had to flee their homes.”

“It’s a dream come true for me to don this uniform,” added teammate Issa, who competes in the unique Para athletics event known as Women club throw (F32). “When other female refugees see me at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, I want them to see there is hope.”

The photographer Kyvernitis can relate to what Issa is saying. “When the refugee crisis was at its worst here in 2015, I saw devastating images through my lens. Ibrahim and Alia are showing another angle and the impact refugees can have around the world if they’re just given a chance.”

ASICS Chairman and CEO Motoi Oyama said: “We are proud to be able to support the Refugee Paralympic Team at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games. Their courage and determination give dreams and hope to people around the world. ASICS was founded upon a belief in the positive power of sport to society. Through our commitment to the RPT and our sponsorship of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games, we aim to contribute to the IPCs ambition to realise a truly inclusive society through Paralympic sport.”