World Aquatics is marking World Refugee Day by celebrating the achievements of the three World Aquatics Refugee Team athletes who will compete at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025, and highlighting the support available to help more refugee athletes follow in their footsteps.
Matin Balsini, Alaa Maso and Eyad Masoud each have their own powerful stories of how they have overcome huge challenges and adversity to thrive on the highest sporting stage, and Singapore 2025 will be the latest milestone in their proud careers.
Olympic Solidarity’s Refugee Athlete Scholarship programme remains open for National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to apply for financial and technical assistance for refugee athletes who are aiming to compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and other international competitions.
World Aquatics Refugee Team continues to inspire refugee athletes
World Aquatics has a long-standing commitment to enabling refugee athletes to fulfil their potential and compete at major events, and is proud that Singapore 2025 will mark the fifth edition of the World Aquatics Championships to feature a Refugee Team.
Swimmers Balsini, Maso and Masoud have established their global profiles by competing at previous major events, and they will line-up again as part of the World Aquatics Refugee Team in Singapore.
Balsini was selected for the IOC’s Refugee Olympic Team at Paris 2024, where he competed in the Men’s 200m Butterfly, and then represented the World Aquatics Refugee Team at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest, Hungary in December 2024.
Maso was the other swimming representative in the Refugee Olympic Team at Paris 2024, competing in the Men’s 50m Freestyle, and this will be his sixth appearance at the World Aquatics Championships or World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) as part of the World Aquatics Refugee Team. He discovered swimming at an early age growing up in Aleppo, but left Syria in 2015 following damage to his training facilities and the escalating impact of the conflict, ultimately settling in Germany.
“Many people lose belief in themselves after moving to a new country. You have so many things to be thinking about, whether that be settling in or adjusting to a new lifestyle, your hobby isn’t necessarily the first thing on your mind,” Maso told World Aquatics during the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest.
"But I want to show that you can achieve so much, even while navigating immense challenges"
Masoud will also be competing in his fifth World Championships across short course and long course swimming in Singapore, having set short course personal bests in the Men’s 50m and 100m Butterfly at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest last year. He fled Syria because of the war and settled in New Zealand, where he now trains at the AUT Millennium Sports Centre.
"It’s an honour to compete on the world stage and to send a message to refugees everywhere: if you have a dream, keep working towards it"
"It’s also not just about refugees, but about anyone facing challenges,” Masoud added.
This trio of athletes will continue to inspire refugee athletes from around the world through their remarkable achievements, and their stories will continue at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025.
Refugee Athlete Support available through Olympic Solidarity
Applications remain open for NOCs whose countries host refugees to apply for Refugee Athlete Scholarships through the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity.
The standard individual scholarship budget is USD 1,500 per month per recipient, and this can cover access to appropriate training facilities, specialised coaching, regular medical and scientific assistance and monitoring, accident and illness insurance, travel and accommodation.
These scholarships are open for refugee athlete candidates who meet the conditions in the Refugee Athlete Support Guidelines, including being recognised refugees or beneficiaries of international protection according to the UNHCR, proven high-level competition results and no convictions for doping offences or actions contrary to the standards of sporting ethics.
Host NOCs with refugee athletes that fulfil the eligibility criteria can submit candidatures on Olympic Solidarity’s RELAY platform using the refugee scholarship application form.