ATHENS, (Reuters) – The flame for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will pass through a refugee camp in Athens and one refugee will be among the torch bearers, the head of the International Olympic Committee said yesterday.
The torch will be lit in Greece’s ancient Olympia on April 21 before leaving for the South American country 12 days later. It will arrive in Brazil on May 3 to start its 100-day relay across the country.
Greece became the main gateway for more than a million refugees who began arriving in Europe last year, most fleeing war and persecution in countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
