Leaving his home country at just six years old, Arno Yafunga had to start a new life in Kenya after political instability forced his family to flee the Democratic Republic of Congo. But even after leaving behind the place he once called home, one thing stayed with him: his love for judo. Introduced to the sport by his father, Arnold Yafunga, a former judoka, Arno continued working towards a future in the sport. Years later, the young refugee found himself competing on an Olympic stage at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Although he came close to winning a medal, his journey was about much more than the result.
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At 15 (although some reports list him as 14), Arno made history as the first athlete representing the Olympic Refugee Team to compete at Dakar 2026. He stepped onto the mat for the men’s -55kg judo competition on November 1, determined to make the most of his first Youth Olympic Games appearance. While he could not achieve the gold-medal finish he had hoped for, he was proud of how he performed. “I’m so proud of what I did and how I did it, by managing to win two matches,” he told Olympics.com.
Looking back on his experience, he added, “I came with the aim of winning a gold medal, but it didn’t happen.” However, competing in Dakar has given him another dream to work towards. “These Games have opened up a big dream for me, and I want to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles,” he said.
Arno began his campaign with an impressive 10-0 victory over Tanzania’s Juma Ashraf in the round of 16. It was an encouraging start to his first Youth Olympic Games appearance and gave him confidence heading into the next round. However, his journey soon became more challenging when he faced Saudi Arabia’s Hebah Mutaz in the quarter-finals. Arno suffered a defeat in a contest that lasted less than a minute, putting an end to his hopes of reaching the final.
Despite the setback, he was determined to keep his medal hopes alive. “I was disappointed, but I had to pick myself up because I was determined not to leave this competition without a medal,” he said. With gold no longer within reach, Arno turned his attention towards fighting for bronze through the repechage.
He received a walkover in his first repechage contest after his opponent was disqualified for failing to make weight. His next match against the Central African Republic’s Mousa Ibrahim, however, proved to be a much bigger challenge. Arno fell two yukos behind and appeared to be heading towards another defeat. But with time running out, he refused to give up. Encouraged by fellow members of the Refugee Olympic Team and spectators in attendance, he produced a remarkable comeback, throwing Ibrahim for ippon to secure the victory.
His performance earned loud applause from the crowd and even caught the attention of former International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who was present at the venue as a guest of the International Judo Federation. The victory took Arno to the bronze-medal match, where he faced Mongolia’s Tungalag Tugskhuslen. Unfortunately, he lost the contest by ippon and missed out on a place on the podium. Still, the young athlete had plenty of reasons to be proud of his performance. He had won two matches at his Youth Olympic Games debut and come within one contest of securing a medal.
A father’s unfinished Olympic dream
Behind Arno’s journey is a father who once hoped to compete at the Olympics himself. Arnold had earned a black belt in judo and wanted to take his own sporting career to the highest levels. However, after fleeing DR Congo with his family and settling in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, he had to put those ambitions aside to support his loved ones.
Although his Olympic dream remained unfulfilled, Arnold continued his connection to judo by coaching his son. Watching Arno compete at Dakar 2026 was a special moment for him, as he got to experience the Olympic dream through his child. “I feel great joy and happiness in my heart because it’s not easy to come here and do what he did,” Arnold told Olympics.com.
He also described seeing his son compete at the first Youth Olympic Games held in Africa as a dream come true. “He did what he could, and in judo, when you fall, you get back up. I believe this is the start of good things in his career.” For Arno, his father has been a constant source of encouragement. He considers him his role model and credits him for always being by his side.