Kenya's Tegla Loroupe, the holder of the marathon world record between 1998 and 2001, is leading a team of five South Sudanese athletes here in Turkmenistan's capital. 

The quintet - Paulo Amotun Lokoro, Wiyual Puok Deng, Gai Nyang Tap, Ukuk Uthoo Bul and Yiech Pur Biel - were selected for Ashgabat 2017 following trials organised by the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation in Kenya's capital Nairobi.

Loroupe also led the Refugee Olympic Team at Rio 2016 and is joined here by two more officials and a coach.

She insisted her team would set their bars higher at Tokyo 2020.

"The Rio Games was just the beginning," Loroupe said during a press conference.

"In 2020, our aim is for refugee athletes to enter a few finals and maybe even win a medal.

"It is not impossible."

Lokoro and Biel competed at Rio 2016, while Deng, Tap and Bul are experiencing their first taste of an international event.

Rio 2016 saw the refugee team take part for the first time and since then they have competed at events in The Bahamas, Cyprus, Rwanda and Uganda. 

Earlier this year, a team was represented at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in London.

Loroupe has called for more big sporting events to welcome refugee athletes with open arms.

"While athletes from Africa and other continents can fly to any part of the world to compete, refugees cannot do so," the three-time half-marathon world champion and triple Olympian said.

"But it is amazing how sport has helped them.

"I hope other organisers of major events will open their doors to refugee athletes so that they can compete at the highest levels.

"It need not be limited to track and field alone.

"There are so many talented sportsmen and women in other disciplines like taekwondo and karate.

"Hopefully, they will all open up to the idea of refugee participants."

Biel, who reached the semi-finals of the men’s 800 metres event, said the opportunity to compete at Ashgabat 2017 meant a lot to him and he thanked the fifth AIMAG Executive Committee.

"This was my second major event after the 2016 Rio Olympics," he added.

"Being at Rio and Ashgabat proved that we, as refugees, could do something in this world.

"Sport opened many doors for us.

"It gave us new hope where there was none.

"We did not know much about Turkmenistan, but we now identify them as very kind hosts.

"We would like to return here for more events in the future."

Bul, who reached the men's 3,000m final and finished seventh, claimed the refugee team needed continued support from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"The IOC has been helping us a lot in the past," he said.

"They gave us the opportunity to compete in Rio.

"We now need them more than ever and I hope their help will continue."