There will be a delegation of refugee athletes at the Olympics.

Five to ten athletes will wear the Olympic flag and compete in Rio this year under the name Refugee Olympic Athletes (ROA).

"By welcoming ROA to the Rio Olympics, we want to send a message to refugees around the world," said International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

In addition to meeting athletic requirements, athletes wishing to participate in this delegation will have their personal circumstances assessed and must have their refugee status confirmed by the United Nations.

“This delegation will be treated like any other delegation. They could consist of five to ten athletes. We don’t have a specific number yet. It will depend heavily on their skill level,” Bach said.

Rio 2016 will be the first Olympic Games to feature a delegation of refugee athletes. Photo: Reuters.

Forty-three people have applied for consideration for the ROA (Royal Olympic Association) to compete in the Olympics. These athletes will receive financial support for their training through fundraising.

ROA will also have their own house in the Athletes' Village and will appear at the opening ceremony right before the host nation Brazil.

The IOC is committed to mitigating the threat posed by the raging Zika virus, concerns about slow ticket sales, water pollution, and substandard facilities.

According to reports, less than half of the 7.5 million tickets for the Olympic Games have been sold. Economic recession, political instability, and the risk of Zika virus spread have hampered preparations for the Olympics, which will take place from August 5th to 21st.

However, Thomas Bach said he was not worried and was confident that the Rio Olympics would achieve the same ticket sales revenue as the London 2012 Olympics.

According to VNE