The Refugee Olympic Team marching at the Opening Ceremony of Rio 2016 ©Getty Images

Qatar is to help support the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) refugee programme, it was announced here today. 

The IOC is seetking to build on the success of the Refugee Olympic Team at Rio 2016 and have already begun preparations for Tokyo 2020. 

The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), who are providing the funding, and the IOC refused to reveal how much money they will contribute. 

insidethegames, though, has been told that the figure is $20 million (£15.5 million/17.5 million) over four years.

Unspecified financial support has also been been given to the refugees programme by the Liechtenstein Olympic Committee and the principality's Foreign Ministry.

Judoka Popole Misenga was the Refugee Olympic Team's most successful athlete at Rio 2016 ©Getty Images
Judoka Popole Misenga was the Refugee Olympic Team's most successful athlete at Rio 2016 ©Getty Images

Full details of the scheme are expected to be unveiled at the IOC Session in Lima in September. 

It is hoped that other National Olympic Committees will follow the example set by Qatar and Liechtenstein.

"We're very very happy and very pleased to have the contribution by the QOC," IOC Presidential spokesperson Mark Adams said after the opening day of the Executive Board meeting today.

"It's a great contribution.

"In terms of details and amounts, I don't think we'll come onto that yet until we have further discussed it.

"We have had other interest from individuals and other groups as well, and once we've got that together we can do other details."

A 10-strong Refugee Olympic Team participated in athletics, judo and swimming at Rio 2016.

The most successful athlete was judoka Popole Misenga, a  refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

He reached the round of 16 in the men's under 90 kilograms category.

Misenga's mother had been murdered when he was six-years-old.

He escaped to a nearby rainforest and wandered for a week, before being rescued and taken to a home in Kinshasa.

Former IOC President Jacques Rogge has stepped down as a UN Special Envoy for Youth Refugees and Sport ©UNHCR
Former IOC President Jacques Rogge has stepped down as a UN Special Envoy for Youth Refugees and Sport ©UNHCR

Misenga sought political asylum in Brazil after competing there in the 2013 International Judo Federation World Championships. 

He claimed his coach confined him in his room and left with their money, passports and meal tickets. 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officially granted Misenga refugee status in September 2014.

He is now married to a Brazilian woman and has a son born in the country.

It was also announced today that IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge ended his mandate as Special Envoy for Youth Refugees and Sport on June 30 due to "personal reasons".