And yet, they have plenty of reasons not to laugh. All are refugees, all drag painful experiences, experiences difficult to understand in certain well-off societies.
They come from Syria, Afghanistan and Iran. All fled their countries and undertook an uncertain and dangerous journey into the unknown with the hope of achieving the dream of living a peaceful life, starting a family, finding work, training and competing in judo tournaments.
Thanks to the help of the International Judo Federation, through its refugee support program, these judokas are in Hungary to participate in the Budapest Grand Prix. Their flag is that of the International Judo Federation, a flag of peace.
All are professionals and aware of the importance of participating in the event and the luck of being able to measure themselves with the elite of this sport. They have not come to spectate, they are here to compete at the highest level, with enthusiasm and seriousness and with their eyes on the World Championships next month, in Tokyo.
There is talent and effort, years of work and obstacles. They are the contingent of peace and hope, the contingent of dreams that have finally been realized