JUDY WOODRUFF: The young African nation of South Sudan is facing two growing challenges:
the coronavirus pandemic and ethnic fighting that has long plagued the country.
That has left little time and investment for athletes looking to compete in the Olympics.
So, Japan, the host of the now postponed 2020 games, offered to help.
"NewsHour" producer Ali Rogin reports on five unique runners.
ALI ROGIN: For South Sudanese track star Abraham Majok, the road to Olympic glory was already
long. COVID-19 made it longer.
ABRAHAM MAJOK, South Sudanese Athlete: The first night, when I heard that the Olympics
were postponed, I was really worried.
ALI ROGIN: Since November, Majok and five teammates have been living and training in
the small city of Maebashi, Japan, 7,000 miles from home, where none of these world-class
facilities is available
ABRAHAM MAJOK: They don't have a single track in the whole country which is still facing
the country as a big challenge. And then most of the athletes, including me myself, are
from poor families.
ALI ROGIN: South Sudan is the world's youngest country. In 2011, it declared independence
from Sudan, following decades of fighting.
But fighting among South Sudanese ethnic groups continued. Only in February did rival leaders
agree to end six years of civil war. Majok dreamed of giving his divided nation a reason
to unite.
But in March, the International Olympic Committee postponed the Tokyo Games until next summer
and possibly beyond. Majok worried his dream would disappear.
ABRAHAM MAJOK: The whole night thinking I might have lost again this chance that I had
come to fight for my dream.
ALI ROGIN: But, in that fight, he has an ally, one of the world's oldest and richest countries.
Japan's international development agency chose Majok and his teammates to train in Maebashi
ahead of what was supposed to be the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
The agency's goal is to unite the South Sudanese people through sports.
Yoshifumi Yamanaka represents Japan's development agency. He said Maebashi's mayor offered to
host from a sense of duty.
YAMANAKA YOSHIFUMI, Japan International Cooperation Agency (through translator): The mayor said
that Japan is a country which, after World War II, succeeded in economic growth thanks
to the support from the international community. And it is important for Japan to now return
this favor by supporting the development of South Sudan.
ALI ROGIN: Back in November, Japanese TV celebrated Majok's and his teammates' arrival, and they
have become a beloved part of the community.
Before the pandemic, they learned the traditional way to make mochi, a favorite Japanese dessert,
took lessons in writing Japanese script, and visited local shrines.
Kenichi Uchida is their translator in Maebashi.
KENICHI UCHIDA, Team Translator: We are getting close, and we become friends. So, one day,
you know, I'd like to go there and meet them in person in South Sudan.
ALI ROGIN: Before a citywide coronavirus shutdown, the athletes trained with local volunteers
and runners. They spent their free time learning about Japanese culture and civics and about
how the nation recovered from wartime.
ABRAHAM MAJOK: What I have got to learn from the Japanese history is, there is nothing
which is permanent. No condition is permanent, after that long suffering. And Japan has finally
gained the peace. And they are one of the world's most peaceful countries at the moment
also.
ALI ROGIN: And it goes both ways. In this country now 75 years removed from war, Majok
and his teammates visited with Japanese schoolchildren to share their stories.
ABRAHAM MAJOK: Most of them ask us about South Sudan, and we always tell them, this is the
world's youngest country, but it's still under very difficult situations right now. But that
does not make us lose hope.
ALI ROGIN: And now the Japanese have decided to preserve the team's Olympic hope. Maebashi
officials extended their stay by raising money from taxes and revenues from new vending machines.
ABRAHAM MAJOK: When we heard that we're going to train after that long, at least the worry
was a bit reduced, because we believe we're going to train, and we may have the chance
to reach Olympics here.
ALI ROGIN: Majok and his teammates are staying at least through July. What happens after
that depends on local officials and South Sudan's Olympic Committee.
For now, the volunteers are keeping socially distant, and the athletes train in an otherwise
empty gym. There are still moments when Majok misses home. But he remains focused on the
reason he and his team embarked on this journey.
ABRAHAM MAJOK: I'm for a mission, which, if I miss, I can't achieve it again.
But the friends, when I get back, I will meet them again. The family, when I get back, I
will see them again. So I have to focus on my goal first.
ALI ROGIN: What does it mean for you to have the opportunity to represent South Sudan in
the Olympics/
ABRAHAM MAJOK: I feel very good to represent my country, because this is what I was always
fighting for, and this is why I have been training all along. And it was my goal that
I set, and I have to achieve it.
ALI ROGIN: Whenever Majok achieves his goal, he will have the entire city of Maebashi cheering
him on.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Ali Rogin.
JUDY WOODRUFF: You have got to be pulling for that South Sudanese team.