The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons yesterday said it was sad that Afghan athletes trapped in Kabul would not be able to compete in the Paralympic Games and heartbreaking to watch a female athlete’s video plea for help in reaching Tokyo.
“There are no commercial flights. We all have seen the images from the airport in Kabul. It became clear to us right from the beginning that there will be no safe way to try to bring these athletes to Tokyo,” Parsons said in an interview.
Amid the country’s ongoing turmoil, the Afghanistan Paralympic Committee on Monday said that two Afghan athletes would not be able to attend the Games, which start on Tuesday next week.
Taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi and track athlete Hossain Rasouli had been scheduled to arrive in Tokyo yesterday.
In a video message on Tuesday, Khudadadi made a plea for help as she sought to escape Kabul and revive her shattered dream of becoming the country’s first female competitor at the Paralympic Games.
“I saw the video message. By seeing what’s happening in Afghanistan and this is shattering the dreams of one of our athletes, it is really sad and it really breaks my heart,” Parsons said.
Parsons added that the committee would work with the Afghan team to support her pursuing her dream again, including possibly competing at the games in Paris in 2024.
However, it is “too soon” to discuss plans, he said.
“It’s something that goes way, way, way, way bigger than sports, and we are first concerned in Afghanistan as a nation and with the human beings, especially the female of that nation. I think first, the nation needs to define its own destiny,” Parsons said.
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