Afghan athletes flee country after Taliban takeover

The climate of tension and hostility reigns Afghanistan after the Taliban regime came to power. The reflection of the sensitive situation is exhibited with the decisions of some athletes to leave the country in various ways. After learning about the evacuation carried out a few weeks ago by some sportsmen with the help of the Union des footballeurs professionnel (FIFPro), we learned that a group that was part of the country’s women’s football team traveled to Pakistan with their relatives.

As the medium replied Bloomberg the voice of the Pakistani Minister of Information, Fawad Chaudhry, the players entered the country through the northwest border post at Torkham with valid travel documents. “We welcome the Afghanistan women’s football team. The players were in possession of a valid passport and a visa “Chaudhry tweeted, without giving further details.

To counter the information disseminated by newspapers and television channels, Bilal Karimi, spokesman for the Taliban, assured that he does not know the reason for his departure from the country and warned that “They would have left of their own free will”. “We will consult the Olympic or sports authorities but they left of their own accord,” he added.

“There was a commitment given to them by the Americans”, before leaving Afghanistan last month, he assured for his part Farasat Ali Shah, director of the Pakistan Football Federation. “They are in transit to Europe or America,” he added.

Pakistani daily in English Dawn reported on Wednesday that athletes received emergency humanitarian visas after the capture of Kabul by the insurgents. The group tried to exhibit a more moderate approach since coming to power in the speech, assuring that they would allow the work or sport participation of women adapting to interpretations of Islamic law, but their attitudes so far absolutely did not coincide with it.

A Taliban official confirmed, however, that following the government’s interpretation of Islam, women can’t really no sport to which they may be exposed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the press before an official announcement from authorities.

A few days ago, in an interview with the Australian station SBS, the deputy head of the Taliban cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiqstated that women’s sport is not considered appropriate or necessary. “I don’t think women are allowed to play cricket because they don’t have to. In cricket, they may be faced with a situation where their face and body are not covered.. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this. This is the age of media, there will be photos and videos and then people will see it. Islam and Afghanistan do not allow women to play cricket or play sports to which they are exposed», He communicated.

Despite some reassuring messages for afghan women After their return to power and the promise to form an inclusive administration, the Taliban acted in the opposite direction by forming the new cabinet, which is made up of only Taliban with troubling backgrounds. There are no political figures in the country and no women.

Women’s rights have become a central issue within the regime, all the more so with this position on female sport. As reported The Guardian, the leaders of the afghanistan cricket declare that they have not been officially informed of the destination of their discipline although some women have already denounced receive threats from Taliban fighters if they saw them playing.

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