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The two Afghan Paralympic athletes were safely evacuated from the country, the International Paralympic Committee said on Wednesday, refusing to specify their destination.
Representative image. Reuters
Tokyo: The two Afghan Paralympic athletes were safely evacuated from the country, the International Paralympic Committee announced on Wednesday, refusing to specify their destination.
The two taekwondo athletes, Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli, were initially scheduled to represent their country at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
But with Afghanistan’s rapid fall to the Taliban, the pair were among tens of thousands trapped and unable to leave the country.
Ahead of the Games, the IPC confirmed that athletes would no longer be able to compete, and the Afghan flag appeared at Tuesday’s opening ceremony only symbolically, worn by a volunteer.
“Efforts have been made to get them out of Afghanistan, they are now in a safe place,” IPC spokesman Craig Spence said on Wednesday.
“I’m not going to tell you where they are because it’s not about sport, it’s about human life and the safety of people.”
Spence said the duo will not be competing in the Games and their focus is on their well-being for the time being.
“Obviously, they have gone through a very traumatic process, they are receiving counseling and psychological help,” he told reporters.
“We are kept informed of their whereabouts and their well-being.”
Khudadadi, 23, was slated to be the first woman to represent Afghanistan at the Paralympic Games and had asked for help fleeing the country after the Taliban took control.
Australian broadcaster ABC reported that the Paralympians were part of a group of Afghan athletes evacuated to Australia, but there has been no official confirmation.
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