Two athletes from Afghanistan, Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain
Rasouli, have managed to arrive in Tokyo after a long-winded, harrowing
struggle from Kabul to Paris to compete in the Paralympics. Sequestered in the
Paralympics Village right now, there are several questions about their future
and where they will go once the Paralympics are over.

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The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said that the two
Afghan athletes arrived in Tokyo from Paris early Saturday evening. Craig
Spence, spokesperson for the IPC, told the media that the Afghan athletes need
some time to themselves and some privacy.

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“This is a really complex situation, one of the most complex we’ve
ever been involved in,” Spence told the media on Sunday, adding, “So, what we
can say is limited. Human life is the most important thing here. Having the athletes
here isn’t about getting media coverage. It’s about these athletes fulfilling
their dream of being able to attend the Paralympic Games.”

With Afghanistan having fallen to the Taliban and the Kabul
airport becoming an international hotspot of evacuation missions and terror
threats, how these to para-athletes managed to get out of Kabul remains a mystery.
The IPC spokesperson did not throw light on the same but mentioned that several
governments and agencies had helped the athletes.

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The addition of the Afghanistan team means that 163 delegations
are now participating in the Tokyo Paralympics. IPC President Andrew Parsons
said, “We always knew there was a remote chance both athletes could participate
in Tokyo 2020 which is why the Afghan flag was paraded at the Opening Ceremony.”
 

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Zakia Khudadadi will be the first female Afghan athlete to
compete in the Paralympics since 2004. She will take part in the women’s 49-kg Taekwondo
event. Meanwhile, Hossain Rasouli has a difficult road ahead. Rasouli was to run
the 100-meters in the T47 class, but arrived too late for the event. So,
organisers placed him in a 400m race for next Friday. Apparently, Rasouli is
not particularly enthused about the choice.

(With inputs from Associated Press)