Afghanistan will at final bear its first female athlete to compete on the Paralympic Games since 2004 as Zakia Khudadadi made a dramatic entry on the Tokyo 2020 Games, five days after the nation’s flag turn into as soon as made phase of the hole ceremony.
Zakia and Hossain Rasouli are phase of the Afghanistan Paralympic Team that arrived in Tokyo on Saturday, after being evacuated from the previous-torn nation as phase of a world collaboration. It turn into as soon as acknowledged a few weeks befriend that they would possibly be able to no longer be ready to construct it to Tokyo thanks to the chaos triggered by the Taliban’s takeover of the nation.
On Saturday evening, the Afghan athletes Zakia and Rasouli were warmly welcomed to the Paralympic Village by IPC President Andrew Parsons and IPC Athletes’ Council Chairperson Chelsey Gotell.
IPC commentary: Arrival of the Afghanistan Paralympic Team.https://t.co/kIla9uOLBU
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Following their safe evacuation from Afghanistan final weekend, the 2 athletes spent the week in Paris, France, on the Nationwide Institute of Sport Experience and Performance (INSEP), the French sports actions ministry’s high-efficiency coaching centre. On Friday (August 27) evening the pair boarded an 11-hour flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport earlier than being transported to the Paralympic Village, the IPC acknowledged in an announcement.
Andrew Parsons, IPC President, acknowledged: “Twelve days ago we were informed that the Afghan Paralympic Team would possibly no longer dash to Tokyo, a transfer that broke the hearts of all fascinated by the Paralympic Scoot and left each and every athletes devastated. That announcement kickstarted a predominant world operation that ended in their safe evacuation from Afghanistan, their recuperation in France, and now their safe arrival in Tokyo.
“We continuously knew there turn into as soon as a much-off probability each and every athletes would possibly participate at Tokyo 2020 which is why the Afghan flag turn into as soon as paraded at Tuesday’s Opening Ceremony. Admire the entire athletes here at Tokyo 2020, we never gave up hope, and to now bear Zakia and Hossain in the Paralympic Village alongside 4,403 diversified Paralympians reveals the unprecedented energy of sport to bring of us together in peace,” acknowledged Parsons.
The IPC chief acknowledged the motive they were taken to Paris first turn into as soon as to be certain their safe well being.
Based on the foundations of the Playbooks, the 2 athletes returned two unfavorable PCR tests for COVID-19 in the 96 hours and 72 hours earlier than departure and were tested another time upon arrival at Haneda Airport.
“Our foremost priority has and gradually would possibly be the well being and well-being of every and every athletes. Over the final 12 days, Zakia and Hossain bear persisted to particular their absolute desire to come befriend and compete on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games,” he acknowledged.
Zakia shall be Afghanistan’s first female athlete to compete on the Paralympic Games since Athens 2004 when she competes in the women folks’s Ample44 -49kg weight category in taekwondo on September 2. Hossain will line up in the heats of the lads’s 400m T47 athletics match on September 3.
