Afghan Paralympian makes her debut after secret evacuation

By Chang-Ran Kim

CHIBA, Japan (Reuters) -Afghanistan's Zakia Khudadadi competed in the Paralympic Games on Thursday, becoming the first woman from her country to do so since Athens 2004, after a secret international effort to help the taekwondo athlete get out of Taliban-controlled Kabul.

The 22-year-old and her compatriot Hossain Rasouli arrived in Tokyo on Saturday https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/two-afghan-athletes-arrive-tokyo-paralympics-2021-08-28 via Paris after Khudadadi made a video appeal https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/female-afghan-athlete-makes-plea-help-get-tokyo-2021-08-17 for help to leave the Afghan capital after the Taliban swept to power.

On Thursday, Khudadadi entered the Makuhari Messe competition arena in Chiba wearing a white hijab for the opening match of the combat sport's Paralympic debut. She became only the second woman to compete for Afghanistan at the Paralympics, which began in 1960.

Khudadadi did not speak to reporters after her two matches, both of which she lost. Rasouli competed in the men's long jump on Tuesday. Both athletes had said they did not wish to speak to the media.

"I worry about the situation in Afghanistan, but I am very glad that she managed to come and compete with me," Ukrainian Viktoriia Marchuk told reporters after she defeated Khudadadi in the repechage round.

It was not immediately known what the Afghan athletes intend to do after the Games but Alison Battisson of Human Rights for All, who was involved in their evacuation, told Reuters that Australia had granted them humanitarian visas.

In her Aug. 17 video appeal, Khudadadi had said: "I don't want my struggle to be in vain and without any results."

The pair had been unable to travel as originally scheduled after thousands of people rushed to Kabul's airport, seeking to flee. Paralympic officials had initially said they would not make it to the Games.

The Taliban have said they would respect the rights of women, allowing them to work and study "within the framework of Islam" but many Afghans fear this is a facade.

During their 1996-2001 rule, also guided by sharia Islamic law, the Taliban stopped women from working. Girls were not allowed to go to school and women had to wear all-enveloping burqas to go out and then only when accompanied by a male relative.

(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel, Christopher Cushing and John Stonestreet)

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - Taekwondo - Women K44 -49kg Repechage Quarterfinal - Makuhari Messe Hall B, Chiba, Japan - September 2, 2021. Zakia Khudadadi of Afghanistan makes her entrance for her bout against Viktoriia Marchuk of Ukraine REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - Taekwondo - Women K44 -49kg Repechage Quarterfinal - Makuhari Messe Hall B, Chiba, Japan - September 2, 2021. Zakia Khudadadi of Afghanistan during her bout against Viktoriia Marchuk of Ukraine REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - Taekwondo - Women K44 -49kg Quarterfinal - Makuhari Messe Hall B, Chiba, Japan - September 2, 2021. Zakia Khudadadi of Afghanistan during her bout against Viktoriia Marchuk of Ukraine REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - Taekwondo - Women K44 -49kg Quarterfinals - Makuhari Messe Hall B, Chiba, Japan - September 2, 2021. Zakia Khudadadi of Afghanistan during her bout against Viktoriia Marchuk of Ukraine REUTERS/Thomas Peter

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