Australia has relocated Afghanistan’s Olympic flag-bearer Kimia Yousofi and different athletes and their members of the family fleeing Taliban rule, officers stated on Wednesday.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) stated 5 Afghan households with “ties to the Olympic motion” had arrived in Australia in fresh months following a 12-month challenge to convey them to protection.
“They incorporated twin Olympian and observe sprinter Yousofi, who carried Afghanistan’s flag finally 12 months’s Tokyo Olympics and taekwondo Asian Video games medallist Ahmad Abasy,” the AOC stated.
In all, 31 members of the family had arrived in Australia – the primary in early June and the newest closing week.
Kimia Yousofi of Afghanistan working within the 100m at #Tokyo2020 Olympics %.twitter.com/MuOu7w7Jox
— Seth Robson (@sethrobson1) July 30, 2021
“For the households concerned, the strain and uncertainty over this time has been monumental,” AOC Leader Government Matt Carroll stated in a observation. “Many have hung out in places outdoor Afghanistan and it’s superb to now have them on Australian soil. All arrived glad, if exhausted.”
The AOC liaised with the Australian govt to protected visas and flights for the Afghan arrivals whilst the World Olympic Committee supplied monetary reinforce all the way through their time in intervening time places.
Yousofi thanked the Australian govt and the AOC, and stated she was hoping to compete at subsequent 12 months’s Olympics in Paris.
“It’s been a adventure for me however I’m more than pleased to be right here,” she stated. I’m necessarily beginning a brand new existence right here,” she added in a observation.
Australia evacuated greater than 70 Afghan athletes, members of the family and officers a 12 months in the past because the Taliban swept to energy.
Women and girls’s game has since been beaten by means of the Taliban govt’s hardline insurance policies.
Males have persisted to play game at group and elite stage within the nation however ladies are successfully confined to their houses by means of a mix of legislation and intimidation.
Abasy stated within the observation that game used to be the “herbal proper” of each and every human being.
“Sadly, now in Afghanistan, sports activities have a gender point of view and women are denied the proper to sports activities,” he added.
“This can be a nice loss for the game of Afghanistan and the arena.”