Tokyo: Two Afghan Paralympic athletes have been safely evacuated from the country, the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) said on Wednesday, decreasing to determine their goals.
Two Taekwondo athletes, Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli, were initially for representing their country in Tokyo Paralympics.
But with the Fast Fall Afghanistan to the Taliban, the couple was included in tens of thousands trapped and could not leave the country.
Before the match began, IPC confirmed that the athletes would no longer be able to compete, and the Afghan flag featured the opening ceremony on Tuesday by symbolic way only, brought by a volunteer.
“Efforts have been made to remove them from Afghanistan, they are now in a safe place,” said IPC spokesman Craig Spence on Wednesday.
“I won’t tell you where they are because it’s not about sports, it’s about human life and keeping people safe.” Spence said the couple would not compete in the match, and their current focus was on their well-being.
“Obviously they have gone through a very traumatic process, they undergo counseling and psychological assistance,” he told reporters.
“We are being stored in a circle about their existence and their well-being.” Khudadadi, 23, is becoming the first woman to represent Afghanistan in the Paralympics and has submitted assistance to escape from the country after the Taliban takeover.
The Australian Broadcaster ABC reported that Paralympians were among a group of Afghan athletes who were evacuated to Australia, but there was no official confirmation.