IPC "Paralympics Have Duty to Protect Afghan Athletes... Athletes Decide Their Whereabouts"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of the Afghan national team athletes who fled their country and entered Japan to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

Craig Spence, IPC spokesperson, stated on the 29th, "We have an obligation to protect these athletes," and said they will provide support to guarantee their safety and psychological stability. Regarding the athletes' whereabouts after the games, he emphasized, "It is up to the athletes to decide," and added, "We must respect their wishes."

The IPC and the Afghanistan Paralympic Committee announced the day before that Afghanistan’s female para taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi (23) and male para athletics athlete Hossain Rasouli (26) had arrived at the Tokyo Paralympic Village.

The two athletes, who were set to participate in the Tokyo Paralympics, were unable to leave Kabul due to the airport paralysis caused by the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. However, with the help of several governments, the IPC, and sports and human rights organizations, they escaped Kabul last weekend, traveled to Paris, France, and entered Japan on the 28th.

Spence emphasized that athlete protection is the top priority. To this end, the Afghan national team athletes and team leader will not participate in media interviews during the games. They will also abstain from mixed zone interviews after competitions. He explained, "These two athletes have experienced a week that no one here can imagine," and added, "The most important thing is to enable the athletes to perform at their best in competition. Their well-being, mental health, and welfare are our primary concerns."

Khudadadi, Afghanistan’s first female Paralympic national representative, will compete in the women’s 49kg taekwondo event (sport class K44) on September 2. Rasouli, who planned to compete in the men’s 100m (sport class T47), will participate in the long jump event held on August 31. The IPC had announced the day before that due to Rasouli’s delayed arrival in Japan, he would compete in the 400m event on September 3 instead of the 100m, but the schedule was changed again at the athlete’s request.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.