The International Paralympic Committee says it's sad Afghan athletes trapped in Kabul will not be able to compete in the Games and heartbreaking to watch a female athlete's video plea for help in reaching Tokyo.
"There are no commercial flights. We all have seen the images from the airport in Kabul. It became clear to us right from the beginning that there will be no safe way to try to bring these athletes to Tokyo," IPC President Andrew Parsons told Reuters in an interview.
Amid the country's ongoing turmoil, the Afghanistan Paralympic Committee said on Monday two Afghan athletes would not be able to attend the Games that commence on August 24.
Taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi and track athlete Hossain Rasouli had been scheduled to arrive in Tokyo on August 17.
In a video message, Khudadadi made a plea for help on Tuesday as she sought to escape Kabul and revive her shattered dream of becoming the country's first female competitor at the Paralympic Games.
"I saw the video message. By seeing what's happening in Afghanistan and this is shattering the dreams of one of our athletes, it is really sad and it really breaks my heart," Parsons said.
Parsons added the committee would work with the Afghan team to support her pursuing her dream again, including possibly competing at the Games in Paris in 2024.
But now is "too soon" to discuss plans, he said.
"It's something that goes way, way, way, way bigger than sports. And we are first concerned in Afghanistan as a nation and with the human beings, especially the females of that nation. I think first, the nation needs to define its own destiny."
Australian Associated Press
