Afghan turmoil shattering Paralympians’ dreamsReuters, TOKYOThe International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons yesterday said it was sad that Afghan athletes trapped in Kabul would not be able to compete in the Paralympic Games and heartbreaking to watch a female athlete’s video plea for help in reaching Tokyo. Amid the country’s ongoing turmoil, the Afghanistan Paralympic Committee on Monday said that two Afghan athletes would not be able to attend the Games, which start on Tuesday next week. 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 that 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. “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 female of that nation.

Source: Taipei Times August 18, 2021 15:56 UTC