IPC says Afghan athletes will focus on Tokyo Games, no media access

TOKYO, Aug 29 (Reuters) – The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said on Sunday the welfare and mental health of two newly arrived Afghan athletes was its top priority and that they would not speak to the media during the Paralympic Games. . .

Zakai Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli arrived in Tokyo on Saturday to compete in the 2020 Paralympic Games after Khudadadi made a video appeal for help leaving Kabul after the Taliban came to power. Read more

The two athletes met IPC president Andrew Parsons and other officials upon their arrival at the village, IPC communications director Craig Spence told a news conference.

“The reunion was extremely emotional, there were a lot of tears from everyone in the room. It was remarkable, it was truly a remarkable reunion,” Spence said.

Khudadadi and Rasouli had expressed a wish not to speak to the media and that would be respected.

“It’s about those athletes achieving their dream of being able to attend the Paralympic Games,” Spence said.

“And because human life is the most important thing, and the welfare and mental health of athletes is our top priority, athletes will not do any media during these Games.”

Khudadadi, a taekwondo athlete, and track athlete Rasouli were evacuated from the Afghan capital a week ago and landed in Tokyo on a flight from Paris.

The couple were due to arrive in Tokyo on August 17, but were unable to leave Afghanistan after thousands of people rushed through Kabul airport in an attempt to flee the country.

Paralympic officials initially said Afghan athletes would not be able to attend the Games, which started on August 24, and promised to help them compete at the next Games in 2024 in Paris.

Separately, the World Taekwondo Association praised the efforts of the IPC and other parties involved to ensure that the two athletes can participate in the Games.

“Zakia and Hossain’s determination to overcome adversity is an inspiration to all of us,” World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue said in a statement.

Reporting by Chris Gallagher in Tokyo, additional reporting by Junko Fujita, editing by Richard Pullin

Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.