Afghan Paralympian Hossain Rasouli competes in Tokyo after being evacuated from Kabul
Afghan Paralympians Hossain Rasouli and Zakia Khudadadi feared they would miss the Tokyo Paralympics when the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan initially prevented them from flying to Tokyo. But after a harrowing few weeks filled with uncertainty and doubt, Rasouli finally got his chance to compete in the Games on Tuesday after escaping his homeland last week.
Rasouli, whose left hand was amputated as a result of a mine explosion, was still able to represent Afghanistan at the Paralympics despite missing the event he had qualified for. The 26-year-old trained primarily to be a sprinter for the 100-meter dash, but he instead competed in the T47 long jump, where he finished in last place.
International Paralympic Committee spokesperson Craig Spence said that Rasouli had been "super excited" to compete and called it a "special occasion" for him.
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for Rasouli and Khudadadi. Earlier this month, the IPC said that Afghanistan's National Paralympic Committee would not participate in the Tokyo Paralympics because they couldn't grab a flight out of the country. The Paralympics even displayed the Afghan flag in "a show of solidarity" during the opening ceremony despite the team not having a representative present.
However, following desperate pleas from Khudadadi, both she and Rasouli were evacuated from Kabul and arrived in Tokyo on Saturday. They had been sequestered in the Paralympic Village for privacy and safety reasons until Tuesday, when Rasouli competed.
On Monday, IPC president Andrew Parson told reporters that welcoming the two Afghan athletes was his personal "best moment" of the Games. He promised that the IPC would "provide everything in our capacity" to ensure "the safest" and "calmest" environment for them.
A day earlier, Spence said the players' well-being is their priority and would not grant media access to the athletes.
"Human life is the most important thing here... This is about these athletes fulfilling their dream of being able to attend the Paralympic Games," Spence said.
Khudadadi, meanwhile, is set to become Afghanistan's first ever female Paralympian when she competes on Thursday. The 23-year-old will compete in the K44 taekwondo category. She had previously told CBS News when it was unclear if she would be able to get to Tokyo that, "We are all under the control of the Taliban and this is a big nightmare for me and my family."
