Afghanistan athletes reach Tokyo to compete in the Paralympics

Just over a week after it was announced that the athletes from Afghanistan would not be competing at the Tokyo Paralympics after they were unable to fly out after the Taliban took over the country, the two Afghani athletes have landed in Japan to participate in Tokyo Paralympics.

Both Zaika Khudadai and Hossain Rasouli, flew to Tokyo via Paris, according to a statement by the International Paralympics Committee (IPC). While Khudadai is a taekwondoin, Rasouli is a 400m sprinter.

"Twelve days ago we were informed that the Afghan Paralympic team could not travel to Tokyo, a move that broke the hearts of all involved in the Paralympic movement and left both athletes devastated. That announcement kick-started a major global operation that led to their safe evacuation from Afghanistan, their recuperation by France, and now their safe arrival in Tokyo," the IPC President Andrew Parsons, who met both the athletes in person at the Games village said.

Both Zaika Khudadai and Hossain Rasouli have also been exempted from attending the usual press conferences.