Posted on 8/25/2021 00:32 / Updated on 8/25/2021 00:38
Khaleda Pople, the former captain of the Afghan national team, took part in the operation that put the players on an evacuation flight – (Credit: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP)
Afghan women’s football’s call for help echoed appeals from FIFA and the Federation of Professional Players’ Associations (FIFPRO) and wings of freedom were found on a flight carrying a group of 75 professionals out of the country on Tuesday. The Taliban regime is back in power in the nation and rights are becoming increasingly restricted with reports of harassment by Afghan women.
The national team was born in 2007 and its best campaign is in the semi-finals of the South Asia Championship in 2012. They played in the semi-finals of the tournament against India and lost 11–0. The women’s combined game is scheduled for September 23, in Tajikistan, against Vietnam in Group B of the Asian Cup Qualifier. After this they will face Tajikistan and Maldives. Japan, Australia, China and hosts India qualified early for the finals of the continental competition
The exit of professionals from Afghanistan was complicated. Engineering was supported by authorities in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. With this, they were on the evacuation list. “The last few days have been extremely tense, but today we have achieved an important victory. Football players have shown strength and courage in times of crisis and we hope that their lives outside Afghanistan will be better, although there is still much more to do. Women’s football is a family and we have to ensure the safety of all members,” Khaleda Pople, former captain of the Afghan national team, said in an interview on FIFPro’s website after defending some of her teammates.
FIFPro Secretary General, Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, celebrated the operation. “We are convinced that this group of female football players and athletes managed to leave Afghanistan today (8/24). It has been an incredibly complicated process for everyone involved in ensuring the evacuation. Against their wishes in the country , ” commented the leader.
In an open letter available on the website, FIFPro thanked those involved in the players’ departure. “We express our gratitude to the Australian Government for evacuating a large number of footballers and athletes from Afghanistan. These young women, as athletes and activists, are at risk and on behalf of our professional colleagues around the world, we are international The community has come to his aid,” the text says.
The organization also highlighted some names. “We would like to express our appreciation for the tireless work done day and night by many, including Khaleda Pople, Kelly Lindsay, Nikki Dryden, Alison Battison, Haley Carter and Craig Foster, to help find a safe passage out of Afghanistan. .
The letter ends. “There is still a lot to do to help and establish these young women, and we urge the international community to make sure they get all the help they can. Many athletes in Afghanistan are at risk and need help. Every effort should be made.”
