Afghanistan Taliban crisis: Tokyo Paralympics dream over for Afghan athletes stuck in Kabul

Zakia Khuddadi would have been the first woman to represent Afghanistan at the Paralympic Games starting in Tokyo this month, but her dream was shattered amid the country’s turmoil. The Afghanistan Paralympic Committee’s London-based Chef de Mission Ariane Sadiqui told Reuters on Monday that two of the country’s athletes will not be able to attend the Games starting on August 24.

“Unfortunately the team could not leave Kabul on time due to the ongoing turmoil in Afghanistan,” he said.

US forces took over air traffic control at Kabul airport, where five were killed on Monday in chaotic scenes with reports of gunfire and a stampede in the air. Taliban insurgents have captured major cities and now most of Afghanistan. The radical Islamist movement was ousted in 2001, but has seen widespread military gains in recent months due to the withdrawal of foreign forces led by the United States.

Sadiqui said he was due to fly to Japan on Monday, while the team – Khudadadi and track athlete Hussein Rassouli – was due to arrive in Tokyo on August 17. Taekwondo athlete Khudadadi was featured on the Paralympic website last week talking about her hopes. Games.

The 23-year-old from Herat said, “After receiving the news that I had got a wild card to compete in the Games, I was thrilled.” “This is the first time a female athlete will represent Afghanistan at the Games and I am very happy,” she said.

Sadiqi said athletes were trying to secure flights, but prices went up as the Taliban captured several cities. Then it became impossible.

“They were really excited before the situation. They were training in parks and back gardens wherever they could,” he said.

Afghan athletes competed at the 1996 Paralympic Games for the first time but never won a medal.

Rohullah Nikpai became Afghanistan’s first Olympic medalist in any sport when he won a bronze medal in Taekwondo at the 2008 Beijing Games, and repeated the feat in London 2012.

The future of Afghan athletes looks bleak, says Sadiqui, if the past is anything to go by. “A lot of progress had been made in both the Olympics and the Paralympics,” he said of recent decades. “There were a lot of participants at the national level, a lot of athletes … but we can only predict what happened in the past. During the first Taliban era people couldn’t compete, especially women athletes didn’t participate. could.

“To me, it’s heartbreaking,” he said. “It would have been the first female Afghan Taekwondo player to take part. It was history in the making. She was excited to participate. She was too passionate to compete. Zakia would have been a great role model for the rest of the women of the country.”

Read Full Article
'; $('div.listing').append(string); } }); }, error:function(xhr){ //console.log("Error"); //console.log("An error occured: " + xhr.status + " " + xhr.statusText); nextload=false; }, complete: function(){ $('div.listing').find(".loading-block").remove();; pg +=1; //console.log("mod" + ice%2); nextpath="&page=" + pg; //console.log("request complete" + nextpath); cat = "?cat=120893"; //console.log(nextpath); nextload=(ice%2==0)?true:false; } }); } //lastoff = last.offset(); //console.log("**" + lastoff + "**"); });*/ var maindiv = false; var dis = 0; var fbcontainer=""; var fbid = ''; var fb_script=document.createElement('script'); fb_script.text= "(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));"; var fmain = $(".sr2385664"); //alert(x+ "-" + url); var fdiv = '
'; //console.log(fdiv); //$(fb_script).appendTo(fmain); $(fdiv).appendTo(fmain); function fillElementWithAd($el, slotCode, size, targeting){ if (typeof targeting === 'undefined') { targeting = {}; } else if ( Object.prototype.toString.call( targeting ) !== '[object Object]' ) { targeting = {}; } var elId = $el.attr('id'); //console.log("elId:" + elId); googletag.cmd.push(function(){ var slot = googletag.defineSlot(slotCode, size, elId); for (var t in targeting){ slot.setTargeting(t, targeting } slot.addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.display(elId); //googletag.pubads().refresh([slot]); }); } $(document).delegate("button[id^='mf']", "click", function(){ fbcontainer=""; fbid = '#' + $(this).attr('id'); var sr = fbid.replace("#mf", ".sr"); $(fbid).parent().children(sr).toggle(); fbcontainer = $(fbid).parent().children(sr).children(".fb-comments").attr("id"); }); function onPlayerStateChange(event){ var ing, fid; //console.log(event + "---player"); $('iframe[id*="video-"]').each(function(){ _v = $(this).attr('id'); //console.log("_v: " + _v); if(_v != event){ //console.log("condition match"); ing = new YT.get(_v); if(ing.getPlayerState()=='1'){ ing.pauseVideo(); } } }); $('div[id*="video-"]').each(function(){ _v = $(this).attr('id'); //console.log("_v: " + _v + " event: " + event); if(_v != event){ //jwplayer(_v).play(false); } }); } function onYouTubePlay(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid){ if (typeof(YT) == 'undefined' || typeof(YT.Player) == 'undefined') { var tag = document.createElement('script'); tag.src = "https://www.youtube.com/iframe_api"; var firstScriptTag = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; firstScriptTag.parentNode.insertBefore(tag, firstScriptTag); window.onYouTubePlayerAPIReady = function() { onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid); }; }else{onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid);} } function onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid){ //console.log(playDiv + "Get Youtue " + vid); //$("#"+vid).find(".playvideo-"+ vx).hide(); var player = new YT.Player(playDiv , { height: '450', width: '100%', videoId:code, playerVars: { 'autoplay': 1, 'showinfo': 1, 'controls': 1 }, events: { 'onStateChange': function(event){ onPlayerStateChange(event.target.a.id); } } }); $("#video-"+vid).show(); } function kalturaPlayerAPIReady(code, playDiv,pvid){ var dt=new Date; var nt=dt.getTime(); var vtitle = ""; pre_roll = "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x480&iu=/11440465/Zeenews_English_Video/Zeenews_English_Preroll&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&description_url="+vtitle+"&correlator="+nt; var sources ={}; var config = { targetId: playDiv, provider: { partnerId: 2504201 }, playback: { pictureInPicture : true, autoplay: true }, advertising: { adBreaks: [{ position: 0, ads: [{ url: [pre_roll] }] }] }, plugins: { ima: { adsResponse: "" } } } var kalturaPlayer = KalturaPlayer.setup(config); if(kalturaPlayer){ kalturaPlayer.reset(); } var videoUrl = code; var mediaid = '"zn' + pvid + '"'; sources = { hls: [{ id: mediaid, url: videoUrl, mimetype: "application/x-mpegURL" }] } kalturaplayerSetup(kalturaPlayer, sources); if (typeof kalturaPlayer !== 'undefined') { doRegisterEvents(kalturaPlayer); } } function kalturaplayerSetup(kalturaPlayer, playbackType){ kalturaPlayer.setMedia({ plugins: {}, sources: playbackType }); } function doRegisterEvents(kalturaPlayer) { /* player event*/ kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PLAY, playEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PAUSE, pauseEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PLAYBACK_ENDED, playbackEndedEvent); /* ad event */ kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_STARTED, adStartedEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_COMPLETED, adCompletedEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_SKIPPED, adSkippedEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_CLICKED,adClicked); } var vlabel = "https://zeenews.india.com"+$(this).attr("video-path"); var isVideoPlayed = false; var isAdSkippedCompleted = false; function adStartedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adstarted', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); gtag('event', 'Play', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isVideoPlayed = true; isAdSkippedCompleted = true; } function adCompletedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adcompleted', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isAdSkippedCompleted = true; } function adSkippedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adskipped', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isAdSkippedCompleted = true; } function adClicked(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adclicked', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); } function playbackEndedEvent(event){ var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Complete', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); } function playEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; if((isVideoPlayed) && (isAdSkippedCompleted)){ isAdSkippedCompleted = false; }else if((isVideoPlayed)){ gtag('event', 'resume', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); }else{ gtag('event', 'Play', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isVideoPlayed = true; } } function pauseEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Pause', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); } function AdloadEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag("event", "kaltura_adloaded", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel}); } function AdProgressEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag("event", "kaltura_adprogress", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel}); } function adPausedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag("event", "kaltura_adpaused", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel}); } /* End of Kaltura player function code */ $(document).delegate("div[id^='play']", "click", function(){ //console.log($(this).attr("id")); //console.log($(this).attr("video-source")); //console.log($(this).attr("video-code")); var isyoutube = $(this).attr("video-source"); var vurl = $(this).attr("video-path"); var vid = $(this).attr("id"); $(this).hide(); var pvid = $(this).attr("newsid"); var vx = $(this).attr("id").replace('play-',''); var vC = $(this).attr("video-code"); var playDiv = "video-" + vid + "-" + pvid; if(isyoutube =='No'){ kalturaPlayerAPIReady(vC, playDiv,pvid); }else{ onYouTubePlay(vid, vC, playDiv,vx, pvid); } }); $(document).delegate("div[id^='ptop']", "click", function(){ var vid = $(this).attr("id").replace('ptop',''); $(this).hide(); var pvid = $(this).attr("newsid"); var vurl = $(this).attr("video-path"); //console.log($(this).attr("id") + "--" + vid); //console.log($(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-source")); //console.log($(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-code")); var isyoutube = $(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-source"); var vC = $(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-code"); var playDiv = "mvideo-play-" + vid + "-" + pvid; if(isyoutube =='No'){ //console.log(jwplayer($(this).attr("id")).getState()); kalturaPlayerAPIReady(vC, playDiv,pvid); }else{ onYouTubePlay($(this).attr("id"), vC, playDiv, vid, pvid); } }); var nxti = 3; var ci = 1; var nxti_1 = 6; var nxti_2 = 9; var nxti_3 = 12; if($.autopager==false){ var use_ajax = false; /*var disqus_shortname="zeehindi"; var disqus_identifier; //made of post id and guid var disqus_url; //post permalink function loadDisqus(source, identifier, url, nid) { if (window.DISQUS) { //alert("if"); jQuery('
').insertAfter(source); jQuery('#disqus_thread').insertAfter(source); //append the HTML after the link //if Disqus exists, call it's reset method with new parameters DISQUS.reset({ reload: true, config: function () { this.page.identifier = identifier; this.page.url = url; } }); }else{ jQuery('
').insertAfter(source); disqus_identifier = identifier; //set the identifier argument disqus_url = url; //set the permalink argument //append the Disqus embed script to HTML var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type="text/javascript"; dsq.async = true; dsq.src="http://" + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js'; jQuery('head').append(dsq); } };*/ /*$('.disqusOn').live( "click", notify ); function notify() { identifier = $(this).attr('id'); dUrl = $(this).attr('disqus-url'); source = $(this).parent(); loadDisqus(jQuery(this), identifier, dUrl); }*/ function loadshare(curl){ history.replaceState('' ,'', curl); if(window.OBR){ window.OBR.extern.researchWidget(); } //console.log("loadshare Call->" + curl); //$('html head').find('title').text("main" + nxtTitle); if(_up == false){ var cu_url = curl; gtag('config', 'UA-2069755-1', {'page_path': cu_url }); if(window.COMSCORE){ window.COMSCORE.beacon({c1: "2", c2: "9254297"}); var e = Date.now(); $.ajax({ url: "/marathi/news/zscorecard.json?" + e, success: function(e) {} }) } //console.log('ga:'+r); /*(function () { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type="text/javascript"; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + 'stats.g.doubleclick.net/dc.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();*/ //console.log("loadshare Call"); } } if(use_ajax==false) { //console.log('getting'); var view_selector="div.center-section"; // + settings.view_name; + '.view-display-id-' + settings.display; var content_selector = view_selector; // + settings.content_selector; var items_selector = content_selector + ' > div.rep-block'; // + settings.items_selector; var pager_selector="div.next-story-block > div.view-zn-article-mc-all-2017 > div.view-content > div.clearfix"; // + settings.pager_selector; var next_selector="div.next-story-block > div.view-zn-article-mc-all-2017 > div.view-content > div.clearfix > a:last"; // + settings.next_selector; var auto_selector="div.tag-block"; var img_location = view_selector + ' > div.rep-block:last'; var img_path="
Loading
"; //settings.img_path; //var img = '
' + img_path + '
'; var img = img_path; //$(pager_selector).hide(); //alert($(next_selector).attr('href')); var x = 0; var url=""; var prevLoc = window.location.pathname; var circle = ""; var myTimer = ""; var interval = 30; var angle = 0; var Inverval = ""; var angle_increment = 6; var handle = $.autopager({ appendTo: content_selector, content: items_selector, runscroll: maindiv, link: next_selector, autoLoad: false, page: 0, start: function(){ $(img_location).after(img); circle = $('.center-section').find('#green-halo'); myTimer = $('.center-section').find('#myTimer'); angle = 0; Inverval = setInterval(function (){ $(circle).attr("stroke-dasharray", angle + ", 20000"); //myTimer.innerHTML = parseInt(angle/360*100) + '%'; if (angle >= 360) { angle = 1; } angle += angle_increment; }.bind(this),interval); }, load: function(){ $('div.loading-block').remove(); clearInterval(Inverval); //$('.repeat-block > .row > div.main-rhs2385664').find('div.rhs2385664:first').clone().appendTo('.repeat-block >.row > div.main-rhs' + x); $('div.rep-block > div.main-rhs2385664 > div:first').clone().appendTo('div.rep-block > div.main-rhs' + x); $('.center-section >.row:last').before('

Next Story

'); //$(".main-rhs" + x).theiaStickySidebar(); var fb_script=document.createElement('script'); fb_script.text= "(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));"; var fmain = $(".sr"+ x); //alert(x+ "-" + url); var fdiv = '
'; //$(fb_script).appendTo(fmain); $(fdiv).appendTo(fmain); FB.XFBML.parse(); var $dfpAd = $('.center-section').children().find("#ad-"+ x); xp = "#star"+x; //var $dfpAdrhs = $('.main-rhs' + x).children().find('.adATF').empty().attr("id", "ad-300-" + x); //$('.content-area > .main-article > .row > .main-rhs'+x).find('#ad-300-' + x); //var $dfpAdrhs2 = $('.main-rhs' + x).children().find('.adBTF').empty().attr("id", "ad-300-2-" + x);//$('.content-area > .main-article > .row > .main-rhs'+x).find('#ad-300-2-' + x); //var $dfpMiddleAd = $('.content-area > .main-article > .row').find('#ar'+x).find('#ad-middle-' + x).empty(); //fillElementWithAd($dfpAdrhs, '/11440465/Zeenews_English_Web/Zeenews_English_AS_ATF_300x250', [[300, 250], [300, 600]], {}); //fillElementWithAd($dfpAdrhs2, '/11440465/Zeenews_English_Web/Zeenews_English_AS_BTF_1_300x250', [300, 250], {}); //fillElementWithAd($dfpMiddleAd, '/11440465/Zeenews_Hindi_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF', [300, 250], {}); var instagram_script=document.createElement('script'); instagram_script.defer="defer"; instagram_script.async="async"; instagram_script.src="https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"; /*var outbrain_script=document.createElement('script'); outbrain_script.type="text/javascript"; outbrain_script.async="async"; outbrain_script.src="https://widgets.outbrain.com/outbrain.js"; var Omain = $("#outbrain-"+ x); //alert(Omain + "--" + $(Omain).length); $(Omain).after(outbrain_script); var rhs = $('.main-article > .row > div.article-right-part > div.rhs2385664:first').clone(); $(rhs).find('.ad-one').attr("id", "ad-300-" + x).empty(); $(rhs).find('.ad-two').attr("id", "ad-300-2-" + x).empty(); //$('.main-article > .row > div.article-right-part > div.rhs2385664:first').clone().appendTo('.main-article > .row > div.main-rhs' + x); $(rhs).appendTo('.main-article > .row > div.main-rhs' + x); */ setTimeout(function(){ var twit = $("div.field-name-body").find('blockquote[class^="twitter"]').length; var insta = $("div.field-name-body").find('blockquote[class^="instagram"]').length; if(twit==0){twit = ($("div.field-name-body").find('twitterwidget[class^="twitter"]').length);} if(twit>0){ if (typeof (twttr) != 'undefined') { twttr.widgets.load(); } else { $.getScript('https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js'); } //$(twit).addClass('tfmargin'); } if(insta>0){ $('.content > .left-block:last').after(instagram_script); //$(insta).addClass('tfmargin'); window.instgrm.Embeds.process(); } }, 1500); } }); /*$("#loadmore").click(function(){ x=$(next_selector).attr('id'); var url = $(next_selector).attr('href'); disqus_identifier="ZNH" + x; disqus_url = url; handle.autopager('load'); history.pushState('' ,'', url); setTimeout(function(){ //twttr.widgets.load(); //loadDisqus(jQuery(this), disqus_identifier, disqus_url); }, 6000); });*/ /*$("button[id^='mf']").live("click", disqusToggle); function disqusToggle() { console.log("Main id: " + $(this).attr('id')); }*/ $(document).delegate("button[id^='mf']", "click", function(){ fbcontainer=""; fbid = '#' + $(this).attr('id'); var sr = fbid.replace("#mf", ".sr"); //console.log("Main id: " + $(this).attr('id') + "Goodbye!jQuery 1.4.3+" + sr); $(fbid).parent().children(sr).toggle(); fbcontainer = $(fbid).parent().children(sr).children(".fb-comments").attr("id"); //console.log(fbcontainer); //var commentsContainer = document.getElementById(fbcontainer); //commentsContainer.innerHTML = ''; }); /************Player Code ***********/ var title, imageUrl, description, author, shortName, identifier, timestamp, summary, newsID, nextnews; var previousScroll = 0; //console.log("prevLoc" + prevLoc); $(window).scroll(function(){ var last = $(auto_selector).filter(':last'); var lastHeight = last.offset().top ; //st = $(layout).scrollTop(); //console.log("st:" + st); var currentScroll = $(this).scrollTop(); if (currentScroll > previousScroll){ _up = false; } else { _up = true; } previousScroll = currentScroll; //console.log("_up" + _up); var cutoff = $(window).scrollTop() + 64; //console.log(cutoff + "**"); $('div[id^="row"]').each(function(){ //console.log("article" + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr("id") + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')); if($(this).offset().top + $(this).height() > cutoff){ //console.log("$$" + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')); if(prevLoc != $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')){ prevLoc = $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url'); $('html head').find('title').text($(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-title')); $('meta[name=description]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-summary')); $('meta[name=keywords]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword')); $('meta[name=news_keywords]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword')); pSUPERFLY.virtualPage(prevLoc,$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-title')); //console.log("Summary: " + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-summary')); //console.log("Keyword: " + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword')); //history.pushState('' ,'', prevLoc); loadshare(prevLoc); } return false; // stops the iteration after the first one on screen } }); if(lastHeight + last.height() < $(document).scrollTop() + $(window).height()){ //console.log("**get"); url = $(next_selector).attr('href'); x=$(next_selector).attr('id'); //console.log("x:" + x); //handle.autopager('load'); /*setTimeout(function(){ //twttr.widgets.load(); //loadDisqus(jQuery(this), disqus_identifier, disqus_url); }, 6000);*/ } //lastoff = last.offset(); //console.log("**" + lastoff + "**"); }); //$( ".content-area" ).click(function(event) { // console.log(event.target.nodeName); //}); /*$( ".comment-button" ).live("click", disqusToggle); function disqusToggle() { var id = $(this).attr("id"); $("#disqus_thread1" + id).toggle(); };*/ //$(".main-rhs2385664").theiaStickySidebar(); var prev_content_height = $(content_selector).height(); //$(function() { var layout = $(content_selector); var st = 0; ///}); } } }); /*} };*/ })(jQuery); .

Leave a Reply