Members of Afghanistan’s women’s youth development soccer team arrived in Britain early Thursday after being flown from Pakistan with the help of a UK soccer club, Leeds United and Kim Kardashian.
A plane chartered by the reality star and carrying more than 30 teenage players and their families, about 130 people in all, landed at Stansted Airport near London. The Afghans will spend 10 days in coronavirus quarantine before starting new lives in Britain, reported CBS News.
English Premier League club Leeds United has offered to support the players. Andrea Radrizzani, the majority owner of Leeds United, posted a photo of Afghan team members arriving at the airport. “Proud to be part of the team to make this real,” Radrizzani tweeted.
first chapter written today! When I received a call asking help to rescue the youth w team from Afghanistan,I didn’t know even from where to start. Today they flew to UK. Proud to be part of the team to make this real. Let’s dream one day they will play in @LUFC💛💙 pic.twitter.com/XLPv6IXByi
— Andrea Radrizzani (@andrearadri) November 18, 2021
The players in Afghanistan’s women’s youth development team were among hundreds of female athletes that have left the country since the Taliban took over and started curbing women’s freedoms.
“The Afghan female footballers are well-known figures in the country,” said Khalida Popal, a former captain of Afghanistan’s national women’s team who has led evacuation efforts for female athletes.
“Their lives were in great danger because of people in the country who opposed their activism and wanted to stop their sport and educational activities.”
Some of the girls were beaten, had their houses burnt down and had family members “taken” by the Taliban, she and the players said.
The girls had made it to Pakistan but needed help getting to Britain. The squad had been in Pakistan on temporary 30-day visas since escaping from Afghanistan but risked being sent back when their asylum period expired if no other country was prepared to take them in.
Kim Kardashian’s spokeswoman confirmed that the star and her brand SKIMs had chartered the flight.
