. Members of the Afghan national boxing team trained in secret and worked hard to qualify for an international event in Europe. They are now seeking asylum in the West, hoping to continue their careers and lives in safety.
The Afghan boxers, their coach and a prominent boxing federation official stayed in Serbia after the AIBA World Boxing Championships that concluded in early November, fearing retaliation from the Taliban if they returned home.
‘Everything changed when the Taliban administration came to Afghanistan,’ Waheedullah Hameedi, secretary general of Afghanistan’s boxing union, stated. ‘Coming for a world championship during the new regime, the new government, was challenging.’
The team has made contact with many foreign embassies in order to obtain humanitarian visas and asylum protection. Although some European Union countries have refused to help them, the 11-member group has not given up hope of finding a safe refuge.
Post Your Comments