Afghan Paralympian Makes Her Debut After Secret Evacuation

Afghan Paralympian Makes Her Debut After Secret Evacuation
Zakia Khudadadi of Afghanistan during her bout against Viktoriia Marchuk of Ukraine at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Chiba, Japan, on Sept. 2, 2021. Thomas Peter/Reuters
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CHIBA, Japan—Afghanistan’s Zakia Khudadadi competed in the Paralympic Games on Thursday, becoming the first woman from her country to do so since Athens 2004, after a secret international effort to help the taekwondo athlete get out of Taliban-controlled Kabul.

The 22-year-old and her compatriot Hossain Rasouli arrived in Tokyo on Saturday via Paris after Khudadadi made a video appeal for help to leave the Afghan capital after the Taliban swept to power.