After a team of human rights lawyers and other NGOs worked around the clock with the former team coaches Kelly Lindsey and others to explore all avenues in to getting them on evacuation lists, the athletes managed to obtain visas and get into the airport perimeter
Players had to run past Taliban checkpoints, taking the risks of facing gun fire , en route to a new life away from the nightmarish scenario in Kabul.
The Australian team of the former Socceroo Craig Foster and the human rights lawyer and former Olympian Nikki Dryden – who were critical in ensuring the safety of the detained Bahrain footballer Hakeem al-Araibi in 2019 – and the director of Human Rights for All, Alison Battisson, were some of the many that swung into action and Australia quickly became the most viable escape route as Australian visas were secured for all athletes and the Australian government called for them to report to the airport.
Australia has for more than a week been evacuating its citizens and some of its former staff from its embassy after the Taliban seized control of the capital, Kabul, on Aug. 15.
About 1,000 people have been evacuated on Australian flights and the ABC reported that among them were about 50 female athletes and their dependents, after their plight had drawn the support of several prominent former sporting figures.
“We would like to pay tribute to the tireless, round-the-clock work of many people including Khalida Popal, Kelly Lindsey, Nikki Dryden, Alison Battison, Haley Carter and Craig Foster in helping them to secure safe passage out of Afghanistan.
“There remains much work to do to support and settle these young women and we urge the international community to make sure that they receive all the help they need. There are also many athletes still at risk in Afghanistan and every effort should be made to offer them support.”
Popal added: “The last few days have been extremely stressful but today we have achieved an important victory. The women footballers have been brave and strong in a moment of crisis and we hope they will have a better life outside Afghanistan. But there is still much more work to do. Women’s football is a family and we must make sure everyone is safe.”
“We are grateful to the Australian government for evacuating a large number of women footballers and athletes from Afghanistan,” said a Fifpro statement. “These young women, both as athletes and activists, have been in a position of danger and on behalf of their peers around the world we thank the international community for coming to their aid.
“We would like to pay tribute to the tireless, round-the-clock work of many people including Khalida Popal, Kelly Lindsey, Nikki Dryden, Alison Battison, Haley Carter and Craig Foster in helping them to secure safe passage out of Afghanistan.
“There remains much work to do to support and settle these young women and we urge the international community to make sure that they receive all the help they need. There are also many athletes still at risk in Afghanistan and every effort should be made to offer them support.”
Popal added: “The last few days have been extremely stressful but today we have achieved an important victory. The women footballers have been brave and strong in a moment of crisis and we hope they will have a better life outside Afghanistan. But there is still much more work to do. Women’s football is a family and we must make sure everyone is safe.”
A group of 77 Afghan athletes and family members, including members of the Afghanistan women’s national football team, youth team and women’s football officials have left Kabul airport on a plane bound for Australia but there is still a long way to go to ensure the safety of many female athletes still at risk in the country.