Their arrival in London is a deliverance. Thirty-five young footballers of the Afghan national junior team and their families, or 130 people, landed on Thursday, November 18, at Stansted airport, according to the ROKiT Foundation, which helped them in their flight.
The players, who narrowly missed the airlift in Kabul in August, fled to Pakistan with their families after the Taliban took power in the Afghan capital, but they only had a visa of thirty. days. According to British news agency PA, the flight that brought them to London was funded by reality star Kim Kardashian.
Siu-Anne Gill, CEO of the ROKiT Foundation, said “Extremely touched by the courage of these girls”, saying hope that “The football family” would help them in “This second chance in their life”.
“It shows the power of football”
The young footballers have notably received support from Leeds United football club, whose owner, Andrea Radrizzani, said in a statement, ” delighted “ upon arrival in the UK. “It demonstrates the power of football, and sport in general, as a force for good and how the football community is able to collaborate and mobilize to save lives”, he added. Leeds United had offered to welcome the players to the junior teams in order to give back to these girls “A prosperous future”.
“Like the others we have brought from Afghanistan to the UK, the girls of the Afghan team’s women’s team will receive a warm welcome, support and accommodation.”, said a spokesperson for the British government.
The UK evacuated more than 15,000 people during the Kabul airlift in the two weeks following the return to power of the Taliban in mid-August, including nearly 8,600 Afghans eligible for the PFRA relocation and aid program to Afghans who worked with the British.
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