Zakia Khudadadi is set to become Afghanistan’s first ever female Paralympian when she competes on Thursday.
Afghan Paralympians Hossain Rasouli and feared they would miss the Tokyo Paralympics when the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan initially prevented them from flying to Tokyo. But after a harrowing few weeks filled with uncertainty and doubt, Rasouli finally got his chance to compete in the Games on Tuesday after last week. Rasouli, whose left hand was amputated as a result of a mine explosion, was still able to represent Afghanistan at the Paralympics despite missing the event he had qualified for. The 26-year-old trained primarily to be a sprinter for the 100-meter dash, but he instead competed in the T47 long jump, where he finished in last place. International Paralympic Committee spokesperson Craig Spence said that Rasouli had been “super excited” to compete and called it a “special occasion” for him.
