London: Members of the Afghan women’s football team, who have been on the run since the Taliban came to power, have been given a warm welcome in Britain. Fashion icon Kim Kardashian, who starred in reality shows, supported her journey to a safer UK from the moment she faced death. All costs of transporting the players to the UK on a chartered flight were borne by the Kardashian-led NGO.
A total of 130 people, including 35 members of the women’s football team and their families, arrived in London yesterday. Other members of the team had earlier fled to Portugal. They had a visa to stay in Pakistan for only one month. Kardashian came to the rescue amid fears that he would have to return to Afghanistan if his visa expired. The actress has not yet commented on the matter but her representative oversaw the trip. They still remember with horror that every day spent in Afghanistan was horrible. They also thank Kardashian, who worked secretly for their cause and facilitated their journey. The surviving players have been offered training facilities at Leeds United, a well-known football club in the UK. Leeds United officials said the incident proved that football was not just a sport but a weapon in the fight against dictatorship. With the ban, players could leave football if they wanted to. However, the Leeds club said that they had proved that football was their lifeblood. Women’s football was banned in Afghanistan during the Taliban’s control from 1996 to 2001. Women were not allowed to participate in any sport. The women’s soccer team has not yet been publicly banned from playing in public stadiums.
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