Kim Kardashian West, reality television star, is using her platform to help Afghan female soccer players to fly from Pakistan to Britain to leave the Taliban-led Afghanistan.
With the help of a New York Rabbi, a UK soccer club and Kim Kardashian West, Members of Afghanistan’s women’s youth development soccer team arrived in Britain after being flown from Pakistan.
A plane chartered by the reality star and carrying more than 30 teenage players and their families, about 130 people in all, landed at Stansted Airport near London. The Afghans will spend 10 days in coronavirus quarantine before starting new lives in Britain.
It's such a privilege to be a part of this life-saving mission to save the Afghan Female Youth National Team! All girls have the right to be whatever they want to be. They are courageous and it's tragic they had to flee their country because they wish to play a sport they love. pic.twitter.com/s9nAD588lg
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 19, 2021
This move of female athletes, having their opportunity to play taken away, is viewed as a political act of defiance against the Taliban to let women play sports in Afghanistan.
Members of the team, many who are from poor families, had secured visas in the United Kingdom but no flights were to leave Afghanistan.
Kardashian West, along with a New York rabbi and a Premier League soccer club made it possible for the 30-plus teenage players of the Afghanistan’s women’s youth development soccer team and about 100 of their family members leave the country.
Since Taliban have returned to power, due to the oppression of women in sports many female athletes have left Afghanistan.
After hearing that the team is now in another country, including former captain of Afghanistan’s national women’s team Khalida Popal Former Afghanistan female athletes have expressed their joy.
