The IOC carried out a major humanitarian operation by evacuating a large number of athletes from Afghanistan thanks to a “global solidarity network”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) managed to execute an international operation “in a discreet manner” to evacuate from Afghanistan a significant number of people linked to the Olympic movement, especially athletes, an IOC official revealed to Around The Rings.

“The first thing that has concerned us, and continues to concern us, is trying to get people to safety who have been very significant within Olympism over the years, for example, in the defense of women’s equality, and who now felt in danger because of the arrival of the Taliban,” the source said.

The official revealed that the IOC made a list of people linked to the Olympic movement in various fields, including athletes, members of the National Olympic Committee, National Federations and family members, who were able to leave the country.

As of today, 24 hours after the conclusion of the evacuation process carried out by the United States and its allies, the source said that “there are many” who have left through the Kabul airport thanks to the IOC’s efforts.

In response to a question from ATR, the source confirmed that Asghari is out of danger.

Asghari did not travel to Afghanistan after leaving Tokyo, where she attended the IOC general assembly and fulfilled a protocol program of the Olympic Games in which she awarded the top-placed teams from the United States, Japan and France in women’s basketball.

Asghari, 27 and the youngest IOC member when she was elected in 2018, had asked the U.S. for help from the country where she is based to evacuate top athletes and technical staff as soon as the Taliban takeover of Kabul was consummated. Shortly afterward Asghari removed his message from social media.

“The IOC is monitoring the situation and is in contact with the sports community in Afghanistan. At the same time, we have sent relevant information to various responsible governments. For obvious reasons of security of the persons concerned, we would not like to comment further at this stage,” the Olympic body communicated at the time.

The IOC official declined to disclose to Around the Rings further details about the evacuees.

The Olympic source commented that numerous Olympic Committees were contacted and offered to talk to their national governments to include people belonging to the Olympic movement on their lists of collaborators and people who felt at risk.

Olympic Committees from Germany, Spain, France, Poland, the United States, Belgium, to name a few, played an active role in the mission.

The official assured that this humanitarian mission has been made possible “thanks to a unique network of solidarity,” referring to the connections of the National Olympic Committees and the International and National Federations with governments.

“These networks that we have counted on for many years and that many times you don’t think work, now, when it has been a matter of lending a hand at the level of saving lives or at least getting people to safety, it has worked.”

“It’s all very closed now, the last military plane is about to leave Kabul airport, but our operation to save as many as we could is done and we are very satisfied with the international solidarity.”

To another question, the source commented that the IOC has sent a letter to all International Federations and National Olympic Committees confirming that the only Olympic Committee in Afghanistan it recognizes is the current one, regardless of whether its leaders have left the country.

“That is the position, for the moment... then we will see how things will evolve.”

“Today, the IOC’s main priority is the humanitarian situation.”

Tens of thousands of Afghans who collaborated with the United States and others at risk and their families will remain in the country, with the threat of the Taliban in power.

The IOC will continue to monitor developments and the continuation of the process of exiting the country. The Taliban have assured that they will give a “free hand” to those who wish to leave, although doubts remain in the air.

Meanwhile, Paris and London are requesting the guarantee of a space under UN control to facilitate departures after August 31.

Around The Rings confirmed that IOC officials had to interrupt or postpone the start of their “post-Olympic” vacation to get involved in this urgent humanitarian process following the overthrow of the Afghan government by the Taliban and calls for help from athletes from that country.

Regarding Afghanistan’s future participation in the international sports circuit, the official made it clear that the IOC has a policy of not leaving its athletes behind: “It would be unfair for them to be left behind and marginalized”.

In this sense, he specified that the IOC will be attentive to the situation of the athletes left behind in Afghanistan.

“We will see what the international community does against the Taliban, and their behavior, because, as President (Thomas) Bach often says: we cannot be apolitical, we must be politically neutral. We cannot live on the sidelines of what is happening in a country.”

“And we will see,” the source added, “if these gentlemen are capable of accepting the basic principles of the Olympic movement, including the inclusion of women.”

A similar situation occurred more than 20 years ago after the Taliban came to power between 1996 and 2001 and set up a Taliban Olympic Committee, which the IOC never recognized.

For not respecting the principles of the Olympic Charter, Afghanistan was sanctioned by the IOC and banned from participating in the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000.

Its National Olympic Committee was reinstated in 2002 after the fall of the Taliban and reappeared with five athletes at the 2004 Athens Games.

In their current attempt to convince the world that they are other - albeit the same - it remains to be seen whether the Taliban continue to include sport in their harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

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