Australian Olympic Committee successful in securing refuge for oppressed Afghan athletes and officials

After a year of tireless efforts, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has given homes to five Afghan families with Olympic ties in Australia. Overall, 31 people have been relocated safely and will now be able to call Australia home.

The two most notable amongst the group are Kimia Yousofi and Ahmad Abasy. Yousofi is an Afghan sprinter and represented Afghanistan as the flag bearer at the Tokyo 2020 Games last summer. Abasy medaled at the Asian Games in taekwondo. The other two families have strong connections to Olympic volleyball.

Abasy has shown support for women’s sports rights in Afghanistan and as a result, it became unsafe to remain in the country. The other individuals were in the same predicament as they has shown support for women’s participation in both athletics and academics.

Throughout the process of relocating, these individuals have endured a great amount of ridicule and struggle in their home nation. AOC Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll shared, “For the families involved, the stress and uncertainty over this time has been enormous. These brave people have endured significant hardship and we are so pleased that our efforts have been successful. Many have spent time in locations outside Afghanistan and it’s wonderful to now have them on Australian soil. All arrived happy, if exhausted.”

The process to bring the Afghans to Australia began last August and took a great amount of involvement between the AOC, International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Department of Home Affairs to secure visas, flights and transfers. The exit consisted of removal of the individuals to different countries outside of Afghanistan before arriving and settling in Australia.

The first of the families arrived back in June while the final individuals arrived just last week and are getting settled thanks to support from the federal government, sponsors and the Australian community.

“Our sponsors have provided shopping vouchers and support packages of clothing and other items. While there have been some stressful and uncertain times over the last 12 months for the families, we never gave up and the result has been a happy outcome and a demonstration of Olympic Solidarity,” Carroll said.

The collaborative effort and its success is being felt by members of the athletics communities involved.

Volleyball Australia President Craig Carracher says “I’m so proud to have been part of this. The international sporting community, and our own volleyball community, came together to support those impacted in Afghanistan and who were looking for refuge in Australia. Working together with so many different groups including the Australian Olympic Committee, International Olympic Committee, the FIVB and many levels of Government, we were elated to welcome two Afghan volleyball officials and their families to Australia.”

Kimia Yousofi shared her gratitude and said she still intends to compete and would love to go to her third Olympic Games.

“It’s been a journey for me but I am very happy to be here. I am essentially starting a new life here. I am going to be training very hard and it would be exciting to go to Paris – I am definitely going to be competing.”

Seeing Australia do so much to offer refuge to those oppressed shows exactly why the world of athletics is so special. Every person should be able to participate in sports and Australia is making moves to ensure that that opportunity is offered to anyone and everyone no matter what it takes to make equal opportunity a reality worldwide.