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London: Members of the Afghanistan women´s youth development football team have been airlifted to the UK in an evacuation flight funded by US celebrity Kim Kardashian.
The 35 female footballers and their families, a total of 130 people, arrived at Stansted Airport, east of London, in the early hours of Thursday morning, according to the ROKiT Foundation.
The squad had been in Pakistan on temporary 30-day visas since escaping from Afghanistan following a takeover of the country by the Taliban.
But a charter flight brought them to the UK, where they will spend 10 days of a coronavirus quarantine in a hotel before starting their new lives.
A representative for Kardashian, best known as a star of reality television, told Britain´s PA news agency the flight was funded by her and her SKIMS brand.
Siu-Anne Gill, chief executive officer of the ROKiT Foundation which helped organise the footballers´ escape from Afghanistan, said she was “extremely humbled by the courage shown by these girls”.
“That´s inspired us to ensure that their efforts in getting over the border don´t go to waste,” she added.
Since their return to power on August 15, the Taliban have said that women can play football but only under strict conditions — namely barred from playing in public.
Other Afghan female players have fled to Portugal.
Leeds United are among the organisations offering to help the footballers who have arrived in England, with Andrea Radrizzani, the owner of the Premier League football club, saying in a statement: “We are delighted the Afghan Women & Girls Development Football Team and their families, led by their brave, former captain Khalida Popal have landed safely in the UK, following extensive efforts by a number of partners.
“We are honoured to have played our part and grateful that the UK government has enabled their resettlement in the UK.”
A British government spokesperson said: “Like others we have brought to the UK from Afghanistan, the Afghanistan girls´ football team will receive a warm welcome, support and accommodation.”