Hossain Rasouli

Hossain Rasouli
Personal information
Nationality Afghanistan
Born (1995-08-10) 10 August 1995 (age 29)
Afghanistan
Sport
CountryIslamic Republic of Afghanistan Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of
SportAthletics

Hossain Rasouli (Pashto: حسین رسولي; born 10 August 1995)[1] is an Afghan Paralympic athlete. He represented Afghanistan at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. He was initially denied the opportunity to compete at his first Paralympics due to the Taliban takeover but he was later allowed by the International Paralympic Committee to compete at the event after being safely evacuated from Afghanistan.[2][3] His left arm was amputated due to a landmine explosion.[4]

Career

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He was chosen as one of the two competitors from Afghanistan alongside parataekwondo practitioner Zakia Khudadadi for the 2020 Summer Paralympics. However, on 16 August 2021, Afghanistan was forced to withdraw from the event following the Fall of Kabul to the Taliban.[5] Afghan athletes were also unable to leave Kabul due to the closure of the airports.[6][7] Both of them were absent during the 2020 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony although the Flag of Afghanistan was waived during the opening ceremony in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.[8]

On 28 August 2021, Rasouli, alongside his female compatriot Khudadadi, arrived in Tokyo after taking a flight en route from Kabul to Paris, ending the uncertainties which prevailed regarding Afghanistan's participation at the Tokyo Paralympics.[2][9][10] The President of International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons revealed that both of the Afghan athletes would not be available for interviews and that permission has been granted to them to skip the usual press conferences.[11]

Hossain was initially scheduled to compete in the men's 100m T47 event on 28 August 2021 but had to miss the event due to his late arrival in Tokyo. However, he was allowed to compete in the men's long jump T47 final on 31 August 2021, even though his name was not originally in the final list.[3][12][13] He finished at thirteenth and last position in the men's long jump final but recorded his personal best performance of 4.46m.[14][15] It was also Rasouli's first long jump event in a major international competition.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Athletics - RASOULI Hossain". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Afghanistan's Paralympians safely evacuated, says International Paralympic Committee". The Indian Express. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b Sana Noor Haq (28 August 2021). "Two Afghan athletes arrive from Kabul to Tokyo, International Paralympic Committee confirms". CNN. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Hossain Rasouli - Athletics | Paralympic Athlete Profile". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. ^ "'Devastated' Afghan duo to miss Paralympics". BBC Sport. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  6. ^ "'Heartbreaking': Afghan Paralympic athletes to miss Tokyo 2020". Al Jazeera. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Paralympics: Afghan turmoil shattering dream of trapped athletes is 'heartbreaking,' says IPC chief". CNN. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  8. ^ Media, P. A. (28 August 2021). "Afghanistan duo arrive in Tokyo for Paralympics after Kabul evacuation". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Paralympics | Afghanistan's Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli land in Tokyo to compete at Games". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Afghan Paralympians to compete in Tokyo after evacuation". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Afghan athletes arrive in Tokyo". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Athletics - Men's Long Jump - T47 Schedule". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  13. ^ "'What the Paralympics really mean'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Hossain Rasouli draws eyes of the world after escaping Afghanistan". The Independent. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Afghan athlete evacuated from Kabul belatedly competes at Paralympics". The Guardian. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Afghan Paralympian beats the odds to compete in Tokyo". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
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