but face an uncertain future in the sport.
The scene at the Kabul airport was one of chaos and desperation. Amid gunfire, people were stampeding at full speed. Thousands were fleeing the Taliban, and Fati was among them. Fati is a young sportswoman who was educated in a different country. Her real name and birthday are omitted in order to protect the people to whom she is related.After the Taliban returned to control of her country in August 2021, Fati realized quickly that she and her teammates would have to leave their home and health behind. For many years, she had played alongside the Taliban, a football team that personified an Afghanistan of greater opportunity and pride for women. Now that their thoughts turned to the federal and state executions, it was apparent that they had to leave.Fati considered the Taliban’s returning home to be impossible. Her doubt soon changed into apprehension and dread. She had to escape. “I accepted that Afghanistan was leaving,” she says.I thought there was no possibility of living, so there was no chance for me to fight for my rights. No schoolhouse, no news media, no athletes, absolutely nothing. We were like dead bodies in our houses. “For two weeks I slept 24 hours a day with my phone, searching for help and reaching out to individuals. I remained awake all night and all day.”Fati and her teammates managed to escape from a maze of danger. They were assisted, unbeknownst to them, by an invisible network of women who were directing all their progress toward safety. This is the end of the story of Fati’s evacuation, which first began in Mexico City, where a 37-year-old former mercenary was finalizing the evacuation.”It was like a little virtual operation center running out of WhatsApp,” says Haley Carter. “Never underestimate the power of women with smartphones.” Carter, 37, was a goalkeeper, too. After her service in Iraq, she returned to North America to play three seasons for the Houston Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League. Between 2016 and 2018, she was also a manager in Afghanistan’s national women’s team.The American was thousands of miles away but she was still competing information with troops and the National Security team with encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal during the American operation in Afghanistan during Digital Dunkirk. It was referred to as a “Digital Dunkirk” operation. “In a usual combat environment, this kind of information would not be shared. But this was an evacuation,”The American was thousands of miles away, but she was still sharing vital information about the situation in Afghanistan with personnel and marines through encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal. The event has been named “A Digital Dunkirk.” “At times like this, you wouldn’t normally release that kind of information in this way.”Time was of the essence. Popal knew that Fati and her teammates would be vulnerable to Taliban investigations due to the sport of their chances. She also knew that soldiers were going door to door. Many female athletes were hiding in Kabul. Many feared for their lives. She told Fati and the other players to delete their social media accounts, destroy their clothing, and bury the.Time was of the essence. Popal knew that Fati and her teammates would be vulnerable to Taliban investigations due to the sport of their chances. She also knew that soldiers were going door to door. Many female athletes were hiding in Kabul. Many feared for their lives. She told Fati and the other players to delete their social media accounts, destroy their clothing, and bury the.Khalida texted all of us saying, “Girls, be ready to leave for the airport together, just one backpack each,” says Fati. “She said, “We cannot tell you even for sure that you are indeed sure that you will go inside the airport. But if you fight, you will survive.”When the right time came, Fati wrote Carter’s telephone number on her arm in case the telephone she was carrying was stolen or confiscated. Carter had also told Fati that the players should take turns turning on their smartphones to preserve battery life among the group. Fati left the house carrying as slightly as possible, as instructed. She was wearing long cloaks that also covered her face. Destiny led her away from home.Popal’s advice had been to prepare for three days, even in the event. But along with a phone charger, clothes, and drinks, Fati couldn’t help but take something else, even though it was a big risk. “I had one of the national team shorts,” she says. “I wore it like a loincloth and I was afraid about it.”Popal’s advice was to prepare for three days, even in the event. But along with a phone charger, clothes, and drinks, Fati couldn’t help but take something else, even though it was a big risk. “I had one of the national team shorts,” she says. “I wore it like a loincloth and I was afraid about it.”The situation at the airport was extremely desperate. Hundreds of people had flown in great distances to get to the facility, and some were left waiting. “People were constantly trying to claw their way into the metro stations as fast as possible,” says Fati.As a matter of life, everyone was striving to survive. Everyone’s effort was futile. If your name was on the short list or there wasn’t anyone at the airport coming out to help you, you weren’t getting in.Our energy team worked so hard to ensure that boat staff at the dock had their names on record so they could enter. Carter informed his colleague Froi that “there will be a man at the gate”. She additionally communicated that “You need to be there at the exact same place and write a password that I’m telling you. He will recognize, and there will be no queries, and you guys will be inside.”That password was the name of World War Two hero John Basilone, and the date the marine corps was founded – 10 November 1775 – combined with several other symbols. “It was communicated to me that the marines on the gate would be looking for that password,” Carter relates. “Marines will know that another marine told her to write that last sign.”That password, which was the name of the World War Two marine Hero John Basilone, and the date when the marine corps was founded – 10 November 1775 – and was combined with various other symbols. “It was communicated to me that that’s what the marines on the gate would be looking for,” Carter says. “Marines are going to know that another marine told her to write that sign.”Carter said, if you have a US passport, we will let you in, but no other options. “I didn’t have any astonishment in him at that point because I was in operational mode,” Carter says. She said OK, that’s not a problem, just give me some time so I can recommunicate to the individuals at the gate and make sure they know that you are coming.I think that think about the time she’s understands and is stressed is right. It’s not likely that I was stressed, because if I’m tense, it will transmit to her. Fati and the rest of the team could only wait. “If I know, it was 48 hours from the airfield,” she recalls.The sky was too hot and no wind; the children in our neighborhood were screaming and saying, “Let’s go, we don’t want to die.” Whenever the gunfire was heard, they were screaming. “Many eyes were looking at me to do something and somehow.” Fati resolved that she and her teammates would attempt to approach the south gate again, on this occasion. There were 2 Taliban attackers.At the first, she was separated from her brother and was severely injured. At the second, she was struck by the crowd, which was pushed back by men with guns. Under the weight of responsibility, she was one of the victims in the crush of bodies, the heat, and the gunfire. She was sure there was no way out.It was then that she remembered Popal’s message, “If you fight, you will survive.” Fati recalls, “It was a message that lighted things up in the dark. Somehow, there was something telling me that it was time for me to get back on my feet. This was a lesson I will remember for the rest of my life: there’s always hope, there’s always an open door.” The players regrouped. Suddenly,So many people were blocking the final checkpoint that we managed to get around and used it to our advantage. We were shouting phrases like, “Australian team members,” “Australia,” and “football,” which attracted the attention of the Australian soldiers. They found our documents and allowed us through.In 2010, their first match as captains, captained by Popal, Afghanistan’s women lost 13-0 to Nepal. Despite the final score, the Afghanistan women emerged from this match with a belief that could only grow in the relative freedom of the country. “We were a voice for those who were unable to be heard,” remembers Fati.It changed my father’s thinking. He had the same mindset of other men who held the belief that sport is not good for ladies. “Some people thought that we were just trying to have a good time, they didn’t consider that this was not just a way to have fun. This was about society, it was about rights. “Our national team was speaking about all those females who were oppressed.”Building an association to create a functioning tournament is not a sure thing. Only when there is no approval from the Taliban will you be granted permission to participate in the tournament. The Afghan Football Association (AFA), facing the daunting task of making an approach, is unlikely to receive the support of the Taliban, which brings the prospect of success into doubt.Fifa describes the scenario in Afghanistan as “unstable and very worrying.” It said it was still in contact with the AFA and was “committed to growing the game.” However, it was unable to provide any clarity about Fati and her teammates making any progress towards representing Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the men’s team had been playing, recently failing to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.Fifa describes the Afghanistan situation as “unstable andThe objectives instead are for us making the national teams of Australia or the country where we are in. We’re still Afghans, somehow, we will be the representatives of our country.” Carter finally met Fati in May across Australia. “She’s quite impressive,” the American says. “It’s not just the personality, not just because she shows you everything, but it’s more that she is a natural person and a real human being.”The move of their bravery is just the resourcefulness, but the tenacity that all of them have shown is inspiring to witness. “Those girls are my inspirations.”
