REFILE: 'Stand With Us': Afghan soccer star's video plea to athletes across the globe

Record ID: 1986001

  • Title: REFILE: 'Stand With Us': Afghan soccer star's video plea to athletes across the globe
  • Date: 25th March 2025
  • Summary: UNKNOWN LOCATION (MARCH 25, 2025) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOCCER PLAYER KHALIDA POPAL SAYING: "I also want to take this opportunity to mention the resilience, the strength and amazing unity of our players that how great, strong human beings they are with all their losses, with the trauma that they have faced, with all the struggles and Manozh (Noori) is one of them
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Afghan women's soccer Afghanistan Afghanistan Women’s National Football Team FIFA
  • Location: UNKNOWN LOCATION, LISBON, PORTUGAL & MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
  • City: UNKNOWN LOCATION, LISBON, PORTUGAL & MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA003153725032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Afghan female athletes have made a global plea for unity and support for gender equality in sports, particularly in their home country, on Tuesday (March 25).
    The call to action highlights the struggle for gender equity in sports under the current regime in Afghanistan, with a specific focus on the difficulties faced by female athletes.
    "If there is one thing that I would request from the athletes all around the world, it would be it is time that we unite together... It would give us a lot of inspiration and support because you guys have a voice to use and that platform is there to be used" said Mursal Sadat.
    Sadat asked all athletes, especially women to make a short one-minute video and post it on social media as a sign of solidarity against what they describe as "gender based violence" taking place in Afghanistan.
    In 2020, Afghanistan had 25 contracted women football players, most of whom are now in Australia. The present Taliban regime insists they respect women's rights according to their interpretation of Islamic law and local customs, but this has raised concerns on the global stage about the future of women's sports in the country.
    (Production: Revathi Hariharan & Simon Ormiston)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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