Kim Kardashian helps evacuate Afghan women footballers to Britain
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A group of Afghan women footballers have arrived in Britain, the culmination of an extraordinary rescue effort that began after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.
The girls - aged between 13 and 19 - arrived from Pakistan on Thursday night.
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and Andrea Radrizzani, owner of English soccer club Leeds United, helped former Afghan women's soccer captain Khaleda Popal transport 130 Afghan women soccer players and their families from Afghanistan to Britain, via Pakistan.
Khaleda Popal, who coordinated their rescue from Denmark, said: "Mission accomplished. I am very happy and very proud of these girls. They have been traumatized. They have been through a lot and managed to stay strong. Now they can start a new life and breathe the air of freedom."
The girls, mostly from Afghan provinces, feared for their lives when the Taliban took over their cities.
Some of their families received death threats.
"People were searching homes looking for them," Bhopal told the BBC.
They made their way in panic to Kabul, and were due to be evacuated at the end of August.
They were close to the airport when they were pulled from their buses after security warnings.
Two hours later, a suicide bomber targeted the airport, killing more than 180 people.
That is why they hid.
Ten days later, after intense lobbying on their behalf, we were given personal permission from Pakistan's Prime Minister, Imran Khan, to cross the border.
But they only had temporary Pakistani visas.
The girls were supported by the president of Leeds United Football Club, Andrea Radrizzani.
Their case was known to the British government, through a series of former British Army interpreters and influential war veterans.
And last month it granted them entry visas.
"We achieved our first goal," Khaleda Popal told the BBC. "The next goal is to work with football organizations to help them start their new career in football."
"A lot of people were involved in that process," Bhopal added. "It's the hardest job I've ever done in my life."
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