Governing Bodies
Afghanistan IOC member Samira Asghari calls for help to evacuate country’s female athletes
Afghanistan’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Samira Asghari has pleaded for help to evacuate the country’s female athletes, coaches and support teams from the country.
In a tweet posted today Asghari writes: “Please Afghanistan national female athletes, coaches and their entourage need your help, we must get them out of Taliban’s hands means out of Afghanistan in particular Kabul.
“Please do something before it is too late.”
Asghari tagged the accounts of the United States’ diplomat Ross Wilson, the US 3×3 basketball team and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
The Taliban has swept back to power in Afghanistan in a development that has raised serious fears over what it will mean for women’s rights and women’s sport, which the group views as un-Islamic.
Zakia Khudadadi had been due to become the first female athlete to represent Afghanistan at a Paralympic Games at Tokyo 2020, but it was announced earlier this week that the situation and lack of flights from the country meant that she would no longer be able to participate in the Para taekwondo competition.
As reported by Kyodo News, Khudadadi has also appealed for support to reach the Paralympics.
“I am an Afghan woman, and as a representative of Afghan women, I ask you to help me,” Khudadadi said.
“My intention is to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
“Please hold my hand and help me.”
The 23-year-old said she is “imprisoned inside the house” with relatives in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, and “cannot even go outside this house with confidence and with security to go out to buy a few things for myself or to train.”
Afghanistan sent five athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and one to the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
However, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed earlier this week that the country would no longer feature at Tokyo 2020.
A spokesperson for the IOC said when asked about Asghari’s tweet: “The IOC is monitoring the situation and is in contact with the sport community in Afghanistan.
“At the same time, we have forwarded relevant information to a number of responsible Governments.
“For obvious reasons of security of concerned people, we would not comment further at this stage.”
Asghari is the first IOC member from Afghanistan.
She was elected in October 2018, and is a peace and human rights advocate in her country.
The Taliban has declared victory in Afghanistan, as well as its intention to form a new Government and establish international relations after taking the capital Kabul.
The Islamist group believes in Sharia law and vigorously restricts the freedoms of women.
Female employees in some areas taken over by the group have been told not to return to their jobs, while in others women must wear a burqa if they leave home, and must be accompanied by a male guardian.
The group said this week that it will respect’s women’s rights “within the framework of Islam”, and would welcome women in Government positions.
However, doubts remain internationally.
The Taliban imposed severe restrictions on women during its rule of Afghanistan in the late 1990s, but was removed from power in an operation led by US forces in 2001.
An “agreement for bringing peace” was signed between the Taliban and the US in February 2020 during the Donald Trump administration, and President Joe Biden announced in April this year that all US troops would leave Afghanistan by September 11.
However, in recent weeks the Taliban has advanced across Afghanistan, and the country’s President Ashraf Ghani fled on Sunday (August 15).
Kabul’s airport has been closed to commercial flights, but thousands have been desperately attempting to escape the country, with videos showing huge numbers of people on the runway, while others have fallen to their deaths after attempting to cling to an aircraft as it took off.
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World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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