From Serbia, Afghan boxers seek refuge, careers in West

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — They practiced in secret and struggled to get to an international tournament in Europe. Now, members of the Afghan national boxing team are seeking refuge in the West, hoping to continue both their careers and their lives without danger or fear.

The Afghan boxers, their coach and a top boxing federation official remained in Serbia after the AIBA World Boxing Championships finished in early November, saying they could face retribution from the Taliban if they returned home.

"When the Taliban regime came to Afghanistan, everything became changed,” Waheedullah Hameedi, the secretary general of Afghanistan's boxing federation, said. “It was difficult to come for a world championship during the new regime, the new government.”

The team has contacted several foreign embassies about securing humanitarian visas and asylum protection. Some European Union nations have turned them down, but the 11-member group has not given up hope of finding a safe haven.

Tens of thousands of Afghans, including athletes, have fled the country since troops from the United States and other foreign nations pulled out in August and the Taliban took over. Hameedi said the Taliban do not approve of boxing, and team members stand little chance of pursuing their careers freely in Afghanistan.

“As you know, the situation in Afghanistan is very tough, very bad,” he said, speaking in English. “They (Taliban) didn’t allow in first days to continue the boxing and open the gym. Everyone was afraid to go anywhere for boxing or for anything else.”

Hameedi’s father, a previous secretary general of the Afghan Boxing Federation, was gunned down in 2019 by unknown assailants. After the national team participated in the Asian Boxing Championships in Dubai in May, Hameedi was determined to...