Abbas Karimi is the only Afghan at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

TAYLOR KNIGHT:

THERE’S NO I IN TEAM, BUT THERE IS AN A.

THIS “A” STANDS FOR ABBAS KARIMI, A DECORATED SWIMMER REPRESENTING THE REFUGEE TEAM IN THE TOKYO 20-20 PARALYMPICS. 

THE TEAM HAS 6 ATHLETES WHO REPRESENT  MORE THAN 82 MILLION REFUGEES AROUND THE WORLD,  WHO LEFT THEIR COUNTRY DUE TO HUMAN RIGHTS AND SAFETY CONCERNS. 

KARIMI IS A REFUGEE FROM AFGHANISTAN AND HAS LIVED IN THE U-S SINCE 2016. HE MADE HIS WAY THROUGH FOUR CAMPS IN TURKEY BEFORE ARRIVING HERE. 

COURAGE IS NOT NEW FOR KARIMI. HE WAS BORN WITHOUT ARMS ONLY TO BECOME THE FIRST REFUGEE TO WIN AN INTERNATIONAL MEDAL IN 2017.

HE DID IT BY WINNING SILVER IN THE 50 METER BUTTERFLY– AT THE WORLD PARALYMPICS SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIP IN MEXICO. 

THE TWO ATHLETES FROM AFGHANISTAN COULD NOT ATTEND THE GAMES BECAUSE OF THE TALIBAN TAKE-OVER. 

LEAVING KARIMI AS THE ONLY AFGHAN AT THE GAMES –  EVEN THOUGH HE WILL BE COMPETING WITH THE REFUGEE TEAM AND NOT UNDER HIS HOMELAND’S FLAG.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF KARIMI’S CHANCES FOR A MEDAL IN THE TOKYO PARALYMPICS?

LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.