Tokyo Paralympics: Afghan athlete Hossein Rasouli appeared for the first time after the evacuation

Hossein Rasouli, who was evacuated from Afghanistan, finally got his chance to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics – and his opponents “couldn’t help but be elated” as he lined up with them.

They were among the thousands of people who were unable to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power.

The 26-year-old finished last in the T47 long jump final.

He had arrived in Tokyo on Sunday too late to compete in his favorite 100m.

American Roderick Townsend, long jump silver medalist, didn’t know Rasuli would be competing until he saw 13 names on the starting list, instead of 12.

“I saw his name there,” Townsend said. “With everything going on now I can’t help but feel joy for him.”

“We have fallen into the trap of our personal lives, and here I am complaining about the silver and [yet] We have someone making their way across the world to be able to do something we all love to do.

“It says a lot about what the Paralympic Games really mean and what they stand for.”

Rasouli’s left hand was amputated after a mine exploded.

Her compatriot Zakia Khoddadi, 23, will compete tomorrow, Thursday, in the women’s K44 taekwondo weight category -49 kg.