NEWS DESK- In Afghanistan, female football players are subjected to sexual assault by their coaches. Khalida Popal, a former captain of the Afghan Women's National Football Team, said that the Afghan Football Federation has supported it rather than punishing those who have engaged in sexual assaults.

 

After the Taliban rule, female footballers in Afghanistan were hailed worldwide as a symbol of the freedoms the country offered to women. However, the sports authorities of Afghanistan said the female footballers were subjected to sexual assault.

 

According to the BBC, sexual assault is not only limited to football, but in other sports as well. The event emerged with the investigation conducted by the Association of International Football Associations (FIFA).

 

Even the Afghan Football Federation (AFF),rejected the allegations,  the president of the Afghan Olympic Committee Hafizullah Rahimi told reporters in the capital city of Kabul, they were informed about the alarming situation and said: "Sexual assault does not only seen in Football Federatioon but also other sports federations. We must fight it."

 

Many of the allegations came from Khalida Popal, a former captain of the Afghan Women's National Football Team, who also served as the program director. Popal, who lives in Denmark at the moment, said that the trainers and the federation authorities have  witnessed sexual assault to the women. Popal said that women's football players complained about sexual assault constantly.

 

Popal stated that even the information about her being harassed by two trainers is given to the federation they did nothing. Popal said: " They supported the assaulters instead of exporting or punishing them."