Bilbao, Spain ¨C The captain of the Afghan women¡¯s wheelchair basketball team made her debut for her new Spanish side on Saturday to cheers and applause just over a month after fleeing Kabul when the Taliban came to power.
Nilofar Bayat, 28, and her husband Ramesh Naik Zai, 27, were offered the chance to play for Bidaideak Bilbao BSR, a wheelchair basketball team in the northern city of Bilbao.
They arrived in Madrid from Kabul on Aug. 20 on a flight with 100 other refugees thanks to efforts by the Spanish government and the Spanish Basketball Federation.
¡°I have never had this much kindness and this much respect. When I saw how welcoming they are ... I felt that here can be my second home, I can be very happy here,¡± Bayat, 28, said after the game.
It was the first time Bayat had played on a mixed team. On Saturday, she was the only woman playing for Bidaideak Bilbao BSR in the side¡¯s friendly match against Fundacion Vital Zuzenak.
¡°It was very new for me, in Afghanistan it¡¯s not like this,¡± she said. ¡°The teams are very separated and we do not play together, but it was very nice.¡±
Bayat rolled onto the court to a standing ovation from the crowd. Afterwards, she and her husband were presented with flowers.
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