The Paris 2024 Olympics are being held under stringent security measures with the presence of more than 45,000 military personnel. Thousands of athletes from various countries are participating in these games. Unlike traditional ceremonies, the opening ceremony of these Olympics took place in the streets, under the rain, in front of thousands of spectators. Six athletes (three women and three men) from Afghanistan are participating in these competitions. Additionally, the Olympic torch was carried by two female Taekwondo athletes from Afghanistan, bringing joy to Afghan women. Meanwhile, some female athletes have released videos, urging the Olympic participants not to forget those who have been systematically excluded from sports in Afghanistan.
The presence of the Afghan sports contingent with their technical team at the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony has sparked a wave of positive reactions among citizens of Afghanistan both inside and outside the country. Six athletes from various sports disciplines are representing Afghanistan at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Kamia Yousufi in women’s athletics, Fariba Hashimi in cycling, Faheem Anwari in swimming, Shah Mahmood Noorzai in men’s athletics, Yulduz Hashimi in cycling, and Mohammad Samim Faizzad in judo are participating on behalf of Afghanistan in these games.
Additionally, five other Afghan athletes are present in Paris as part of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team. With the inclusion of these five athletes, the total number of Afghan athletes in the Paris 2024 Olympics reaches eleven.
These athletes will compete in swimming, athletics, badminton, boxing, canoeing, cycling, judo, shooting, acrobatic dance, Taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling (freestyle and Greco-Roman).
The International Olympic Committee has announced that Masouma Alizada from Afghanistan is in charge of the UN Refugee Team. Nigara Rahela Shaheen in judo (based in Canada), Amir Ansari in road cycling (based in Sweden), Manizha Talash in acrobatic dance (based in Spain), Farzad Mansouri in Taekwondo (based in the UK), and Sibghatullah Arab in judo (based in Germany) are part of the refugee team, with Zakia Khudadadi participating in the Paralympics.
Rubina Jalali, the President of the Afghanistan Athletic Federation, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that six athletes (three women and three men) are participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics. She added that Yulduz Hashimi, one of the country’s cyclists, competed among 35 athletes yesterday and secured 25th place. Ms. Jalali emphasized that the athletes are more mentally and physically prepared than ever before, and some have received international Olympic scholarships over the past three years and were in quarantine.
The President of the Afghanistan Athletic Federation stated that women in Afghanistan are deprived of all human rights, including the right to sports, but their presence in global games shows that they have raised the country’s flag with strength and courage, bringing honor to the nation.
According to Ms. Jalali, Afghan athletes participating in the Olympics have achieved significant accomplishments in Asian and global competitions. She mentioned that Kamia Yousufi was in quarantine and training in Australia for the past three years, and Hamed Noorzai had an Olympic scholarship and underwent necessary training.
Regarding the Taliban’s reaction that female Olympic athletes do not represent Afghanistan, the President of the Afghanistan Athletic Federation stated that no one can deprive the country’s citizens of their nationality. She added that all those who participate in competitions abroad under the name of Afghanistan are commendable.
Meanwhile, Yulduz Hashimi, a cyclist, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily reporter that she had an accident and is hospitalized in Paris. She wrote in response to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, “I am in the hospital; unfortunately, I had an accident and injured my left leg.”
At the same time, Zakia Khudadadi, an Afghan Taekwondo athlete who carried the Olympic torch, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that she was extremely excited. She expressed hope to be the first female medalist from Afghanistan in these games. Ms. Khudadadi added, “I couldn’t believe they would give the Olympic torch to an Afghan girl because there were very many celebrities and athletes, but fortunately, I had the honor of being chosen. It was a great pride and joy. When I walked through the streets, the name of Afghan women was mentioned. That one reminder would shake the world, showing that Afghan women are not erasable and will remain in the world.”
This Taekwondo athlete stated that she would compete in the Paralympics on August 19, 2024, with twelve opponents as part of the UN Refugee Team from various countries. She emphasized that she secured her participation quota in the Olympics due to a previous gold medal and is fully prepared for these competitions.
Ms. Khudadadi clarified that she would face competitors from Africa, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Iran, and Peru, who are all top athletes, and she is ranked 7th in the world.
Several Afghan women have released videos and press releases urging the participants of the Paris 2024 Olympics not to forget Afghan women, who have been systematically excluded from sports. In their message, they stated that the world’s silence on the exclusion of women from education, society, and sports is unforgivable. They emphasized that the Taliban have sacrificed the potential talents and capabilities of women, which could have added to global achievements. These female athletes described the Taliban’s treatment of women as unacceptable and added that ignoring the Taliban’s restrictions on Afghan women reflects the “moral weakness of the global community.” They called on the international community to take decisive action to lift the Taliban’s restrictions against women.
Farisha Abbasi, an Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Afghan female athletes are the embodiment of resistance and hope for the country’s future and other women under Taliban rule, who have been deprived of their basic rights. Ms. Abbasi added that the Olympics and Paralympics are ongoing, but millions of women and girls in Afghanistan are deprived of the right to sports by the Taliban. She emphasized that the Taliban should end the abuses and lift restrictions on women’s basic rights, including the right to sports.
Meanwhile, Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, shared a photo of Afghan Taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “I am in Paris to encourage her. I am very proud of the refugee athletes and glad that they have the opportunity to convey a positive message to the world: a message of determination, strength, courage, and success.”
Additionally, several senior officials of the previous government, including former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, have welcomed the presence of girls in the Olympic Games. Hamid Karzai expressed happiness over the Afghan flag being raised at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. He added, “It is a great joy and pride that our heroic girls, with their high determination and despite living in exile, have carried the Olympic torch.”
The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics amazed the world with its spectacular displays. The organizers abandoned traditional ceremonies and, for the first time, held the event across an entire city instead of a stadium.
Images from the opening ceremony show that the Eiffel Tower created a unique scene with dramatic technology. Thousands of athletes and performers marched along the Seine River on a rainy night, and even the rain did not deter spectators from attending. World-class athletes paraded along the Seine River for six kilometers in French boats.
French President Emmanuel Macron, alongside Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), watched the ceremony with dozens of world leaders. The event showcased French architecture and art stunningly.
Global media reported that 45,000 military personnel have been mobilized to ensure the security of the Olympic Games. It has also been said that French intelligence forces are searching for those who might sabotage the high-speed rail lines in Paris to disrupt the Olympic celebrations.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
المپیک ۲۰۲۴ پاریس؛ ورزشکاران زن قدرت زنان افغانستان را به نمایش گذاشتند | روزنامه ۸صبح
