For 20 years, Afghanistan enjoyed a period of relative freedom after the Taliban were ousted from power by a US-led coalition.
During this period, women's sport flourished against the backdrop of the advancement of women's rights.
However, the Taliban's seizure of power raises many concerns for the future of freedoms in the country.
Under their previous regime, games, music, photography and television were prohibited.
Girls had no right to education.
As for women, they were prohibited from going out without a male chaperone or from working.
And if they were charged with crimes, such as adultery, it was whipping and stoning to death.
During his first press conference in Kabul, the spokesman of the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, assured that the rights of women would henceforth be respected, within the limits however of the "framework of the Islamic law".
>> To read also: "Social networks, sharia and diplomacy: the Taliban, twenty years later"
Zakia Khudadadi's Broken Dream
Something to worry many Afghan sportswomen like Zakia Khudadadi, who should have written the history of Afghan sport.
On August 24, she was to become the first woman to represent her country at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
"This is the first time that a female athlete will represent Afghanistan at the Olympics and I am so happy", enthused the taekwondo champion on August 10, questioned by the website of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The ace.
Due to the Taliban takeover, the Afghan delegation will not attend the Paralympic Games.
According to a spokesperson for the IPC, Craig Spence, "because of the very serious situation in which the country finds itself, all the airports are closed and it will be impossible for them to leave for Tokyo".
'The fact that ... we have achieved so much, it cannot be taken lightly.'
Athlete from #Afghanistan Zakia Khudadadi calls for way out of Kabul to Paralympic Games https://t.co/PhmUj04GIZ pic.twitter.com/cDBgz23VPH
- The National (@TheNationalNews) August 18, 2021
The head of the Afghan delegation, Arian Sadiqi, based in London, told Reuters a video in which Zakia Khudadadi reacts to the Taliban coming to power.
She says she feels "imprisoned".
She is currently staying with distant family and no longer wants to take the risk of going out, training or seeing her friends.
"I urge all of you, women around the world, institutions protecting women's rights, governments, not to let the rights of an Afghan citizen in the Paralympic movement be killed so easily," she calls. still hoping to find a way to participate in the Paralympic Games.
Tokyo Olympic flag bearers engaged
Faced with the takeover of the Taliban, reactions are multiplying, especially among Afghan sportsmen and women.
One of the most poignant messages was posted by sprinter Kimia Yousofi, Afghan flag bearer at the Tokyo Olympics.
In particular, she wondered if she would not be the first and the last female flag bearer in her country.
In Tokyo, the Afghan athlete was eliminated from the 100m heats, as in Rio in 2016.
See this post on Instagram
A post shared by کیمیای افغانستان 💮🇦🇫 (@kimiaa_yousefi)
“My dear homeland… As they left you alone. Dear inhabitants, to all the strong girls of my country… may God protect you,” she wrote on Instagram.
"I don't know if this was the last time I wore this flag at the Games. I don't even know if I could tie this flag to my forehead, and compete in a race to represent you."
Fears relayed by the other Afghan flag bearer in Tokyo, taekwondoist Farzad Mansouri.
On Instagram, he also called to "pray for his country".
Afghan women's football at risk
The concern is also palpable for Khalida Popal, who launched in 2007 the first Afghan national football team. Refugee since 2016 in Denmark due to death threats against her, she gave an interview to the Associated Press in which she shares her fears. She explains having begged the players of the country to flee, to leave their homes and not to be caught by neighbors who would like to see them imprisoned.
"My heart is broken because for all these years we have worked to make women visible and now I am telling all my women or women in Afghanistan to shut up and disappear. Their lives are in danger," he explains. she does.
"Most have left their homes to go to relatives and hide because their neighbors know they are players. They are afraid. The Taliban are everywhere. They are walking around creating fear."
After her stint with the national team, Khalida Popal retired from sports in 2011 to focus on promoting women's football in her country.
A task that she continues despite her exile in Denmark.
Facing the Taliban, she also fears for the integrity of those responsible for Afghan football who have encouraged women's practice.
"We footballers wanted to represent the new face of Afghanistan. What now? On the ground where we played, women are being murdered today," she denounces.
The fears of Afghan football are echoed in Europe.
Tuesday August 17, the Spanish daily Marca wonders in the newspaper on the fate of these athletes, a rare event for this sports newspaper: "What will become of them?"
#LaPortada ¿Qué va a ser de ellas?
🗞 pic.twitter.com/vdlLrizWTe
- MARCA (@marca) August 16, 2021
The newspaper tells in particular the story of Nilofar Bayat, captain of the Afghan wheelchair basketball team.
"We are afraid, I am afraid for my life, we want to get out of here," said the player, who asked for help from the Spanish Basketball Federation.
>> To read also: "With the return of the Taliban, what future for the women and the girls in Afghanistan?"
"It is unfortunately difficult not to be pessimistic about the future of Afghan sport. We can think of high level sport but the real disaster concerns access to sport for the population, especially girls", notes David Blough, former director of the NGO Play International and member of the scientific committee of the Sport and Citizenship think tank, interviewed by Ouest-France.
"School sports or in clubs cannot go into exile. Afghan sports players as well as NGOs which develop socio-sports programs will encounter serious difficulties. The reality is terrifying: it was already difficult to develop sport in the country, it will be even more so tomorrow. "
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