Taliban Sports Authority Denies Travel Permits to Afghan Judo and Taekwondo Athletes for Youth Olympics

Afghan representatives in judo and taekwondo were unable to participate in the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal due to the Taliban Sports Authority refusing to issue travel permits. Jahan Zebist (judo) and Aziz Rashid (taekwondo), who were scheduled to join the Afghan sports delegation for this competition, were barred from attending the events.

Additionally, Naqib Sheikhzada, a representative of the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee who planned to attend the games, was also prevented from traveling and remained inside the country. As a result, Afghanistan’s participation in this edition of the Youth Olympics was limited to just two sports: taekwondo and under-17 futsal.

Fatema Jami in taekwondo and the under-17 national futsal team were Afghanistan’s sole representatives at the competition. During the opening ceremony, Fatema Jami and Ahmad Esmaili, the futsal team’s goalkeeper, were the flag bearers for the Afghan delegation.

Despite the reduction in Afghanistan’s sports representation, the Taliban Sports Authority has yet to respond to concerns regarding its refusal to grant travel permits to these athletes. This situation has raised worries about the narrowing of sporting opportunities for Afghan athletes, especially across various disciplines.