Afghanistan’s Olympic committee said it will send 17 female athletes to compete in three sports at the Asian Games in China later this month.<\/p>\n
Female sport in Afghanistan has been crushed since the Taliban took over from a Western-backed government in August 2021, causing many prominent women to flee the country for fear of persecution.<\/p>\n
The Taliban went on to drastically limit women’s freedoms and rights, including banning women and girls from the country’s education system, in what the UN has said could amount to a crime against humanity.<\/p>\n
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also warned Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers in December that allowing women and young girls safe access to sport was a condition for the country’s representation at the 2024 Paris Games.<\/p>\n
“Afghanistan will shine brightly as it proudly boasts the highest number of female athletes ever to grace the Asian Games stage,” Afghanistan’s NOC said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“NOC Afghanistan will field a female group sports team comprising a total of 17 phenomenal women athletes and dedicated team officials across three disciplines: athletics, cycling and volleyball.”<\/p>\n
The Afghan NOC added that three scholarships had been awarded to female athletes, “paving the way for their remarkable journeys towards the illustrious Paris 2024 Olympics”.<\/p>\n
The Asian Games in Hangzhou will be held from September 23 to October 8.<\/p>\n