International Olympic Committee: No Taliban Officials Will Be Allowed to Attend the Paris Olympics

On Thursday, June 14, the International Olympic Committee announced that Afghanistan will participate in the Paris Olympics with a team consisting of three women and three men, highlighting gender equality, and that no officials from the Taliban will be allowed to attend the games. The Olympic body stated that forming a gender-balanced team sends a message to Afghanistan under Taliban rule, which has restricted women's and girls' access to sports and sports facilities. The International Olympic Committee noted that both the president and the secretary-general of the Afghan National Olympic Committee, which it recognizes, are currently in exile. Mark Adams, spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee, said at a press conference: 'We have worked with the president and the secretary-general in exile and made it clear that we want a gender-balanced team, and that is what we have achieved.' Adams added: 'In Paris, there is no place for officials from Afghanistan, namely the Taliban. No representative from the Taliban government will be approved to attend the 2024 Olympic Games.' The International Olympic Committee stated that it is negotiating with the Afghan National Olympic Committee and sports officials to lift current restrictions on women's and young girls' sports in Afghanistan. Adams mentioned that male athletes from Afghanistan will participate in athletics, swimming, and judo, while women will compete in athletics and cycling. In the summer of 2023, at the first Asian Games held after the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, two teams of Afghan athletes participated in China. One of these teams was sent from Afghanistan and included about 130 male athletes, while the other competed under the black, red, and green flag of the elected government that the Taliban overthrew in 2021. Members of this team were Afghan athletes from abroad from around the world, among whom 17 female athletes also competed. Marzieh Hamidi, a former member of the Afghan women's taekwondo national team, speaks about women's sports during the Taliban era. The participation of several Afghan female athletes in the Asian Games is highlighted, along with the prohibition of women's sports under the Taliban's shadow; Afghanistan has two sports teams in the Asian Games. The ban on women's entry to Afghanistan's national parks is noted, with the Taliban stating that tourism is not essential and hijab is mandatory. Kimia Alizadeh became the European champion; the performance of the Iranian refugee taekwondo athlete under the Bulgarian flag is noted. The Olympic torch was carried by a Ukrainian female gymnast with the support of a team of EU athletes. Media warnings to officials about the significant presence of Iranian athletes in the 'refugees' team at the Paris Olympics are also mentioned.