Australian-based Kimia Yousofi has been selected for the Afghan national team at Paris 2024. The athletics athlete said she would represent the "stolen dreams and aspirations" of women in their homeland in Afghanistan, who are denied the opportunity to participate in sports.
Since the Taliban's seizure of power in Afghanistan in August 2021, they have restricted women's access to public places such as parks and sports venues, forcing female athletes like Yushufi to flee Afghanistan to escape prosecution.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced last month that a gender-equal team of six athletes would represent Afghanistan at the Paris Olympics, but Taliban officials would not be allowed to participate.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has confirmed that the flag bearer of the Afghan team at Tokyo 2020, Yushufi, has been selected for the Paris Olympics, which will be her third Olympic appearance.
In a statement at the Australian Olympic Games today (9th), Yushufei said, "It's an honour to represent the girls from my hometown again."
"[Afghan] girls and women are deprived of their basic rights, including education, which is the most important right... I represent the dreams and aspirations of these women who have been stolen."
The 28-year-old is grateful for the Australian Olympics and also for the Afghanistan Olympics. Senior Afghan Olympic officials in exile "gave us the opportunity to relive and pursue our dreams".
Afghan Olympic President Yonus Popalzay said it was a proud moment for Afghanistan and that "we are very happy to have three female athletes participating in the Olympics for the first time". "We are very grateful for the support of the Australian Olympic Games," he said.
Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll praised Yushufi's courage. "Her story is an inspiration to women and girls in Afghanistan and anywhere in the world," he said. They are deprived of their fundamental rights, including the right to practise sport freely."