By: Sami Ullah Sirat
ISLAMABAD: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has warned the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan that allowing women and young girls safe access to sports was a precondition for the country’s participation in the 2024 Paris Games.
The IOC executive board expressed “serious concern” and “strongly condemned” the restrictions on women after a meeting in Switzerland where it received a full report on the Olympics and sports movement in Afghanistan.
Afghan women and sports
The board said that specific modalities for the participation of the Afghan NOC delegation and team in the next Olympics would depend on the progress made on the fundamental issue of the provision of safe access to sports for females in the country.
It added that the Afghan Olympic team must include female athletes living in Afghanistan as well as abroad, adding that women should also be part of governing bodies and administration. The IOC however did not set any deadline for the given targets.
