In the Midst of a Warzone there’s an Afghani Skateboarding School for Girls

Today I learned there’s a skateboarding school in Afghanistan where 40% of its students are female.

In a part of the world where little girls are getting shot at for promoting women’s education, that’s a pretty impressive statistic. In a part of the world where little girls aren’t even allowed to ride a bicycle, that’s a ground-breaking statistic.

Officially, this makes Afghanistan the unlikeliest of title holders for the highest rate of female participation in skateboarding out of any country in the world.

Image by Jake Simkin

War, Taliban, violations of human rights: unfortunately these are the things most associated with Afghanistan today. And yet in a society that has no place for them, 70% of the population of this country is made up of children.

Enter Australian skater Oliver Percovich, who first visited Afghanistan in 2007 with three skateboards in tow. It didn’t take long before he was surrounded by children eager to learn how to skate and his mission became clear. Since then, Olly has permanently relocated to Kabul and dedicated his life with his team to creating Skateistan, a non-profit NGO and full-functioning school where children can not only come to learn in a brand new skatepark facility, but in classrooms where they can choose to explore anything from creative arts to environmental health topics.

Regrettably, there are evident obstacles to teaching girls in a country such as Afghanistan but this NGO has worked closely with the local community and government to gain their full consent and support. It turns out, Afghans largely consider skateboarding a suitable activity for girls, but to respect the local law, they are taught on separate days to boys at the skatepark, by an all-female staff. Skateistan also arranges transport for the girls to make it easier and safer for them to attend.

Image by Jake Simkin

This is a place where six days a week, children can be safe while learning in a supervised and secure private facility. Students include street children, refugees and youth with disabilities that benefit from the program’s special curriculum to provide sports therapy through skateboarding and various activities.

While skateboarding activities are kept off the streets of Kabul as much as possible, the reality of setting up a school in the midst of a warzone however is ever present and this past September, four children who were students, volunteers and youth leaders at Skateistan were tragically killed in a suicide attack while working in the street to support their families outside of school.

Oliver Percovich’s hope with Skateistan is to break the cycle of violence that the children are surrounded by in their hometown and give them the tools and passions they’ll need to change their future.

Since Skateistan was created in 2007, the charity has opened new schools in Pakistan and Cambodia and a second school in Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan is set to open its doors imminently.

In 2009, a feature length documentary on Skateistan was filmed in Kabul, Afghanistan and was named winner of the 2011 Cinema for Peace Berlin award for Most Valuable Documentary. Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in Kabul is available to download on iTunes or online here.

Source: http://www.messynessychic.com/2012/11/27/in-the-midst-of-a-warzone-there-is-an-afghani-skateboarding-school-for-girls/

First Afghan Women's Cycling Team Sets Sights on Rio

By Cristina Goyanes

There’s nothing like hopping on your bike for a sweat-drenching trek through the woods, cruise in the park, or ride around town—but would you risk your life for your two-wheeler? For women in Afghanistan, riding a bike is one step above committing a crime, but Shannon Galpin, founder of the nonprofit Mountain2Mountain and the 2013 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, is hoping to change that.

When Galpin, a 38-year-old former Pilates instructor from Breckenridge, CO, learned about the war-torn country's first-ever national women's cycling team last fall, she immediately jumped at the chance to help out—after all, she became the first woman to mountain bike through the Afghan countryside in 2009.

So she’s helping supply the 45 young, budding road riders (they're all so new to cycling, they haven't even learned to clip in yet) with nutrition products, apparel, and gear, including 10 to 12 Liv/Giant road bikes this year. Galpin’s also making trips to Afghanistan to help local Coach Seddiq teach some skills to the 16- to 20-something-year-olds and to film “Afghan Cycles,” a 20-minute documentary about the women’s team directed by Sarah Menzies (check out their cool Kickstarter page).

Just hours before boarding a plane for her twelfth trip to Afghanistan, Galpin chatted with us about her mission and the girls’ chance to qualify for 2016 Olympics in Rio.

RELATED: Be inspired by eight women who shape the world.

SHAPE: What brought you to Afghanistan in the first place?

SHANNON GALPIN (SG): It's one of the worst places in the world to be a woman. I was unhappy with how I saw the conversation in Afghanistan developing between the Americans and Afghans, and I really wanted to change everyone's perception. At that point, I had worked around the world and I knew that I was really good at creating something from nothing, so I thought why don’t I? It was pretty much an overnight decision to launch Mountain2Mountain there six years ago.

SHAPE: Why biking?

SG: When I first started traveling to Afghanistan five years ago, there were no women biking. It wasn't even a thought. The bike came into play because I’m a mountain biker and it’s an incredibly beautiful country. I decided to push the gender barrier and ride a bike as a foreign woman to challenge the idea of what it is to be a woman. My actions ended up sparking conversations along the way. It was a great icebreaker, so I continued to ride every trip.

RELATED: The best advice 28 powerful women ever got can help give you the boost you need to start working toward your goals.

SHAPE: Did you have a hand in forming the national women's cycling team?

SG: No, and that’s the beauty of it—it’s fully Afghan-driven; it's not a Western project. I think they started about a year ago. My involvement is to look at what these women are doing and support them, as well as the men’s team. The stronger the men’s team is, the stronger the women’s team will be because they need the men’s team to help them break through. The women’s team is risking much more—this is a major taboo in their culture—but the men's team is paving the way for a brand new sport in a country that's all about soccer.

SHAPE: How has the Afghan community received the female cycling team so far?

SG: There’s no formal ban, but it's just that so few women ride. There’s too little encouragement and it’s culturally not acceptable: Riding a bike is essentially one step above the morality crimes that women are jailed for. It's worse than driving a car, which women have only just started to learn to do in Afghanistan. This is why we're planning to film these women in “Afghan Cycles.” We want to capture the back story of their motivation. They are literally risking their lives to ride a bike—something we take for granted. The women on this cycling team are willing to put themselves out there—on the frontlines—to start a movement. They will bear the weight of what is currently viewed as obscene, controversial, and offensive. These girls are trailblazers. They're braver than anyone I know. The least that we can do is support them.

SHAPE: How will going to the 2016 Olympics change things?

SG: If they go to the Olympics, it would be a very big thing in Afghanistan. There is such nationalistic pride for your athlete. Your whole country rallies behind you. It does not mean that it would suddenly become acceptable, but it's a starting point, for sure.

RELATED: Meet the 15 female Olympic athletes we love.

SHAPE: Think they have a real shot?

SG: It is a really short period of time to get ready, but there is a lot of support coming together right now from Mountain2Mountain, my connections in Colorado, and the International Olympic Committee. People from all over—including those who have worked with Olympians as well as Olympians themselves—are moved by these girls and starting to find ways to get more involved.

SHAPE: How can SHAPE readers help?

SG: We're trying to raise money (donate here!) to support the racing and traveling costs. But I understand that it may be a lot easier to collect gear than to raise donations. If you would like to donate cycling items—bikes (road and mountain), cleats/pedals combinations, shoes, indoor trainers, air pumps (standing and portable), rain jackets, sunglasses and helmets—please ship them to P.O. Box 7399, Breckenridge, CO 80424. That would be a huge help, thank you!

Photo credit: Claudia Lopez

Source: http://www.shape.com/blogs/shape-your-life/first-afghan-womens-cycling-team-sets-sights-rio

Skateistan: Most Amazing School In Afghanistan

BY: SHIREEN AHMED

One of the most amazing schools in Afghanistan is a co-ed skateboarding school. 

If you have never heard of Skateistan - it is an organization (movement, really)  empowers youth and develops leadership qualities while teaching life skills. 40% of  their participants are girls.

It was recently named one of the world's top 100 NGO's.

Skateistan was established in 2007 by Oliver Percovich and is based in Kabul.

The land was donated by the Afghan National Olympic Committee and the skatepark and center facility was completed in 2009.

It offers, training and teaching for boys and girls from 5 years to 18 years of age and also provides schooling and extra academic support.

The staff is compromised by locals and a few international trainers. 

The facility is open 6 days a week.

It is an indoor facility to also provide older girls with the chance to continue skating in private.

Skateistan has been very positive and respectful in understanding specific needs of children. This awareness and dynamism has helped to foster a solid program with continued success.

 All tribes and ethinicities of children are welcome: Pashtun, Hazara, Uzbek and Tajik.

The participants are provided with skateboards and equipment. Skateistan does a lot of fundraising in order to support the athletes. 

Children are also provided with photography classes and there are programs for differently-abled kids and streetkids as well. 

The program relies on funding to and garners private donations to keep it working and moving towards self-sustainability.

It has volunteers in over 10 countries around the world for marketing, promotion and fundraising. 

This is an incredibly successful program that as inspired and empowered many children in Afghanistan- amid political instability, civil unrest and drone attacks.   

Efforts such as this, seek to include and expand the horizons of young Afghan boys and girls.

Any initiative that affords girls the same respect and opportunity as boys, should be lauded and fully supported.

"Using skateboarding as a hook for engaging Afghan youth and breaking down social barriers, Skateistan aims to empower girls and boys from all ethnicities, abilities and social classes. Furthermore, once they come to Skateistan there is also the opportunity in classroom lessons to provide education, skills and platforms for self-expression" - Skateistan

pics: via Skateistan.org

To read more about Skateistan, purchase "Skateistan: The Tale of Skateboarding in Afghanistan".

Aghan Women's Boxing Team Denied Entry To UK For Women's Day Tournament

In a tournament leading up to International Women's Day, Afghan boxing team comprised of Sadaf Rahem, Fahima Mohammad, and Shabnam Rahman were denied entry to UK. Women in Sport (recognized Women in Sport advocacy and empowerment group in UK) who were supporting and funding their visit were extremely disappointed.

“I am extremely disappointed. We are made to believe that avenues, especially here in the UK, are opening up to people such as Sadaf Rahem, Fahima Mohammad and Shabnam Rahman, who are trying to pursue their sporting dreams. There has been much talk of the legacy of the Olympics and rights for women in sport, but today, it is not the case for these women.” -Margaret Pope, Women in Sport

Even more disappointing after "Boxing Girls of Kabul" documentary film featuring these women and their fight and plight for athletics in Afghanistan, recently won an award at Canadian Screen Awards- further  highlighting their passion.

How excellent are UK authorities in their precautions! 

FULL STORY: http://www.asafeworldforwomen.org/womens-rights/wr-central-and-south-asia/wr-afghanistan/3782-kabul-girls-boxing.html

Salma Hosseini- TaeKwonDo Instructor...in Kabul

BY: SHIREEN AHMED

I came across a wonderful site that presents a "portrait of a city through its working people". Completely normal yet amazing citizens living in Kabul, Afghanistan. Among some of the people chronicled is Salma Hosseini, a TaeKwonDo Instructor. As Salma teaches, she empowers and inspires young girls and boys.  Salma speaks of how she was aggressively approached by a man on the street who tried to slap her. She defended herself and kicked him. She's a TaeKwonDo champion and simultaneously defended herself and defended her right to practice martial arts. Such an incredible athlete. She's dedicated and is committed to her sport. Despite the negative comments and obstacles of living in a country riddled with cultural and political challenges, she fights on. And she commands respect.  

My name is Salma Hosseini 

I was a member of the National Youth Team in Kabul, and I’m a volunteer at the Haidari Club and also the coach for the National Women’s Team in Kabul. My name was recorded as the first female trainer and medallist in Afghanistan. It gives me great pride.Normally when you face your opponent you feel aggressive, but you can let off steam with each hit. But an aggressive face intimidates your opponent, so this is my professional policy. But really I’m kind at heart.The Haidari Club is the only gym in Afghanistan where boys and girls train together. The uneducated and uncivilized people don’t approve of us. They say, ‘women shouldn’t be doing this, women should get married and have babies’.

I get sad, because the girls like it. They have the talent and they are brave enough to do it. They could have a future in it. But it’s their family, the father, the elder brother, or sometimes the elder sister, who makes the decision for them.But my father and brothers support me so it’s OK for me. They are very good to me. I learnt Taekwondo in Iran from an Iranian trainer. I was a student there for 10 years. I’ve been told that when I was five years old, because my father was a political activist, and we were being followed, my father and family were forced to flee to Iran. We lived there for 20 years.When I first put my foot back on Afghan soil, I felt so happy, I knelt down and kissed the ground. But when I saw the people and the ruins of war, it made me sad.After 20 years when we heard that the Taliban regime had collapsed, my father’s friends asked him to come back.My goal is to serve my people. I’ve been insulted but I haven’t been threatened yet. When I go outside I try to be modest, I just focus on what I am doing.

Once, after a training session when I was still wearing my tracksuit, I passed a guy who touched my shoulder inappropriately, and insulted me. I turned around and asked “Are you talking to me?”He said “Yes, I’m talking to you. You’re a woman and you shouldn’t be like this,” and then tried to slap me, but I didn’t let him, because after all, I am used to defending myself in a sporting environment. I kicked him instead, not using all my force, but enough to stun him. He wanted to hit me back but I had my guard up, and while we were still arguing, the police came and took him away.When I am at home or when I go out socially, I try to be like a woman. But when I am at work, I try to be like a man.In spite of all the problems along the way, I have been resilient. I can’t think of any other woman who could do what I’ve done, in a place like Afghanistan with such a backwards culture.

Full article and source: http://www.kabulatwork.tv/chapter/sport-and-recreation/taekwondo-teacher-pages/

South Asian Football Federation Women's Tournament a HUGE score!

By: Shireen Ahmed

As the world watches Women's Soccer explode on the International Stage, there is an incredible opportunity  for Women's of less wealthy nations to compete for the first time in the South Asian Football Federation's Women's Cup. 

The SAFF Tournament runs from September 8th with finals being played on September 16th. 

In a sponsored tournament that evolved from its' predecessor South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Women's Gold Cup, the SAFF Tournament is a fantastic opportunity for eight teams to participate in football and engage in high level play.

India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and host country Sri Lanka. 

Columbo is no stranger to International tournaments. It's a terrifically vibrant city with a lot of spirit- particularly for its' sports teams. Although the Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club Ground only hold 500 spectators, the players are committed to excellence and good sportsmanship with full professionalism. 

*Above: Team Bangladesh warms up*

This tournament caters to the different religions and clothing preferences of players.

There are hijab-wearing players with their legs covered to footballers in shorts with pony-tails sprinting down the field. There are no issues with players having to be disqualified due to choice of dress. 

The players are able to focus on winning instead of dreading rejection of various Football Associations as was the case with Iran last year in  Women's World Cup qualifying game. 

Games are exciting and the polls are challenging. 

India is ranked much further up the FIFA rankings  at an impressive #52 (and much higher than the Men's squad who are currently at #169) and have thus far dominated the tournament.  

The other teams are ranked lower with Bangladesh and Maldives at #115 and #116 respectively. The other teams are at the bottom of the rankings with #128. 

Nepal and India have had women's football programs in place for the last 25 years. The other countries' have not have support, structure, facilities as long. Afghanistan and Pakistan being the most disadvantaged with their countries' engulfed in geo-political conflicts. 

Despite the odds, these footballers have fought beyond obstacles and perhaps cultural expectations. They have risen up with far less financial support than their male counterparts. 

The SAFF Women's Tournament was supposed to be held last year but was unable to find a sponsor. This year Holcim Cement has generously agreed to sponsor this great event. 

Hopefully, this year's SAFF tournament will draw great attention and interest from home countries. 

These women do not have the commercial backings, magazine covers, modelling contracts and millions of dollars of infrastructure that Top Women's Team are provided with. 

They run on hard work and humility.

The participants are great representatives of "passion, dedication and belief"; understandably this years motto.

These athletes are excellent examples of how women may achieve anything if they are given a chance to thrive. 
South Asian female footballers are shinning representatives of good sportsmanship and honouring culture. They couple inspiration with intensity and drive. 
Their home countries should laud them and respect them with the highest acclaim- regardless of result. They are creating a precedent in the world of International Sport. 
The world and International Football Federations must pay much attention to these players. They are setting the pitch for tomorrows superstars. 

*Below: Team Maldives and Team Afghanistan walk onto pitch pre-match*

Full Squad Photos available from : http://www.womenssoccerunited.com/group/saff-womens-championship/forum/topics/india-and-sri-lanka-both-win-on-day-one-saff-women-s-championship

Kohistani aims to inspire Afghan girls

Female runner part of the team that returned to red carpet welcome in Kabul

Kabul: The first Afghan female to compete at an Olympics Games hopes to act as inspiration to other women in her country.

Tahmina Kohistani, the 23-year-old runner, may not have won a medal — she was the slowest of all the women to compete in the 100m, despite her personal best time of 14.42 seconds in the preliminary round — but her appearance at the Olympics was about more than that.

“By attending the London Olympics I have given the message to all Afghan girls that they are talented, they can pursue sport, they can attend international competitions and above all they can earn honour to their country,” she said on her return home on Tuesday.

“Although I could not win a medal, I was able to represent the Afghan women and I am proud to be the first Afghan girl to participate in the Olympic Games.”

In conservative Afghanistan, it was unthinkable, 11 years ago when the Taliban regime was in power, that a woman would participate in a sports event.

The fundamentalist regime, which collapsed in late 2001 with the US military intervention, had banned schools for girls and confined women to their homes. They also imposed a series of restrictions on male athletes, including insistence on sporting a long beard and wearing long trousers while playing.

In Ghazi Stadium, the national sports arena in Kabul where athletes train daily to improve their skills and ability, Taliban militants during their six-year reign often exacted punishment, including execution and the chopping off of hands and feet of alleged criminals, each Friday.

The six-member Afghan team to the London Games comprised Rohullah Nikpa and Nisar Ahmad Bahawi in taekwondo, athletes Masoud Azizi and Kohistani, boxer Aimal Faisal and judoka Ajmal Faizi Zada representing the war-torn, rugged country.

In the men’s 68kg category, the Afghan taekwondo player Nikpa earned a bronze medal — only the second of its kind earned by Afghanistan.

The team returned home on Tuesday morning and their excited countrymen extended red-carpet welcomes to Nikpa and the rest of the team as thousands of people, including government officials and lawmakers, waited in a long queue at Kabul International Airport to receive the Olympic hero and other members of the contingent.

“I would try my best to win gold medal in the next Olympic Games,” Nikpa said, surrounded by hundreds of his admirers.

Source: http://gulfnews.com/sport/athletics/kohistani-aims-to-inspire-afghan-girls-1.1062267

An Olympic first for Muslim women? Not really

BY: EVA SAJOO

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug 12, 2012/ Troy Media/ – In the wake of the 2012 Olympics, there are a lot of firsts to reflect on. It is the first time since 1904 that Canada won a medal in soccer (thanks to our women’s team), the first time women boxed at the Games, and the first time that Saudi Arabia – along with neighbouring Qatar and Brunei – sent female athletes.

The appearance of Sarah Attar in the 800 meter race, and Wojdan Shaherkani in judo, has been hailed by some as a triumph for Muslim women, In part because Shaherkani was granted permission to compete in a headscarf, despite earlier concerns that the drape around her head and neck would pose a safety risk in the ring.

But the significance of Shakerkani’s performance seems limited because Saudi authorities only entered female athletes after intense pressure from the International Olympic Committee. Not much is changed in the ultra-misogynist Kingdom of the al-Sauds, where women are not even permitted to drive, let alone to engage in sports or physical training at school. Many of these restrictions are relatively recent introductions to Saudi society – despite attempts to justify them as Islamic requirements.

Whatever Shaherkani’s appearance may mean for Saudi women, it certainly does not represent progress for Muslim women. The massive coverage of her story ignores the fact that Muslim women have been competing in the Olympic Games (far more successfully that their Saudi sisters) for decades.

Take Nawal El Moutawakel, the Moroccan hurdler who won the 400 meter race in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Her success smashed stereotypes in her country – and earned her royal commendation, including a decree that girls born on the day of her victory should be named after her. She has since organised successful local racing events for Moroccan women, and is currently a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Soraya Haddad, an Algerian judoka known as “The Iron Lady of El Kseur” won a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This year Iraqi sprinter Dana Abdul Razzaq competed in the Games, and was her country’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony.

There were many other Muslim athletes in London this year, including Egyptian weight lifter Nahla Ramadan Mohammed and Turkey’s Asli Captir Alptekin and Gamze Bulut, who took gold and silver in the women’s 1500 metre race.

These women don’t make headlines for their religion. Is it because they don’t feel the need to wear headscarves? Or the fact that their countries have not discouraged their participation? The truth is that Wojdan Shaherkani fits much better into the western stereotype of Muslim women: uncompetitive hijabis labouring under patriarchal oppression. Runners who take gold and not scarves don’t get reported as “Muslim.”

Saudi Arabia has been working hard to export its peculiarly backward attitude toward women as the authentic version of Islam for Muslims everywhere. It has had considerable success on this score, considering how widely the headscarf has been adopted as “authentically” Muslim. Ironically, when western media represent Shaherkani as an example of progress for Muslim women, we inadvertently reinforce the notion that the Saudi version is “real Islam.” How do we know if a woman is Muslim? She wears a headscarf.

The fact that Olympic regulations have been changed to allow women to cover their heads for religious reasons is a step forward. It removes additional barriers for heroic women like Afghanistan’s Tahmina Kohistani, who had to overcome extraordinary hurdles in her war-torn and very conservative country just to be able to compete. For her, wearing a headscarf is necessary to avoid severe repercussions at home. Her performance nevertheless presents Afghans with a bold vision of what women can do.

For Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, having women compete in the Olympics is a major change. However, it is worth remembering that participation in sport, like politics and business, is not new for Muslim women. They were active even on the battlefields of the Arabian peninsula centuries ago. In our own time, women drove freely in the streets of Saudi Arabia. Patriarchal forces, like the Saudi authorities, have attempted to wipe out this history. Only such amnesia could make their assertion that female oppression is required by Islam seem credible.

Media coverage that buys this story reinforces the claim that women who do not cover are somehow less Muslim. This only slows down women’s progress in conservative societies against barriers that have everything to do with patriarchy and nothing to do with faith.

Eva Sajoo is a Research Associate with the Centre for the Comparative Study of Muslim Societies and Cultures at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. She has a graduate degree in International Development and Education from the University of London. Her published academic writing focuses on the rights of women and minorities. She has contributed widely to publications on Islam and the Muslim world. Eva has taught at the University of British Columbia, and the Beijing University of Science and Technology. She currently teaches at SFU. Website:http://www.ccsmsc.sfu.ca/about_us/faculty/eva_sajoo. Follow Eva on Twitter@esajoo

London 2012 Olympics: Tahmina Kohistani, Afghan female sprinter, on her 'special' experience at the Games

Tahmina Kohistani, Afghanistan's only female competitor at the Olympics, on the unique challenges she faces as an athlete and her hopes for the 100 metres.

Pioneer: sprinter Tahmina Kohistani is enjoying a unique, if sometimes lonely, life as Afghanistan's only female competitor at the London 2012 Olympics Photo: HEATHCLIFF O'MALLEY

By Tahmina Kohistani

5:57PM BST 31 Jul 2012

I race for the first time here on Friday in my heats and I am already imagining what it will be like to compete at the Olympic Stadium.

I am going to wear the Islamic hijab when I run because I am here from an Islamic country and from a Muslim family. In Islam it is allowed for us to do sport but in a hijab, not without. If ever we did it without a hijab, you could say that we are not Muslim. It is even more important because we are now in Ramadan, a very important month for Muslim countries and for Muslim people, and I should respect this and wear very, very respectful dress.

I have been training in the stadium in the Village. It is going well — it is much easier to run here than in Afghanistan. I had a lot of problems over there — social problems, with men shouting things at me, and also some technical problems: we don’t have good facilities. But the track here is amazing and there is no-one to disturb me.

I like to run to both Indian and American music. I listen to Jennifer Lopez when I train sometimes. Whenever I am happy I am wearing my headphones and listening to music. But sometimes my coach says “you are not ready for training whatsoever” and when that happens it is time to take the earphones out! I know this is the Olympics so I have to focus everything on my training.

Being in the Village is very special. I have a nice room and I have put the flag of my country on the wall to remind me of home. I’ve also written my programme on some paper so I don’t forget what I’m going to do tomorrow. I have my family photos on the table so whenever I wake up, I look at them because I’m missing them all very much.

I know there are lots of incredible athletes here. Like everyone, I want to meet Usain Bolt because he is the fastest man in the world and very famous. I would like to have a photo with him — I’ve watched his races and I can only dream of being as fast as him.

I would also really like to meet the world champion of boxing, Mary Kom from India, because I recognise her life story and Olympic dreams. I feel I am like her because she came from a very poor family and right now she is the champion of the world. But right now she’s very famous. She has a boxing academy for children which is the reason I want to meet her. She is doing everything not for herself but for others.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/9442009/London-2012-Olympics-Tahmina-Kohistani-Afghanistans-only-female-competitor-on-her-special-experience.html#

Afghan runner hopes Olympics will help women's sport

LONDON July 24 Sapa-dpa | 24 July, 2012 19:39

Tahmina Kohistani of Afghanistan in action during heat 2 of the women's 100m during day one of the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships at the Zawisca Stadium on July 8, 2008 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. (July 8, 2008 - Source: Hamish Blair/Getty Images Europe)

Afghanistan's only female athlete at the London Olympics, Tahmina Kohistani, on Tuesday expressed hope that her presence will help women practising sport in her country.

The 23-year-old sprinter is one of six athletes from the war-torn country present at the London Games, which open on Friday.

She competes with long trousers, long sleeves and a head scarf.

Her personal best of 13.40 seconds makes it unlikely that she will progress from the heats, but just being there is a strong statement, as like in some other Muslim countries it is difficult for women in Afghanistan to practice sports.

"I know getting a medal in the Olympics is very difficult, but I am here to open a new way for the women of Afghanistan," she told the Olympic news service.

"Coming to the Olympics was one of my dreams. It's more than eight years that I am running. This is my first Games and I am the only girl to represent Afghanistan in athletics.

"In Afghanistan it is different from here in London. Every day I have to face a lot of problems when I go to training. All along there have been people who wanted to disturb me, to stop me.

"In my society there is no sport for females. My people do not accept sport for women; they think sport is not good for them."

Due to decades of war, there has been no sports development in Afghanistan. The country first participated in the Summer Olympics in 1936 but there were no Afghan athletes between 1980 and 2004. During the Taliban regime from 1996 until 2001, all forms of sports were banned.

Of the 2012 team, taekwondo athlete Rohullah Nikpai is Afghanistan's biggest hope, having won the country's only Olympic medal to date - a bronze in 2008.

Kohistani has no illusions about what she faces in the Olympic stadium.

"I don't think I will qualify for the finals, my time is not good enough," she said.

"But I am going to run on competition day knowing that a lot of people will be watching me; those who like me and support me, and those who are not ready to support me and my sport.

"Being a Muslim female athlete is most important for me. I represent a country where every day there are suicide bomb blasts. It is important that a girl from such a country can be here.

"It is all in the mind. The race is fast. If any of the favourites make a mistake, maybe it will be a miracle for me."

Source: http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/2012/07/24/afghan-runner-hopes-olympics-will-help-women-s-sport

Afghanistan female boxers fighting their way to Olympics

For the first time in Afghanistan, around 20 women have been boxing in Kabul's Ghazi stadium, aiming to compete at London 2012. Report by Chloe Culpan. 

Muslim female athletes shine at Asian Games

BY ANITA CHANG

AP Photo

GUANGZHOU: Back home, the Pakistani women's cricket team is anonymous, especially compared with their illustrustrious male counterparts. 

But after their gold medal triumph at the Asian Games, the girls in green were basking in the spotlight for a change. It was Pakistan's first Asian Games gold medal in eight years - a milestone that supporters say points to the need for more education and opportunities in sports for women in Muslim countries. 

"Our media doesn't give women's sports that much coverage, as much as they give to men's sports," said Pakistan all-rounder Nida Rashid. "There are so many sports in which women participate in Pakistan, like squash, table tennis and volleyball, but they go unnoticed." 

The Asian Games, an Olympic-style event drawing athletes from a collection of countries representing two-thirds of the world's population, is the biggest stage for many of the female competitors. 

In parts of the continent, playing sports is often considered inappropriate for women and out of step with traditional gender roles. Consequently, resources for coaching, training and competition generally lag behind the funding set aside for male athletes. 

Pakistan came to Guangzhou with 25 female athletes out of a total of 169, participating in cricket, judo, shooting, squash and sailing. 

Iran sent a women's team to compete in kabaddi, and all wore head coverings in their opening match: a 62-18 win over Taiwan on Monday. 

War-torn Afghanistan has seven women in its 67-member delegation, all of them competing in martial arts events. Conservative Saudi Arabia has 170 men and not a single woman. 

In comparison, host China, a sporting powerhouse that has invested heavily in developing elite athletes of both genders, has 458 women and 507 men. 

"There still needs to be more work toward educating females, educating their families to make them feel that is it OK to represent their countries abroad," said Basma Ahmad Essa, a taekwondo athlete from the United Arab Emirates. "We're not disagreeing with any laws of Islam or things like that, that a lot of conservative people might put as obstacles in front of players." 

AP Photo

Essa, 26, added that a lack of awareness about female participation in sports was also hampering development. 

"We've started looking at the West and trying to get the best out of them, and trying to apply it within our countries, she said, sweat pouring off her face after beating a Nepali opponent. 

One pioneering women's squad has been taking the field in Guangzhou with traditional Muslim head coverings, showing that religious obligations can co-exist with sports. 

"The world has developed and it is time for women to take their place," said Maryam Ahmed Al-Suweidi of the Qatari handball team, just one of two female Arab teams in Guangzhou. The other is the football team from Jordan. 

Olympic Council of Asia president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, a Kuwaiti, said 80 percent of the west Asian national Olympic committees had females participating in Guangzhou. 

"For many of these athletes, it's the first time in this environment," he said, predicting that the number of female athletes from conservative countries would continue to swell. "This will continue to improve." 

The handballers are young and their inexperience has shown during lopsided losses to Taiwan and Kazakhstan, but Al-Suweidi says it's just the beginning, noting that participation in women's sports has been on the rise in her home region. 

"Of course all people like to take part in sports ... I do not believe there is any obstacle at the moment against women taking part in sport in the Arab world," she said confidently. 

Pakistan cricket captain Sana Mir noted that her squad used to just compete against women's teams but now also play men's Under-19 and Under-25 sides. 

"I think if women in Pakistan are given opportunities to play sports with proper coaches and facilities, there's no reason why they should not perform - not only at Asian Games - but also in major international tournaments," she said. "I believe if you do something with honesty you can gain a lot in the field of sports."

Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/11/22/2650114/muslim-female-athletes-shine-at.html