Guardian Report: Afghan Girls Practice Sports in Secret and Dream of Global Fields

Photo: AP / The National

Four years after the Taliban’s takeover, Afghan women and girls are not only deprived of education and work, but sports are also forbidden for them. A number of female athletes have left the country and continue sports in exile, but inside Afghanistan there are still girls who only practice in secret, living in fear of the Taliban, while keeping alive the dream of playing in international arenas.

The Guardian in a report on Wednesday (September 10) reflected the story of “Fawzia,” a sixteen-year-old Afghan girl (a pseudonym). She says her home is both her birthplace and her prison. Fawzia considers her only happiness to be practicing cricket with her sisters; they play in the small garden of their house and when the Taliban are on the street, they go to the basement so that their voices are not heard.

She told the Guardian: “This is my only happiness. My only hope is that one day I can play cricket in an international field; it does not matter if it is in a league or in the Afghanistan national team. Just being able to play in an international field would be the greatest joy of my life. But right now there is no opportunity for me.”

Fawzia describes her memories of school this way: “At that time it was very enjoyable. We had two teams, almost 74 people. At that time we could hit any shot we wanted and we enjoyed it a lot. But now we cannot even play loudly because the Taliban might hear us. I always pray that no one will ever have to live a life like mine.”

Since the Taliban’s return, all women’s rights have vanished; girls’ sports and education are banned, universities are closed, work and art are restricted, and even women’s access to health services has been disrupted. A United Nations report shows that these restrictions could increase maternal mortality by more than fifty percent by 2026.

The Guardian further referred to the Afghan women’s cricket team that was taken out of the country with the efforts of Australian activists and now participates in friendly matches in exile. The report also criticized the performance of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Although having a women’s team is one of the main criteria for membership in the ICC statute, the council continues to provide full financial support to the Afghanistan Cricket Board. In April, the ICC announced the creation of a “special task force,” a support fund, and a training program for Afghan female players in exile, but according to athletes, these measures have not yet been tangible.

Dr. Catherine Ordway, one of the main supporters of the Afghan women’s national team in exile and co-founder of the charity Pitch Our Future, told the Guardian: “This is the least they could do. A lot of time was wasted and until today not much has been done.” Comparing the ICC’s performance with FIFA, she added: “FIFA allocated 17 staff to support the Afghan women’s football team and held three training camps. It is not enough, but at least it is a beginning.”

According to the Guardian, Afghan female athletes both inside and in exile want the world to know they exist and for their voices to be heard. They demand official recognition, training opportunities, selection camps, and participation in international competitions.

It is worth mentioning that the Afghan women’s cricket team in exile is scheduled to travel to India to watch part of the Women’s World Cup and play several friendly matches; a small but important sign in the record of what the international community has done so far to support Afghan women athletes.