Have Taliban allowed female Afghan athletes to participate in sports?

KABUL: A claim regarding the Afghan Taliban suggests that they are willing to allow women to play sports.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) contacted Taliban authorities to grant women permission to participate in sports,  the International Sports Press Association has reported. 

Samira Asghari, who was appointed as the youngest member of the Olympics committee in 2018 and the only representative from Afghanistan, confirmed contacting the Taliban and claimed that they have consented to allow women to play sports; however, they have not shared their stance on the matter as yet.

Asghari said that Afghanistan has until the end of 2022 to decide the matter, adding that the committee approached the Taliban for discussion since they cannot relocate all the athletes and needed to come up with a sustainable long-term solution.

After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August last year, their sports minister denied women from playing any kind of sports that exposes their bodies. The Taliban have now, however, shown willingness toward cooperation and execution of demands mandated by the IOC, which also consists of ensuring women’s inclusion in sports.