Afghan Women’s Sports Archive
A cultural and historical project to create a complete, multimedia, physical and digital archive of Afghan women’s sporting history.
Afghan women challenged cultural norms and gender barriers through sports across the country. The Afghan Women’s Sport Archive documents and preserves the history of these women for future generations.
An estimated .5% of global recorded history is about women. In Afghanistan, the first Taliban regime systematically destroyed photographs, books, newspapers, and records, reducing access to documented history and, in particular, women’s narratives.
The work of documenting Afghanistan’s athletes' history begins with oral histories and witness statements in seven sports: cycling, football, skiing, snowboarding, climbing/mountaineering, skateboarding, and judo. We chose these sports because they all began after the first Taliban regime and because we have connections to the founders and the original athletes. We are also collecting the oral histories of para-athletes registered with the Afghan Para Federation, discussing how best to represent this group of athletes in the archive, who compete in various sports. These connections allow us to build the archive authentically, truthfully, and fully. Our work is to preserve their history, ensuring that future generations know what they accomplished, why, and how.
This archive will ensure we preserve a rounder, fuller story of who these Afghan women are and the society they were a part of.
This history is vital for preserving the identity not just of the women involved as athletes, but for the identity of future Afghan women and girls, and of Muslim women everywhere.
Imagine an archive where every woman’s story is collected, bound, and presented in an individual book.
The archive is a 5 year project collecting oral histories from the athlete’s and witness statements from the those who met them, supported them, and witnessed their journey. We are building a physical archive of the extensive film, photography, media, and audio interviews that documented athletes. We are also collecting as many artifacts as possible to preserve for future generations. Many have been lost due to the evacuations, but that is part of the recovery process.
If every life is its own universe, then the least that we can do as an archive is recognize the individuality of each woman beyond the sport. The archive is a living, breathing physical space as unique as the women themselves. a place to hold history for future generations and to hold space for continued research and storytelling in the present.
You can support the project in several ways.
Donate to help fund the first phase of oral history collection of the archive
If you want to sponsor or donate directly - donations can be accepted through our partner, The Tawana Organization.
Follow and support the project on Patreon
Cycling
Founded in 2011 in Kabul. The Afghan Women’s National Team operated under the Afghan Cycling Federation. The national team was chosen as National Geographic Adventurers of the Year and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015.
An independent women’s cycling team started in Bamyan founded by women. Team Shahmama was named after the female Buddha overlooking the valley, blown up by the Taliban. Women’s cycling expanded across the province, and the first women’s races occurred in Bamyan.
By the time the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women were openly riding in at least 8 provinces; training and competing in road cycling, mountain biking, and BMX competitions.
Skiing and Snowboarding
In 2011, a handful of young women learned to ski on the mountains of Bamyan thanks to Norwegian Henriette Bjorge. They were the first female members of the Bamyan Alpine Ski Club. Skiers walked up the mountain, strapping their equipment to donkeys. They took part in the first Afghan Ski Challenge ski race; each year, their numbers grew.
Then, a few years later, a small group learned to snowboard.
Coming soon….
Football
The first Afghan National Women’s Football Team was formed in 2007 by the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee with players drawn from among selected school girls in Kabul. Former national team captains, Hajar Abulfazl and Shamila Kohestanii led the development of football in their country and outside of it as mentors and leaders gaining international recognition. The national team received extensive player and coaching development training thanks to Germany and the UK. The team traveled to outside the region to compete in Sri Lanka, Denmark, Norway, and Japan, more than any other women’s sport.
Coming Soon….
Skateboarding
Skateboarding started in Kabul in 2007. Skateistan was founded in 2009 by three Australians, and soon skateboarding was indoors on ramps and half-pipes in large part due to the support of the Afghan Olympic Committee. Afghan girls were the heart of the program from the beginning, and to support their inclusion, girl-only skate times were part of the schedule. Many in Kabul witnessed the joy of Afghan girls skateboarding the streets and often became volunteers to help the program grow. Soon another skateboarding organization started by Afghans launched. Skateboarding was officially part of Afghan youth culture. Skateboarding may be the best-documented sport in Afghanistan due to the direct connection to the photojournalism community that lived in Kabul and skated themselves. It was a joyful, rebellious moment in Kabul’s cultural rebirth.
Coming Soon….
Para Athletics
Afghanistan’s women para-athletes have competed in a variety of sports in Afghanistan at all levels. Wheelchair basketball, athletics, handball, and taekwando are just some of the para-sports women participated in. Taekwando champion, Zakia Khudadadi secured a place to compete at Tokyo Olympics, but became trapped in Afghanistan when the Taliban took over. She was one of two athletes that was successfully evacuated in time to compete. She then made history at the Paris Paralympics by becoming the first athlete from the Refugee Paralympic Team to win a medal.
Coming Soon…
Climbing/Mountaineering
Bamyan was the heart of Afghanistan’s outdoor sport scene. Skiing, cycling, and mountain biking, but climbing and mountaineering. Women were part of women-only climbing organizations founded by internationals, and of Afghan co-ed climbing groups like PEAK who achieved first ascents.
Afghan mountaineers like, Freshta Ibrahimi, had continued to climb outside Afghanistan. Freshta is currently training in the UK to become the first Afghan woman to climb Everest.
Coming soon….
Basketball
Women’s basketball began in the 1970s and ended because of the first Taliban regime. The sport firmly rebounded after the Taliban's defeat and women’s basketball resurged again in popularity. One of the teams was evacuated in 2021 to Albania and eventually resettled in the U.S. Other athletes including wheelchair basketball athletes were resettled in Spain.
Former athlete, Samira Asghari, is the first Afghan member of the International Olympic Committee, a role she holds today.
Coming soon….
Judo
You can’t talk about Judo, or Afghan women’s sport, without Friba Rezayee. Friba is one of the first two women athletes from Afghanistan to compete in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Judo has a unique history of resistance and resiliance in Afghanistan’s sporting history. She is the founder of the sports program, Girls of Afghanistan Lead (GOAL.) which continues to support women Judo athletes under Taliban rule, but beyond sport, GOAL also does incredible work to support education.
Coming soon….