Only Olympian training in Afghanistan to fulfil judo dream

Kabul, Afghanistan — AFP

Flipping his flailing judo sparring partner to the mat, Afghanistan’s judoka Mohammad Samim Faizad is the only Olympic athlete training for the Games in the country.

Six Afghans — including three expatriate women– will compete at the Paris Olympics this month in cycling, athletics, swimming and judo.

Faizad is the only member of the team still living in Afghanistan and follows a rigorous regime whilst competing with the challenges of living in a country mired in poverty and recovering from war.

“Physical fatigue subsides after 10 to 20 minutes, but mental and psychological exhaustion is much harder to overcome,” the 22 year-old, who works odd jobs to fund four hours of training in the Japanese martial art each day, shared.

“Judo means a lot to me,” he said while other fighters sparred at the run-down gym of the Afghanistan Judo Federation in Kabul.

“One of my biggest dreams has been to someday participate in the Olympic Games.”

– ‘Gender apartheid’ – 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Afghanistan from the Games in 1999, during the first period of Taliban rule from 1996 and 2001 when women were barred from sport.

The country was reinstated after the Taliban were ousted by the post-9/11 invasion, but the Paris Games mark the first summer Olympics since they took back power in 2021.

However, this time the IOC has invited a squad without consulting Taliban officials — who have not been invited to attend — instead working with the largely exiled national Olympic committee.

The team of three women and three men were chosen under a system ensuring all 206 nations are represented at the Games, in cases where athletes wouldn’t otherwise qualify.

Faizad won his spot in a Kabul tournament of more than a hundred competitors.

“I will give my hundred percent to get the gold medal for my country,” said Faizad, who has practised judo for 14 years and is 446th in the men’s world rankings.

The Taliban government has been in sport less dogmatic, praising teams that play under the old flag.

“We don’t want to mix politics and sports,” Atal Mashwani, the spokesman of the Taliban government’s sports directorate, told the media.

“The flag of the ruling government will be waved in international sports events,” he said.

– ‘We give our best’ –

Afghanistan first appeared at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and have won only two bronze medals, both in Taekwondo.

“In Afghanistan, there aren’t many opportunities for sport,” said Faizad.

“We don’t have standard clubs to train properly, but we do our best.”

The young fighter is trained by his uncle, 36 year-old Ajmal Faizada — who competed in the 2012 London Olympics and will accompany him to Paris.

“We have both given our best in training,” said Ajmal.

“We are really aiming to return with the best achievement possible.”

The Paris Olympics will be Faizad’s first international competition — but with the Taliban government unrecognised by any other nation, the trip is difficult and complicated.

Most embassies in Afghanistan were evacuated during the Taliban takeover and Faizad must travel to neighbouring Iran to apply for his visa.

“Whether I win or not, and if I return to Afghanistan empty-handed, I will train to be ready for the 2028 Olympic Games,” he promised.