Afghanistan at the Olympics

Afghanistan has competed in 14 Summer Games. They have never appeared in any Winter Games.

Afghanistan at the
Olympics
IOC codeAFG
NOCAfghanistan National Olympic Committee
Medals
Ranked 138th
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
2
Total
2
Summer appearances

The country made its first appearance at the Berlin Games in 1936. It has sent a delegation to 13 of the 18 Summer Games since then. It is organised by the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee, which is currently presided by Hafizullah Wali Rahimi.

Afghanistan competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, sending a total of 31 competitors, which consisted of the men's field hockey and football teams. This is the highest number of athletes that Afghanistan has ever sent to a Summer Olympic Games.

Afghanistan's football tournament started and ended with Afghanistan being defeated by six goals to none against Luxembourg. This resulted in Afghanistan's failure to qualify to the first round of the tournament. At the men's field hockey tournament won 1 match, drew 1 match and lost 1 match, resulting in placing third of four competing teams, with a sum of 3 points. Therefore, Afghanistan did not proceed to the semi-finals, finishing third in their respective group.

In the following 1952 Games at Helsinki, Afghanistan did not participate. However, Afghanistan returned for the 1956 Games at Melbourne, sending a team of 12 for the men's field hockey tournament, with six of the competitors on the team having participated previously in 1948.

Afghanistan did not send a team to the Barcelona Games in 1992, and sent only two representatives to the Atlanta Games in 1996. Light-middleweight boxer Mohammad Jawid Aman was disqualified after he arrived too late for the mandatory weigh-in and draw, which left marathon runner Abdul Baser Wasiqi as the country's sole representative. Wasiqi injured a hamstring muscle before the race, but competed nonetheless, literally limping his way through the marathon and finishing last.[1]

Afghanistan was suspended by the IOC in 1999 and subsequently banned from the Sydney Games in 2000 due to its discrimination against women under the rule of the Taliban and its prohibition of sports of any kind. The country was re-instated in 2002, following the fall of the Taliban,[2] and sent five representatives to the Athens Games in 2004.

Among them were two women, Robina Muqim Yaar and Friba Razayee, the first ever women to compete for Afghanistan at the Olympics.[3]

Afghanistan sent a team of four competitors,[4] including three men and one woman, Mehboba Ahdyar,[5] to the Beijing Games of 2008. Ahdyar has received death threats due to her intended participation in the Games.[4]

Afghanistan won their first summer Olympic medal during the 2008 Beijing games, with Rohullah Nikpai winning a bronze in men's Taekwondo 58 kg, and their second at the 2012 Games with another bronze for Nikpai in the men's 68kg taekwondo event.[6]

Afghanistan returned for a fourth consecutive games, at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Rohullah Nikpai, who had earned a medal at the two previous games in taekwando did not return. Instead, three athletes were sent, competing in two sports - Athletics and Judo. None of the athletes managed to progress and qualify further in their events. Despite finishing last in the women's 100 metres, Kamia Yousufi became Afghanistan's national record holder with 14.02 seconds, which was also at her Olympic debut.[7] She also ran her preliminary heat in a full-body kit and hijab.[8]

Medal tables

Medals by Summer Games
Games Athletes Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank
1936 Berlin190000–
1948 London310000–
1952 Helsinkidid not participate
1956 Melbourne120000–
1960 Rome180000–
1964 Tokyo80000–
1968 Mexico City50000–
1972 Munich80000–
1976 Montrealdid not participate
1980 Moscow110000–
1984 Los Angelesdid not participate
1988 Seoul50000–
1992 Barcelonadid not participate
1996 Atlanta20000–
2000 Sydneydid not participate
2004 Athens50000–
2008 Beijing4001180
2012 London6001179
2016 Rio de Janeiro30000–
2020 TokyoFuture event
2024 Paris
2028 Los Angeles
Total0022138

Medals by summer sport
SportGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Taekwondo0022
Totals (1 sports)0022

Note: Afghanistan was banned from the Olympics in 1999 for its discrimination against women under the Taliban regime at the time.

List of medalists
Medal Name Games Sport Event
 BronzeRohullah Nikpai 2008 Beijing TaekwondoMen's 58 kg
 Bronze 2012 London TaekwondoMen's 68 kg
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See also

References
  1. "Taleban hope to get ban revoked", Reuters, August 17, 2000
  2. "A Run to The Future", Time, April 11, 2004
  3. "Afghan women's Olympic dream", BBC, June 22, 2004
  4. "Afghan Athletes Train for Beijing Olympic " Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, Afghan embassy to the United States, April 29, 2008
  5. "Afghan Woman Runs Toward Olympics Despite Jeers, Potential Danger" Archived 2012-10-20 at the Wayback Machine, Associated Press, March 16, 2008
  6. Afghanistan at the Olympics, The Telegraph
  8. "Rio Olympics 2016: Kariman Abuljadayel makes Saudi history in 100m". BBC. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
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