Tobaa* remembers the time when she could freely practice and play basketball at Rohullah Nikpa’s gym in the heart of Bamyan without any problems. In winters, she eagerly stepped onto the curling field in Bamyan’s Darre Sabzak. And a year before Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, she began to ski and spent an entire winter training on Bamyan’s mountain slopes.
The 26-year-old participated in the three sports simultaneously with an ability to gain physical prowess quickly. Now, she is – as she says – imprisoned at home, forbidden from all recreational activity.
“I had been practicing sports for about four years. In the beginning, I joined the Bamyan girls’ basketball team. There we had a peaceful and suitable environment. Those were the best days of my life,” she tells Rukhshana Media.
The following winter, Afghanistan’s curling federation started activities in Bamyan. Curling is a team sport where stones are slid across icy surfaces, aiming for a target made up of three overlapping circles.
It was great news for the girl who loved winter, and not long after, Tobaa became a dedicated curling player.
“Most Fridays, we would go to an area called Darre Sabzak, which isn’t far from the center of Bamyan and is on the Aqrobat-Saighan road. We played curling on a stretch of water that froze over in the winter,” she says.
Of the three sports, Tobaa says she was most talented at basketball and always dreamed of competing in the international arena. But now she sits disheartened and broken in the corner of her home.
“It was a great time, playing sports with my friends and teammates without any worries or stress. We weren’t afraid of anyone, and our families didn’t stop us,” she says.
“At that time, we never imagined that one day, returning to this field would become just a dream.”
The end of community and contact with teammates
Before the Taliban took power in August 2021, Bamyan province was associated with art, sports, and social freedoms for women. Girls enjoyed relatively more freedom than their peers in southern and eastern Afghanistan to participate in sports and arts. Women were pioneers in music festivals, winter sports, and cultural gatherings.
“On Women’s Day, Mother’s Day, International Peace Day, and similar events, the Department of Women’s Affairs, in collaboration with organizations like UNAMA, would organize competitions for us. We would win prizes and receive encouragement from all the teams. Many times, we came in first place,” Tobaa says.
Alongside her sports training, Tobaa also attended university.
“At that time, I was a student at Bamyan University. But I loved playing sports. Sports gave me motivation and created hope for me.”
Tobaa’s team members from curling, basketball, and skiing are now all dispersed. When she speaks of it, Tobaa chokes up with tears and longing.
“My friends and teammates are all scattered. Those who stayed in Bamyan are also distant from each other, and we no longer have contact,” she says.
“Honestly, there’s no motivation left for staying in touch or visiting.”
Women and girls forbidden from competing
The Taliban’s restrictions on women’s lives have created an appalling situation for them where, on top of the sports they loved, they are also banned from educational opportunities, social freedoms, and the right to work in most places.
Women’s sports teams in Afghanistan have been dissolved, gym doors are closed to women, and in some provinces, even walking for exercise in public parks has been prohibited for women. Even Bamyan’s standing as a pioneer in Afghan women’s could not withstand the violent and cruel ways the Taliban punishes those who dare to oppose the restrictions.
For more than three years since 2021, winter sports have been held without the participation of women.
Tobaa says her dream had been to one day fly her country’s flag on the global stage and stand on a podium for one of these sports, believing that with consistent practice, it would be possible.
Tobaa recalls the unforgettable memories of the time she could freely play curling with her friends. (Photo: Afghanistan Curling Federation Facebook page)
Controlled by fear, crushed by despair
Hundreds of female athletes have fled Afghanistan to pursue their chosen field of excellence, but also in fear that their sport participation has made them a potential target for zealous Talibs.
For similar reasons, Tobaa requested details about her place of residence, real name, and the names of the sports teams and people she trained with be omitted from this report.
The Taliban considers women’s sports both un-Islamic and unnecessary. In the early months of their rule, Ahmadullah Wasiq, the deputy head of the group’s Cultural Commission, told SBS that women’s sports was an “inappropriate and unnecessary” activity. This same Taliban official later became the head of the group’s Physical Education and Sports Department.
“When the government fell and the Taliban came, we all fled the city in fear,” Tobaa says.
“When we returned to the city, not even the girls dared to leave their homes, let alone engage in sports or any physical activities.”
For more than three years, Tobaa has lived under this shadow of fear – and longing to run and play sport once again.
“Most of the time, I’m just at home all day. I miss the past days, the times when we were free like birds, with no restrictions or chains. Now, we can’t even run in our courtyard,” she says.
Note*: The name has been changed due to security reasons.
