Afghan women athletes rebuild their sporting careers in Australia after fleeing Taliban rule

MELBOURNE: When the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan again four years ago, women and girls were swiftly barred from playing sports.

For many of the country’s top female athletes, the only way to stay alive – and keep their sporting dreams alive – was to flee.

Among them was 21-year-old cricketer Firooza Amiri, who escaped to Australia with nothing but an Afghanistan team shirt she could not bring herself to destroy.

‘SPORT ALWAYS GAVE ME A VOICE’

For Firooza, cricket is more than just a game – it is a passion that has shaped her life.

The sport is also what made her a target once the Taliban seized power in 2021, when the United States withdrew troops after nearly two decades of war. It prompted a mass exodus as thousands tried to flee the country.

Firooza, who played for Afghanistan’s national team, spent weeks in hiding as the new regime hunted down female athletes.

“They were checking the houses. First thing I did, I burnt everything. All my cricket gear, my medals,” she told CNA.

“The only thing I couldn’t burn was my Afghanistan T-shirt. That means so much to me. For me, that T-shirt is something that every time I looked at it, (I thought:) I cannot give up on cricket.”