Six Athletes, Including Three Women, from Afghanistan will Participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics

Mark Adams, the IOC spokesperson, announced this news during a press conference, stating that male Afghan athletes will compete in track, swimming, and judo, while female athletes will compete in track and cycling.

Adams emphasized that the gender-balanced team sends a message to the Taliban government, which has restricted women's and girls' access to sports in Afghanistan. He stated, "We have made it clear that we want a gender-equal team, and that is what we have achieved."

He also added that no Taliban officials will be allowed to attend the Paris 2024 Olympics, saying, "There will be no place for Taliban officials in Paris. No representative from the Afghan government will be accredited for the 2024 Olympic Games."

Earlier, the IOC had announced that it was negotiating with the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee and sports officials to lift the current restrictions on women's and girls' access to sports in the country.

The Paris 2024 Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11, followed by the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8 in Paris, France.

This comes as sports in Afghanistan have not been spared from the Taliban's strict measures, with all women's sports facing severe restrictions.