Olympic breaking athlete disqualified for “Free Afghan Women” slogan

PARIS: Afghan refugee Manizha Talash was disqualified from the B-Girl breaking competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics after displaying a political message during her routine on Friday.

Talash was disqualified for revealing a cape bearing the slogan “Free Afghan Women” in bold white letters during her breaking performance at the Olympics.

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“B-Girl Talash” as she’s competitively known, is participating in breaking event at Paris Olympics. Instead of her native Afghanistan, she participated as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team.

The 21-year-old Afghan displayed the cape in the third round of her pre-qualifying match against B-Girl India of the Netherlands. Talash wore a light blue cape with the phrase “Free Afghan Women” written in large white letters.

Manizha Talash lost the battle and did not advance to the round-robin stage. The Afghan refugee was later disqualified.

The World Dance Sport Federation that governs Olympic breaking, issued a statement confirming Talash’s disqualification for “displaying a political slogan on her attire.”

The action was taken in accordance with rule 50 of the Olympic Charter. Rul 50 prohibits any form of political messaging or protests during Olympic events. The rule is aimed to preserve “neutrality” and prevent political issues from overshadowing the Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Talash received a warning from the chair of its disciplinary committee.

Talash is an ethnic Afghan who was forced to relocate to Spain in 2022 due to Taliban’s rise in the war-torn country. The break dancer fled her home country in 2021 in fear of Taliban’s repression towards women.

The 2024 Paris Olympics marks the third appearance of a Refugee Olympic Team, featuring 37 athletes competing in 12 sports. Six Afghan athletes are part of the team—three men and three women.

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The head and secretary general of Afghanistan’s recognised national Olympic committee are currently in exile.

Following her disqualification, Talash was escorted past the media zone without making any public statements. “What she did on stage is sufficient”.