Afghan refugee breaker disqualified for wearing 'Free Afghan Women' cape at Paris Olympics

Afghan refugee breaker disqualified for wearing ‘Free Afghan Women’ cape at Paris Olympics

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Refugee Team’s Manizha Talash, known as Talash, wears a cape which reads “free Afghan women” as she competes during the B-Girls Pre-Qualifier Battle at the breaking competition at La Concorde Urban Park at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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Refugee Team’s Manizha Talash, known as Talash wears a cape which reads “free Afghan women” as she competes during the B-Girls Pre-Qualifier Battle of the breaking competition at La Concorde Urban Park at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)

By NOREEN NASIR

PARIS (AP) — Refugee breaker Manizha Talash, or “b-girl Talash,” was disqualified from the first ever Olympic breaking competition on Friday after she wore a cape that said “Free Afghan Women” during her pre-qualifier battle against India Sardjoe — known as “b-girl India.”

The 21-year-old, originally from Afghanistan and representing the Olympic Refugee Team, lost in the pre-qualifier battle against Sardjoe and would not have advanced even if she hadn’t been disqualified.

Political statements and slogans are banned on the field of play and on podiums at the Olympics. World DanceSport Federation, the governing body for breaking at the Olympics, issued a statement afterward that said she “was disqualified for displaying a political slogan on her attire during the Pre-Qualifier battle.”

Talash sought asylum in Spain after fleeing Taliban rule in her home country in 2021.

“I’m here because I want to reach my dream. Not because I’m scared,” she told The Associated Press before the Olympics from Spain, where she was granted asylum.

The one-off pre-qualifier battle between Talash and Sardjoe was added in May, when Talash was included in the Olympic roster after the b-girl from Afghanistan missed registration for qualifying events. The International Olympic Committee’s executive board invited her to participate after learning of her efforts to defy the strict rule of the Taliban in her home country.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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