Afghanistan refugee’s journey to the Tokyo Olympics
Afghan-born judoka Nigara Shaheen, who moved with her family to Pakistan when she was six months old, will make her Olympics debut as a member of the Refugee Olympics Team at this year’s Tokyo Games.
CAPE TOWN, July 23 (ANA) – Afghanistan born judoka, Nigara Shaheen, who moved with her family to Pakistan when she was six months old, will make her Olympics debut under the Refugee Olympics Team at this year’s Tokyo Games.
According to Al Jazeera, Shaheen’s family fled Afghanistan due to the war and crossed the border into Pakistan after a two day walk.
After months of debate on whether the delayed Games, which were initially scheduled for 2020, should continue or be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they will officially open on Friday with 28-year-old Shaheen set to take centre stage and compete at the women’s judo event on July 28.
“I always dreamt of competing at the Olympics and I was very committed to achieving my dream but there were times that I thought I will never be able to achieve it,” she said.
“But I remember the day when the Refugee Olympics Team was announced, it took me almost a day to actually digest the fact that I was selected.”
Shaheen faced countless obstacles on her journey to the Olympics, including her family being harassed and bullied while living in Peshawar in north west Pakistan.
At the age of 18 she moved back home to study at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, and also spent some time in Russia to attain her Master’s degree in Judo.
“Going back to Afghanistan was difficult, a lot of things were new for me and it took me time to adapt,” she said, adding that she suffered a lot from anxiety as a child. Judo was her safe haven and also gave her the opportunity to integrate into society.
According to judoinside.com, Shaheen participated at the 2017 Asian Games in Hong Kong and competed in her second international tournament at the Grand Slam in Ekaterinburg.
– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa
