By Abdul Haleem
KABUL, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- "By attending the London 2012 Olympic Games, I have given the message to all the girls in Afghanistan that they are talented, they can do sport, they can attend international competitions and above all they can earn honor for their country," Tahmina Kohistani told Xinhua in a brief chat after returning home on Tuesday.
Ms. Kohistani, 23, is the only Afghan female who competed in running at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Although failed to win a medal, she was joyful for representing Afghan women in the international competition.
"Although I could not earn medal in the contest, I was able to represent Afghan women with talent and so, I am proud to be the first Afghan girl attending the Olympic Games," the ambitious Kohistani said.
In the conservative Afghanistan, this was unbelievable 11 years ago when the Taliban regime was in power.
The fundamentalist regime which collapsed in late 2001 by the U. S.-led military campaign had banned schools for girls and confined women to their houses. The outfit has also imposed series of restrictions on men athletes including sporting with long beard and wearing long trousers.
During the Taliban's six-year reign, athletes doing daily exercise at Ghazi Stadium, the national sport stadium, were often given punishment by the Taliban, including execution and chopping hands and feet.
A six-member Afghan team which includes Rohullah Nikpa and Nisar Ahmad Bahawi in taekwondo, Masoud Azizi and Tahmina Kohistani in running, Aimal Faisal and Ajmal Faizi Zada in boxing and judo represented Afghanistan in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
In the men's 68 kg category, Afghan taekwondo player Nikpa, after beating his rivals Michal Loniewski of Poland 12-5, Martin Stamper of Britain 5-3, David Boui of Central African Republic 14- 2 and losing to Iranian player Mohammad Bagheri Motamed, had earned a bronze medal, the second of its kind earned by Afghanistan, and both by Nikpa, who is 25-year-old now.
The team returned home Tuesday morning and were awarded a red- carpet welcome by thousands of exciting Afghans including government officials and lawmakers waiting in a long queue at the Kabul International Airport.
A long convoy of motorcades and horse riders were slowly moving on the road leading to the airport to welcome the athletes.
"I would try my best to win gold medal in the next Olympic Games," Nikpa told Xinhua as he was recieved by hundreds of his admirers.
"It is a matter of pride for Afghans that their country has secured position among the medal winning nations," a sport fan and athlete, Ahmad Adeeb Wali, 21, told Xinhua at the Ghazi Stadium while eagerly waiting among thousands of people to receive the six athletes.
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