Afghan Girl Fights for Olympic Dream

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 17, 2008 — -- As a young girl living under hardline Islamist Taliban rule, Mahboba Ahdyar could only run around the small courtyard of her house in the Afghan capital.

Now she is getting set to race in the Olympic Games.

Ahdyar is the only woman among four Afghans due to represent the war-torn country at August's Beijing Olympics and the slightly built 19-year-old 1,500 metre runner stands little chance of a medal.

Competing, however, is more about pride and showing the world what Afghan women can do.

"When I was small I used to run in my house and watch my brother who was doing body building. I kept my exercising secret even from my neighbours because of the Taliban," she told Reuters at the Kabul sports stadium where the Taliban held public executions until they were ousted from power by U.S.-led and Afghan forces in 2001.

The Taliban banned women from working or leaving the home without a male relative. Girls could not play outdoors and sport was out of the question.

But while some things have improved for women since 2001 and Afghanistan now has female athletes, a women's soccer team, even boxers, many in this deeply conservative society remain hostile.

"Some people in our society are against sport for women," said Ahdyar. "They want us only to stay at home, but I disagree with them; God gave the same rights to men and women, that is why I don't care what they say."

Ahdyar said she was lucky to have the support of her family. "I'm so proud of my daughter representing Afghanistanat the Beijing Olympics," said mother Majan Ahdyar. "She is so fond of her sport, she even exercises at night outside in the street because our house is not big enough."

NO FEAR

But some neighbours jeer at the athlete as she travels to and from her small mudbrick home in a poor area of Kabul for training.

"My father, mother and brother all support and encourage me that is why I am here now," said Mahboba. "The problem is with my neighbours; they are trying to humiliate me, that is the main problem I have."