Olympic Refugee Team breaker Manizha Talash, who fled Afghanistan to live in Spain, was disqualified from the breaking competition after she wore a cape saying “Free Afghan Women,” the World DanceSport Federation told reporters yesterday.
B-girl Talash, 21, unveiled the blue top bearing the slogan on Friday just before the first duel of the whole competition, against India Sardjoe of the Netherlands.
“Refugee athlete B-girl Talash ... was disqualified for displaying a political slogan on her attire in violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter,” the association said in a statement.
Photo: AP
That rule states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
Born in Kabul, under Taliban control since 2021, Talash fled the country to live in Spain with her two brothers.
Before arriving in Spain, she spent a year in hiding in Pakistan because she did not have a passport.
“I didn’t leave Afghanistan because I’m afraid of the Taliban or because I can’t live in Afghanistan,” she told reporters before the competition.
“I left because I want to do what I can for the girls in Afghanistan, for my life, my future, for everyone,” she added.
In Kabul, she discovered breaking online and joined a local club, where she was the only female.
Despite the risks — the troupe was forced to switch practice venues after receiving death threats — she was determined to pursue her passion.
“I took the risk of becoming a target. I have fear in my heart but I won’t give up,” she told reporters in 2021.
Japan’s Ami won the gold later on Friday.
Ami, whose legal name is Ami Yuasa, won all three rounds in a battle against b-girl Nicka (Dominika Banevic) from Lithuania to clinch the gold, at Place de la Concorde.
In the B-Boys round robin, Taiwan’s Quake (Sun Chen) was to compete in Group D against Billy of Morocco, Kazakhstan’s Amir and Menno of the Netherlands after press time last night.
Quake was born on Sept. 21, 1999, the same day as the 921 Earthquake.
Additional reporting by staff writer and AP
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
The San Francisco Giants signed 18-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Yang Nien-hsi (陽念希) to a contract worth a total of US$500,000 (NT $16.39 million). At a press event in Taipei on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Giants’ Pacific Rim Area scout Evan Hsueh (薛奕煌) presented Yang with a Giants jersey to celebrate the signing. The deal consisted of a contract worth US$450,000 plus a US$50,000 scholarship bonus. Yang, who stands at 188 centimeters tall and weighs 85 kilograms, is of Indigenous Amis descent. With his fastest pitch clocking in at 150 kilometers per hour, Yang had been on Hsueh’s radar since playing in the HuaNan Cup
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
RSS