Afghanistan (AFG)

Overview

NOCAfghanistan National Olympic Committee
Flagbearers36

Participants

Olympic Games 107
Youth Olympic Games 6

Description

Afghanistan first competed at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, the same year in which its National Olympic Committee (NOC) was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Since then the country has failed to be represented at the Olympic Games of 1952, 1976, 1984, 1992, and 2000. Afghanistan’s National Olympic Committee was suspended by the IOC in 1999, and it was not eligible to compete at Sydney, because the NOC did not follow the Olympic Charter, specifically religious fundamentalism in sport brought on by the ruling Taliban, including prohibitions against women in sport. After the Afghan War of 2001-2002, Afghanistan formed a new National Olympic Committee and competed in 2004 at Athens and 2008 in Beijing. Afghanistan has never competed at the Olympic Winter Games.

Through the 20th century, the most successful Afghani at the Olympic Games had been Sayed Yusuf who won a gold medal in 1928 as a member of the Indian hockey (field) team. But in 2008 at Beijing, Rohullah Nikpai won a bronze medal in men’s flyweight taekwondo, the first medal won by an Afghani athlete representing Afghanistan. Four years later Nikpai was able to win again bronze for his home country, this time in the featherweight class. Through 2022, he remains the only medal winner from Afghanistan.

Participations by edition

Olympic Games

Edition As Men Women Total
1936 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 15 0 15 Results
1948 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 25 0 25 Results
1956 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 12 0 12 Results
1960 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 12 0 12 Results
1964 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 8 0 8 Results
1968 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 5 0 5 Results
1972 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 8 0 8 Results
1980 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 11 0 11 Results
1988 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 5 0 5 Results
1996 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 2 0 2 Results
2004 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 3 2 5 Results
2008 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 3 1 4 Results
2012 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 5 1 6 Results
2016 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 2 1 3 Results
2020 Summer Olympics Afghanistan 4 1 5 Results

Youth Olympic Games

Edition As Men Women Total
2010 Summer Youth Olympics Afghanistan 2 0 2 Results
2014 Summer Youth Olympics Afghanistan 0 1 1 Results
2018 Summer Youth Olympics Afghanistan 2 1 3 Results

Participations by discipline

Olympic Games

Discipline (Sport) Men Women Total
Athletics 12 3 15 Results
Boxing 5 0 5 Results
Football (Football) 11 0 11 Results
Hockey 33 0 33 Results
Judo 2 1 3 Results
Shooting 1 0 1 Results
Swimming (Aquatics) 1 0 1 Results
Taekwondo 3 0 3 Results
Wrestling 35 0 35 Results

Youth Olympic Games

Discipline (Sport) Men Women Total
Athletics 1 1 2 Results
Boxing 2 0 2 Results
Taekwondo 1 1 2 Results

Medals by Games

Edition Competition Type Gold Silver Bronze Total
2008 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 0 0 1 1
2012 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 0 0 1 1
2018 Summer Youth Olympics Youth Olympic Games 0 0 1 1

Medals by sport

Olympic Games

Sport Gold Silver Bronze Total
Taekwondo 0 0 2 2

Youth Olympic Games

Sport Gold Silver Bronze Total
Taekwondo 0 0 1 1

Most successful competitors

Includes medals won as part of mixed teams.

Olympic Games

Athlete Nat Gold Silver Bronze Total
Rohullah Nikpai AFG 0 0 2 2

Youth Olympic Games

Athlete Nat Gold Silver Bronze Total
Nisar Ahmad Abdul Rahimzai AFG 0 0 1 1

IOC Members

Samira Asghari 2018—