The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited six Afghan athletes to the Olympics in Paris, three women and three men.
However, the Taliban government only recognizes the men.
Right now, women's sports are stopped. If girls can't play sports, how can they be part of the national team? says Atal Mashwani, spokesperson for the government's sports directorate.
All three women and two of the male invitees live outside of Afghanistan. The country's Olympic Committee, which was involved in selecting the six invitees, is also based outside of Afghanistan.
The only one of the Olympic invitees who lives in Afghanistan is a judo player. The other two men will compete in athletics and swimming.
The women will compete in athletics and cycling.
The IOC banned Afghanistan from the Olympics in 1999, after the Taliban took power in the country for the first time and banned women from sports.
After the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, Afghanistan regained its Olympic status. The Paris Olympics will be the first summer games that Afghanistan participates in after the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Corrected: An earlier version contained inaccuracies about Afghan Olympic participation in the 2000s.
