HANGZHOU, China ¨C On a pristine volleyball court on the seventh floor of a massive training center in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, a team of Afghan women prepare for their first Asian Games in defiance of the Taliban government¡¯s antipathy toward women¡¯s sports.
Though separated from their families and scattered across Asia, the volleyball players have assembled at the multisport event with the support of Olympic officials and the sport¡¯s global federation.
Some fled Afghanistan when the Taliban came to power after the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021, fearing persecution from a government that has effectively banned women¡¯s sports.
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