Khalilah Camacho-Ali, former wife of the late-great Muhammad Ali, has reportedly arrived in Kabul to open a stadium, a Taliban government official stated on Friday.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, head of the government’s sports directorate, informed press that Camacho-Ali, who was married to the boxing legend from 1967 for ten years, had recently reached Kabul.
According to state media, the directorate reported that Camacho-Ali is in Kabul “to establish a sports stadium named ‘Pirozi’ (meaning victory in Dari) and to launch a sports association honoring Muhammad Ali.”
It is pertinent to note that in Afghanistan women are prohibited from participating in sports.
Camacho-Ali, originally born as Belinda Boyd in the U.S. in 1950, converted to Islam after marrying the world-champion boxer. Muhammad Ali visited Kabul in 2002 himself, a year after U.S. forces toppled the first Taliban government, where he toured a girls’ school as part of his role as a United Nations peace ambassador.
Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, they have implemented strict laws heavily impacting women, whom the United Nations says face “gender apartheid.” This includes banning women from participating in sports.
Under the Taliban’s initial rule from 1996 to 2001, sports stadiums were frequently used for public executions, a practice that has resurfaced since their return, with at least two executions reported in stadiums.
Recently, authorities have also placed restrictions on combat sports, labeling certain forms, like Mixed Martial Arts, as un-Islamic. This in particular is ironic considering Muhammad Ali’s body of work.
