Afghanistan's football tournament culminated in Afghanistan being defeated 6-0 against Luxembourg, and they failed to qualify to the first round of the tournament. At the men's field hockey tournament won one match, drew one match and lost one match, resulting in placing third of four competing teams, with 3 points. Therefore, Afghanistan did not proceed to the semi-finals, finishing third in their respective group.
Afghanistan did not send a team, sending an official to the Barcelona Games in 1992, and sent only two representatives to the Atlanta Games in 1996: light-middleweight boxer Mohammad Jawid Aman was disqualified after he arrived too late for the mandatory weigh-in and draw, which left marathon runner Abdul Baser Wasiqi as the country's sole representative. Wasiqi pulled a hamstring before the race, but competed nonetheless, limping his way through the marathon and finishing last.[1]
The ANOC was suspended by the IOC in 1999, and Afghanistan were subsequently banned from the Sydney Games in 2000 for discrimination against women under the rule of the Taliban and prohibition of sports of any kind. The country was re-instated in 2002 following the fall of the Taliban,[2] and sent five representatives to the Athens Games in 2004.
Afghanistan won their first summer Olympic medal during the 2008 Beijing Games, with Rohullah Nikpai winning a bronze in men's Taekwondo 58 kg, and their second at the 2012 Games with another bronze for Nikpai in the men's 68kg taekwondo event.[6]
Afghanistan returned for a fourth consecutive games, at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Rohullah Nikpai, who had earned a medal at the two previous games in taekwando did not return. Instead, three athletes were sent, competing in two sports - Athletics and Judo. None of the athletes managed to progress and qualify further in their events. Despite finishing last in the women's 100 metres, Kamia Yousufi became Afghanistan's national record holder with 14.02 seconds, which was also at her Olympic debut.[7] She also ran her preliminary heat in a full-body kit and hijab.[8]
In April 2021, the ANOC announced that Fahim Anwari will become the first swimmer to represent Afghanistan at the Olympics.[9][10][11] Afghanistan received an invitation from the Tripartite Commission to send a men's rifle shooter, Mahdi Yovari, marking the nation's Olympic debut in the sport.[12]
Afghanistan's participation status for the 2024 Summer Olympics was unclear amid the political turmoil and the Taliban's return to power in August 2021.[13] In June 2024, it was confirmed that Afghanistan will be participating with 3 male and 3 female athletes.