| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Robina Jalali |
| Nationality |  Afghanistan |
| Born | (1986-07-03)3 July 1986 (age 39) Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Occupation(s) | Afghan taekwondo athlete, Politician |
| Height | 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Weight | 58 kg (128 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Sport | 100 metres |
Robina Jalali, also known asRobina Muqimyar (born 3 July 1986), is a former Olympic athlete who represented Afghanistan at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and in 30 international events, competing in the 100-meter sprint.[1][2] She competed athletically under the nameMuqimyar and ran for a seat in the lower house of Afghanistan's parliament, theWolesi Jirga, using her family name ofJalali.[1]
She attracted international attention for running while wearing thehijab, the traditional Muslim woman's head covering.[1] She was one of the first two women ever to represent Afghanistan at theOlympic Games, competing alongjudokaFriba Rezayee at the2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Jalali was born inKabul, Afghanistan, and is one of nine children (seven girls and two boys). Her father was a businessman in the computer industry who now runs a non-profit company that teaches Afghan women how to sew.[1] Jalali was home schooled during the era of theTaliban when schooling for girls was forbidden. She attended school after 2001.[1] Describing life under theTaliban, she has said: "There was nothing for usgirls to do under the Taliban. You couldn't go to school. You couldn't play, you couldn't do anything. You were just at home all the time."[3]
Muqimyar took part in the women's 100m sprint.[4] She finished seventh out of eight in her heat, with a time of 14.14 seconds, 0.15 seconds ahead ofSomalia'sFartun Abukar Omar. The race was won byJamaica'sVeronica Campbell, with a time of 11.17 seconds.[5] Muqimyar was 17 at the time of the event.[6] She ran in "a T-shirt and long green track pants" rather than more aerodynamic competition clothing.[7]
She was not initially due to compete in the2008 Olympics in Beijing,[8] but joinedAfghanistan's delegation[9] after female sprinterMehboba Ahdyar left her training camp in June to seekpolitical asylum in Norway.[10] At the2008 Summer Olympics she took part at the100 metres sprint. In her first round heat she placed eighth and last in a time of 14.80 which was not enough to advance to the second round.[2]
The Guardian described her as a true embodiment of the Olympic spirit:
She ran for office as an independent, on a platform of equal rights for women and youth, in theSeptember 2010 parliamentary election.[1][11] She said she would promote school athletics in Afghanistan if she won a seat,[11] but was not elected.[12]
In 2019 she was elected as a member of parliament. Her term was cut short by the fall of the Afghan government on 15 August 2021, because theTaliban took power.[13]
Since August 2021, there is (as of 29 August) no trace of her.[14]
