Taliban government imposes ban on mixed martial arts in Afghanistan

The Taliban government of Afghanistan has imposed a ban on mixed martial arts (MMA), declaring the sport illegal in the country.

Officials of the Ministry of Sports of Afghanistan said in a statement, “The government has banned mixed martial arts, considering it illegal. An investigation revealed that the sport has Shariah-related issues and many aspects that are against Islamic teachings.”

MMA was partially banned once before because it was considered violent and risked injury or death.

Martial arts is one of the most popular sports in Afghanistan. At the recent Paris Olympics, four of Afghanistan’s 11 athletes were from martial arts, representing the national or refugee Olympic teams.

MMA has not been recognized as a sport in the Olympics, partly because of concerns about the sport.

Taliban came to power in August 2021 and habe since banned girls’ from going to school or colleges, stoped women from working, and has introduced other strict laws including banning women from singing in public.