NEW DELHI: Manizha Talasha 21-year-old Afghan break-dancer, embodies the spirit of human resilience that the Olympics celebrate. In 2021, she fled Afghanistan after the Taliban‘s takeover, crossing the border into Pakistan before finding refuge in Spain the following year.
Despite the challenges she faced, Talash never gave up on her passion for break-dancingwhich she discovered as a teenager in Kabul while scrolling through social media.Little did she know that this hobby, pursued in her troubled homeland, would lead her to the world’s biggest sporting event.
Talash’s life took a remarkable turn when the International Olympics Committee (IOC) included her in its refugee squad for the Paris Games.
She recalls the days when she trained with boys in a discreet break-dancing club in Kabul, a club that became a target of multiple bombings in a country where women’s basic rights are not respected and higher education is denied to them.
As break-dancing makes its Olympic debut in Paris, Talash is poised to showcase her gravity-defying moves. The inclusion of this art form in the Olympic program aims to attract more youth, and there are few better ambassadors than Talash to promote this new entrant.
“I am living my dream. I never imagined that it could be so beautiful,” Talash, who originally belongs to Wardak in Central Afghanistan, told PTI in an interview.
Break dance will make its debut as an Olympic sport at the 2024 Paris Games, with athletes competing for medals in two categories: B-boys and B-girls.
For Talash, an Afghan breaker, the opportunity to compete on the world stage is about more than just winning a medal. She hopes to inspire other women from her home country to pursue their aspirations, despite the challenges they face.
Talash’s journey is one of resilience and bravery, serving as an inspiration to many. However, she doesn’t consider herself a role model. In her eyes, “all women in Afghanistan are role models for the suffering they are going through every day of their lives.”
“It was after the Taliban that I left Afghanistan to follow my dreams. All the refugees found it a very hard way to go to another country and same was for me.
“I am grateful that I am here but I don’t consider myself a role model for them. The girls who are in Afghanistan are role models for me,” she said in a translated interview as she only speaks Dari and Spanish.
Talking more about her mission in the Olympics, Talash went on: “For me winning the medal or competition is not very important. I just want to prove to people in Afghanistan that break-dancing is not only dancing but it is a sport. I see people doing it professionally. It is also about art and culture.”
Talash, a former employee at a Madrid beauty salon, has now dedicated herself to break-dancing as a full-time pursuit.
At the Paris Games, as many as 36 athletes are part of the refugee team representing over 100 million displaced people.
Having settled in Spain with her family, Talash now considers the country her second home. She shared that her mother is an avid follower of Indian cinema.
“I know about India because my mother is in love with Indian films. She is watching a lot of Bollywood at home. I don’t watch it a lot but she does,” said Talash.
Mastering the art of break-dancing demands exceptional physical conditioning. For the past six months, she has dedicated herself to achieving the peak fitness required for this challenging dance form.
“When I was in Madrid, I trained six days a week. Here I am training everyday. In a day, sometimes I do two hours of gym and then three hours of training. Since I have been included in the refugee team, I feel I have progressed a lot,” she said.
Regardless of the outcome in the competition, Talash’s experience in Paris will be a triumph in itself. Her journey to the city of lights, and the opportunity to showcase her talents on an international stage, is a victory that cannot be measured by mere rankings or scores.
Despite the challenges she faced, Talash never gave up on her passion for break-dancingwhich she discovered as a teenager in Kabul while scrolling through social media.Little did she know that this hobby, pursued in her troubled homeland, would lead her to the world’s biggest sporting event.
Talash’s life took a remarkable turn when the International Olympics Committee (IOC) included her in its refugee squad for the Paris Games.
She recalls the days when she trained with boys in a discreet break-dancing club in Kabul, a club that became a target of multiple bombings in a country where women’s basic rights are not respected and higher education is denied to them.
As break-dancing makes its Olympic debut in Paris, Talash is poised to showcase her gravity-defying moves. The inclusion of this art form in the Olympic program aims to attract more youth, and there are few better ambassadors than Talash to promote this new entrant.
“I am living my dream. I never imagined that it could be so beautiful,” Talash, who originally belongs to Wardak in Central Afghanistan, told PTI in an interview.
Break dance will make its debut as an Olympic sport at the 2024 Paris Games, with athletes competing for medals in two categories: B-boys and B-girls.
For Talash, an Afghan breaker, the opportunity to compete on the world stage is about more than just winning a medal. She hopes to inspire other women from her home country to pursue their aspirations, despite the challenges they face.
Talash’s journey is one of resilience and bravery, serving as an inspiration to many. However, she doesn’t consider herself a role model. In her eyes, “all women in Afghanistan are role models for the suffering they are going through every day of their lives.”
“It was after the Taliban that I left Afghanistan to follow my dreams. All the refugees found it a very hard way to go to another country and same was for me.
“I am grateful that I am here but I don’t consider myself a role model for them. The girls who are in Afghanistan are role models for me,” she said in a translated interview as she only speaks Dari and Spanish.
Talking more about her mission in the Olympics, Talash went on: “For me winning the medal or competition is not very important. I just want to prove to people in Afghanistan that break-dancing is not only dancing but it is a sport. I see people doing it professionally. It is also about art and culture.”
Talash, a former employee at a Madrid beauty salon, has now dedicated herself to break-dancing as a full-time pursuit.
At the Paris Games, as many as 36 athletes are part of the refugee team representing over 100 million displaced people.
Having settled in Spain with her family, Talash now considers the country her second home. She shared that her mother is an avid follower of Indian cinema.
“I know about India because my mother is in love with Indian films. She is watching a lot of Bollywood at home. I don’t watch it a lot but she does,” said Talash.
Mastering the art of break-dancing demands exceptional physical conditioning. For the past six months, she has dedicated herself to achieving the peak fitness required for this challenging dance form.
“When I was in Madrid, I trained six days a week. Here I am training everyday. In a day, sometimes I do two hours of gym and then three hours of training. Since I have been included in the refugee team, I feel I have progressed a lot,” she said.
Regardless of the outcome in the competition, Talash’s experience in Paris will be a triumph in itself. Her journey to the city of lights, and the opportunity to showcase her talents on an international stage, is a victory that cannot be measured by mere rankings or scores.
