Khalilah Camacho-Ali, former wife of the late boxing legend Muhammad Ali, has arrived in Kabul to reportedly open a new sports stadium, according to a Taliban official on Friday. Ahmadullah Wasiq, head of the Taliban’s sports directorate, confirmed her arrival, noting plans to inaugurate a stadium named “Pirozi” (meaning “victory” in Dari) and a sports association in her ex-husband’s honor.
Camacho-Ali, born Belinda Boyd in 1950, married Muhammad Ali in 1967 and converted to Islam. Following their divorce, she continued her work as a martial artist, actress, and author. In 2002, Muhammad Ali himself visited Kabul as a United Nations peace ambassador, supporting education for girls a year after the US ousted the first Taliban regime.
Since reclaiming power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have enforced strict regulations on women’s activities, including a complete ban on female participation in sports. The United Nations has condemned the Taliban’s policies toward women, terming them “gender apartheid.” During their initial rule from 1996 to 2001, Taliban forces used sports stadiums for public executions, a practice that has resumed along with public corporal punishments.
Recently, Taliban authorities also restricted combat sports like Mixed Martial Arts, calling them un-Islamic. Camacho-Ali’s planned stadium inauguration has raised questions, given the Taliban’s continued restrictions on women’s involvement in sports, alongside public concerns about the regime’s handling of sports venues.
Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Clay in Kentucky, passed away in 2016, leaving a legacy not only as a boxing icon but also as a prominent advocate for civil rights in America.
