Beginning on February 27, 2023, the winter sports festival in Bamiyan Province brought together male athletes from Bamiyan, Maidan Wardak, Parwan, and Kabul provinces to compete in skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating and curling. Held at Band-e-Amir National Park and Qarghantu area, the festival included both traditional and newer winter sports disciplines. Notably, this edition of the festival did not admit female competitors, highlighting gender access concerns in Afghan sports. Hundreds of spectators attended matches, reflecting growing interest in recreational and traditional sports activities. The festival exemplifies the cultural significance of winter sports amid Afghanistan’s diverse terrain, and also underscores the intersection of sports, regional identity, and gender issues.
