Samira Asghari Awarded 2025 Peace Prize by Peace and Sport Council of Afghanistan
The Peace and Sport Council of Afghanistan has awarded the 2025 Peace Prize to Samira Asghari, recognizing her outstanding contributions to sports, human rights, and peacebuilding.
Samira Asghari is a distinguished human rights advocate and sports administrator. She is a fellow of the Human Rights Advocates Programme at Columbia University, New York, USA (2023–2024), holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Sport Administration and Technology from AISTS, Lausanne, Switzerland (2021), and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Kateb University, Afghanistan. She completed her secondary education at Rabia Balkhi High School, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Sports Career and Achievements
Samira began her sports journey at the age of five with swimming and martial arts (Kung Fu) at seven. She later played soccer as a goalkeeper and has been an elite athlete for the Afghanistan Women’s National Basketball Team since 2009. In 2019, she captained the national basketball team and represented the team as an Executive Board Member of the Afghanistan National Basketball Federation.
She has practiced multiple sports, including swimming, Kung Fu/Wushu, football, skateboarding, and basketball.
Sports Administration and Leadership
Samira has held numerous leadership positions in sports administration, both nationally and internationally:
• Consultant to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres Special Envoy for Road Safety (SSERS), Mr. Jean Todt (2025–present)
• Executive Board Member of the NOC of Afghanistan (2012–2013, 2016, 2018)
• Intern at the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Solidarity Department (2021)
• Council Member of World Taekwondo and Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU) (2021–present)
• Advisory Committee Member of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and member of its Peace Through Sport Committee (2019–present)
• Deputy Chef de Mission of the Afghan Olympic delegation in Rio (2016)
• Honorary Secretary General of the Afghanistan National Cycling Federation
• Deputy Secretary General and Treasurer for the NOC of Afghanistan
• Member of the International Relations Department and Women’s Affairs of the NOC and General Directorate of Physical Education and Sport of Afghanistan (2011–2012)
Other Contributions
• Volunteer at the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) Youth Department (2012–present)
• Founding and active member of the Peace and Sport Council of Afghanistan (2013–present)
• Administrative staff member at the Audit Department of the Chief Executive Office of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2015–2017)
• Civil and human rights activist
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Involvement
Samira has contributed to several IOC commissions:
• Athletes’ Entourage (2014–present)
• Coordination of the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad Los Angeles 2028 (2019)
• Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games (2019)
• Coordination of the 4th Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 (2020–2024)
Her tireless dedication to promoting sports, peace, and human rights has made her a role model for youth and athletes worldwide.
