Nigara Shaheen finally feels the freedom to fully prepare for an Olympic Games.
The 30-year-old Afghan judoka, who has been living and training in Toronto for a year and a half, was named to the International Olympic Committee's refugee team Thursday.
"When my name came for the second time, I felt like 'OK, all my struggles and all the hard work that I put into this sport, that I put into this team, it has paid off," Shaheen said Thursday. "I have better opportunities and training every day, two or three times. For Paris, I'm better prepared." Pictures of her grappling in Tokyo in the women's 70-kilogram class without a head scarf made her and her family, who had by then returned to Pakistan, the target of threats and harassment.
"Deep down, I knew that I was right. I was not doing something wrong. That's really important for a person and athlete, anyone, to know yourself and know that whatever you're doing, it's right according to you. You shouldn't base it according to what people take off you. I knew that what I was doing was right and correct — and I can achieve bigger things. That's what kept me going.
She completed postgraduate studies in international development at Centennial last year. Shaheen initially trained at the Pan Am Sports Centre, but has since switched to a Toronto dojo that offers more training partners.
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