Nigara Shaheen

Nigara Shaheen (born 7 June 1993) is an Afghan-born judoka based in Canada. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2024 Summer Olympics, both times as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team.

Early life and education Nigara Shaheen was born in Afghanistan and has three siblings. When she was six months old, her family moved from Jalalabad to Peshawar in Pakistan, fleeing the Afghan War. At age 18, she moved to Kabul to study political science and public administration at the American University of Afghanistan. She left Afghanistan for a second time in 2018. After finishing her degree, she returned to Pakistan, though she rarely left home due to concerns about her safety.

Shaheen was a member of the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Ahead of the Games, a team official tested positive for COVID-19, and she and her other team members were afraid that they would not be able to compete, although they were ultimately able to do so. She competed in the women's 70 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, where she lost in the first round after she sustained a serious shoulder injury, and in the mixed team event, although she did not actually compete due to prior losses by her teammates. She struggled due to language barriers, as her coach spoke Arabic and she does not, and faced criticism for not wearing a hijab at the Games.

After the Olympics, Shaheen continued to compete internationally, including at the 2022 World Championships, 2023 World Championships, and 2024 European Championships.

Shaheen was again a member of the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She competed in the women's 63 kg competition and competed against Prisca Awiti Alcaraz in the first round, which she lost, and in the mixed team event.