Sports should be inclusive’: Activists slam France hijab ban

French Muslim basketball player Diaba Konate expressed frustration over being excluded from representing France at the Paris Olympics due to the country’s ban on religious symbols like the headscarf. Rights groups urged France to overturn such discriminatory bans, calling on the IOC to pressure authorities to ensure inclusivity and gender equality during the Games. France’s secularism laws prohibit athletes from wearing religious symbols, barring Muslim women from competing.