Madiea Ghafoor (born 9 September 1992) is a Dutch female former athlete who participated in sprinting and track and field. She mainly competed in the women's 400m sprint, but has also participated in 60m, 100m, 200m and 300m events. She was part of the Netherlands squad at the 2016 Summer Olympics. From 2019 to 2025https://nos.nl/artikel/2564918-na-5-5-jaar-celstraf-wil-ex-atlete-ghafoor-vooruitkijken-geld-is-de-duivel, she was detained in Germany, convicted to an 8.5 year jail term for smuggling 50 kilograms of drugs into the country.
Background Ghafoor was born and raised in Amsterdam to Pakistani parents. Her interest in athletics began when she was at school aged 13. She trains at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam under the coaching of Urta Rozenstruik.
Ghafoor is of Pakistani descent; her parents belong to the Lyari district in Karachi, Sindh, belonging to the dominantly Brahui population of the district. Her grandfather, Lal Baksh Rind, was a senior politician from the Brohi community. She became the first female athlete of Rind origin to participate in the Olympic Games.
Career Ghafoor earned a bronze medal at the 2011 European Athletics Junior Championships in Estonia, coming third in the women's 400m sprint. She has also represented Netherlands in the European Athletics Indoor Championships, reaching up to the semi-finals.
Arrest On 18 June 2019, Ghafoor was arrested for drug possession during a routine border check near Elten. More than a month later it was reported that the German police had arrested her. In July she was charged with drug smuggling at Kleve district court since 50 kilograms of drugs (crystal meth and ecstasy) had been found in her car.Nederlandse atlete gepakt met 50 kilo drugs, AD, 24 juli 2019 On 4 November, she was convicted by a German court in Kleve and sentenced to an 8-year 6-month jail term.8,5 jaar cel voor topatlete Madiea G., De Telegraaf, 4 November 2019 She did not appeal her sentence.Atlete Madiea G. niet in beroep tegen celstraf, NRC Handelsblad, 15 November 2019, accessed on 27 January 2020.
See also List of professional sportspeople convicted of crimes
References
External links
Madiea Ghafoor at Atletiek.nl (archived)