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Afghan gamers, whereas obsessed with rugby, held various professions, from development employees to drivers. With out official sponsorship, they self-funded their journey to Hangzhou, arriving simply 5 days earlier than their matches.
HANGZHOU, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) — As Afghanistan’s rugby sevens crew took on their opponents within the Asiad enviornment, they appeared outmatched, watching the scoreboard soar to a frightening 52-0 in simply 16 minutes.
However for the 12-member squad, merely stepping onto the courtroom on the nineteenth Asian Video games in Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang Province, was a victory in itself.
“You’ll be able to see the gamers. They loved it. That is why we play this recreation,” captain Omar Slaimankhel advised Xinhua.
“Afghanistan has been by plenty of hardship over the previous 40, 50 years. So for us to have the ability to carry a nation collectively, and attempt to get these little youngsters to have the ability to play sports activities at some point, to play in opposition to these massive Asian groups, we could not ask for something extra,” he mentioned emotionally after the match with China.
The 31-year-old’s ardour for rugby started in childhood. In 1994, the Slaimankhel household moved to New Zealand. There, in a rustic obsessive about rugby, Omar and his siblings embraced the game, enjoying of their Auckland yard.
Omar’s journey from enjoying in a junior rugby crew to the Nationwide Rugby League probably marked him as the primary Afghan to develop into an expert rugby league participant.
His older brother, Sabir, launched him to the Afghanistan Rugby Federation and the Slaimankhel brothers joined the Afghan nationwide crew in 2012. At the moment, the crew was restricted, with solely 9 gamers and minimal sources. But, they persevered.
By 2018, they debuted on the worldwide stage on the Asian Video games in Jakarta, Indonesia. “We got here the ninth,” Omar recalled, noting vital wins in opposition to groups like Pakistan, Indonesia, and the UAE.
In 2022, the Afghanistan crew secured second place within the Asia Rugby Championship. “We did actually, rather well,” Omar mentioned.
Their journey wasn’t with out its tragedies. The beloved uncle of the Slaimankhels and the daddy of two different gamers had been misplaced in terror assaults.
But, there have been moments of hope. Rugby’s recognition surged in Afghanistan, resulting in the formation of recent groups. The nationwide crew expanded, though gamers, based mostly in numerous nations, typically skilled individually, sharing their progress in group chats.
These gamers, whereas obsessed with rugby, held various professions, from development employees to drivers. With out official sponsorship, they self-funded their journey to Hangzhou, arriving simply 5 days earlier than their matches.
Their dedication went past the game. In numerous interviews, they’ve spoken about Afghanistan’s challenges and the resilience of its folks.
“I feel the scenario in Afghanistan will enhance. All people loves sports activities, so hopefully, it may assist play a optimistic function in Afghanistan,” Sabir was as soon as quoted by RugbyAsia247.
Omar echoed this sentiment, expressing hope for his homeland: “Hopefully we will maintain making them proud.”
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