How cricket gave Afghanistan its hope back
- Amid the spectre of suicide bombings and raging combat, Afghans are cheering on their internationally competitive cricket and futsal teams
- The promise of a career in sports is also a rare beacon of hope for young Afghans who have spent years in refugee camps and avoiding conflict
His next attempt at recreation proved a lot more fruitful and a lot less potentially deadly – a pursuit of Afghanistan’s national sports teams.
News that makes us happy is rare, and the national sports teams create a pause from day-to-day violence and suffering
“It was a big relief to watch the matches,” he says. “News that makes us happy is rare, and the national sports teams create a pause from day-to-day violence and suffering.”
Both Afghan teams lost their matches, but Imran still considers himself a winner – to many like him, the country’s sports teams are a rare source of pride and happiness amid the spectre of suicide bombings, raging combat and air strikes.
More than this, the promise of a career in sports is a beacon of hope to young Afghans who spent too long in and out of refugee camps and conflict, especially when they see how much the country’s athletes have accomplished on the international stage in so short a time.
