Khushal Malakszai, the head of the Afghanistan women's volleyball delegation, has expressed significant displeasure with the substandard training facilities at the Asian Games 2022 which has impacted the team’s preparation.
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Khushal Malakszai, the head of the Afghanistan women’s volleyball delegation, has expressed significant displeasure with the substandard training facilities at the Asian Games 2022 which has impacted the team’s preparation. This is an historic instance in which a women’s team will be representing Afghanistan for the first time at the continental event. However, there are apprehensions surfacing regarding their ability to deliver their best performance.
In an interview, Malakszai highlighted that the team has been unable to practice on the court since their arrival in China, the previous Thursday (September 21). As narrated by Reuters, he stated, “We still haven’t been able to train. We need to have them training with the ball. I don’t know why they can’t have training for an hour or two when they have all these facilities. If they’re not training on the court, then it’s like starting from zero.”
The women’s volleyball event in Asian Games 2022 is scheduled to commence on Saturday (September 30), with Afghanistan competing in Pool D alongside Japan, Kazakhstan, and Hong Kong. Malakszai revealed that they had been granted only one training session just two days before the inaugural match at the Asian Games 2022, set to occur at the Deqing Sports Centre Gymnasium and Hangzhou Normal University Cangqian Gymnasium. This scenario differs from the standard practice of teams accessing regulation facilities for multiple sessions daily ahead of an event.
The situation of female sports in Afghanistan is terrible under the Taliban regime, which outrightly prohibits women’s participation. The entire contingent of 17 Afghan female athletes have made their way to the Asian Games 2022 from overseas, distinctively from their male counterparts. Afghan runner Kimia Yousofi appealed to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach for sustained assistance. In a statement, she said, “I have a request, please don’t leave us alone. Afghans need your help. We don’t want to go back to before.”
Thomas Bach responded empathetically, yet without committing to any specific promises towards women’s sports in Afghanistan. He conveyed, “Your comments have gone straight to my heart, and as you can see, straight to the hearts of all your fellow competitors. You are raising a very difficult issue and your advice would be very helpful. We fully agree that we want to have full access to sport and to life by all the women and girls in Afghanistan.”
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