Tweet
I rarely even look at the forums these days but I really wanted to share this.
The strides in the development of football in Afghanistan are being recognised.
Fair Play Award
Following a year of remarkable achievement in grassroots level football,
building infrastructure to further develop football throughout the country and
nurturing a professional league despite enduring over a decade of disorder
stemming from war, Afghanistan has been presented the 2013 FIFA Fair Play
award.
Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) President Karim Keramuudin and the
entire association have emphasised the spirit of fair play at the heart of their
work over the past 12 months and their achievements can be seen across all
levels of the game.
With the assistance of FIFA’s Goal Programme, Afghanistan has been able to
construct artificial football pitches used for the second edition of the Afghan
Premier League, which concluded in October 2013. These artificial pitches also
enabled the growth of grassroots football, allowing a greater number of
children to play than ever before.
A major highlight of 2013 for the international footballing community was
seeing Kabul play host to the first international friendly between Afghanistan
and neighbours Pakistan in nearly ten years. Afghanistan won the encounter
3-0 in front of delighted and enthusiastic supporters. Building upon this
encouraging progress, Pakistan will be welcoming Afghanistan for the return
match in March in Lahore.
It takes a great amount of dedication and hard work to
develop football at grassroots level, to build infrastructure
for the game so that it can grow, and to nurture a national
league in the midst of years of violence and destruction.
FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination adviser and South African
politician and anti-apartheid activist Tokyo Sexwale on Afghanistan's Fair Play
award
And while hosting an international friendly may not appear groundbreaking on
the surface, considering the amount of strife and terror Afghanistan has seen
in recent years, the introduction of football back to the nation’s capital
against Pakistan is a prime example of the power football has to unite and
inspire in even the darkest of times.
Afghanistan has also made great strides in making up the game available to a
wider audience throughout the country, most notably to women and families.
No fewer than 23 clubs – including 16 in Kabul alone - now offer opportunities
for girls and women to play football.
Tokyo Sexwale, FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination adviser,
South African politician and anti-apartheid activist, who presented President
Keramuudin with the 2013 FIFA Fair Play Award at the FIFA Ballon d’Or
ceremony in Zurich, said: “(Afghanistan) is inspiring social change and
breaking down barriers every day. Against all odds, the winner of the 2013
FIFA Fair Play Award has upheld this spirit of courage and solidarity through
the aftereffects of war, disorder and conflict.
“It takes a great amount of dedication and hard work to develop football at
grassroots level, to build infrastructure for the game so that it can grow, and
to nurture a national league in the midst of years of violence and destruction.
But that is just what this remarkable and worthy winner has achieved.”
FIFA Fair Play Award - FIFA.com
The strides in the development of football in Afghanistan are being recognised.
Fair Play Award
Following a year of remarkable achievement in grassroots level football,
building infrastructure to further develop football throughout the country and
nurturing a professional league despite enduring over a decade of disorder
stemming from war, Afghanistan has been presented the 2013 FIFA Fair Play
award.
Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) President Karim Keramuudin and the
entire association have emphasised the spirit of fair play at the heart of their
work over the past 12 months and their achievements can be seen across all
levels of the game.
With the assistance of FIFA’s Goal Programme, Afghanistan has been able to
construct artificial football pitches used for the second edition of the Afghan
Premier League, which concluded in October 2013. These artificial pitches also
enabled the growth of grassroots football, allowing a greater number of
children to play than ever before.
A major highlight of 2013 for the international footballing community was
seeing Kabul play host to the first international friendly between Afghanistan
and neighbours Pakistan in nearly ten years. Afghanistan won the encounter
3-0 in front of delighted and enthusiastic supporters. Building upon this
encouraging progress, Pakistan will be welcoming Afghanistan for the return
match in March in Lahore.
It takes a great amount of dedication and hard work to
develop football at grassroots level, to build infrastructure
for the game so that it can grow, and to nurture a national
league in the midst of years of violence and destruction.
FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination adviser and South African
politician and anti-apartheid activist Tokyo Sexwale on Afghanistan's Fair Play
award
And while hosting an international friendly may not appear groundbreaking on
the surface, considering the amount of strife and terror Afghanistan has seen
in recent years, the introduction of football back to the nation’s capital
against Pakistan is a prime example of the power football has to unite and
inspire in even the darkest of times.
Afghanistan has also made great strides in making up the game available to a
wider audience throughout the country, most notably to women and families.
No fewer than 23 clubs – including 16 in Kabul alone - now offer opportunities
for girls and women to play football.
Tokyo Sexwale, FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination adviser,
South African politician and anti-apartheid activist, who presented President
Keramuudin with the 2013 FIFA Fair Play Award at the FIFA Ballon d’Or
ceremony in Zurich, said: “(Afghanistan) is inspiring social change and
breaking down barriers every day. Against all odds, the winner of the 2013
FIFA Fair Play Award has upheld this spirit of courage and solidarity through
the aftereffects of war, disorder and conflict.
“It takes a great amount of dedication and hard work to develop football at
grassroots level, to build infrastructure for the game so that it can grow, and
to nurture a national league in the midst of years of violence and destruction.
But that is just what this remarkable and worthy winner has achieved.”
FIFA Fair Play Award - FIFA.com
Comment