2023-09-30 12:44:31
Women’s volleyball team made up of exiles
We lost 0-3 once morest Kazakhstan…
The Afghanistan women’s volleyball team is holding hands and waiting before the match once morest Kazakhstan in Group D of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games preliminary round held at the Hangzhou Normal University gymnasium in China on the 30th. Hangzhou/Senior Reporter Yoon Woon-sik yws@hani.co.kr
It was an ordinary volleyball game. Six players from each team took the court. A total of 12 players repeated serve, receive, toss, and spike. There were cheers for a serve ace, and sighs for a receiving mistake. The winner was happy, and the loser was disappointed. This is the first match of Group D of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games women’s volleyball group between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan held at the Hangzhou Normal University gymnasium in China on the 30th. Of course, this match was not ordinary. This is because mediocrity is prohibited in Afghanistan. Women will not be able to play sports in Afghanistan following the Taliban takes power in 2021. Numerous sports athletes fled Afghanistan to survive and lead normal lives. The Persian Independent also reported, citing the coach of the Afghan youth women’s volleyball team, that Mahjabin Hakimi, who played for the youth team, was killed by the Taliban. The painting commemorating Hakimi included the words, “I just wanted to play volleyball.”
Amiri Mohadesse of the Afghanistan women’s volleyball team attempts to spike. Hangzhou/Senior Reporter Yoon Woon-sik yws@hani.co.kr
The process of participating in the competition was not smooth. The women’s volleyball team, comprised of overseas exiles, decided to enter Hangzhou with the help of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), and the Afghan Olympic Committee announced this fact. However, just before the opening of the competition, a Taliban official retorted to foreign media, saying, “All 133 members of the Afghan team are men,” and tensions grew. Fortunately, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the event organizers showed their willingness to allow Afghan athletes to participate. The Taliban, who were desperate to participate in the international competition, accepted it. That’s how entry was accomplished. As a result, out of a total of 105 Afghan athletes participating in this competition, 15 (1 track and field athlete, 2 cyclists, and 12 volleyball athletes) are women. However, the female team made up of exiles entered the country separately from the main team made up of men. Afghanistan was defeated by Kazakhstan 0-3 (4:25/5:25/3:25) that day. In the first place, Afghanistan, which might not even compile the rankings because women were banned from participating in sports, was no match for Kazakhstan, ranked 32nd in the world. Kazakhstan has the highest ranking among the teams participating in this tournament, excluding China (6th), Japan (9th), and Thailand (13th). They are a stronger team than Korea, which fell to 40th place. Moreover, the Afghan national team had an average height of 172.5 cm, which was behind Kazakhstan’s height of 181 cm. It was one of the most crushing defeats of the tournament, coming in front of regarding 4,000 spectators.
Afghan players are watching the spike attack of Nikitina Tatiana of the Kazakhstan women’s volleyball team. Hangzhou/Senior Reporter Yoon Woon-sik yws@hani.co.kr
The spike hit by Hassani Harima of the Afghanistan women’s volleyball team goes into the net. Hangzhou/Senior Reporter Yoon Woon-sik yws@hani.co.kr
However, this day’s game also showed the most overwhelming hope in this tournament. Mohamedi Narwand (19), who was passing through the mixed zone (joint coverage area) following the game, answered “No” to a reporter’s question, “Did you enjoy playing today?” The reporter who asked the question was embarrassed and asked the reason, but it was probably natural for a player who was completely defeated. Narwand said, “Everything here is satisfactory. “But the opponent was too strong.” Playing volleyball, being happy regarding winning, and feeling sad regarding losing. The journey to regain that ordinary work began here in Hangzhou. Hangzhou/Reporter Lee Jun-hee givenhappy@hani.co.kr
1696085113
#Sports #Special #Sports #News #Hankyoreh
