Afghan National Boxing Team On The Ropes After Fleeing Taliban Rule
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published December 03, 2021 | 10:50 AM
Belgrade, Dec 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Dec, 2021 ) :Boxing is risky at the best of times, but Hasib Malikzada now faces one of his most unpredictable opponents yet -- the uncertainties of life as an Afghan refugee far from home.
Just 19 years old, the lightweight amateur champ of Afghanistan is stuck in Serbia following his team's decision to not return home after competing at the International Boxing Association (AIBA)'s world championships in Belgrade last month.
In the weeks since the tournament, Malikzada and the members of the Afghan national boxing team have been bouncing between hotels, while finding the occasional gym for training.
Even amid the relentless bustle, their new life in Serbia is an island of stability compared to the chaos back home.
"After the Taliban came... we couldn't continue boxing," Malikzada tells AFP, saying his gym in Kabul closed shortly after the insurgents overthrew the US-backed government in August.
Life after Kabul's fall to the Taliban has been mired with worries ever since, says Malikzada, who fears his family will be targeted for their links with the past government.
His brothers, he admits, had also joined the fledgling resistance in the Panjshir Valley north of Kabul -- where former government soldiers and militia fighters briefly made a last stand against the Taliban.
"If the Taliban find us... they will kill us," says Malikzada.
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans are believed to have fled the country in recent months, hoping to escape persecution and a collapsing economy in the face of international sanctions and a banking crisis that has mired much of the population in deepening poverty.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
Earthquake jolts Karachi
Sindh minister orders operation after attack on police in Ghotki
TikTok to fight US ban law in courts
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
PDMA predicts gusty wind, rain with thunder, hails
1 day ago -
Iranian president Raisi given guard of honour at PM House
3 days ago -
Intellectuals, writers accolades Naseer Mirza on his literary contribution
3 days ago -
Bahawalpur Adabi Sangat hosts memorable mushaira
3 days ago -
Cattle farming vital to alleviate poverty in rural areas
4 days ago -
Pakistan: A land of tourism, archeological wonders
4 days ago
-
Transforming education sector: from job hunters to job creators
6 days ago -
Amjad Bobby remembered on 19th death anniversary for timeless contributions to music
10 days ago -
Legendary actor Nadeem’s 26 films released on Eid-ul-Fitr days in 50 years
10 days ago -
Besant Hall Cultural Centre to celebrate evening with Sanam Marvi on 26 April
11 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur presents program “Eidi Shidi”
14 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur to broadcast Eid programs
16 days ago