(from MSNBC)
KABUL – It was known as the stadium of death. Ghazi Stadium was where the Taliban held public executions, stonings and mutilations during their brutal rule of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. This once blood-soaked pitch is now a field of dreams.
The stadium was recently reopened after a U.S.- funded refurbishment and thousands of Afghan athletes gathered to celebrate the event.
It is impossible to forget the dark history of this arena, but Mohammed Sabher Sharifi is determined to move on.
"There were many people killed, especially women. Now it is for the young generation of sportsmen, especially the females,” Sharifi said Sunday as he pointed toward an Olympic flag which stands next to the Afghan flag and will remain there until the 2012 games.
As a member of the Afghan National Olympic committee and coach of the women's boxing team, Sharifi faces a daunting task. He wants to create a winning team of female boxers.
Every afternoon, in the basement of Ghazi Stadium, in a small, dusty room with battered punch bags and cracked mirrors he oversees 20 teenage girls, as they jump, jog, jab and thrust.
the rest of the article...
photo blog of the team
is it me or would it be kind of bizarre to compete in an arena that was previously used for executions?
NarlyPersianDude - So many people in American dont realize who good we have it, and how tough it is to live in so many parts of the world...life is backward and rough for like a huge portion of humanity.
May it change and be more fair to a lot of people, MosDef.
Well things don't change for the better by themselves or by magic. It take huge effort. Effort realistically comes in the form of overthrow or revolution...in other words, spilled blood. But it's what is required for future generations to enjoy a better life...it has never come any other way.
Yet despite these efforts made by the US in Afghanistan, most will sit back and criticize. Then again we've recently decided to abandon the place so who knows...likely it'll slide back into darkness for another thousand years.
unfilter - is it me or would it be kind of bizarre to compete in an arena that was previously used for executions?
I'm not sure if it's true but supposedly that crazy bastard Mobutu used the basement of the stadium that ali and foreman fought in as a jail during the fight.
banco -unfilter - is it me or would it be kind of bizarre to compete in an arena that was previously used for executions?
I'm not sure if it's true but supposedly that crazy bastard Mobutu used the basement of the stadium that ali and foreman fought in as a jail during the fight.
good god.
...
Afghan female boxers probably got serious chins
Fat Guys Food - Afghan female boxers probably got serious chinsin a country where they routinely make machine guns from scratch, i gotta imagine the women are pretty tough.
whoa. zombie thread! thanks chap!
Didn't see this the first time around. Very interesting.