Volleyball Tournament Begins In Khost

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): A volleyball tournament, featuring 10 teams including two teams from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has commenced in southeastern Khost province, an official said on Wednesday.

The volleyball competitions were launched at the Sheikh Zayed Volleyball Stadium in Azadi Mena area of Khost city with financial support of an investor to encourage youths to indulge in healthy activities and improve their mental health.

The investor, Ismail Salar, said the games would last for about two months and the champions would be awarded a Mark X car and the runners an Alto car.

“Recently, there has been an increase in suicide cases. We want to turn people's thoughts and minds towards sports so that they could avoid suicide tendency because suicide is forbidden in Islam. We hope that the leaders will encourage the youth to play sports”.

On the other hand, volleyball players said such sports programs were effective in entertaining and uniting young people.

Adnan Khan, a volleyball player from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Pajhwok that if such joint games were organized in other sports as well, it would increase the atmosphere of trust between the youth on both sides of the Durand Line.

“We are Pashtuns and there is nothing wrong with that. Mashallah, you have very good players. So if the government provides them with facilities, whether it is cricket or volleyball, then God willing, Afghanistan would gain more fame”: he added.

Meanwhile, Ehsanullah Ehsan, a player from Khost, said such games are very important for the unity of youth and prevention of drug abuse.

He asked other investors to arrange similar events of other sports to provide mental peace to the youths.

“Such competitions have not been held at the national level; this is a matter of pride for Khost and the people of Khost, with teams from various provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan participating”.

Officials of the Physical Education Department assured that the foundation stone of an Asian-level sports gym would be laid in the province as soon as possible.

hz/ma

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