KABUL: (MEP) – A delegation of the Afghan Football Federation (AFF) returned to Kabul on Wednesday after receiving the Fédération International de Football Association (FIFA)’s fair play award at the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013 soccer awards ceremony in Zurich.
“It was really beyond the expectation and imagination of the participants in the award,” Karim said at a press conference in Kabul. “It is a great national pride, and we received the award from among 209 contenders.”
“The premier played a crucial role in selection of the superior faces form various parts of the country and pushing the game into people’s homes,” said Shafic Gawhari, a commissioner of the Roshan Afghanistan Premier League (RAPL).
MOBY Group, which owns TOLO News, helped to establish the RAPL in 2012.
The football team highlighted that beating India in the South Asian football Federation (SAFF) Championship was the key moment in their footballing history.
In September last year, the Afghan football team won their first major international competition by triumphing in at the expense of India as they downed them 2-0.
After scoring two goals in the first half, Afghan striker Mohammad Maroof sealed victory with the third goal in the second.
The match was promoted as a symbol of football’s ability to foster peace and unite countries in a shared love of sport, but the result was celebrated by many Afghans as a sweet victory over an old and bitter adversity.
Meanwhile, officials of the AFF have expressed apprehensions over the dual policy pursued by the government officials against sports.
“Regrettably, there are some elements and circles inside the government that negatively deal with sports in the country, it’s really amazing that the financial institutions of the country have allocated a negligible budget for the Olympic Committee, while the president has always supported sports and issues many orders for its growth,” said Karim.
Officials have criticised government officials for pursuing dual policy in regards to sports.
“The money was allocated for payment of salaries, has been reduced by 50 million Afghani to 25 million Afghani,” Karim said.
“I as member of one of the government bodies feel shy when I see that no one supports our national heroes,” said Baktash Siavash, MP.
Officials of the National Olympic committee said that the slash in budgets will make it difficult to ensure salary payments to the nearly 480 Olympic Committee employees.
