Page 32 - AT

A32 FEATURE
Friday 7 February 2020
War-weary Afghan youth turn to snowboarding for thrills

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The country's post-war fu-
Aspen! Zermatt! Kabul? ture and the role of the Tal-
While Afghanistan's capital iban remains unclear. The
may seem an unlikely des- Taliban currently control or
tination for snowboarders, hold sway over around half
a group of young Afghans the country.
is looking to put the city on Right now, the only places
the winter sports map and with enough security to of-
change perceptions about fer winter sports activities
their war-weary nation. are in Kabul and the cen-
Kabul is better known for its tral province of Bamiyan.
hulking concrete blast walls Hayat said skiers and snow-
and tense security check- boarders haven't been
points. But it also sits in a val- able to explore mountains
ley in the Hindu Kush moun- with great potential in
tains at an elevation of Ghazni and Wardak prov-
around 1,800 meters (5,900 inces southwest of the cap-
feet). The rugged terrain ital because the Taliban
has inspired young Afghans hold those areas.
to take to the surrounding Bamiyan province is infa-
mountains in search of fun. mous for once being home
Ahmad Romal Hayat, 22, to two massive 1,500-year-
who founded the Afghani- In this Friday, Jan. 24, 2020 photo, Ahmad Sorush, 22, left, and Nizaruddin Alizada, 20, make a old statues of Buddha
stan Snowboarding Fed- jump on the snow-covered hillside known as Kohe Koregh, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. carved into a mountain,
eration, said that even a Associated Press which the Taliban blew up
country plagued by war in 2001.
and sectarian conflict can ful of federation members in the 1990s. path to becoming a snow- But Bamiyan also hosts a
have room for sports. hit the slopes outside Ka- Now, it's a place for laugh- boarding instructor. He fled skiing competition each
"We started doing it (snow- bul each weekend, usually ing kids who sled on plastic Afghanistan in 2016 to es- year, and the country's
boarding) to show this new with around a dozen male bags, while Hayat's team cape the almost two-de- small snowboarding com-
face to the world," said and female students and members work on improv- cade-old war between the munity is set to travel there
Hayat. plenty of spectators. They ing their snowboarding skills U.S. and Taliban militants. for an indoor competition
He ended up seeking asy- on Saturday. They're also
lum in Germany where he heading east to neighbor-
fell in love with snowboard- ing Pakistan's picturesque
ing. In 2018, he returned Swat valley later this month
to Afghanistan, saying he to take part in an outdoor
did so without awaiting a competition.
final decision on his asylum Hayat has registered the
case. Afghan chapter with the
Now he is worried about International Snowboard
the future. Federation, although the
"If the Taliban come back, Afghan government offers
it'll be impossible to keep no financial support. Faizi
snowboarding, because said he dreams of returning
the Taliban are not sports- to train in Germany, and to
friendly people. They want one day represent Afghani-
neither peace nor sports," stan in the Winter Olympics.
he said. A few sports, like But back on the slopes of
soccer and wrestling, were Kohe Koregh, some young
allowed during the Tal- Afghans were excited to
iban's harsh religious rule simply get their first taste of
from 1996 to 2001. snowboarding.
Fighting between the Tal- Zahra Hakimi, 16, is a mem-
iban on one side and the ber of the minority Hazara
United States and its Af- ethnic group. She came
ghan government allies on with friends to watch the
In this Friday, Jan. 24, 2020 photo, Ahmad Sorush, 22, left, Nizaruddin Alizada, 20, Karim Faizi, 24, the other has continued to snowboarders. She and an-
and Mohammad Farzad, 20, members of the Afghanistan Snowboarding Federation pose for pho- rage, even as the U.S. works other friend eventually de-
tograph during a practice session on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. to hammer out a peace cided to give it a shot.
Associated Press agreement with the insur- At first, Hakimi struggled
gent group. The U.S. and to keep her balance, but
As a teenager, he started come for the free training on about 60 centimeters (2 the Taliban are negotiating eventually managed to go
out on a skateboard. Later, on a snowy hillside west of feet) of snow. a reduction in hostilities or a 10 meters (around 30 feet)
he bought a snowboard the capital, often shrouded They still have to share cease-fire to allow the sign- at a time without falling.
in neighboring Iran and in pale grey mist. snowboards, and the hill ing of a peace agreement. "When I see how crazy
taught himself how to ride The mountain, known as has no lift facility. That That deal would open the people are for this sport —
it. Hayat said he's the first Kohe Koregh, was used by means they've got to hike way to a broader post-war girls and boys trying, falling
person to bring a snow- the Afghan mujaheddin, or back up to the top after agreement for Afghans, down again and again but
board into Afghanistan, holy warriors, to rain artillery each run — a tiring process. and allow for the withdraw- still keep doing it — I really
and the first to try it there. and rockets down on Kabul While climbing back up the al of most, if not all, U.S. and believe it has a bright fu-
These days, he and hand- during the Afghan civil war hill, Karim Faizi described his coalition forces. ture," she said.q