Help Empower Afghan Girls through Sports

As mentioned in our previous report, girls’ sports tournaments are gradually getting institutionalized as a sustainable process, however, insecurity and lack of financial resources are key challenges. Basketball was added to the series of competitions in spring – summer round of 2018 and fortunately, CPD was able to continue the competitions in both the fields (volleyball and basketball) in the autumn round as well. Luckily, a boys’ futsal tournament was also organized in autumn 2018 aimed at prevention of Gender Based Violence and using the hashtag #HeforShe. Inclusion of male members of communities has been proved effective in fighting street harassment and fighting to ensure the very basic right of women and girls to access public spaces, recreation, edutainment and assembly.

In the lines below, we summarize volleyball competitions of autumn round tournaments:

1. Girls’ Volleyball Tournament:

In the volleyball field, 16 teams participated in the tournament, which was organized in double knock out system comprised of 28 matches happened from 7 to 27 October, 2018. Participating teams were as follows:

1. Zainab Kubra
2. Qari Neik Mohammad
3. Al-Fath
4. Rabia-e-Balkhi
5. Sooria
6. Sar Asiab
7. Rabia
8. Malalay
9. Qala-e-Bakhtiar
10. Maryam
11. Durkhanay
12. Ayesha-e-Durani
13. Um-ul-Banin
14. Sardar Kabuli
15. Zarghoona
16. Ab-ul-Qasim Firdawsi

Comparing this tournament with the one organized in spring-summer round, number of teams has increased from 10 to 16.

Result of the 20 days long competitions were as below:

1. Team Rabia, the first (winner of the tournament);
2. Team Sooria, the second (champion of the previous few rounds);
3. Team Durkhanay, the third;
4. And team Zainab Kubra, the forth.

Worth to mention that Ayesha-e-Durani girl high school hosted organizing the volleyball tournament of girls’ teams. As before, the tournament was organized in a professional way with opening and closing ceremonies that were attended by officials of different departments of MoE, National Olympics Committee, players, coaches, parents, teachers and students. Winners were awarded with cups, medals, gifts and appreciation letters and media coverage was provided by invited broadcast media. 

Details on other two tournaments (girls’ basketball and boys’ futsal) of the autumn round 2018 will be shared in next reports. We enthusiastically look forward to this year’s (2019) activities to get momentum to the already started initiatives.

Links:

• Official Facebook page of the CPD
• Official Twitter account of the CPD
• Official Instagram account of the CPD

In spring - summer 2018, we also added basketball to the competitions aimed at Afghan girls' empowerment through sports. We already shared details on the volleyball tournament that was organized for one week in May 2018 among ten girls’ volleyball teams. In this report, we focus on the basketball tournament, in which the following teams participated: 

1. Al-Fath

2. Abul Qasem Ferdawsi

3. Ayesha-e-Durani

4. Malalay

5. Sooria

6. Qala-e-Bakhtiar

7. Sultan Razia

8. Qari Neik Mohammad

9. Rabia-e-Balkhi

10. Sardar Kabuli

Tournament was organized in a professional way with the technical and financial support of two concerned departments of Ministry of Education (MoE) - Sports and Health Department and Kabul Department of Education - and Cooperation for Peace and Development (CPD). In result, following teams marked victories and secured top ranking among girl basketball teams of Kabul city: 

1. Qari Neik Mohammad, the 1st; 

2. Al-Fath, the 2nd; 

3. Sooria, the 3rd.  

Closing ceremony was attended by officials of different departments of MoE, National Olympics Committee, players, coaches, parents, teachers and students. Winners were awarded with cups, medals, gifts and appreciation letters and media coverage was provided by invited broadcast media. 

Now, the tournaments are getting institutionalized as a sustainable process, however, insecurity and lack of financial resources are key challenges. As a good news, tournaments in both the fields - volleyball and basketball - were organized in autumn 2018 as well, for which CPD will share the details in coming reports. 

Links:

• Official Facebook page of the CPD