WIth Najila Agha at his side, Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver led the Afghanistan team during the Parade of Athletes at the 2003 Special Olympics World Games in Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland. At left is Afghanistan National Olympic Committee Secretary General Ahmad Zia Musafari. [Pool Photo Credit; Ray Ryan *EDI*] From the ashes of war-ravaged Afghanistan, five brave Special Olympics athletes who struggled against incredible odds were chosen to compete in the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland, 21–29 June, 2003. It was the first time that Afghanistan has had Special Olympics athletes, and the first time that Afghanistan had ever sent a team to any Special Olympics competition. It was also believed to be the first Afghani delegation to compete internationally at any sports event since 1996. “Given the current state of affairs in Afghanistan, it’s nothing short of amazing that we were able to put together a team of athletes for this year’s World Games,” said then Special Olympics President and CEO Timothy Shriver just prior to the Games. “The Afghani people are sending a message to the world that they are ready and anxious to retake their place on the stage of international athletic competition, and Special Olympics is proud to help them achieve this admirable goal.” The Special Olympics Afghanistan team show off their medals as they wait for the Closing Ceremonies of the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games to begin. From left, Khalid Tahiry, Najila Agha, Amin, Immamuddin and Sardar. [Photo by Kyran O'Brien/IRELAND OUT] These determined competitors turned the stadium where the brutal Taliban regime held mass executions from a place of unspeakable suffering into a field of dreams. They competed in athletics events, including the 100- and 200-meter run, long jump and other track & field-type events. Their Head Coach was Abdul Karim Azizi, a former National Champion in 200 meters and 400 meters, who also coached the Afghanistan track & field team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. The five members of the Special Olympics Afghanistan team who competed at the 2003 World Games "may not realize it, but they are leading this country into a new era. They are the first athletes to represent Afghanistan in a world competition in nearly 30 years. But it’s more than that. They represent the most neglected, impoverished group of one of the most neglected impoverished countries in the world."      — Troy Greisen, Acting Managing Director for Special Olympics Asia Pacific In Afghanistan, where basic needs such as water and electricity services are incredibly scarce commodities, the recognition, let alone equal treatment, of persons with intellectual disabilities is all but nonexistent. Children with intellectual disabilities, frequently the most vulnerable in any society, are often abandoned at ramshackle orphanages, where many are left in empty rooms with little human contact or guidance. Nonetheless, three of the five athletes representing Afghanistan came from two orphanages in Kabul. The team members were: Najila Agha. During the Taliban regime, even the thought of having a female play on a sports team was punishable. As the first Afghani female athlete to compete in many years, Agha won gold and silver medals in the 25m and 50m runs, respectively. She also received dental screening at the Special Olympics Special Smiles® venue, where dentists discovered urgent dental care needs and treated her for a severe dental infection. Sardar. At approximately age 10, Sardar stepped on a land mine, losing his right leg and permanently damaging his left foot. He gets along well with the aid of a plastic prosthesis for his right leg. So well, in fact, that he won two gold medals in the 200m run and the 4x100m relay as well as a silver medal in the 100m run. During a Healthy Athletes® screening at the World Summer Games, doctors found he had an ill-fitting prosthesis, and with the help of local physicians, Sardar was fitted with a new one. Amin. Despite being teased by the other orphans for being “stupid,” Amin always has a cheerful smile on his face. He had a triumphant homecoming, with two gold medals in the 50m and the 4x100m relay. Immamuddin. Despite vision problems in both eyes and an intense shyness, this orphan has already begun to open up, thanks to his involvement with Special Olympics. He was thrilled to win a gold medal in the 4x100m relay and a silver medal in the 200m run. Khalid Tahiry. Before becoming a Special Olympics athlete, he was disinterested, unhappy and stayed inside his home all day. The one thing he is enthusiastic about is sports. His passion for running helped him win a gold medal in the 4x100m relay. Afghanistan Prince Mir Weis was the Honorary Chairman of the team. Columbia Sportswear Company provided the athletes with items such as travel gear and rain gear; the remaining equipment and apparel, as well as the cost of their transportation to Ireland was funded by private donations. From impoverished and neglected to victorious and exultant, these athletes are hoping to change the status quo of people with intellectual disabilities in Afghanistan. Return to main Celebrating Growth page Interested in learning more? Additional information on the creation of the Special Olympics Afghanistan can be found below. The Special Olympics Afghanistan team was assembled through the hard work of many individuals, including Troy Greisen, now serving as Acting Managing Director for Special Olympics Asia Pacific; Prince Ali Seraj, an Afghani businessman who shuttles back and forth from the United States to help rebuild the country (and who offered his assistance to the Shrivers to help get Special Olympics started in Afghanistan); and an associate of the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee, Nasrullah Aziz. A photographer (left) documents the first training session for Special Olympics Afghanistan: from left, Sardar, Najila, Immamudin, Amin and Khalid Tahiry practice their starting positions under the watchful eye of Prince Ali Seraj, an Afghani businessman who offered his assistance to the Shrivers to help get Special Olympics started in Afghanistan; and an associate of the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee, Nasrullah Aziz (yellow shirt) who was instrumental in helping assemble the team. Upon arriving in Kabul in May 2003, Greisen visited the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee, whose office is located at the National Olympic Stadium, the only true sport facility in Kabul. Prince Seraj introduced Greisen to the Secretary General of the committee, Ahmad Zia Musafari and Aziz, who both showed interest in assembling a team and pledged their support. Aziz and Greisen, accompanied by an interpreter, set off to find candidates for the team. The Special Olympics Afghanistan team (front row: Amin, Immamudin, Najila Agha, Sardar, Khalid and Abdul Karim Azzizi, Athletics Coach for Special Olympics Afghanistan) poses with some of the individuals responsible for its creation— back row: Nasrullah Aziz; Troy Greisen, Special Olympics Vice President, Regional Growth; Ahmad Zia Musafari, Secretary General of the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee; and Prince Ali Seraj. After visiting two hospitals, where the doctors had little time or interest in talking with them, they finally learned of a man with an eligible son. Greisen and Aziz went to his home, finding a man delighted to welcome them. “We sat with Mr. Tasiry awhile, and I explained through the interpreter the benefits and opportunities through Special Olympics, and its mission and philosophies,” said Greisen. “I asked several questions about the boy, trying to determine his disabilities. The father was an educated businessman, and spoke of his younger son and his challenges in school. Khalid was unable to learn, read or write, or keep up with studies. Because of this, he became extremely frustrated and no longer attended, staying at home all day. His father mentioned how he loves sports, particularly football. Khalid Tahiry “When I met Khalid, he seemed somewhat unapproachable, disinterested, unhappy. I asked through the interpreter if he liked sports. He began to perk up a bit, and enthusiastically said ‘Football!’” said Greisen. “I asked him if he liked to run, and he said yes. I asked him if he thought he could run faster than me, whereupon I witnessed his first smile. Really, it was more of a competitive grin — I thought then we had our first potential athlete!” Greisen remembered a doctor they had met at one of the hospitals had mentioned an orphanage in Kabul, so he and Aziz decided that should be their next stop. Although expectations weren’t high, Greisen was shocked at what they found. “The central orphanage must be one of the most desolate places in an already impoverished, half-destroyed city full of people who have lived in oppression for the last 26 years. At this orphanage we met with the director and a few staff. After long discussions, we weren’t sure if they understood about the population we serve. I finally suggested we just tour the place; I wanted to just look for myself, first for any physical signs of disability, or maybe even a child with Down syndrome or cerebral palsy,” he said. “Most of the rooms were classrooms, and we learned that because these children were orphans, they were low priority as far as receiving public education and attending school. Essentially, they take a test periodically at the orphanage, and based on the test, the staff hand-select them to enroll in school.” After touring the lunchroom, Greisen mentioned that there seemed to be many more boys than girls; he was determined to have a delegation that had both male and female representation. They were then taken to a small room with two girls sitting on mattresses on the floor. It was explained that they were isolated here as each of them had “problems.” After not being able to make a connection with the first girl, who was perhaps16 to 18 years old and showed some autistic tendencies, Greisen and Aziz turned to the small girl curled up in the corner. The director explained that Najila Agha is not an orphan; rather, her father sends her here during the day because of her disabilities. Her right arm does not function, her right shoulder visibly slumps down as a result, and she has difficulty using her left leg. She is not allowed to attend school as she doesn’t speak very well. Najila Agha “I asked her to try and walk,” Greisen said, “which she does very well, simply dragging her left leg behind her. Najila doesn’t have a last/family name. I asked why, since she has a father, and it was explained that many people in Afghanistan don’t have last names, that it is uncommon for ‘uneducated’ people to have family names. “Najila is a very pretty little girl, but as much as I tried, I couldn’t get her to smile. I asked her if she liked sports, to play with balls, to run. She nodded yes. It is unclear why she doesn’t speak, but she seemed to understand most of the questions I asked through the interpreter,” Greisen said. The director explained that it was very common for children to have emotional struggles that result in a loss of speech, especially orphans, most of whom had witnessed a tragic and traumatic loss of their parents through the recent wars and they themselves somehow survived. Greisen says he immediately knew he wanted to bring her the joy of Special Olympics. “Two new athletes now!” he exclaimed. Sardar Walking back to their car, the director came running out to have them meet another boy, telling Greisen and Aziz of his remarkable story. When Sardar was 3 months old, during the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, his family home was bombed. His parents were killed and Sardar was buried in the wreckage. His grandfather persisted in digging through the rubble with his bare hands, and after two days found the infant alive. Sardar lived with him until the grandfather died years later. At approximately age 10 or 11, (no one is sure of his age) he was a victim of a landmine. He lost his right leg, and sustained serious and permanent damage to his left foot, losing most of his heel. Sardar wears a plastic prosthesis for his right leg. He too has not been allowed to school and struggles to learn to read or write, but he speaks very well, and is known for his bright disposition, great smile and playful attitude. Greisen said, “I introduced myself and put my hand out to shake. He got a big smile, and responded in excellent English! ‘My name is Sardar. Hello. Thank you very much.’ We talked through the interpreter about sports. He likes volleyball and football. I asked him if he liked to run, and he said yes with a smile. I asked him if he thought he could beat me in a race, and got the response ‘No problem!’ with an even bigger smile. I asked him if he wanted to come to a training to learn more about Special Olympics and to compete. Our third new athlete!” Amin The next day bought a visit to the Achiana Orphanage, housing several hundred orphans, mostly male. Greisen and Aziz met with the director and several staff and questioned them about candidates, but the director said he didn’t have anyone who fit the description given of people with intellectual disabilities. After touring the orphanage for more than an hour, Greisen decided on a different approach. “As we stood outside, across from the front of the orphanage where several of the boys were playing on a dirt football pitch, I asked some more detailed questions of the staff about any boys that seemed to struggle in learning more than others, or maybe were isolated a bit. Through the interpreter, the crowd of several dozen boys around me must have understood somewhat. I began to hear snickering and chuckles, and some were repeating what turned out to be one boy’s name, ‘Amin.’ As I looked around the crowd, I saw one older boy pushing another smaller boy through the crowd toward me. The rest of the boys started laughing louder, calling out his name over and over while Amin was pushed right up in front of me. He seemed to know the other boys were laughing at him, not with him, but he laughed back without a care. As I gently rubbed his head and said hello, dust and tiny pebbles came flying from his hair. His clothes were much more dirty and torn than the other boys’, the green sweater he wore had several holes, and his shoes were a pair of hard plastic boots. “I asked the staff to tell me about Amin. They said he had been dropped off a few weeks ago by the police, who apparently found him out in the countryside wandering by himself. I was told Amin is ‘stupid’ and ‘he can’t learn anything.’ Then I asked Amin himself if he liked sports; he answered with the motion of pushing his hands up with palms toward the sky. The interpreter said, ‘Volleyball!’ I took Amin over to the football pitch, asked for the ball, and kicked it back and forth with him. Athlete number four! Immamuddin “The director then brought another boy up to me,” Greisen said, “and I could tell he was resisting the prodding and pushing of the director, in a shy, almost fearful, manner. His head was down and I put my hand under his chin and raised it. His eyes slowly worked their way up to mine, and I could see he had some vision problems in both eyes. I smiled and asked him a few questions; the director repeated them to him several times. The director described Immamuddin as non-communicative, and like Amin, unable to learn basic skills or to read or write. I decided to try and communicate with him through sport. I took the football, cleared the other boys back and moved away from him. I gently kicked the ball to him, he looked up at me, his eyes got wide, and then he returned it. A few of the other boys cheered along with Nasrullah and I. He hadn’t spoken a word, but I realized we had the fifth team member!” The next day everyone met at Olympic Stadium to begin training. Greisen eagerly anticipated “the opportunity to actually watch these five children become Special Olympics athletes, and plant the seed in this war torn country for the first time! We picked up Sardar, a staff member from the central orphanage brought Amin and Immamuddin, and two proud fathers brought Najila Agha and Khalid to the Olympic Stadium. Prince Seraj, Musafari, and a journalist friend of Prince Seraj watched with interest as we began. I introduced the mission and philosophies of Special Olympics to the athletes and coach through the interpreter and Nasrullah. I explained what we were going to do that day, and over the next four weeks leading up to the World Games. I spoke of the importance of what they were about to do, representing their country for the first time at this event. I added that Najila would be representing all women of this country, and that they were about to pioneer Special Olympics on the same field where the Afghan Olympic team also trains to prepare for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and they are being trained by the same coach who trains the top athletes in the country — that they too are now the top athletes in the country.” National Olympic Stadium, the only true sport facility in Kabul, was the setting for Special Olympics Afghanistan's first training session. Left to right, Sardar, Najila Agha, Immamudin, Amin and Khalid. Greisen outfitted each athlete with a Special Olympics T-shirt, and then he and Coach Azizi instructed them in stretches and warm-ups. A practice plan was worked up, beginning with some short running exercises to work on basic technique. “We started on the infield of the stadium, as only Khalid had running shoes. His proud father, being a businessman, could afford to go and buy him some new shoes,” Greisen said. “Three of the four orphans had the standard-issue hard plastic boots. Sardar had a beat-up old pair of softer canvas shoes with holes in them. He couldn’t fit the hard plastic slip-on boots over his prosthesis, nor would they stay on his partial heel of his other foot.” As the athletes began running back and forth on the grass there, Greisen recognized the significance of the location. “I remembered being told that it was only a few years back that right on this field, right where I stood, right where these new Special Olympics athletes were making history training for the first time, was the same spot where a dark part of Afghanistan’s history took place. There are still two or three bare spots in the grass on this field. These bare spots are where the Taliban, often in the middle of a local football match with the stadium seats filled, would enter, call a halt to the game, and bring out half a dozen ‘criminals’ guilty of speaking too loud or wearing the wrong clothes. They would be shot and executed right there on the field of this Olympic Stadium, in front of the crowd. The Taliban would then drag the dead bodies off the field, and command the football players to resume the game, even amid the puddles of blood left that caused the bare spots. The same bare spots in the grass where I stood, where these five athletes were now running up and down with newly found smiles.” The Taliban used the public executions as examples, but, as Greisen notes, “these five were also setting examples. They may not realize it, but they are leading this country into a new era. They are the first athletes to represent Afghanistan in a world competition in nearly 30 years. But it’s more than that. They represent the most neglected, impoverished group of one of the most neglected impoverished countries in the world.” The Special Olympics Afghanistan team poses on the medal stand at the National Olympic Stadium — from left: Ahmad Zia Musafari, Prince Ali Seraj, Sardar, Immamudin, Najila Agha, Khalid Tahiry, Amin, Troy Greisen, Coach Abdul Karim Azzizi, and Nasrullah Aziz. Greisen said, “We all knew something very incredible was happening right before us. They were all spectacular! Amin laughed the whole way. Immamudin wandered from lane to lane. Sardar, even with his prosthesis leg and shrapnel-filled foot, was the fastest. Khalid— I think is saving himself for the finals in Dublin. Najila Agha looked so graceful as she ran. Her left side visibly slowed her down, but I looked up at her father as she ran, he seemed overjoyed and held his left hand in his right and quietly cheered her all the way.” The Special Olympics divisioning process was explained and demonstrated while additional heats were run. “After some cool-down exercises, I took the times from the last 50-meter run and presented awards,” said Griesen. “I announced the ‘Founding Committee Chairman Prince Ali Seraj’ would be presenting awards, along with the Secretary General of the Afghanistan Olympic Committee. I brought some Special Olympics pins to use as medals, and conveniently there was a old awards stand off to the side of the track. It was the culminating moment for all of us from the last several days. The quest was over, Special Olympics Afghanistan had begun. Watch out world!" Return to main Celebrating Growth page