Only Olympian training in Taliban’s Afghanistan to fulfil judo dream

In this photograph taken on June 27, 2024, Afghan judo fighter Mohammad Samim Faizad (top) takes part in a training session with fellow judoka Shamsuddin Payenda Zadah at the Afghanistan Judo Federation in Kabul, ahead of Faizad's participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)
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Updated 17 July 2024
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Only Olympian training in Taliban’s Afghanistan to fulfil judo dream

  • Six Afghans, including three women who are not acknowledged by the Taliban government, will compete at the Paris Olympics this month
  • Faizad is only member of team still living in Afghanistan, follows rigorous regime whilst competing with challenges of living under Taliban

KABUL: Flipping his flailing judo sparring partner to the mat, Afghanistan’s Mohammad Samim Faizad is the only Olympic athlete training for the Games inside his Taliban-controlled homeland.
Six Afghans — including three women who are not acknowledged by the Taliban government — will compete at the Paris Olympics this month in cycling, athletics, swimming and judo.
Faizad is the only member of the team still living in Afghanistan and follows a rigorous regime whilst competing with the challenges of living in a country mired in poverty, recovering from war and governed by the Taliban.
“Physical fatigue subsides after 10 to 20 minutes, but mental and psychological exhaustion is much harder to overcome,” the 22 year-old, who works odd jobs to fund four hours of training in the Japanese martial art each day, told AFP.
“Judo means a lot to me,” he said while other fighters sparred at the run-down gym of the Afghanistan Judo Federation in Kabul.
“One of my biggest dreams has been to someday participate in the Olympic Games.”




In this photograph taken on June 27, 2024, Afghan judo fighter Mohammad Samim Faizad (R) takes part in a training session at the Afghanistan Judo Federation in Kabul, ahead of his participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Afghanistan from the Games in 1999, during the first period of Taliban rule from 1996 and 2001 when women were barred from sport.
The country was reinstated after the Taliban were ousted by the post-9/11 invasion, but the Paris Games mark the first summer Olympics since they took back power in 2021.
Taliban government curbs have once again squeezed women out of sport, as well as secondary schools and universities, in strictures the United Nations describes as “gender apartheid.”
But this time the IOC has invited a squad without consulting Taliban officials — who have not been invited to attend — instead working with the largely exiled national Olympic committee.
The team of three women and three men were chosen under a system ensuring all 206 nations are represented at the Games, in cases where athletes wouldn’t otherwise qualify.
Faizad won his spot in a Kabul tournament of more than a hundred competitors.
“I will give my hundred percent to get the gold medal for my country,” said Faizad, who has practiced judo for 14 years and is 446th in the men’s world rankings.
The Taliban government have campaigned to be the country’s only representatives at diplomatic forums but in sport have been less dogmatic, praising teams that play under the old flag.
“We don’t want to mix politics and sports,” Atal Mashwani, the spokesman of the Taliban government’s sports directorate, told AFP.
However he insisted that “only three athletes are representing Afghanistan” at the Olympics, refusing to acknowledge the women competitors.
He added that with time “the flag issues will be solved.”
“The flag of the ruling government will be waved in international sports events,” he said.




In this photograph taken on June 27, 2024, Afghan judo fighter Mohammad Samim Faizad (L) takes part in a training session with fellow judoka Shamsuddin Payenda Zadah at the Afghanistan Judo Federation in Kabul, ahead of Faizad's participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)

Afghanistan first appeared at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and have won only two bronze medals, both in Taekwondo.
“In Afghanistan, there aren’t many opportunities for sport,” said Faizad.
“We don’t have standard clubs to train properly, but we do our best.”
The word judo means “gentle way” in Japan and Faizad tries to cultivate the zen-like calmness his sport requires of champions by putting all other things out of his mind.
“An athlete should be able to focus only on sport,” he said.
The young fighter is trained by his uncle, 36 year-old Ajmal Faizada — who competed in the 2012 London Olympics and will accompany him to Paris.
“We have both given our best in training,” said Ajmal.
“We are really aiming to return with the best achievement possible.”
The Paris Olympics will be Faizad’s first international competition — but with the Taliban government unrecognized by any other nation, the trip is difficult and complicated.
Most embassies in Afghanistan were evacuated during the Taliban takeover and Faizad must travel to neighboring Iran to apply for his visa.
“Whether I win or not, and if I return to Afghanistan empty-handed, I will train to be ready for the 2028 Olympic Games,” he promised.


Germany, France, UK slap sanctions on Iran over missiles for Russia

Updated 10 September 2024
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Germany, France, UK slap sanctions on Iran over missiles for Russia

  • “We will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran,” they said in a joint statement
  • They would also “work toward imposing sanctions on Iran Air”

BERLIN: Germany, France and Britain on Tuesday condemned what they said was Iran’s delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war and declared new sanctions targeting air transport.
“We will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran,” they said in a joint statement, adding that they would also “work toward imposing sanctions on Iran Air.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said earlier, on a visit to London, that Russia had received shipments of the ballistic missiles and “will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine.”
London, Paris and Berlin said that “we now have confirmation that Iran has made these transfers.”
“This is a further escalation of Iran’s military support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and will see Iranian missiles reaching European soil, increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people,” they said.
“This act is an escalation by both Iran and Russia, and is a direct threat to European security.”
The three countries said they “will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran.”
“In addition, we will pursue the designations of significant entities and individuals involved with Iran’s ballistic missile program and the transfer of ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia.
“We will also work toward imposing sanctions on Iran Air,” they said, echoing a step also taken by Washington.


Doctors in Kolkata defy court order, protest for safety after medic murder

Updated 10 September 2024
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Doctors in Kolkata defy court order, protest for safety after medic murder

  • Protesting junior doctors vow to end strike when safety measures are in place
  • Top medical body in West Bengal gives ‘unconditional’ support to protesters

NEW DELHI: Junior doctors in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal defied a Supreme Court order requiring them to return to work on Tuesday, as they vowed to continue a weeks-long strike for workplace safety following the gruesome murder of a female doctor.

The 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered in early August inside the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal’s capital, Kolkata, where she worked.

A police volunteer also working at the hospital has been charged with the murder and arrested, but the case has since triggered daily demonstrations by medics calling for greater protection and workplace safety.

On Monday, the Supreme Court, which took up the matter in the wake of nationwide outrage over the incident, ordered the protesting doctors to return to work by 5 p.m. the next day and the state’s authorities to ensure the safety and security of doctors in hospitals.

The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, which represents about 7,000 physicians in the state, said it would follow the court’s order only if their safety demands were met by the state.

“The Supreme Court has said that the state can take action after 5 p.m., if they want to. At the same time, the Supreme Court has also asked the state to increase the security measures which has not been done at all,” Dr. Anustup Pal, the association’s member, told Arab News, as protesters gathered in front of the state’s health department to demand the resignation of its key leadership.

“We will continue till the demand is met,” Pal said. “We are unhappy at the representation done by the state at the Supreme Court.”

The protest is supported by the West Bengal chapter of the Indian Medical Association — the country’s top physicians’ body — which issued a statement after the court’s order, saying that no steps were being taken to deliver justice after the brutal murder and that the protest “will not die down.”

Dr. Sourav Datta, member of the association’s central committee, told Arab News that “almost no demand” from the protesting doctors had been fulfilled so far.

“Whatever decision they will take, the IMA will unconditionally give support to them,” he said. “The IMA will be with them.”


EU vows retaliation if Hungary sends buses of migrants to Brussels

Updated 10 September 2024
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EU vows retaliation if Hungary sends buses of migrants to Brussels

  • Asked about Hungary’s plan, commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said: “It is unacceptable”
  • “In addition, it will also undermine the security of the Schengen area as a whole,” she said

BRUSSELS: Hungary’s threat to send a bus convoy of migrants to Brussels in protest against European Union policies is unacceptable and would prompt EU retaliatory action, the bloc’s powerful executive branch warned on Tuesday.
Hungary’s anti-immigrant government signaled last week that it is serious about giving migrants free one-way travel to Brussels, a measure meant to pressure the European Commission into dropping heavy fines imposed on Hungary over its restrictive asylum policies.
In June, the European Court of Justice ordered Hungary to pay a fine of 200 million euros ($216 million) for persistently breaking the bloc’s asylum rules, and an additional 1 million euros per day until it brings policies into line with EU law. The government in Budapest is delaying payment.
Asked about Hungary’s plan, commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said: “It is unacceptable.”
“This action, if carried out, would be in clear breach of the EU law, but also it would be in clear breach of the principle of sincere and loyal cooperation, but also of mutual trust,” Hipper told reporters. The commission has its headquarters in the Belgian capital.
“In addition, it will also undermine the security of the Schengen area as a whole,” she said, in reference to the 29-country zone where people and goods can cross borders without document checks.
The commission is in contact with the Hungarian authorities and those in any neighboring countries that the convoy might pass through should it leave.
Traveling overland, the buses would have to cross either France or Germany – which along with Luxembourg and the Netherlands surround Belgium – and possibly other EU member countries like Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia or the Czech Republic.
“We are also standing ready to use all our powers under the treaty to ensure that EU law is respected,” Hipper said. But the most effective step would certainly be for other member countries to stop the buses by reintroducing border checks.
Hipper did not elaborate on what action the commission is able to take, but it is difficult to see what kind of punishment might dissuade Hungary given that the country is already defying a court order to pay 200 million euros in fines.
On Monday, Belgium’s top migration official, Nicole de Moor, said Hungary’s threat “undermines solidarity and cooperation within the Union.” Her office said the Belgian authorities will “not provide access” to any such migrant arrivals.


Philippines opens Muslim women-dedicated beach in top resort island

Updated 10 September 2024
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Philippines opens Muslim women-dedicated beach in top resort island

  • Boracay is globally known for its white sand beaches and coral reefs
  • Marhaba beachfront is located in the island’s Newcoast township

MANILA: Philippine tourism authorities inaugurated on Tuesday a beach for Muslim women travelers in Boracay, the country’s top resort island, to attract visitors from neighboring Muslim-majority countries and the Middle East.

Located in the province of Aklan, in the center of the Philippine archipelago, Boracay is known for its white sand beaches and coral reefs that make it one of the world’s most popular holiday islands.

Developing Muslim-friendly properties and attractions in Boracay has been on the Philippine Tourism Department’s agenda since earlier this year, as it undertook initiatives to ensure that visitors have access to halal products and services.

The new Muslim-friendly cove area — Marhaba Boracay — is located in Boracay Newcoast township and is a place “where Muslims, especially women, would feel comfortable,” Tourism Undersecretary Myra Paz Abubakar told Arab News.

“We know that a lot of foreign visitors go to Boracay. So, it’s also a good invitation for our Muslim brothers and sisters to consider also to visit Boracay because now we have something to offer there, like halal food. Then this beachfront is also for our Muslim friends.”

The Philippines is enjoying an increasing number of visitors from neighboring Muslim-majority Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as from Middle Eastern countries.

“Marhaba cove represents our dedication to ensuring that all travelers, regardless of faith, can enjoy the world-renowned shores of Boracay,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said during the inauguration ceremony.

“We reaffirm our commitment to transforming the Philippines into a destination for everyone to enjoy.”

In 2023, visitor arrivals from Muslim-majority countries increased by 120 percent compared with the previous year, according to data from the Department of Trade and Industry. Last year, Muslim visitors comprised nearly 11 percent of the Philippines’ total foreign arrivals.

“This year, we are on track to continue this positive trajectory with nearly 270,000 Muslim visitors recorded in just the first half of 2024,” Frasco said.

“The Department of Tourism has also proactively ensured that our Muslim guests feel at home during their stay. Hence, we have accredited 289 Muslim-friendly accommodation establishments and 237 restaurants across the country with significant concentrations in certain areas of the country.”

The Marhaba cove is developed by Megaworld, one of the largest Philippine hospitality chains, with whom the DTI signed an agreement earlier this year that all of its properties would be converted into Muslim-friendly tourism establishments.


The US accuses Iran of sending Russia short-range ballistic missiles to use in Ukraine

Updated 10 September 2024
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The US accuses Iran of sending Russia short-range ballistic missiles to use in Ukraine

  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that sanctions would be announced later Tuesday
  • His comments came as he and Lammy prepare to make a joint visit to Ukraine on Wednesday

LONDON: The United States formally accused Iran on Tuesday of supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine and will take measures to punish those involved.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a visit to London, said that sanctions would be announced later Tuesday.
“Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukrainians,” Blinken said.
His comments came as he and Lammy prepare to make a joint visit to Ukraine on Wednesday.
Word of the alleged transfers began to emerge over the weekend with reports that intelligence indicated they were underway, according to US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Blinken said Tuesday that the transfers appear to have been completed.
Iran, as it has with previous US intelligence findings, has denied providing Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine.