KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani has said a high sports commission is being created to resolve problems facing Afghan athletes.
The president, who met physical training officials and sportsmen at the Presidential Palace, praised recent achievements of sports federations, said Mohammad Daud Gulzar, an advisor to the president.
Gulzar quoted the president as saying that he had meetings recently met officials of a number of sports federations in the country and their achievements in sports were considerable.
Lalai Hamidzai, a lower house member who heads sports and health commission of the Wolesi, was also present on the occasion, said sports development in Afghanistan needed legislation which he said would help address problems.
He thanked the president for his attention to the sports sector and urged solution to problems and a free ballot to elect leadership of sports organs.
Acting National Olympic Committee (NOC) head, Mahmod Hanif, said: “We are satisfied with the performance of the delegation tasked with assessing sports related problems.”
He also asked the president to sign the sports law that would help resolve all problems including differences among leadership of some sports organizations.
Malalai Anwari, a sportswoman, who spoke on behalf of other athletes, said: “We want the president to make a final decision about sports to help us surely participate in national and international sports events and bring home laurels.”
After hearing complaints from athletes, President Ashraf Ghani said he had decided to rescue the sports sector and create a high sports commission next week.
He said meetings about sports would be regularly held every week until problems in the area were resolved.
“I am ready to sign the sports law and I ask the officials concerned to cooperate with us in reviewing this law,” he said.
Ghani said the current structure of sports organizations was not responsive and a review of the structure of the NOC was needed.
“The aim of sports is physical training, not misusing this sector, you proved it that Afghanistan has great talents so they should be rightly led,” he said.
He said leadership of sports organs should come through election and the sector should be in government’s special attention. (Pajhwok)