The unpredictable Englishman suffered his first career defeat in May when Usyk won by split decision to become the first undisputed champion of the four-belt era
sports2 days ago
Inspired by the "extraordinary" rise of his country's national futsal team, Mustafa beats the dawn every day to train in a busy sports complex in central Kabul.
The 21-year-old was proud to see Afghanistan play their first Fifa Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan this month, rubbing shoulders against top teams like Argentina, Paraguay and Ukraine.
"We feel extremely happy, it helps us to have a dream, and understand that nothing is impossible in our lives, and if we try hard for something we can achieve it," he told AFP, hinting at his goal of also representing his country one day.
In the group stage, Afghanistan beat Angola 6-4, conceded a hard-fought loss to the 2016 champions Argentina 2-1, and lost to Ukraine 4-1. However, it still booked its place in the knockout last 16 in the mega-event.
On Wednesday night, Afghanistan was knocked out 1-3 by Paraguay. Despite the loss, their men in white and red in Tashkent met with applause from hundreds of fired-up Afghan fans in the stadium, as seen live on a local Afghan television channel.
The World Cup campaign might have ended, but for young Afghans like Mustafa back home, the steady rise of the Afghan team has been a powerful motivator.
"When you see your team, with the national flag and national anthem reach to the top, it gives motivation to be organised and disciplined and chase your goals," Mustafa said.
As the Taliban government has not been recognised by any other state, Afghanistan's national athletes competing in international events carry the tri-colour flag adopted by the former government and now banned by the Taliban.
As for the national anthem, it has effectively been banned too, as the Taliban government has prohibited playing music in public.
Still, "participating in the World Cup is a historic achievement. To be in the round of super 16 is a proud moment for all of us," trainer Mahboob Saeedi said, agreeing with his enthusiastic pupil.
The infrastructure for the game, however, does not match the passion for it in the war-torn country, which is facing one of the world's worst humanitarian emergencies.
Professionals lament inadequate investment to provide standard grounds and finance the sport.
"We have great talents in Afghanistan, but we lack sports facilities and buildings, so we face a lot of problems," said Abdul Ahad Rustamzada, manager of the Tolo sports complex.
"Youths cannot pay the fees (for training), yet we try our best to support them," the 37-year-old told AFP.
The stories of the Afghan national futsal team members are not so different from those of many enthusiasts of the game back home.
They had to work in other professions to make ends meet, either in Afghanistan or in neighbouring countries.
The team had a preparation camp in Mashhad, in northeastern Iran, before flying to Tashkent for the World Cup.
"They have to work to provide the livelihood that their families expect from them, they cannot concentrate much on futsal training," Mustafa said, hoping their showing at the event might grab some attention at the international level.
Taliban authorities have effectively banned women from sports.
But recent performances from Afghan athletes in sports like cricket, futsal and martial arts offer rare moments of joy in the otherwise sombre country.
"In the current circumstances, Afghanistan making it to the super 16 is a big achievement," Rustamzada said.
ALSO READ:
The unpredictable Englishman suffered his first career defeat in May when Usyk won by split decision to become the first undisputed champion of the four-belt era
sports2 days ago
The team from Portugal also claimed the championship title after a hard-fought four-round season
sports2 days ago
Tristan Jass and Jesser, who continue to captivate millions worldwide with their innovative content, encourage young basketball enthusiasts in the Middle East to come forward and create content
sports2 days ago
Fresh off his birthday, the teenager delivers consistency to lead the Boys 15-18 Elite Division, while Russia's Ailsa Molokanova dominates the Girls 15-18 field
sports3 days ago
Terry Fox launched an epic run on a prosthetic leg in 1980 across Canada to raise money and awareness for cancer research
sports3 days ago
With new faces participating this year, the teams have been reshuffled to make the league more thrilling than ever
sports3 days ago
Spain win the mixed team event in trials
sports3 days ago
Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and dished 10 assists and to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA Cup title
sports3 days ago