- News>
- Golf
Against all odds Afghan golfers look ahead
Kabul, May 27: For a decade or so the nine-hole course set among rugged hills and mountains on the outskirts of Kabul has been abandoned and the grass has turned to dusty desert and scrub.
Kabul, May 27: For a decade or so the nine-hole course set among rugged hills and mountains on the outskirts of Kabul has been abandoned and the grass has turned to dusty desert and scrub.
Things were not much easier under Soviet-backed leaders of the late 1970s and 1980s when another player was arrested by the Communists for links with foreign diplomats and spent six months in prison. The original course was built by the Afghans during the reign of Mohammad Zahir Shah, but moved to its present site after the king's cousin overthrew him in 1973. It may provide new challenges to any modern player, but it used to be a lot worse. The entire area has had to be cleared of mines in recent months and three Soviet tanks and a multiple rocket launcher have been removed. The first hole, a 371-yard (340-metre) par 4, drops sharply then flattens out across a barren, rocky stretch crossed by a gravel road.
Caddies are sent ahead to spot balls that otherwise easily disappear in the glaring sun on parched, near-white earth.
"We do have problems. We don't have enough equipment like balls and other necessary things. We are appealing to the international community to help us rebuild this club," said Abdul who has been actively promoting the club in the hope of reliving his favourite sport.
Ten foreigners have come to play at the newly opened course, and Abdul hopes many more from Kabul's burgeoning community of aid workers, diplomats and journalists will join them.
The green fee for two rounds of the nine-hole course is 500 Afghani, or $10. A year's membership will cost $60 from 2005.
Golfers are asked to bring their own clubs, balls and tees, and preferably artificial turf mats.
Some may even be invited to play in the Afghan Open in two months' time -- a tournament the club pro has won before.
"I am very optimistic about the future of golf in Afghanistan. People are now watching golf on TV and they are beginning to realise that golf is very interesting game. I hope to see more people playing golf in the future here in Afghanistan," said Abdul.
And he has all the reasons to be optimistic. Recently, one of those who have visited the golf course is a twenty-one-year-old Afghan, eager to learn the sport.
Sebghatullah may not have the swing of an Afghan Tiger Woods, but he definitely has the right amount of fighting spirit and enthusiasm.
"I am ready and I am preparing myself to participate in any golf competition outside of Afghanistan or anywhere in the world. I am ready," said Sebghatullah.
Bureau Report
Things were not much easier under Soviet-backed leaders of the late 1970s and 1980s when another player was arrested by the Communists for links with foreign diplomats and spent six months in prison. The original course was built by the Afghans during the reign of Mohammad Zahir Shah, but moved to its present site after the king's cousin overthrew him in 1973. It may provide new challenges to any modern player, but it used to be a lot worse. The entire area has had to be cleared of mines in recent months and three Soviet tanks and a multiple rocket launcher have been removed. The first hole, a 371-yard (340-metre) par 4, drops sharply then flattens out across a barren, rocky stretch crossed by a gravel road.
Caddies are sent ahead to spot balls that otherwise easily disappear in the glaring sun on parched, near-white earth.
"We do have problems. We don't have enough equipment like balls and other necessary things. We are appealing to the international community to help us rebuild this club," said Abdul who has been actively promoting the club in the hope of reliving his favourite sport.
Ten foreigners have come to play at the newly opened course, and Abdul hopes many more from Kabul's burgeoning community of aid workers, diplomats and journalists will join them.
The green fee for two rounds of the nine-hole course is 500 Afghani, or $10. A year's membership will cost $60 from 2005.
Golfers are asked to bring their own clubs, balls and tees, and preferably artificial turf mats.
Some may even be invited to play in the Afghan Open in two months' time -- a tournament the club pro has won before.
"I am very optimistic about the future of golf in Afghanistan. People are now watching golf on TV and they are beginning to realise that golf is very interesting game. I hope to see more people playing golf in the future here in Afghanistan," said Abdul.
And he has all the reasons to be optimistic. Recently, one of those who have visited the golf course is a twenty-one-year-old Afghan, eager to learn the sport.
Sebghatullah may not have the swing of an Afghan Tiger Woods, but he definitely has the right amount of fighting spirit and enthusiasm.
"I am ready and I am preparing myself to participate in any golf competition outside of Afghanistan or anywhere in the world. I am ready," said Sebghatullah.
Bureau Report