Afghan wushu athletes train for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sept. 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Saifurahman Safi)
Afghanistan will send a team of four athletes, a coach and a team leader to compete in wushu Sanda at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
KABUL, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- At a Kabul-based training hall, six Afghan athletes competed in pairs to practice martial arts with limited equipment amid roasting weather, fully prepared for the 19th Asian Games that opens on September 23 in Hangzhou.
According to Afghanistan's national wushu team, the team will send four athletes, a coach and a team leader to compete in wushu Sanda, a fighting system based on traditional kung fu and modern combat techniques.
Responsible for selecting outstanding athletes for the national team, the Afghanistan Wushu Federation was initially established in the western province of Herat in 2000.
Coach Gulgul Shah Khalid said that the federation has registered more than 6,000 wushu athletes from 28 provinces. They are now engaged in the events of wushu Sanda, as well as Taolu, which refers to choreographed set routines of movements.
"We have 44 athletes involved in the national team's training daily," Khalid said.
Mohammad Khalid Hotak poses for photo. (Xinhua/Saifurahman Safi)
Mohammad Khalid Hotak, 30, is one of the most prominent wushu athletes on the team. Hotak was captivated by martial arts, or wushu, when he saw the movements performed by Chinese action film stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
Going to China to participate in an Olympic event has always been a dream for Hotak.
"Wushu's discipline is a message of peace, intimacy and friendship, and it creates peace and brotherhood," Hotak said.
In 2013, Hotak won a bronze medal in the men's Sanda 60 kg competition at the 12th World Wushu Championships held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It marked the first medal he had won in an international wushu event.
"I have competed with champions from China four times. It is a very good experience for me, and it also allows me to understand the skills of Chinese players," Hotak said, noting that he will join the men's Sanda 70 kg competition in Hangzhou.
Hotak said that wushu is a relatively small sport in Afghanistan, and wushu athletes cannot receive monthly pay like their football and cricket counterparts. Competing and winning tournaments, championships and other games is the only way for them to earn a living in this profession.
Hotak (L) during training session. (Xinhua/Saifurahman Safi)
"There are 11 people in our family. My father gave me the greatest support. I am delighted to continue participating in this sport," Hotak said, attributing his motivation to carry on to his family's support.
"I will work harder, continue to win championships and medals, and succeed in high-level competitions," he said, adding that he hopes to introduce wushu to more Afghans through his personal endeavor.
Ehsan Ahmed Karukhil, the leader of the wushu team in Hangzhou, said that it is not an easy job to become a member of the national wushu team like Hotak, and the selection of athletes to participate in international competitions is even stricter.
The national team generally selects representatives from each province first and then holds national competitions to select four members. If the quota of athletes is less than four, more competitions among the four will be held to decide on the final candidates.
Karukhil has been a wushu coach for nearly 28 years. In 2008, he became an international martial arts referee. He has witnessed the glory and setbacks of Afghanistan's martial arts.
Athletes in action. (Xinhua/Saifurahman Safi)
He said that the war has displaced many athletes, but many people still insist on training and bide their time. Due to a shortage of funds to purchase related equipment needed for Taolu events, the team can only participate in Sanda events now.
The athlete said that most team members come from impoverished families, and many athletes have to do odd jobs before and after training to subsidize their families.
"In fact, the level of this Olympic event is higher. Afghan champions previously won medals from such competitions, so it is expected that we will have a positive and good result this year as well," Karukhil said.
According to a list from the physical education office of Afghanistan's General Directorate of Physical Education and Sports, 17 sports teams, including wushu, football, volleyball and cricket, will participate in the Hangzhou Asian Games. ■