Afghanistan National Basketball Team
Wins Gold at 2010 South Asian Games
WASHINGTON – February 10, 2010 –The Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI) is proud to announce the superb performance of the Afghanistan National Basketball team, first-place champions at the 11th South Asian Games in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The team has been sponsored by MLI, an international nonprofit humanitarian organization founded to eliminate the scourge of landmines, since 2009.
Afghanistan played a tightly competitive final game against India, winning at the last moment with a shot by team captain Nafi Mashriqi. The team’s 66-65 victory and subsequent clinching of the Gold Medal marks the first time that Afghanistan has participated in and won a championship Olympic-sponsored event. The Afghan Sports Federation (ASF) applauded the new champions, calling the win a “great achievement for Afghan sports.”
MLI and the Afghan National Basketball team are currently working in a partnership to spread awareness about the threat of landmines in Afghanistan, one of the most heavily mine-affected countries in the world. The team displays the MLI logo on their uniforms, holds tournaments to raise funds for mine survivors, and hosts a television show on Ariana TV to highlight their successes and notify viewers about MLI’s vital mine action efforts.
The win for Afghan basketball not only demonstrates athletic prowess, but also enlivens and drives the Afghan spirit, so that the country may soon prosper with a renewal of hope, growth, and stability. The Afghan team’s dedication to this humanitarian cause makes them champions both on and off the court.