Hafeezullah Rahimi takes over as Afghan sport chief

KABUL (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani has appointed Hafeezullah Wali Rahimi as head of the country’s Physical Training and Sports Directorate.

Rahimi was introduced to a gathering held at the Presidential Palace on Thursday noon in the presence of President Ghani, a statement from the palace said.

“It is a proud moment that sportsmen from the old and current generations have come together,” said the president as he thanked sports leaders, national heroes and medalists for attending the event.

“Our fundamental goal is to convert the battlefield into playground,” said Ghani, who called sports a driving force in fostering national unity.

The president said the unity government would remain supportive of the sports community and would find resources for them with the hope they would bring more acheivements and cement national unity.

Thankful to the president for reposing confidence in him, Rahimi said the ongoing conflict had badly affected sports infrastructure and resources in the country.

He said sports could not be paid the attention as required in recent years and some of the gains had individual aspect.

Rahimi said it was high time to identify and resolve problems being faced by the sports community in coordination with different sections of the field.

The new director believed reforms could improve the situation of the sportsmen.

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