• Kabul, Afghanistan. Eighteen-year-old Shah Poor (right), lost the use of his legs in an accident when he was four, and limps heavily.
    • Kabul, Afghanistan. Eighteen-year-old Shah Poor (right), lost the use of his legs in an accident when he was four, and limps heavily. According to rehabilitation programme head Alberto Cairo, Poor turns into a tiger when he plays basketball. Shah Poor was named “man of the match” for his role in Maimana’s victory.
      © ICRC / J. Barry
  • Kabul, Afghanistan. As a wheelchair basketball coach and professional player, Jess Markt instilled an extraordinary degree of professionalism into the players during their two months' training.
    • Kabul, Afghanistan. As a wheelchair basketball coach and professional player, Jess Markt instilled an extraordinary degree of professionalism into the players during their two months' training.
      © ICRC

    Watching the players progress, Alberto remarked: "For these players, basketball has become a new way of life. It’s given them a feeling of purpose. It changes the way they see themselves and the way people see them. People watching these games forget they are watching disabled people and see only the amazing athletes in front of them."

  • Kabul, Afghanistan. The players line up for a group photo before the final between Maimana (in red) and Herat (in blue).
  • Kabul, Afghanistan. The teams that had been knocked out in previous games watch from the sidelines, cheering on their favourite players.
  • Kabul, Afghanistan. Man-of-the-match Shah Poor was rock-solid in every game. When the final whistle blew above the cheering of the crowd, the score was Maimana 14, Herat 4.
  • Kabul, Afghanistan. Friends and fans rush on to the court to congratulate the players.

    Spectators included David Constantine (second from left, in a white shirt), whose British NGO, Motivation, designed and made the sports wheelchairs used in the tournament. The chairs gave the players much more comfort and mobility than normal wheelchairs.

  • Kabul, Afghanistan. The winner’s cup was presented to the Maimana team by the head of the Afghan Para-Olympic Committee, Mr Mohammad Sami Darayi, whose organization had supported the tournament from the start.

    For Jess Markt, who had worked so closely with the players, helping them face challenges and keeping them in good heart throughout their training, it was a moment to savour. "Travelling to Afghanistan to work with the players here has been one of the greatest experiences of my life," he remarked. "It required a lot of time and effort, but every minute teaching these athletes and witnessing their success was worth it."


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