http://cgi2.westmont.edu/blogs/athletics/2007/11/02/afghanistan/

Westmont Hosts Afghanistan National Team

 By Westmont University website

November 2, 2007 

Westmont’s Nasa Sete and Colin Hofer each tallied 12 points and Tyler Dutton added 11 more as the Warriors defeated the Afghanistan National Team by a score of 65-50 at Murchison Gymnasium on Thursday night. Hofer nailed three of six from beyond the arc. The game marked the first time the Afghanistan National Team has played on U.S. soil and the first time it has played against a collegiate team from the United States. Basketball was brought to Afghanistan by Americans in the 1960s and the first national team was formed during that decade. Though the team did not make a trip to the United States in the 1960s or 70s, it did play several American teams that traveled to Afghanistan including a team sponsored by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.

The 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and subsequent rule by the Taliban brought an end to the national team. In 2006, the team was reformed under the direction of the Afghan National Olympic Committee. Players were selected by then coach Zabi Subat and team manager Esmael Hussieni from a pool of Afghan-Americans, all of whom lived in the United States. Last year, Coach Subat led the team in its return to international competition when it competed in the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. The Afghan team celebrated its return to the world stage with a 66-57 victory over Hong Kong before losing a subsequent game to Syria 84-66.

The Afghan team is now coached by Mohammad “Mamo” Rafiq who has served as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Idaho State. The game at Westmont is the first of eight games scheduled against California colleges. The team plays at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday evening and California Lutheran on Saturday before heading to the Bay Area for games next week against Holy Names, Humboldt State and CSU East Bay. Upon returning to Southern California, the Afghanistan team will play at Occidental and Chapman. Before the start of Thursday night’s game, the two teams exchanged handshakes and gifts as an expression of friendship and Westmont honored the Afghan team for its return to international competition.

Yousof Etemadi proved to be the star for the Afghans, scoring 21 points while converting eight of 21 attempts from the floor. Nafi Mashriqi led the Afghans on the boards, producing seven rebounds. Westmont took control of the game in the first half, rolling to a 46-20 halftime lead, but Afghanistan narrowed the margin to just eight points (56-48) with 5:46 remaining in the contest on a jumper by Etemadi. The Warriors rallied to score nine of the last 11 points to seal the exhibition victory. Westmont will continue its exhibition season on Tuesday at Pepperdine in Malibu. Tip-off is scheduled for seven o’clock.

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