http://www.appeal-democrat.com/onset?id=50455&template=article.html

Rafiq going global

Former YCHS standout is new coach of Afghan basketball team

Mamo Rafiq, pictured here during his senior year at Yuba City High, has been named the coach of the Afghanistan National Basketball Team. He graduated in 2000.
Photo courtesy of Jim Whiteaker

By Justin Miller/Appeal-Democrat

June 29, 2007 - 12:04 AM

November was an emotional month for the Afghanistan National Basketball Team. After years of exile from international competition, the Afghans upset Hong Kong, 65-57, in their opener of the 15th Asian Games on November 23. “We’re not playing for the name on the back of the jersey, but for the name on the front of the jersey,” 19-year-old Farhad Nangialai said in a story published on the Afghanistan Sports Federation’s Web site. The excitement and pride generated from the victory over Hong Kong renewed hopes for the team to compete in the 2008 Olympics, and the Afghanistan Sports Federation is putting their hopes of qualifying for the games in the hands of a former Yuba City High basketball player. Mamo Rafiq, a 2000 graduate of Yuba City, was named head coach for the Afghanistan national team in May. The 25-year old is absolutely thrilled about the opportunity to return his home country to glory, despite this being his first foray into head coaching. “I’m extremely, extremely honored to represent my country,” Rafiq said. “I have been fortunate to be in the states for 23 years, but there will always be a connection to my home country. Maybe we can shine a bright light on everything that’s going on there.” But the harsher realities are still an every day concern. Rafiq got a clear picture of the violence that takes place in his home country after returning recently to Kabul for the first time since 1983 to conduct camps at orphanages and schools. “A suicide bomber blew up a bus right next to our hotel,” Rafiq said. “We drove by it the next day and it was kind of a reality shock.” Rafiq was born in Afghanistan’s capital city in 1981. His family moved to Denver, Colo. in 1983 during the Soviet invasion.

In 1990, the Rafiqs moved west and settled in Yuba City. Rafiq would become a star point guard at Yuba City, being named the Appeal-Democrat’s All-Area Player of the Year in 1999-2000 and earning a scholarship to Idaho State University. Most of his freshman season at Idaho State was cut short due to injuries he suffered after a car accident. He split time at point guard during his sophomore season with the Bengals and transferred to U.C. Davis later that year. Injuries again plagued Rafiq while at Davis, and after two hip surgeries, his playing career was finished. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Davis, returned to Idaho State to earn a master’s in athletics administration and has recently been accepted into the educational leadership program at Idaho State. Rafiq said the Afghanistan Sports Federation originally asked him to play on the team, but he didn’t feel he could compete at the Olympic level after two hip surgeries. And despite having no formal head coaching experience, Afghanistan later asked Rafiq to coach the squad. “I’m super nervous because I have no head coaching experience,” said Rafiq, who is a graduate assistant with the Idaho State women’s basketball team, and was an assistant on the men’s team, as well. “The guys are really, really respectful, but I’m nervous about being able to step up and being able to run a team,” he said.

Finding players for the team will be another challenge. Rafiq said the Afghanistan government will only fund a team consisting of players currently living in the country. “The players that are there now are not able to play at that (Olympic) level, so basically it’s a team comprised of Afghan-Americans from the states,” Rafiq said. “The government can’t fund 12 players, myself and an assistant coach. They can fund a team from Afghanistan to go, but they can’t play at that level.” Rafiq said his current team consists of a couple of players with Division II experience, one who played in Division III and a couple who played at NAIA schools. “The players that they picked are really good players,” Rafiq said. “No one that’s really, really athletic, but the guys play really, really hard. I think the team is going to be successful. They know they are representing something bigger than just playing basketball.” To help raise funds for the team, Rafiq said he contacted 100 colleges throughout California to see if they would be interested in playing an exhibition game against Afghanistan. “I didn’t get good feedback from Division I schools, but I scheduled eight games,” he said. The Afghanistan team’s California tour will begin in mid-November. Among the schools the squad will play are Cal Lutheran, Occidental, Holy Names, Cal State East Bay and Humboldt State. After that, Rafiq said it will be up to Afghanistan’s Olympic Committee to decide the team’s future. “We’ll push for the ’08 Olympics if that’s possible, or we’ll play overseas and wait for the 2012 Olympics,” he said. “I’m just hoping I can contribute to this and make it into something bigger,” said Rafiq, who is not getting paid. “My overall goal is to become a head coach at the college level.”

Appeal-Democrat reporter Justin Miller can be reached at 749-4796. You may e-mail him at jmiller@appealdemocrat.com

 NBAA NEWS DESK @ COPYRIGHT 2007