Afghan National Basketball Team international Debut in Chantilly, Virginia

Sept 1st 2006
Afghan Children's Fund Afghan Basketball Tournament- 1500 Afghan American in attendance
by NBAA

The Afghan National Team made its international debut in Chantilly, Virginia at Hoops Magic Basketball Academy. The ANT was introduced to the crowd of 1500 Afghan American spectators on hand. The Afghan National Team was formed by Naser Shahalemi after much discussions and negotiations with the ANABF and the ANOC/Olympic Committee in July 2006.

Naser Shahalemi was named the special International advisor/coordinator to the ANABF in July 2006 to form a group of Afghan American basketball players to participate in the name of Afghanistan for the Doha Asian Game 2006 to be played in Doha, Qatar. The ANABF President Nazir Wardak and the Afghanistan Embassy cultural Attachee Hamid Elmi met and spoke with Naser Shahalemi on several different occasions regarding the alignment of the team and the facilitation of this formation of ANT.

After concrete paperwork was presented to Naser Shahalemi in late July 2006 Mr. Shahalemi began organizing the formation of the team. ANABF made requirements that only 7 players be chosen and the rest would be taken from Afghanistan as a joint effort to enhance the basketball program. Naser Shahalemi was one of the main pioneers in Afghan basketball since 2002, where his team Zill Zilla took the 1st ever Afghan basketball championship in Virginia.

Naser Shahalemi resume includes coaching in different youth and over 18 leagues throughout Philadelphia such as Fairmount basketball league, AAU basketball league, Coach and assistant coach in Future League. Also Mr. Shahalemi coached several different Afghan American teams before 2006. Shahalemi has won the championship in every league he has coached and has also coached in UPENN's summer basketball leagues as well as in the NYSP, National Youth Sports Program for under-privileged youths.

Never having implemented or put together an National Team it was a new challenge defining who was capable of fitting the bill. The only expertise Naser Shahalemi had was an excellent eye for raw talent, and cutting out the pretenders from the contenders. Shahalemi after participating/coaching in now 10-12 Afghan American basketball tournaments knew in his mind who were the 7 best players in the country. However dealing with the politics to justify his candidates would deem a more difficult task with the meddling Afghan American community.

"It was very obvious who the top 9 Afghan basketball player where however to see if certain people could participate or commit to something of this magnitude was a completely different affair. It was important to pick the best players quickly and to also confirm the commitment required to play international in approximately 3-4 weeks time before the deadline of meeting the Doha Asian Game 2006 without penalties. Also to explain this to the very sensitive Afghan community nationwide is also a task within itself making sure no one felt cheated it becomes quite a balancing act." said Naser Shahalemi.

Seven players were chosen by Naser Shahalemi after 3 initial selections couldn't commit to the tedious process. The seven players were announced to AFGBasketball.com and throughout the United States of America much to the chagrin of the Afghan Sports Federation in Virginia, whom at times dominated the relationship between Kabul and the Afghan American community.

The Afghan American basketball committee decided to host the next tourney in Virginia and also debut the Afghan National Team to the crowd of spectators and regular Afghan American club teams that participate across the country. Hafiz Ebady, one time MVP, basketball committee member, and current player for team Ayenda, and Afghan Ballers took the initiative and began the host city processes. Mr. Ebady was able to rally 20 teams to come to Virginia where in the past an average ASF tournament barely attracted 6-12 teams.

After much interference from the Afghan Sports Federation actively working against both interests in Virginia and in Kabul, the Afghan Children's Fund hosted a very successful tournament at Hoops Magic Academy in Virginia debuting the Afghan National Team 2006. The Afghan National Team playing in front of a crowd of 1500 Afghan Americans defeated all the Afghan American club teams winning by landslides in each game with an average victory of approximately 40 points going un-defeated 6-0 and taking the championship against team Payaam from California. All tournament proceeds went to Afghan Children's Fund whom then routed the money to children in need in Lowgar Province in Afghanistan.

The Afghan Sports Federation through manipulation and deceit managed to strip away control of the Afghan National Team from Naser Shahalemi and hand it over to ASF, Zabi Subat, and Ismael Husseini a group of senile, elderly gentlemen whom have no support in the Afghan American Basketball community. These gentlemen were past friends, from the 70's community who felt left out of the process and instead of allowing a health process to continue they began to exert their influences in Kabul and forced a change of hands whom to this day unfortunately exist tarnishing a pure basketball solidarity movement damaging the basketball community.

After all the work for Doha was completed by Naser Shahalemi, these elderly gentlemen along with ASF were unable to schedule one game for the Afghan National Team. Selfishness, and self righteous bared the fruit of in-ability right in front of their eyes causing the team to go through a period of chaos and ambiguousness. Their dis-organization caused the ANT to miss opportunities after opportunities to participate in many international tournament including Kazakhstan tourney caused solely by ASF. After signing an agreement to cover all expenses of the ANT they were un-willing and unable to help sponsor train tickets from one city to another, which caused the cancellation of the complete trip. These types of behaviors deem un-healthy for the team and the sport. The Afghan American basketball Community is looking forward to a day when the senile services of Zabi Subat and Ismael Husseini are officially retired for the good of humanity, mankind and basketball.

NBAA News Desk @ Copyright 2007