Afghan Water Polo Team



Afghan Water Polo Team

Besides military operations in Afghanistan, the U.S. Marines are assisting in the formation of a world-class water polo team.

Warrant officer Jeremy Piasecki, of the US marines, has been trying to assemble an Afghan water polo squad for three years, with the goal of taking a side to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

This represents no small challenge: Afghanistan is landlocked and is believed to have 13 swimming pools, or about one for every two million people. Swimming is prohibited during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, lest a devotee accidentally breaks his fast by swallowing water.

Presumably the Olympic Games will be held during a time other than Ramadan.

In any event, an Afghan sports team competing internationally could provide substantial benefit. It would enable Afghan citizens to proudly view themselves as part of a nation rather than as members of competing and often warring tribes who simply occupy a defined geographical area.

If the Afghan people learn to work together, inestimable good things are possibly achievable. Of course, with the Taliban and al-Qaeda being part of the population, maybe the simple thought of Afghans working together is a naive fantasy.