Monitoring Desk
KABUL: Prominent Afghan athlete Yasin Qaderi has bid farewell to bodybuilding sports and has vowed not to appear on competition stages unless the government resolve the visa issue which he and several other Afghan athletes face on daily basis to participate in major international competitions.
He informed regarding his decision to abandon sports by posting a lengthy statement in his official Facebook page late on Thursday, accusing the government of neglecting the athletes.
Qaderi says he has been struggling with the visa issue for the past three years and has failed to participate in major international competitions despite knocking on the doors of ARG Palace, Sapidar Palace, Parliament and other institutions.
According to Qaderi, he can participate in IFB Pro League competitions which are organized 15 times a year in the United States, Canada, and Europe but insists that the government’s support is important to obtain visa which he believes could be obtained in 5 days if the government supports him.
Qaderi also believes that the issue could be resolved if the government issues official or service passports to athletes.
In another part of his statement Qaderi claims that certain nations are prepared to provide him all the facilities including visas provided that he competes under their flag.
However, Qaderi says he prefers to abandon sports and bid farewell to his career rather than competing under the flag of another nation.
Yasin Qaderi is one of the prominent bodybuilding athletes of Afghanistan who has won several medals on international stages including a gold medal in Macau 2018 bodybuilding competition in China. (Khaama Press)
