Winning or losing is not important. What is important is to take part. This is perhaps the motto that the Afghan Olympic committee has for its athletes, encouraging them to participate and bring recognition to their country. However for sprinter Massoud Azizi, this is not enough. It is his dream to win a medal at the London games and have the Afghan flag flying high and this is what has motivated him to work hard and become the country’s top ranked athlete.

Azizi comes from a family of sportspersons. Having seen his older brothers participate in athletic events, Azizi always wanted to become an athlete too and gradually trained to become a runner. He has been in the sport for a long time, having previously represented his country in the Athens and Beijing Olympic games as well. However, this time he feels more charged up and prepared as he has been able to practice harder, thanks to the facilities provided to him. In the past the athletes were always in fear of being attacked and they didn’t feel safe even inside stadiums. But now with the active intervention of the Olympic committee, the security has been beefed up and this has given Azizi and his colleagues a great sense of relief, which in turn has had a positive effect on their training.

With ample help and encouragement, Massoud Azizi is all set to make his country proud at the London games. He is practicing very hard and hopes to win a medal. He doesn’t want the glory for himself as he believes the medal will be a prize for the entire country which has in the recent past seen a lot of suffering and gone through hard times. 

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