Mahjabin Hakimi, a member of the Afghanistan women’s youth volleyball team, has reportedly been beheaded by the Taliban in the country’s capital of Kabul because of its objection to women’s sport.

In an interview with the Persian Independent, one of Hakimi’s coaches – speaking under a pseudonym – said that she was killed in early October but that it had been kept a secret as her family had been threatened not to talk about it.

Dozens of female athletes have fled Afghanistan in fear of their lives since the Taliban swept back into power in August as the preexisting Afghan Government collapsed with United States military support.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) told insidethegames it was “urgently seeking clarification” of the situation and aware of reports of Hakimi’s killing.

Only two of the women’s youth volleyball team’s players managed to escape Afghanistan, it has been reported.

“All the players of the volleyball team and the rest of the women athletes are in a bad situation and in despair and fear,” the coach said, per the Persian Independent.

“Everyone has been forced to flee and live in unknown places.”

Hakimi played for Kabul Municipality Volleyball Club before the Taliban seized power.

“FIVB is aware of the reports coming from Afghanistan,” volleyball’s governing body told insidethegames.

“We are urgently seeking clarification and an accurate assessment of the current situation. 

“As the safety and well-being of the whole volleyball community is our paramount concern, there will no further media comment at this stage.”

Afghanistan’s Chef de Mission at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Arian Sadiqi, fears for the lives of 12 Para athletes who are still stuck in the country and is worried that those who did not escape when the Taliban seized power have been forgotten about.

“If these girls don’t get help soon, they may fall into the hands of the Taliban and may get killed,” Sadiqi said to insidethegames.

Athletes Noorja Najafi, Rahela Haidari, Nargis Masomi and Benafsha Najafi have all called on European countries to help evacuate them from Afghanistan.

“The right to education has been taken away from us,” said Najafi in a video series shared with insidethegames by Sadiqi, where athletes discuss how heir lives have changed since the Taliban re-took control of Afghanistan.

“We cannot go to university safely or study safely because we are disabled,” Najafi continues in the video, which can be viewed here.

“Without wearing a hijab, we cannot walk or go out.

“We are very worried that our lives are in danger.”

The women’s national volleyball team has petitioned for foreign organisations to help get them out of the country, but have so far been unsuccessful.

“Our players who were living in the provinces had to leave and live in other places,” said Zahra Fayazi, a coach for Afghanistan, told the BBC in September.

“They even burned their sports equipment to save themselves and their families.

“They didn’t want them to keep anything related to sport.

“They are scared.

“Many of our players who are from provinces were threatened many times by their relatives who are Taliban and Taliban followers.

“The Taliban asked our players’ families to not allow their girls to do sport, otherwise they will be faced with unexpected violence.”

Football’s governing body, FIFA, supported Qatar and Albania with the evacuation of 57 people – mainly women and children – involved in football and basketball, it claimed today.

The 57 people were flown to Doha yesterday, FIFA said, while last week it also claimed responsibility for helping to evacuate nearly 100 Afghan football stakeholders, including female players, again to Qatar.

Seven female taekwondo athletes from Afghanistan were taken to Australia and given refugee status in September, while Afghanistan’s two Tokyo 2020 Paralympians – Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli – were also able to flee the country and ultimately compete in the Japanese capital.

The Taliban – removed from power in 2001 – is an Islamist group which believes in Sharia law and vigorously restricts the freedoms of women.

Closures of girls’ schools, movement restrictions for women and women being forced to leave their jobs have all been reported since the group assumed control of Afghanistan.

-insidethegames

The 2020 President Beach Volleyball Championship for the Senior and U19 Boys and Girls in Nigeria is set to hold at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna as from 19th to 23rd February, 2020.

A statement from the secretariat of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation and signed by the Scribe, Maikano Adamu, enjoined all interested clubs, states, military and paramilitary to submit their entries on or before 14th February, 2020

The tournament which has been on for sometime now but couldn’t be staged for years due to lack of sponsors is revived by the present Musa Nimrod led board and will be used to select player for the senior  and underage beach volleyball national teams.

The President of the federation, Musa Nimrod told sports journalists in Abuja that this year’s edition will assist in discovering more talents for the national teams in all age categories.

He further said that the participating teams will be motivated and encouraged throughout the period of the championship.

“This year’s edition will also help build teams that will be taking part in the national sports festival at Edo state”, Nimrod emphasised.

The participating teams are expected to arrive Kaduna on 19th of February, 2020

Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp have emerged champions of the 2019 National Volleyball Premier League held at the indoor Sports hall of Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

Fifteen men and women volleyball clubs participated in the first and final phases of the premier league.

After a weeklong of games in the male category final, the defending champion, the Nigeria Customs Service retained the title winning five matches and losing the final to its arch rivals Nigeria Security and Civil Defence 2-3 to garner a total of 30 points to emerge overall winners.

Civil Defence, with 24 points,  occupied second position while a new discovery of the championship, Kano Pillars rose through the rungs to finish third with a total of 23 points.

In the female category, The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps emerged tops having won all their matches including the final match with the Nigeria Customs with a total of 32 points.

The defending champions,  Nigeria Customs Service was dethroned by the Civil Defence finishing second position with a total of 28 points while the Chief of Army Staff Spikers occupied third position.

Individual awards were also presented to some outstanding players.

In the male’s category:

(1) Best Spiker-Ogunshina Obayemi- Nigeria Police Force

(2) Best Blocker-Isaac Geoffrey- Nigeria Customs Service

(3) Best Server-Sunday Akinbo- Nigeria Security and civil defence corp

(4) Best Defender-Samson Akinbona- Nigeria customs service

(5)  Best Receiver-Seun Adegbite- Nigeria Police force

(6) Best setter- Emmanuel Samuel- Nigeria Security and civil defence corp

(7) MVP- Dikiya Seiyefa- Nigeria customs service

Female category:

(1) Best Spiker-Albertina Francis- Nigeria Security and civil defence corp

(2) Best Blocker-Prisca Nkemnekwu- Chief Of Army Staff Spikers

(3) Best Server-Francisca Ikhiede- Nigeria customs service

(4) Best Defender- Jummai Bitrus- Nigeria Security and civil defence corp

(5)  Best Receiver- Chinedu Nnachi- Chief of Army Staff Spikers

(6) Best setter- Sharon Achi- Nigeria Security and civil defence corp

(7) MVP- Ijeoma Ukpabi- Chief Of Army staff Spikers