SOCIETY — March 31, 2026
Omid Shahid Mazari Futsal Team Suspends Activities After Name Change Demand at Mazar-i-Sharif Tournament
The Omid Shahid Mazari Futsal Team suspended all activities after refusing to change its name to participate in a tournament at Bahrami Hall in Mazar-i-Sharif. Sports officials allegedly pressured for the change, a claim denied by the Afghanistan Football Federation.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Afghanistan International — 2 min read
The Omid Shahid Mazari Futsal Team, established in 2015 and champion of the Daykundi province premier futsal league, has suspended all activities following a dispute over its name at a tournament in Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh province.
The team traveled to Bahrami Hall in Mazar-i-Sharif for the event but was barred from participating unless it changed its name. In a statement titled 'Painful Announcement,' the team said continuing activities was impossible and announced the suspension of all operations. The team, which featured prominent players such as Omid Qanbari and Abbas Heydari, had planned to compete in the Afghanistan Premier Futsal League but halted those plans.
The dispute involves officials from Bahrami Futsal Hall and Ruhullah Ahmadi, manager of Ahmadi Futsal Hall. The team claims that members of the futsal committee and Afghanistan Football Federation, including Khalil Yaqubi, instructed Balkh sports officials to demand the name change.
The Deputy of Physical Education and the Afghanistan Football Federation denied any official involvement or pressure. They stated the tournament was unofficial and no such instructions were issued.
Read the original reporting at Afghanistan International →
Reliability assessment
Single source provides direct, on-record attribution via team's official 'Painful Announcement', named individuals (Ruhullah Ahmadi, Khalil Yaqubi), specific location (Bahrami Hall, Mazar-i-Sharif), and quoted denial from Deputy of Physical Education and Afghanistan Football Federation; core event of team being barred and suspending activities is concretely detailed.
The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Afghanistan International: "Painful Announcement"; "with a heart full of pain, sorrow, and a lump in the throat" – emotional language directly from team's statement integrated into reporting; "example of discrimination, injustice, and disrespect" – advocacy phrasing framing the incident as systemic bias.
Across the newsrooms
Filed by
Afghanistan International
Originating
Framed
Framed
Filed under
Society — Omid Shahid Mazari, Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan Football Federation, Khalil Yaqubi, futsal discrimination
Spotted an error or have more on this story? Tip the desk on Telegram → or WhatsApp →.
Reader supported
Keep Ehtebar running
Every published story uses paid tools to translate reporting, compare sources, extract claims, and produce a clearer read on Afghanistan. Reader support helps keep that work independent.
€5
helps cover daily verification runs
€15
supports a week of source comparison
€50
keeps independent analysis moving
