Showcasing their athletic talents and competition the youth of Farah expressed their gratitude to government officials for choosing to build a new stadium and to farmers who enabled the funding by refusing to grow poppy.
The opening ceremonies were colourful, festive and entertaining.
"This stadium will provide a safe facility to support youth sports activities in Farah and neighbouring province," claimed Feshta Farrah, Deputy Director of the national Olympic committee.
The multi-purpose complex is complete with a field for football or cricket, volleyball and basketball courts and a running track. There is enough seating capacity for more than 3,000 spectators including a section for special guests.
The decision to build the $860-thousand stadium was made by the Provincial Development Council after Farah received funding from the Good Performance Initiative, a Ministry of Counter Narcotics' award program for reducing poppy cultivation in excess of ten percent in 2009.
All the provinces are eligible for award money under the Ministry's internationally sponsored Good Performance Initiative program. Those provinces that maintain or achieve a poppy-free status are eligible to receive one million dollars each year. Provinces that reduce poppy cultivation by ten percent receive one thousand dollars of development assistance per hectare.
The Ministry of Counter Narcotics has announced that 17 provinces would be paid $1 million US for being poppy-free over the last 12 months. They are Bamyan, Balkh, Ghazni, Ghor, Jawzjan, Khost, Kunduz, Logar, Nuristan, Paktia, Paktika, Panjser, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-i-Pul, Takhar and Maidan Wardak.
Five other provinces, Zabul, Daikundai, Badghis, Kandahar and Farah will receive awards as high as 670-thousand dollars for considerable efforts to reduce poppy cultivation.
The poppy is haram, yet it continues to grow in some parts denying Afghans the peaceful life they deserve after thirty years of pain and suffering brought on by war.
The illegal poppy industry is the fuel that drives the murderous enemies of peace to earn bad money, attack and terrorize villages, plant roadside bombs, kill innocent people and force farm families and others into an un-Islamic way of life.
The poppy is a scourge that destroys with unimaginable impact; replacing valuable farm croplands negatively impacting food security and forcing ever-increasing food prices in the bazaar. It severely affects the country's export potential and harms investment opportunities. The social impact of poppy production leads to increased drug use and abuse, higher medical costs, poorer communities, and last but not least immeasurable grief and sadness to families.
The spiritual ramifications of poppy cultivation are known to us all and repeated throughout the country by our religious and community leaders. "According to Islamic law narcotics are unlawful, so as correct Muslims we should not grow and process this dishonest poison," a provincial government official stated before an audience of farmers in Kapisa province.
Since 2007 the Ministry of Counter Narcotics has awarded nearly $160 million dollars. Afghans from all walks of life benefit from the money with citizens directing their provincial governments to spend the money on various community and agriculture projects that have included the purchase of tractors to the building of greenhouses, schools, clinics and sports stadiums.
While Farah's new 34-jerib sporting facility is large by any community standard it pales in comparison to Qala Fraidon, Farah's city's largest and oldest landmark, the historical citadel built by Alexander The Great.
"I hope that with the construction of such stadiums and sport facilities that it will provide hours of fun and competition for our Afghan youth," stated Counter Narcotics Minister Zerar Ahmad Muqbil.
To benefit from such a complex in Farah is a joy for hundreds of aspiring local athletes. Now that the long hot summer months in this arid part of the country have given way to cooler autumn temperatures, the stadium's new grass has taken hold becoming thicker and greener, creating ideal conditions for a jog around the new track.
It's been a long-time in coming but a wait worthy of the cause.
