Il Messaggiere - 'Messengers of peace' - refugee Asian Games snowboarders fly Afghan flag

The Afghan-Canadian snowboarder was giving thanks to God after a whirlwind trip to China, and asking for protection before setting off down the U-shaped course on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old is the oldest of Afghanistan's snowboarding trio at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, where they are up against world-class competitors from South Korea, China and Japan.

They are all refugees and are Afghanistan's first representatives at the Asian Winter Games since 2011, when the country fielded one cross-country skier.

Habibzi, a Toronto-based IT and security worker, fled Kabul with his family at four years old.

His teammates, Ahmad Romal Hayat who is 30 and 24-year-old Nizaruddin Ali Zada, left when the Taliban seized control in 2021.

"I hold this Canadian passport, but at the end of the day I am Afghan," said Habibzi, who dreamed of competing for his birth country since taking up snowboarding a decade ago.

"My friends, family and relatives, they are all so happy for me," said the Kabul-born Habibzi. "My mom and dad were crying."

Afghanistan compete under the black, red and green flag of the toppled republic at major games, as the International Olympic Committee does not recognise the black-and-white emblem of the ruling Taliban government.

Afghanistan have never competed at the Winter Olympics and have just one summer medallist, Rohullah Nikpai, who won taekwondo bronze in 2008 and 2012.

"We are not professional and try to gain experience from these competitions," said Ali Zada, who had the "special feeling" of carrying the flag at the opening ceremony.

- 'Afghanistan on your shoulders' -

"It's like you have the whole of Afghanistan on your shoulders and you want to keep it high."

The three were the last to go in Wednesday's halfpipe qualification.

Gasps of awe turned into surprised laughter in the 100-spectator crowd when Hayat was the first of the trio to set off and stuck to the sides of the halfpipe, prioritising balance over how high he could get in the air.

But the amusement gave way to appreciative cheers when he pumped his arms and let out a loud whoop on completing his run.

"We know that Afghanistan is facing a lot of problems politically, socially, and economically," Hayat told AFP.

"We have come to... tell them that the messengers of peace are alive."

Hayat whipped out his phone to film Ali Zada, embracing his teammate before the two shared a seat on the lift back up the mountain.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad", said Habibzi, waving to the camera lens. "I love you."

Habibzi, who can practise on mountains in Canada and the United States, recognises he is privileged compared with his teammates, who grew up in Afghanistan.

"I always ask," he said, "why is it me, that I got to leave the country earlier, and not someone else?"

When they were in Afghanistan before 2021, getting equipment had been a struggle and snowboarders had been limited to a few provinces considered safe enough to train, said Najibullah Ayoubi, the general secretary of the Afghanistan snowboarding federation who is now based in Germany.

The Afghan snowboarders are not the only relative newcomers to the sport at the Asian Winter Games.

Cambodia's four snowboarders told AFP that each of them had managed only two weeks of training in South Korea.

Lee Chae-un, the South Korean halfpipe world champion in 2023, called the Afghan crew "kind" and "funny" after meeting them for the first time.

"I've been so happy riding together," the 18-year-old Lee told AFP.

For Habibzi, reality won't kick in until he gets home, where his family have been watching.

"I still feel like I'm dreaming," said Habibzi, in a jacket with the Afghan flag and five Olympic rings above his heart.

"It's my biggest achievement."

V.Agnellini--IM