Afghan team returns with medals from Invictus Games

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghan army’s team of disabled players on Tuesday arrived to a warm reception at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul from just concluded Invictus Games in Canada.

Acting Defense Minister Tariq Shah Behrami was among senior government and military officials who welcomed the athletes from Canada where they won two medals.

More than 550 competitors from 17 countries took part at the week-long competition for injured and ill members of the armed forces.

This was the third edition of the annual competition with previous stops in London, England and Orlando, respectively. The Invictus Games heads to Sydney, Australia in 2018.

MoD spokesman Dawlat Waziri told Pajhwok Afghan News the defense minister called the athletes as heroes of the nation and the national army.

Waziri said the Afghan team took part in various competitions with counterparts from 17 other countries and were able to find their place among top teams.

He said the Ministry of Defense praised the team’s success and wished the players more achievements in future.

ma