In this June 18, 2011 photo, Afghan rugby players practice in a field hockey venue, alongside Kabul's Olympic Stadium, the same arena the Taliban used to cut off the hands of thieves and hold executions during their five-year rule in Kabul, Afghanistan. This is the start of an Afghan national rugby team, a sport still in its infancy in a war-ravaged nation where training can be canceled by Taliban attacks and players are routinely frisked for suicide bomb vests.-AP Photo

LAHORE: The Afghan national 7s team arrived here on Friday to take part in the Azadi Cup Rugby tournament scheduled to be held on Saturday and Sunday at the Lahore Rugby Ground.

The Afghanistan team which arrived here at the invitation of the Pakistan Rugby Union (PRU) will compete with 11 other teams of the country.

General-secretary of the Afghan Rugby Federation (ARF) Omar Aziz, who is also the team manger, said: “We would like to thank the PRU for the kind invitation. This is the first and a great opportunity for us and a beginning of a new era for the ARF that will bridge relations between the two unions.”

“We hope to continue close sporting relations with Pakistan not only in rugby, but in other Olympic sports also,” he added.

Afghan captain Javed Rehmani, also a weightlifter besides winning the title of the Strong Man competition of Afghanistan, said he would like to thank the PRU for inviting them. He also urged Pakistan to send its team to Afghanistan.