In yet another bid to promote peace via sports in Afghanistan, India will be building a football ground and a sports facility in Afghanistan's western province of Ghor. The foundation stone for the same was laid on Saturday evening by Indian envoy Vinay Kumar along with Afghan minister for economy Mustafa Mastoor. The project will also include a bridge and an educational institute.
It is not first time India is helping Afghanistan through sports diplomacy. Earlier, it provided the Kandahar stadium, and the construction of the stadium in Mazar-e-Sharif is underway. India also built two "home grounds" in Greater Noida and Dehradun alongside also providing technical and logistical support for players and the Afghanistan cricket board.
The projects are funded under India's high impact community development (HICDP) scheme that is implemented in the landlocked South Asian country by the Indian government.
A release by the Indian mission in Kabul said, "The government of India reiterates its commitment to take India Afghanistan development partnership forward in accordance with the national priorities of the government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan"
The Indian envoy also addressed a public gathering of university students and teaching faculty in the province, wherein he reiterated India's commitment for capacity building through its scholarship programmes for Afghan students.
Since 2005, India, through its community development scheme has supported over 550 projects throughout Afghanistan. Of these, around 345 projects have been completed while the remaining are in various stages of completion. The projects are aimed at building basic infrastructure such as schools, public health centres, bridges, roads for local communities.
India is also the largest donor to Afghanistan in the region and since the fall of Taliban in 2001, undertaken projects and programmes over $2 billion.
NEIGHBOUR’S AID
- Under its ‘new development partnership assistance’ launched in 2016, New Delhi allocated an additional $1 billion for the next 5 years for development in Afghanistan.
- Since 2005, India, through its community development scheme has supported over 550 projects throughout Afghanistan, of which 345 are complete
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