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Afghan sprinter Massoud Azizi prepares for the London Olympic Games

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Transcripts / Production notes / Scripts

1. (00:00) VARIOUS SHOTS OF AFGHAN ATHLETE MASSOUD AZIZI AND TAHMINA KOHISTANI TRAINING IN THE KABUL STADIUM
2. (02:37) VARIOUS SHOTS OF MASSOUD AZIZI’S HOUSE AND AWARDS
3. (03:20) SOUNDBITE – MASSOUD AZIZI, AFGHAN SPRINTER (SOUNDBITE IN DARI):
“Every athlete wants to take part in the London Olympic Games, and I feel very happy that I am taking part. I will try my best to return to Afghanistan with achievements, because Afghanistan has endured a long war, and has suffered a lot. I want peace and stability in my country, and I will do my best to raise up the Afghan flag on the world’s stage.”
(04.04) “My two brothers were champions of this field previously. I was always going to watch them run. I was interested and encouraged by them, and so I followed in their footsteps. Finally I ended up as a runner, and became the top ranked runner in Afghanistan.”
(04.23) “The main problems and concerns of athletes in the past were the lack of security, because they were always scared to play the sport. They were always thinking of possible suicide attacks and more. Even inside the stadium, we were not feeling safe and were scared all the time. Fortunately, the security is better now, and the President of the Olympic committee has enabled opportunities for athletes, and we are having better security. Security has a positive impact on the morale of the athletes.”
(05.37) “This is the photo with Usain Bolt. We took it in a competition in Korea last year. It was my desire to take a picture with him and also it’s a honour for me to run with this champion who has broken the record for the 100 and 200m. I felt very happy that I have met him and run with him and to ask him about his training and to have a picture with him.”
(06.08) “Sport has brought a significant change in my personal life. Afghanistan is a poor country, but people are always trying to help the athletes. The Olympic Committee has always helped us financially. When we got back from Beijing, we hadn’t won anything. Despite that, President Hamid Karzai, along with the head of the BAYAT foundation granted us some cash, saying ‘It does not matter if you win or lose, your participation in the Beijing games was worth it, and was an honour for the people of Afghanistan.”
(07.17) “When I became the top ranked runner in Afghanistan, we were running on cement tracks, and we didn’t have computerized timers – we were using a stopwatch system. Initially, I was able to run one hundred meters in 12 seconds. But now, after hard work and training, I am able to run it in 10.8 seconds. I am well prepared for the London Olympic Games.”

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