UIPM 2019 Global Laser Run City Tour: Laser Run is talk of the town in Kabul (AFG)

A year of discovery for the Afghanistan Modern Pentathlon Federation (AMPF) has concluded with its second UIPM Global Laser Run City Tour in the capital city of Kabul.

The Bahadur Khan public school was the venue for the event and 150 girls competed alongside 50 boys, with hundreds of other students spectating. 

Khushal Sarwari, AMPF President, said that both this and the previous GLRCT competition held in Kabul had received extensive coverage in the media and left participants talking about it for weeks. 

He added: “Now we understand this is a good option for promoting of our sport in the country and we hope for 2020 we will organize more of them not only in Kabul but other cities in Afghanistan.” 

Sohila Shahzad said after participing in her second GLRCT: “It’s amazing. We have been talking about our participation with other girls in school for months.”

Somia, a 4th-grade student who was among the spectators, said: “Today was a special day, colourful and beautiful! I hope this competition can be organized again in my school and I can participate next time.”

Sayed Sajad, spokesperson for the local organising committee, said: “I see a positive difference in the way we organise our competitions now. Our organising team including our local judges are learning and this is a big achievement as well.”

The Global Laser Run City Tour was created in 2017 to provide an entry point to UIPM Sports for people of all ages in urban communities around the world.

Another 100 cities were selected in 2019 as hosts of the GLRCT or the Biathle-Triathle National Tour. The full calendar can be viewed at the UIPM website, where you can also find more information on UIPM’s various multi-discipline sports.

In September, the UIPM Laser Run World Championships was incorporated into the Pentathlon World Championships for the first time in Budapest (HUN), where Laser Run also featured as a showcase sport at the 1st World Urban Games.

In December, Laser Run and Triathle both featured for the first time in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines.

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