Mustafa Wakili: From bakery worker to jujitsu medalist — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Mustafa Wakili, a 25-year-old Afghan jujitsu athlete, says he works at a bakery to cover his living expenses and support his family while training and participating in competitions. Despite financial difficulties and a lack of facilities, he has no intention of giving up the sport. Wakili is originally from Shewa district of central Bamyan province and currently lives in Kabul city. He has been involved in jujitsu for the past nine years and says he continues to train despite financial difficulties and inadequate facilities. He studied up to eighth grade at a school in Bamyan but was unable to continue his education due to financial problems. He then started working to contribute to his family’s income. Every day, he works from 8:00am to 4:00pm at a bakery near his home, where he is involved in kneading and preparing dough for bread. Mustafa Wakili, who took up jujitsu in 2017, said he became interested in the sport because his elder brother, Mehdi Wakili, was also a jujitsu athlete. “Jujitsu is a Japanese sport. I was also interested in it, and my elder brother, who was my role model and travelled abroad, encouraged me to take up the sport,” he said. Recalling the days when his elder brother returned from competitions abroad and people gathered to welcome him, Wakili said:…