Hoops tourney aids Afghani programs

Lindsay Sandham

Afghan-Americans from all over the country filled the gymnasium at

Estancia High School this weekend for the 2nd annual Afghan Holiday

Classic, a basketball tournament.

This year 20 teams comprised of Afghani players -- along with four

women’s teams, two senior teams and three junior teams -- competed

against one another for first-place medals and bragging rights.

Co-sponsored by New Era Finance and the Afghanistan Relief

Organization, all proceeds from the tournament go toward humanitarian

and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.

“Our goal is to make $10,000 over the weekend,” said head of

fundraising for the organization, Mariam Omar. “Every penny we make

goes toward our programs.”

The Afghanistan Relief Organization funds projects like the

Technology Education Center in Kabul, where 10 teachers work with

about 550 students on English and computer skills, and the Afghan

Midwifery Project, where midwives from the United States teach

Afghanis how to deliver babies.

Omar said more women in Afghanistan die from difficulties in

childbirth than do women in any other country.

To raise money at the basketball tournament, volunteers sold food,

drinks and handmade goods. All players and spectators paid for their

own travel and lodging, with some people coming from as far as

Virginia or New York, and each team had to pay registration fees.

Owner of New Era Finance, a mortgage company based in Irvine, Emil

Yussif said they wanted to create a tournament for the love of

basketball, while bringing the Afghani community together and helping

to defeat negative stereotypes.

Last year’s champions, the West Coast Hoops of Orange County, made

it to the final four again this year along with another local team,

the OC Wrath.

At press time, the final winning results weren’t in.

“It’s more fun than anything,” said three-time MVP for the team,

Yousof Etemadi. The West Coast Hoops have won the last four

tournaments they’ve competed in.

Aside from the Holiday Classic, the Afghani basketball teams

compete in various tournaments throughout the year.

“Unfortunately there’s not a lot of events where we’re all

together,” said Maria Piloti of Dana Point. “Everyone knows each

other -- it’s like a big family.”

A lot of Afghanis living in the United States have children who

are born here and have never been to Afghanistan, Omar said. Events

like the tournament are important so they understand their culture

and learn what it’s like back home.

“It really makes you appreciate what you have here in the U.S.,”

Yussif said. “It’s a life-changing experience for anyone who goes (to

Afghanistan.)”

* LINDSAY SANDHAM is the news assistant. She can be reached at

(714) 966-4625 or lindsay.sandham@latimes.com.