KABUL, Afghanistan – Lt. Gen. Zahir Aghbar, head of the Afghan National Olympic Committee, and James Parker, vice president of Sports Operations for the Amateur Athletic Union will sign a memorandum of agreement between the ANOC and AAU at Kabul’s historic Ghazi Stadium, Thursday, Feb. 9. The signing will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

The press conference will highlight sports diplomacy efforts facilitated by the International Security Assistance Force and the U.S. Embassy to develop community-based sports programs for Afghan youth.

The press conference follows a week of training and mentoring sessions between senior U.S. coaches and AAU sports administrators and 150 coaches and sports officials from across Afghanistan. The coaches conducted series of workshops in basketball, soccer, volleyball, and taekwondo. Video of sports clinics and opening remarks are available to media upon request.

Sessions also included consultations with the Afghan National Olympic Committee to develop a fitness program for Afghan youth. The Afghan coaches who earned an AAU coaching certification will work with Afghan youth athletes and sports facilities being developed by the U.S. Embassy.

**Photo availability of sports clinics with U.S. and Afghan coaches will begin at 8:30 a.m., Thursday, February 9. Media interested in covering the photo availability and attending the signing ceremony should RSVP by phone or email no later than 8 a.m., Feb. 8.

WHAT: ANOC/AAU photo opportunity, signing ceremony, and press conference.

WHEN: 8:30 a.m. - Photo availability at ANOC/AAU sports clinics
2:30 p.m. - Signing ceremony and press conference

WHERE: Ghazi Stadium, Kabul

RSVP: pressoffice@hq.isaf.nato.int