A University of Lincoln student hopes to inspire others to chase their dreams.
Mustapha Ismail says he's the first Afghan to study sports journalism in the UK.
Last updated 21st Oct 2020
History's been made at the University of Lincoln, as Mustapha Ismail says he's the first Afghan to study sport journalism in the country, but his goals don't stop there.
Mustapha's Journey
Mustapha Ismail was first inspired to be a sports journalist after watching his country play in their first cricket world cup in summer 2015. He felt 'a sense of pride', to see his own country play, despite the struggles it's faced.
After watching the game, he started researching sports, especially cricket and then began to research sports journalism as a career.
Growing up life wasn't always easy for Mustapha; after losing his mother at birth, he grew up with his grandmother and uncle, people who inspired him and supported him his whole life. He says they had full faith in everything he did and believes having these people to look up to, helped him chase his dreams.
He said: "From a very young age I was very passionate about sports, but mostly in football.
When I was young I had aspirations of being a football player, but that didn't happen, as I had an injury, meaning I was out of the game for a year and a half.
After my injury, I lost my momentum and my rhythm, my confidence. It was pretty hard for me to get back on track, and that's when I gave up on football.
But, that soon changed in Summer 2015, when I was watching Afghanistan play in their first world cup, it was a proud moment for me and that's when everything went forward for me"
Future goals
Mustapha hopes that young people in Afghanistan can be inspired by his story, the way he was watching them play in their first world cup.
He said: "My aim is to create more history and become the first Afghan with a first class degree in sports journalism.
But, also to show the bright side of us Afghans, and to inspire the younger Afghan generation as well.
I want them to look at me as a role model, most importantly the ones in a similar situation to me, to get out of the dark side and show that there is always hope."
After tweeting about his success, the chief executive of Lincoln City football club has offered him a work placement. Mustapha says he's very excited for the experience.
He's now working toward his long-term goal; to be sitting in the press box, reporting for a big organisation, as Afghanistan take on the next world cup.