A club built on unity
We're a volleyball club in Kabul — but if you ask our players, we're a second home. This is how we got here, and what we stand for.
From a dusty lot to a full hall
Etihad began in 2016 with a borrowed net, a scuffed ball, and a handful of friends who just wanted to play. There was no hall, no kit, no plan — only the game and the joy of it.
People kept showing up. A neighbour, then his cousin, then a whole street. We realised the ball was doing something words couldn't: it was bringing very different young people together and giving them a reason to trust each other.
So we made it real. We found a court, brought in coaches, and built teams for every age. A decade later, hundreds of athletes wear the Etihad badge — and every one of them started exactly where you might be now.
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est. Kabul
Our mission
To give every young person in Kabul a place to belong, a body to be proud of, and a team that has their back — through the game of volleyball.
Our vision
A city where sport is open to every young person, from every neighbourhood — and where Etihad is known as the club that raised good athletes and better people.
Abdul Ahad Rustamzada
Founder, CEO & Head Coach
Years in volleyball
“I started Etihad with a borrowed net and a simple hope — that a ball could bring our young people together. Every day I watch it happen. This club is my life's work, and its doors are open to every child in Kabul.”
With 25 years in volleyball as a player and coach, Abdul Ahad has led Etihad from that first dusty lot in 2016 to the club it is today — and he still runs training himself most evenings.
What we stand for
Four words we actually mean. You'll see them in how we train, how we win, and how we lose.
Unity
We are stronger woven together. Difference is our strength, not our fault line.
Discipline
Show up on time, work when no one's watching, and respect the game.
Respect
For teammates, opponents, referees and elders — always, on and off the court.
Joy
We play because we love it. If it stops being fun, we've lost the plot.
Our journey so far
- 2016
The first net
A group of friends start playing on an open lot in Kabul. Etihad is born.
- 2018
First real court
We secure indoor space and register our first competitive men's team.
- 2020
Youth academy opens
Coaching pathways launch for under-17s and juniors across the city.
- 2024
First silverware
The men's team lifts a regional title; the youth side reaches the podium.
- 2026
A bigger home
We move into the new Etihad Sports Hall with room for 300+ athletes.
The people behind the badge
Coaches and organisers who give their evenings, weekends and hearts to this club.
Abdul Ahad Rustamzada
Founder, CEO & Head Coach
The heart behind Etihad. He started the club with a borrowed net in 2016 and still leads training himself — a coach who believes character matters even more than tactics.
Academy Director
Youth & Juniors
Turns first-timers into players — and makes sure every child feels they belong.
Club Manager
Operations & Community
The one who keeps the lights on, the courts booked, and the whole club running.
Come be part of the story
Every great club is really just a lot of people who decided to show up. We'd love for you to be one of them.