Olympics-Afghan refugee pursues his dream of boxing in Tokyo
(WorldNews Politics)

LISBON — A young Afghan refugee living in Portugal is attempting to achieve in 10 months what normally takes years of preparation – qualifying to box in the Olympics. But 22-year-old Farid Walizadeh, who faces his first international qualification challenge next month ahead of the Tokyo 2020 games, is no stranger to uphill struggles. At the age of seven, he fled his hometown in northeastern Afghanistan, traveling more than 2,500 km (1,550 miles), mostly on foot, to Turkey. There he was arrested on arrival after smugglers he...