An Afghan refugee stabbed to death on Twickenham playing field who moved UK to fulfil cricket dream

In an unpleasant development, an Afghan refugee, who fled to London to follow his dream of becoming a cricketer, was stabbed to death on a busy playing field. His heartbroken family revealed the same on Friday (October 15). The 18-year-old refugee was Hazrat Wali. As per the college staff, he was stabbed over “something stupid” before he collapsed as children played rugby in Twickenham on Tuesday (October 12).

In his last moments, he reportedly asked one of his friends: “why was I stabbed?” He then succumbed with his nose bleeding. One of Hazrat’s relatives revealed that the construction student asked his teacher, who was giving him CPR, who it was that stabbed him. Meanwhile, Hazrat, at the age of 12, fled Afghanistan with his twin brother.  He reached Vienna while travelling through Turkey and Bulgaria. The refugee claimed asylum as an unaccompanied child.

Hazrat Wali’s brother is upset with the loss

He decided to move to London in 2017, under the EU’s Dublin Convention, as he had cousins living there. He also wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a cricketer in London. “His cousins were all waiting for him here. His brother is very sad and is not even talking, he is very upset at his brother’s passing,” Standard.co.uk quoted one of Hazrat’s cousins.

“He came to the UK for a better life, he wanted to study and also become a cricketer because he really loved sports, he was a very active person. He used to do MMA but he broke his leg so he stopped and carried on playing cricket he was really good at it,” said another cousin named Sahil Kochay.

“He went through a lot in his life but was a very strong person. I didn’t just look up to him as my cousin but he was my best friend. I could go to him for any help or any problems and he would come to me,” he added. With Hazrat’s parents residing in a remote village of Afghanistan, they were unaware of the boy’s demise due to lack of internet.

“We are waiting for his body to be given back to us so we can take it back home and that’s the only way we can let his mum and dad know,” revealed Sahil.