Sport

Beijing marks 100 days to Winter Olympics amid COVID, rights concerns

Published

4 years ago

October 27, 2021

With 100 days until the start of the Winter Olympics, Beijing is promising a “simple and safe” 2022 Games – although preparations are anything but simple as China readies to host thousands of athletes and personnel as it battles COVID-19 flare-ups, Reuters reported.

Beijing will be the first city to stage both the Summer and Winter Games, but the 2022 event is shadowed by the coronavirus pandemic and calls from human rights groups for a boycott over China’s treatment of Tibet, Uyghur Muslims and Hong Kong.

The Games will run Feb. 4 to 20, with all participants subject to daily COVID-19 tests and no international spectators. Unlike this year’s Tokyo Summer Games local spectators will be allowed at events in and around the Chinese capital.

According to the report athletes and other Games-related personnel will be enveloped in a “closed loop” including three clusters of venues – one in downtown Beijing, one in the outskirts near the Great Wall, and one to the northwest of the city, in Hebei province.

Also unlike the Tokyo Games, which were delayed by a year and faced speculation they would be cancelled, there has been little doubt the Beijing Winter Olympics will take place – no matter what – as an increasingly assertive China seizes the opportunity to demonstrate soft power.

Still, the countdown comes as China, with some of the world’s most stringent COVID-19 controls, battles small Delta variant outbreaks. The Beijing and Wuhan marathons were postponed this week, and curbs on travel into the capital were announced due to dozens of daily new cases, read the report.

Restrictions on gatherings and travel have contributed to a lack of the anticipatory buzz that marked Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics – an extravaganza widely seen as China’s global coming-out party.

Since then, China has risen to superpower status, locked in antagonistic competition with the United States and under the increasingly authoritarian leadership of President Xi Jinping, with tightened censorship and suppression of dissent.

During the torch-lighting ceremony in Athens earlier this month, rights activists unfurled a banner reading “No Genocide Games” and waved a Tibetan flag, although the ceremony itself was not interrupted, as had been the case for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

Rights groups and some U.S. lawmakers have called on the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Winter Games and relocate the event unless China ends what the United States deems ongoing genocide against Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups.

Activists and U.N. rights experts have said that at least 1 million Muslims were detained in camps in Xinjiang since 2017. Beijing denies all allegations of abuse of Uyghurs and describes the camps as vocational training facilities to combat religious extremism, Reuters reported.

After Boston Celtics centre Enes Kanter posted videos denouncing China’s human rights record last week, his name appeared to be blocked on China’s social media platform Weibo, and his team’s highlights were dropped from a domestic sports platform.

While no country has said its athletes will boycott the Games, European, British and American lawmakers have all voted for their diplomats to do so.

According to the report some facilities built for 2008, including the Bird’s Nest Stadium, will be re-used for 2022. Others have been newly built near the city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province, connected to Beijing by high speed rail, with the region’s cold but dry winters requiring the help of artificial snow to cover slopes.

The Games are also set to feature players from North America’s National Hockey League after they skipped the 2018 edition in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with superstars like Canada’s Sidney Crosby and Russia’s Alexander Ovechkin poised to add star power.

And while Xi has positioned the Games as an opportunity to accelerate development of winter sports, China is not expected to be among the biggest medals winners.

China topped the gold medals table at the 2008 Summer Games and came second at Tokyo, but won just one in the Winter Games in Pyeongchang and finished 14th overall.

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Sport

ILT20: Russell and Rutherford fined for code of conduct breaches

Published

10 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Ariana News

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders all-rounders Andre Russell and Sherfane Rutherford have been fined for separate breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct following their DP World ILT20 Season 4 match against Sharjah Warriorz in Abu Dhabi on Monday night.

The sanctions were imposed by match referee Simon Taufel.

Rutherford was fined 50 percent of his match fee after being found guilty of breaching Article 2.2 for a second time this season. As a repeat offence, the incident was classified as a Level 2 breach.

Russell received a fine of 10 percent of his match fee for breaching Article 2.2, which relates to the abuse of cricket equipment, clothing, or ground fixtures during a match.

Sharjah Warriorz meanwhile held their nerve to secure a dramatic four-wicket victory over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on the final ball at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

Chasing 135, the Warriorz were guided by an unbeaten 42 off 29 balls from James Rew, while Sikandar Raza added 28 as the pair stitched together a crucial partnership to take the team home. The win lifted Sharjah to six points with two matches remaining, tightening the race for the final playoff spots.

Earlier, Taskin Ahmed and Wasim Akram ripped through the Knight Riders’ top order, reducing them to 10/4 inside four overs. Sherfane Rutherford top-scored with 44 off 36, while late hitting from Andre Russell and Jason Holder pushed the total to 134/9. Adil Rashid starred with the ball for Sharjah, claiming three wickets.

Despite a tense finish that left 12 runs required from the final over, Rew and Rashid calmly saw the chase through to seal a vital victory for the Warriorz.

ILT20 is being broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television across Afghanistan. Fans can tune in from 2pm today, Tuesday December 24, to watch MI Emirates take on Dubai Capitals.

International Sports

Ariana News to broadcast key AFC Champions League Two clash

The match will be played in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr will aim to make home advantage count following their strong performances earlier in the campaign.

Published

12 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Ariana News

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr will take on Iraq’s Al-Zawraa in a crucial AFC Champions League Two group-stage encounter tomorrow, Wednesday December 24, as both sides look to strengthen their positions in the competition.

The match will be played in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr will aim to make home advantage count following their strong performances earlier in the campaign.

With a squad packed with international stars and attacking depth, the Saudi club will be targeting another positive result to move closer to qualification for the knockout stages.

Al-Zawraa, one of Iraq’s most successful clubs, arrive determined to bounce back and keep their continental hopes alive.

Known for their discipline and resilience, the Baghdad-based side will be looking to frustrate the hosts and capitalize on any opportunities on the counterattack.

The encounter is expected to draw significant attention from football fans across the region, as the AFC Champions League Two continues to showcase competitive clashes between leading clubs.

The match will be broadcast across Afghanistan live and exclusively on Ariana News from 8:30pm.

Sport

Afghanistan participates in Global Handball Congress as Asia reaffirms support

At the conclusion of the voting process, Egypt’s Hassan Moustafa was re-elected as President of the International Handball Federation, securing another four-year term.

Published

2 days ago

December 22, 2025

Ariana News

Afghanistan has participated in the Global Handball Congress held in Cairo, Egypt, with the head of the Afghanistan Handball Federation attending the international gathering alongside representatives from 107 member countries of the International Handball Federation (IHF).

The congress took place from December 19 to 22 and included elections for leadership positions within both the global and Asian handball governing bodies.

At the conclusion of the voting process, Egypt’s Hassan Moustafa was re-elected as President of the International Handball Federation, securing another four-year term.

At the continental level, Badr Mohammed Diyab Saleh Al-Diyab was elected President of the Asian Handball Federation.

Officials from the Afghanistan Handball Federation said that several meetings were held on the sidelines of the congress with senior international handball officials, including the newly elected Asian federation president.

According to the officials, the Asian handball chief reaffirmed continued support for the development and advancement of handball in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s participation in the global congress is being viewed as an important step toward strengthening international sports relations, attracting broader institutional support, and promoting the growth of handball in the country—a sport that has faced significant challenges and limitations in recent years.