Sport
Saudi Arabia to host 2023 FIFA Club World Cup
Saudi Arabia will host the FIFA Club World Cup this year from December 12 to 22, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced on Tuesday.
The event was last held in Morocco, and in the UAE in 2020 and 2021. Brazil, Japan and Qatar have also played host to the international sporting event in previous years.
Saudi national teams have participated in the event five times, Al Arabiya reported on Tuesday, with al-Nasr in the first edition in 2000, followed by al-Ittihad in 2005, and al-Hilal in the 2019, 2021, and 2022 tournaments.
Staging major events makes up a significant portion of the country’s strategy to develop its sporting industry. On February 1, Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host for the 2027 Asian Cup, the continent’s biggest soccer tournament that is held every four years.
Football in Saudi Arabia has been in the spotlight in recent months, most recently due to Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to join al-Nasr and the Saudi team’s historic win against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup last year.
The Kingdom has in recent years made a significant effort to invest more in sports as part of efforts underlined by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform plan to diversify the country’s economy and improve the quality of life.
The country also hosts other international sports such as Formula One and is behind high-profile golf and boxing promotions and there are also bigger events on the agenda.
Last August, sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal expressed an interest in the 2034 Asian Games as well as the Olympics.
Sport
Bamyan hosts ski competition sponsored by AWCC
A ski competition was held in Bamyan province with financial backing from Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC), bringing together 230 athletes on the snowy slopes of Chapdara Shah Foladi.
The event was organized across three age groups and in three categories—amateur, professional, and local—featuring participants from Bamyan, Ghazni Province, and Maidan Wardak Province. Competitors welcomed the initiative and called for sustained support to further develop winter sports in Afghanistan.
Local officials said the competition aimed to nurture young talent and encourage greater engagement in sports.
Rajab Ali Fitrat, Deputy for Technical and Professional Affairs at Bamyan’s Department of Physical Education and Sports, expressed appreciation for AWCC and urged continued support for athletes across all disciplines, particularly skiing.
Organizers also underscored the importance of ongoing sponsorship, describing it as vital to the growth of sports in Bamyan. Shah Agha, one of the event organizers, called on AWCC to maintain its cooperation with local athletes, especially in skiing.
Athletes described the competition as a valuable opportunity to gain experience and showcase their skills.
Ali Askari, a participant, noted that he has been skiing for about eight years and highlighted the presence of competitors from multiple provinces.
In the results, Sayed Rohullah claimed first place in the professional category, followed by Ali Agha and Sayed Hadi. In the amateur division, Asif, Shir Hussain, and Noor Agha secured the top three spots. In the local (wooden ski) category, Hassan Ali took first place, while Shamsullah and Mohammad finished second and third.
With its snow-covered mountains, Bamyan is widely regarded as one of Afghanistan’s premier destinations for winter sports and has previously hosted both national and international ski competitions.
Sport
13 mountaineers in Balkh summit Alborz at 1,650 meters
The Balkh Mountaineering Federation announced that 13 members of the Alborz Central team, led by Reza Rezaei, the federation’s Technical and Professional Deputy, with coordination from the Olympic and Physical Education Directorate and the provincial Mountaineering Federation, successfully climbed Mount Alborz during their first training program.
The purpose of this spring training and ascent was to strengthen the mountaineers both physically and mentally, as well as to promote the culture of mountaineering in Balkh.
Sport
Myanmar trump Afghanistan 2-1 in Asian Cup Qualifier
The Afghanistan national football team lost 2–1 to Myanmar in the Asian Cup qualifiers in Yangon on Thursday afternoon.
Afghanistan’s national team is scheduled to play its final match of the competition on March 31 against Syria in Saudi Arabia.
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