Sport
Sri Lanka beats Afghanistan to level ODI series
Sri Lanka recorded a commanding 132-run win over Afghanistan in their second ODI on Sunday to level the three-match series 1-1 at Hambantota.
Having amassed a target of 324, the Sri Lankan bowlers skittled out the tourists for 191 inside 43 overs for their biggest win in ODIs over Afghanistan, AFP reported.
Quick bowler Dushmantha Chameera, returning to the side after a seven-month layoff after ankle surgery, bowled a couple of hostile spells to finish with two for 18.
Sri Lanka will be buoyed by the return of their main strike bowler, as they head to Zimbabwe straight after the series to play World Cup qualifiers.
There are no such problems for Afghanistan, who have already qualified for the World Cup later this year in India.
Chameera was well backed up by part-time offspinner Dhananjaya de Silva, who finished with three wickets, including first-match hero Ibrahim Zardan.
Legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga polished up the tail claiming three for 42.
Zardan, who had top scored in the first ODI with 98 runs, was again among the runs with 54.
But the scoreboard pressure got to him as he edged an attempted cut shot that was well taken by Kusal Mendis behind the stumps.
Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi top scored with 57 runs, before being trapped leg before by de Silva.
After that, there was little resistance by the Afghan batters as they lost six wickets for 23 runs.
Sri Lanka came into the game making four changes, having lost the first ODI by six wickets on Friday.
Sri Lanka’s lower middle order was the driving force behind their total of 323, with the hosts scoring 109 runs in the last ten overs.
Fareed Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi were the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan finishing with two wickets apiece.
The third and final ODI will take place on June 7 also at Hambantota.
Sport
Aino Mina and Khorasan secure 2-1 wins in Friday’s ACL matches
Aino Mina defeated Adalat Farah 2-1 in the 27th match of Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) in Kabul on Friday. In the other game of the day, Khorasan Faryab beat Jawanan Wahedi with the same result.
In the first game of the day, the first goal was scored by Abdul Ali Wahedi from Adalat Farah, before Ahmad Nabi Moqadas and Khalil Ahmad Badushah scored for Aino Mina.
In the 28th match of the tournament, Hayatullah Salimi netted twice for Khurasan. Farzad Barakzai scored Jawanan Wahedi’s only goal.
In Saturday’s matches, Sarsabz Yashlar will face Khadim at 1:00 p.m. and Sorkh Poshan Khafi will face Istiqlal Kabul at 3:30 p.m.
The matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Abu Muslim and Attack Energy win in ACL matches
In the continuation of the Afghanistan Champions League, Abu Muslim Farah FC won the 25th match of this league on Thursday with a result of 2-1 against Mawj Sahil.
Hashmat Amiri scored one goal and was declared man of the match for Abu Muslim Farah FC.
In today’s twenty-sixth match, Attack Energy FC players defeated Maiwand FC 3-0.
Friday’s matches will see Aino Mina FC take on Adalat Farah FC at 1pm, while Khurasan Faryab FC play Jawanan Wahedi FC at 3:30pm.
The matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Four Afghans included in Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday confirmed the list of athletes who will form the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for the Paris 2024 games – of which four are from Afghanistan.
The four athletes are Amir Ansari, who will participate in the road cycling event; Arab Sibghatullah, in judo; Farzad Mansouri, in taekwondo; and Nigara Shaheen, in judo.
A total of 36 athletes from 11 different countries of origin will form the team. They will compete in 12 different sports: aquatics (swimming), athletics, badminton, boxing, breaking, canoe (slalom and sprint), cycling (road), judo, shooting, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling (freestyle and Greco-Roman).
IOC President Thomas Bach made the announcement during a ceremony at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday (2 May). He said: “We welcome all of you with open arms. You are an enrichment to our Olympic Community, and to our societies.
“With your participation in the Olympic Games, you will demonstrate the human potential of resilience and excellence. This will send a message of hope to the more than 100 million displaced people around the world.”
The IOC Refugee Olympic Team is competing at the Olympic Games for the third time, after previous appearances at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
This year, its chef-de-mission will be Masomah Ali Zada, who competed as a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team Tokyo 2020.
Afghanistan’s athlete profiles:
Amir Ansari
Cycling Road
Amir was born in Iran but grew up in Afghanistan, before he fled in 2015. Since then, Amir has sought refuge in Sweden and trains with the Stockholm Cycling Club. He has participated in national and international championships in time trial and road race competitions as part of the Stockholm CK team and UCI Refugee Team.
Arab Sibghatullah
Judo
Sibghatullah’s journey in Judo began when he was just eight years old in Kunduz province, Afghanistan. His talent earned him a spot on the Afghanistan National Youth Judo team at the age of nineteen. When he left the country, he traveled overland through several countries, including Iran, Türkiye, Greece, Bosnia, and Slovenia, before finally arriving in Germany in November 2022.
Today, as a Refugee Athlete Scholarship-holder, Sibghatullah trains with the 1. Judo-Club in Mönchengladbach, Germany, and dedicates two days per week to training at a training camp in Köln.
His hard work and dedication paid off when he secured 7th place at the European Open Madrid in the summer of 2023. He firmly believes in the importance of consistency and never misses a morning in the gym.
Farzad Mansouri
Taekwondo
Farzad was born in Parwan, Afghanistan. Representing Afghanistan, he won a silver medal at the 2019 Asian Junior Taekwondo Championships in Amman and was the flagbearer for Afghanistan at the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Soon after the Games, Farzad left Afghanistan and today he trains alongside Great Britain (GB) Taekwondo athletes and continues to improve his English. His focus is on performing his best at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Nigara Shaheen
Female judoka
Born in Afghanistan, Nigara is a judoka who competes in the -70kg category. She took up judo when she was 11, living as a refugee in Peshawar, Pakistan, as practicing martial arts was a family tradition.
She has a master’s degree in international trade from the Ural Federal University in Ekaterinburg. Since September 2022, she has been living in Canada, where she studies and trains.
As a member of the IJF Refugee Team, she participated in the Düsseldorf Grand Slam in 2020 and the Kazan Grand Slam in 2021. She was a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team Tokyo 2020 in the individual and mixed team events.
Broadcasting rights
Ariana Television Network (ATN) will officially broadcast this year’s Olympic Games exclusively on Ariana Television.
The games will start on Friday, July 26 and run through to Sunday August 11.
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