84 Afghan athletes taking part in this year’s Asian Games
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s general directorate of physical education and sport said Sunday 84 athletes from Afghanistan are taking part in this year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
The dazzling opening ceremony was held on Saturday. Athletes from 45 Asian countries are taking part.
According to the directorate 84 athletes plus representatives of the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee were also at the ceremony.
The general directorate of physical education and sport said Afghan athletes will be competing in 15 different sports.
In a new development, Esports will make its debut as an official medal event at this year’s Asian Games, with seven gold medals to be awarded across seven game titles: Arena of Valor (Asian Games Version), DOTA 2, Dream of Three Kingdoms 2, League of Legends, Peace Elite (Asian Games Version), Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, and EA Sports FC Online.
Esports kicks off its first competitions on Sunday, September 24 with EA Sports FC Online and Arena of Valor (Asian Games Version) to be the inaugural titles of this historic event.
A total of 476 athletes from 30 National Olympic Committees will compete over nine days, involving 219 matches, with 21 medals to be awarded.
The official draws were conducted for all seven game titles, with Asian Electronic Sports Federation Vice President Lokesh Suji, Sebastian Lau, and the Esports Technical Delegate Steve Kim taking turns drawing countries and regions from the pool.
Esports was a demonstration sport at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia in 2018 and will be a full medal sport for the first time in Hangzhou, where games will be played at the China Hangzhou Esports Centre.
The first medal will be presented on Tuesday, September 26 and then there will be one gold medal on offer for the following six days through to Monday, October 2.
Esports has already been confirmed in the programme for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi/Nagoya in 2026.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said Tuesday that the escalating conflict between Kabul and Islamabad has placed additional strain on Afghanistan’s health system and increased risks to the health and well-being of vulnerable populations.
According to Ghebreyesus, since late February, at least six health facilities in Afghanistan have been affected by the rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
He added that the World Health Organization is working to verify reports of attacks on the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Hospital in Kabul.
He called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and prioritize peace.
Writing on X, he said: “Peace is the best medicine.”
Following Monday night’s attack by Pakistan’s military regime on the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Hospital in Kabul, 408 people were killed and more than 250 others were injured.
Afghanistan national buzkashi team secured a 14–0 victory over Hungary in its opening match of the 2026 International Kokpar Tournament in Kazakhstan.
The city of Turkestan in Kazakhstan is hosting the international Kokpar competition.
The tournament began on March 15 and will continue until March 21, 2026.
Teams from Afghanistan, China, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkey are participating in the competition.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Tuesday that in Afghanistan, civilians are bearing the cost of the ongoing conflict between Kabul and Islamabad.
In a statement, UNAMA said that under international law, all parties to the conflict must respect and protect the sick and wounded, healthcare workers, hospitals, and ambulances.
The organization added that these laws prohibit any attacks on hospitals and ambulances.
According to UNAMA, between 24 February and before 16 March, it has recorded at least 74 civilian deaths and 212 others injured in Afghanistan as a result of the hostilities.
UNAMA once again called for de-escalation and a permanent ceasefire, urging Afghanistan and Pakistan to act in accordance with their obligations under international law and to protect civilians.
Following a Monday night attack by Pakistan’s military regime on the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Hospital in Kabul, at least 400 people were killed and around 250 others were injured.
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