The Afghanistan women’s refugee football team, known as Afghan Women United, has been granted eligibility to compete in official international competitions following a landmark decision by FIFA.

The decision, announced Wednesday, opens the door to future participation in events such as qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The decision was approved by the FIFA Council at a meeting in Vancouver, Canada, where members voted to amend regulations allowing recognition of refugee-based representative teams under exceptional circumstances.

The move comes nearly five years after the players fled Afghanistan following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021 and the subsequent ban on women’s sport.

Under the new ruling, Afghan Women United will be formally recognised by FIFA as Afghanistan’s women’s representative team and may now participate in international tournaments in coordination with FIFA and relevant confederations.

While the team will not be able to enter qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, officials confirmed they could be eligible for the Olympic qualification cycle leading to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the decision as part of a broader effort to ensure players are not excluded due to circumstances beyond their control.

“We are proud of the journey initiated by Afghan Women United,” he said, adding that the initiative could serve as a model for other cases where national teams are unable to participate.

The breakthrough follows years of campaigning by players, former captain and activist Khalida Popal, and human rights organisations. Popal said the decision marked a turning point after years of uncertainty for Afghan women footballers.

“For five years we were told the Afghanistan women’s national team could never compete again,” she said. “This decision changes that future not only for us, but for others who should never have to face the same exclusion.”

More than 80 Afghan women players are currently based across Australia, Europe and the United States. The squad has held recent training camps in England and Australia and is coached by Pauline Hamill.

The team is expected to play friendly matches during the upcoming international window in June, with opponents yet to be confirmed.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) served up a thrilling Sunday double-header, with Gujarat Titans producing a dominant victory over Chennai Super Kings before Kolkata Knight Riders edged Lucknow Super Giants in a dramatic Super Over finish.

In the opening match of the day, Gujarat Titans produced a clinical all-round performance to defeat Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

After winning the toss, Gujarat captain Shubman Gill elected to field first, and the decision paid immediate dividends as the Titans bowlers kept the hosts under pressure throughout the innings.

Chennai found stability through skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who anchored the innings with an unbeaten 74 off 60 balls. Late hitting from Jamie Overton, who struck 18 from just six deliveries, helped lift CSK to 158/7 from their 20 overs.

The innings also featured a major milestone for Sanju Samson, who became the fastest Indian batter to reach 5,000 IPL runs.

However, Gujarat pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada starred with the ball, claiming 3/25 in a superb spell.

In reply, Gujarat’s openers made an aggressive start, racing to 55 without loss in the Powerplay. Gill scored 33 before being stumped off Noor Ahmad, but Chennai’s brief hope quickly disappeared.

Sai Sudharsan then took complete control with a magnificent 87 off just 46 balls, striking boundaries all around the ground. He shared a decisive 97-run stand with Jos Buttler, who remained unbeaten on 39, as Gujarat reached 162/2 in 16.4 overs.

Player of the Match: Kagiso Rabada for his figures of 3/25.

Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders

The evening contest in Lucknow delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the season as Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Lucknow Super Giants in a Super Over.

Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant chose to bowl first and saw paceman Mohsin Khan produce a sensational spell.

The left-armer ripped through Kolkata’s top order, dismissing Tim Seifert, Ajinkya Rahane and Rovman Powell before later removing Cameron Green and Anukul Roy.

His superb figures of 5/23 left KKR struggling at 93/7 in the 15th over.

But Rinku Singh then produced a remarkable rescue act. Calm under pressure before exploding at the death, Rinku smashed four sixes in the final over and finished unbeaten on a stunning 83 from 51 balls, lifting Kolkata to 155/7.

Lucknow’s reply was led by Pant’s 42, with Aiden Markram contributing 31 and Ayush Badoni adding 24. Kolkata’s bowlers kept striking at vital moments, with Vaibhav Arora taking 2/24 and Varun Chakaravarthy claiming 2/33.

The drama peaked on the final ball when Lucknow needed seven runs to win. Mohammed Shami launched a sensational six over long-off to tie the scores at 155/8 and force a Super Over.

Kolkata dominated the tie-breaker.

Sunil Narine bowled a superb Super Over, dismissing Nicholas Pooran with the first ball before Markram also fell. Lucknow managed just one run.

Needing only two to win, Rinku Singh smashed the first delivery of the chase to the boundary to seal a memorable victory.

Player of the Match: Rinku Singh for his unbeaten 83 and outstanding fielding display.

Attention now turns to today’s clash as Delhi Capitals take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in another crucial contest in the race for the playoffs.

The match will be broadcast live across Afghanistan on Ariana Television.

An international traditional wrestling festival hosted by Afghanistan has concluded in Kabul after three days of competition involving athletes from seven countries.

The event brought together 160 athletes from Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey, along with Afghan competitors, competing across multiple weight categories.

The tournament featured three disciplines: Kurash, Rustami wrestling, and Kushtingiri, showcasing a mix of regional traditional combat sports.

In the Kurash category, Uzbekistan secured first place, Tajikistan came second, and Afghanistan finished third.

In Rustami wrestling, Afghanistan achieved first place, followed by Uzbekistan in second and Tajikistan in third.

In Kushtingiri, Tajikistan took first place, Uzbekistan placed second, and Afghanistan finished third.

Officials said the results highlight strong regional competition and growing cooperation among participating countries through traditional sports, as Afghanistan continues efforts to promote cultural and athletic exchange in the region.