Sport
Afghanistan appoints Indians to cricket coaching staff
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Monday announced that it has appointed Mandeep Singh as physiotherapist and Rajesh Chauhan as strength and conditioning trainer to serve in its High-Performance Center.
The High-Performance Center (HPC) was recently placed in the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s revamped organizational structure which provides a range of high-performance services across coaching, training, capacity-building programs, medical services and high-performance management, ACB said.
Mandeep Singh has a Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy from CMJ University in India and has worked in Biomechanics, Exercise Therapy, Electric Therapy, Orthopedics, and Ergonomics for over 13 years. He worked as a Junior and Senior Physiotherapist in physiotherapy clinics in 2013 and 2014, and he was the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association’s Team Physiotherapist in 2014, where he assisted players in recognizing physical problems and revising and developing treatment programs.
Rajesh Chauhan, on the other hand, has a Bachelor’s degree in Strength and Conditioning from Setanta College in Ireland, as well as multiple certificates and licenses from various known organizations, including Level 1 & Level 2 Licenses from the Australian Strength & Conditioning Association (ASCA), a Level 3 License (Reps Level 3), a Level O Training Certificate from BCCI, a Personal Trainer Certificate from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), and a Personal Trainer Certificate from the National Academy.
In addition, he is currently serving the Malaysia Cricket Association as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach from June 2021 till the present and has experience in working as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and Player management coach with the Singapore Cricket Association from (Feb-June 2020), Head Strength and Conditioning Coach with Kerala Cricket Association (June 2017-Jan 2020), India Blue in Duleep Trophy (Aug 2018), Rajasthan Royals (2018), Cricket Association of Nepal (June 2016 – April 2017) and worked as the same with Zimbabwe Cricket in 2015.
ACB said that the new recruitments will allow it to give significant player development programs to its centrally and domestic contracted cricketers while also ensuring that no other players are taken abroad for injury treatment, allowing the organization to save money and conserve expenditures.
Sport
Omar Zawak thrash Istiqlal Kabul 5-1 in ACL
Omar Zawak secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Istiqlal Kabul in the 80th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan, delivering an impressive attacking performance.
The match was played in Kabul on Tuesday. Both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the first half, which ended goalless.
However, Omar Zawak stepped up their attacking efforts in the second half, scoring five goals to take control of the match. Istiqlal Kabul managed to score just once as Omar Zawak sealed a convincing 5-1 victory.
Omar Zawak will face Ariana Khost in their next match on November 12, while Istiqlal Kabul will take on Aino Mina Kandahar on the same day.
All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sport
First Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe ends in a draw
Zimbabwe produced a remarkable batting display to secure a draw against Afghanistan in the first Test in Sharjah, with Craig Ervine and Wessly Madhevere scoring unbeaten centuries on the final day.
Resuming the fifth and final day at 164/3, Zimbabwe finished on 523/5 in their second innings, following their first-innings total of 504. This marked the first time in Test cricket history that a team has scored more than 500 runs in both innings of a match.
Craig Ervine remained unbeaten on 206, while Madhevere scored 100 not out, as the pair frustrated Afghanistan’s bowlers throughout the day.
Ervine, aged 41 years and 82 days, became the third-oldest player to score a double century in Test cricket.
Afghanistan had posted 514 in their first innings. Afghanistan needed early wickets to put pressure on the hosts, but Zimbabwe’s batters showed patience and discipline on a pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers.
Brian Bennett scored a half-century before Mohammad Saleem dismissed him, while debutant Antum Naqvi contributed 61 runs. Naqvi and Ervine shared a 140-run partnership before Abdul Malik broke the stand.
However, Madhevere joined Ervine and the pair put together an unbeaten 208-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the highest for that wicket in Zimbabwe’s Test history. Madhevere also registered his maiden Test century during the partnership.
The result leaves the two sides level heading into the second and final Test, which is scheduled to begin in Sharjah on November 13.
Sport
Portugal beat Afghanistan 2-0 in Dakar Youth Olympics futsal semi-finals
Afghanistan’s Under-18 futsal team missed out on a place in the gold medal match at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Portugal in the semi-finals on Monday.
Portugal took the lead through Joao Carvalho, who capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Afghanistan’s Ahmad Esmaeili to score into an unguarded net from inside his own half.
Diego Ferreira doubled Portugal’s advantage before half-time, putting the European side firmly in control of the match.
Afghanistan pushed hard to get back into the game in the second half, creating several opportunities to reduce the deficit. However, they were unable to find the net, with Portugal goalkeeper Bernardo Borges making several important saves.
The victory sends Portugal into the gold medal match, while Afghanistan will now compete for the bronze medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
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