Afghanistan’s national futsal team lost 3-1 against Iran in their first match in AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2024 Thailand.

This match between the national futsal teams of Afghanistan and Iran was held in the “D” group of this competition in Bangkok, Thailand.

Mehran Ghulami scored the only goal for Afghanistan.

The national futsal players will face Kuwait in their second game next week.

Afghanistan is in the same group as Iran, Bahrain and Kuwait in the Futsal Asian Cup.

The Futsal Asian Cup is also a qualifier for the World Cup for 16. countries.

Sharp glovework by skipper Rishabh Pant and some inspired bowling set up a crushing six-wicket win for Delhi Capitals after Gujarat Titans fell to their IPL lowest of 89 on Wednesday.

Medium-pace bowler Mukesh Kumar stood out with figures of 3-14 to help bundle out Gujarat in 17.3 overs and Delhi raced to their target in 8.5 overs in Ahmedabad.

Delhi, who were without injured David Warner, registered just their third win and second successive of this season to jump three places to sixth in the 10-team table.

Pant, who returned to this year’s IPL after surviving a horror car crash, stood unbeaten on 16 after Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk made a brisk 20.

The 26-year-old Pant, a left-hand batsman, has scored 210 runs, including two half-centuries, in a boost to his chances of a return to the T20 World Cup in June.

“Lots of things to be pleased about,” said man of the match Pant. “We spoke about champion mindset and our team spoke about it.”

On his performance after his recovery, Pant added: “The only thought process before coming to the field is that I wanted to come in a better way, that’s the only thought when I was going through my rehab.

“Each and every match I am loving the process and being on the ground.”

Pant suffered multiple injuries when his Mercedes rammed into a barrier, flipped and caught fire in December 2022. He was hospitalized before being airlifted to Mumbai for further treatment and surgery.

India fast bowler Ishant Sharma dismissed captain Shubman Gill for eight in the second over of the match and Gujarat kept losing wickets to some disciplined bowling.

The fielding remained impressive after Sumit Kumar sent back Sai Sudarshan for 12 with a direct throw at the non-striker’s end.

Pant was nimble behind the stumps and started with a diving catch to dismiss David Miller off Ishant.

The wicketkeeper affected two stumpings when his quick work sent back Abhinav Manohar, for eight, and Shahrukh Khan, for a duck in the space of three balls off South African spinner Tristan Stubbs.

Gujarat slipped to 66-7, but Rashid Khan resisted from one end with his gritty 31 off 24 balls before he fell caught behind with Pant taking a regulation catch behind the stumps.

“Our batting was very average, but it’s important to move on and come back strong,” said Gill. “The wicket was alright, if you see some of the dismissals, it had nothing to do with the pitch.”

Gujarat’s total is the lowest this season in contrast to some big scores including two record highs of 277 and then 287 by Sunrisers Hyderabad. – AFP

Ariana Television Network (ATN) is thrilled to announce it has secured a deal to officially broadcast one of the world’s greatest sporting events – this year’s Olympic Games.

ATN will broadcast the Paris 2024 Olympics officially and exclusively on Ariana Television.

The games will start on Friday, July 26 and run through to Sunday August 11.

This latest announcement comes amid ATN’s continued efforts to secure broadcasting agreements with international sporting organizations in order to bring world-class events to the people of Afghanistan.

Over the past few years, Ariana Television has broadcast countless sporting events, from cricket to football, futsal and of the Olympics.

Tokyo Games 2020 was broadcast exclusively by Ariana Television, as was the Beijing Winter Games in 2022. Rio Games in 2016 was also broadcast exclusively by Ariana Television.

With just over three months to go before this year’s games begin, official processes are already underway and on Tuesday, Olympic officials stressed that the Paris Games will set new milestones and that “these Olympic Games will be younger, more inclusive, more urban, more sustainable.
“These will be the very first Olympic Games with full gender parity, because the IOC allocated exactly 50 percent of the places to female and male athletes,” International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.

Paris Olympics chief organizer Tony Estanguet noted that women took part for the first time in the Paris 1900 Games.

The sacred flame for the Paris 2024 Olympics was meanwhile lit Tuesday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises.

Speaking at the ceremony, Bach said: “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even – and in particular – during times of war and conflict.”

“Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message: yes, it is possible to compete fiercely against each other and at the same time live peacefully together under one roof,” he said.

An 11-day relay on Greek soil is now underway and some 600 torchbearers will carry the flame over a distance of 5,000 kilometers through 41 municipalities.

The Olympic flame will be handed over to Paris 2024 organizers in a ceremony at the all-marble Panathenaic Stadium, site of the first modern Olympic Games of 1896, on April 26.

On April 27, the flame will begin its journey to France on board the 19th-century three-masted barque Belem, which was launched just weeks after the Athens 1896 Games.

France’s last surviving three-mast steel-hulled boat is expected to arrive in Marseille on May 8.

Ten thousand torchbearers will then carry the flame across 64 French territories.

It will travel through 400 towns and dozens of tourist attractions during its 12,000-kilometer journey through mainland France and overseas French territories in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific.

On July 26 it will form the centerpiece of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Olympic Updates

Ariana News will be sure to keep all fans updated on news and broadcasting schedules around the Paris Olympics so be sure to watch this space for all the information you need.