Sport
All you need to know about Ariana Snooker Champs, which kicks off tomorrow
Sports lovers across the country will be thrilled to hear that yet another exciting event will be broadcast live by Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) across the country from Tuesday, February 11.
This time it’s the Ariana Snooker Championship.
As part of ATN’s commitment to the development of sport and the sport community in Afghanistan, the tournament will be played in Kabul. The tournament has been organized by ATN, in partnership with Afghanistan Billiards & Snooker Federation.
Sixteen of the country’s top snooker players will battle it out for the title in the week-long event.
The group stage will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday, with four matches each day. All players will then move on to the knockout stage, which will take place on Thursday and Friday this week.
The quarter finals are scheduled for Saturday, February 15, the semi-finals on Sunday. Capping the week off will be the finals, scheduled for Sunday, February 17.
Who is taking part
Among the players to look out for is Saleh Mohammadi, who at 53 years of age, is ranked number 1 in the country.
This right-handed player has been playing competitively since 1990 and has over 50 international tournaments under his belt.
Another heavyweight player to watch will be 35-year-old right hander Naweed Naderi who is ranked 2nd in the country.
At number 3 in the country is Ali Ahmad, who is also in the line up and will play in Match 3 on Tuesday. He is also a right handed player.
Tournament format
The group stage will see players competing in seven frames. The knockout stage and the quarter finals will both be nine frames; the semi-finals 11 frames, and the final will be 13 frames.
Players and Match lineup
ATN will start broadcasting the event live and exclusively from 3pm on Tuesday, Feb. 11 and Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Match 1: Tuesday – M. Saleh Mohammadi vs Sahel Ebrahimi. Match starts just after 3:00pm.
Match 2: Tuesday – M. Iqbal Hasas vs Naweed Naderi. Match starts at 4:25pm.
Match 3: Tuesday – Ali Ahmad vs M. Sadiq Mohammadi. Match starts at 5:35pm
Match 4: Tuesday – M. Rayees Hotak vs Ali Sakhi. Broadcast starts at 6:50pm
Match 5: Wednesday – Zulmai Salamkhil vs Ismail Mohammadi. Match starts at 3:00pm.
Match 6: Wednesday – Ajmal Yousofzai vs Haseebullah Sultani. Match starts at 4:25pm.
Match 7: Wednesday – Mohammad Mir Noorzai vs Ibrahim Mohammadi. Match starts at 5:35pm.
Match 8: Wednesday – Nadir Khan Rohani vs M. Usman Mohammadi. Match starts at 6:50pm.
See table below on viewing options available for fans.
For snooker fans across the country, be sure to follow Ariana Television and Ariana News’ social media platforms for the latest news on this exciting event.
The national buzkashi team of Afghanistan delivered an impressive performance to claim third place at the 2026 World Kokpar Championship in Kazakhstan.
Afghanistan dominated the group stage with commanding victories—thrashing Hungary 14–0, defeating Russia 5–0, and overcoming Mongolia 7–0—to top Group B and advance to the semi-finals.
Despite a strong effort, Afghanistan fell 4–2 to Uzbekistan in the semi-finals. However, the team responded emphatically in the third-place playoff, beating Russia 6–0 to secure the bronze medal.
Alongside their podium finish, Afghanistan was awarded 4,500,000 Kazakh tenge (around 9,400 US dollars) by the International Kokpar Federation, capping off a successful campaign on the global stage.
Ireland cricket officials have announced that they will host Afghanistan for a five-match ODI series from August 5–14.
Other international teams including Australia and England have either cancelled or avoided scheduling bilateral series against Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate regained power in 2021.
“Cricket Ireland has made a decision to play Afghanistan in Belfast this year,” CI chief executive Sarah Keane said on Friday. “I’m not going to fob you off by saying that there’s financial reasons and there’s legal reasons. There aren’t. This has been a decision by Cricket Ireland in what it believes is the best interest of the organisation as a whole, and the decision was made by the board this week.”
Afghanistan’s national buzkashi team was eliminated from the Kokpar World Championship after losing 4–2 to Uzbekistan in the semifinals on Friday.
The defeat prevented the Afghan team from reaching the final, ending their hopes for the tournament title.
Earlier in the tournament, Afghanistan had secured victories over Hungary, Mongolia, and Russia, showcasing strong performances in the opening rounds.
The international Kokpar competition was hosted in the city of Turkistan, Kazakhstan, bringing together top teams from around the world.
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