Sport
Amid pandemic and protest, Olympics return to a changed China
The Beijing Winter Olympics kick off in a week, putting sports at centre-stage following preparations that have been clouded by diplomatic boycotts and the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced the Games into a tightly sealed bubble.
Beijing will become the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games, and some venues from 2008 will be re-used, including the Bird’s Nest stadium, where the opening ceremony will again be overseen by famed Chinese director Zhang Yimou.
Almost everything else is different.
Where the 2008 Summer Games dazzled in what was a rising China’s arrival on the world stage, the Winter Olympics will be staged by a country that has grown far wealthier, more powerful and, under President Xi Jinping, more authoritarian and increasingly at odds with the West.
In the COVID-19 era, China has isolated itself with a zero-tolerance policy, cancelling nearly all international flights, meaning Olympic athletes and others must fly directly into a Games bubble on charters.
As in 2008, the Olympics have again cast a spotlight on China’s human rights record, which critics say has worsened since then, leading Washington to call Beijing’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims genocide and prompting a diplomatic boycott from the United States and other countries.
China rejects allegations of abuse and has repeatedly lashed out against the politicisation of the Games.
“The 2008 Olympics were a powerful source of soft power for China as it aspired toward global influence. In the past year, China’s reputation has dipped significantly in the western world,” said Rana Mitter, a professor of Chinese history and politics at Oxford University.
“The Chinese Communist Party will be hoping that the Winter Olympics 2022 can do something to reverse this position.”
However, the Games are set to kick off amid rising geopolitical tension, with troops mounted at the Ukraine border by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to be in Beijing, as is U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
In the 23rd match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Arman FC put on a dominant and electrifying display, overpowering Aino Mina 6–0.
In Thursday’s 24th fixture, Khurasan Faryab took on Ettifaq Khanzadah and secured a solid 2–0 victory.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s games, Jawanan Perozi will face Abu Muslim Farah at 10:00 a.m. in the 25th match, while Istiqlal Kabul meets Sarsabz Yashlar at 1:30 p.m. in the 26th encounter.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving fans across the country the opportunity to follow the excitement and energy of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
In the twenty-first match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League on Wednesday, Sorkh Poshan Khafi put on a dominant display, sweeping aside Istiqlal Kabul with an emphatic 6–0 victory.
In Wednesday’s second fixture, Sarafan Herat met Sarsabz Yashlar, with both sides failing to break the deadlock as the match ended in a goalless draw.
The Afghanistan Champions League continues on Thursday with two more games. In the twenty-third match, Aino Mina will take on Arman FC at 10:00 a.m., followed by Ettifaq Khanzadah facing Khorasan Faryab at 1:30 p.m. in the twenty-fourth match.
All ACL fixtures are broadcast live on Ariana Television, allowing fans across the country to stay connected to the excitement throughout the season.
The fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League continued in Kabul on Monday with two competitive and high-energy matches.
In the Match 17 of the tournament, Sorkh Poshan Khafi earned a narrow 3–2 win over Aino Mina.
Aino Mina’s goals were scored by Basir Ahmad Mohammadi and Omid Sahil, while Sorkh Poshan Khafi’s goals came from Farzad Ataie, Khalil Ahmad Ahmadi, and Ali Baset Nazari.
Match 18 saw Khurasan Faryab defeating Sarsabz Yashlar 2–1.
Sarsabz Yashlar’s only goal was scored by Mohammad Nasir Niazi, whereas Hamidullah Barekzai and Enayatullah Kohi secured the win for Khurasan Faryab.
Tomorrow’s Fixtures:
- Abu Muslim Farah vs Arman
- Jawanan Perozi vs Ettifaq Khanzadah
All matches of the Afghanistan Champions League are being broadcast live on Ariana Television, enabling fans from across the country to follow the excitement throughout the season.
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