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Ariana Television’s ‘sporting’ year in review

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For more than a decade, Ariana Television Network (ATN) has faithfully brought global sporting events into the homes of millions of fans in Afghanistan, including the latest triumph - the all exciting FIFA World Cup 2022.

Viewers around the country were treated to a non-stop, exclusive viewing spectacle this past month that spanned a period of almost four weeks - and it was a tournament that contained lots of thrills, spills, upsets and surprise exits.

The final match played this past Sunday between Argentina and France proved however to be the jewel in the crown (or in this case trophy) as, according to commentators, it was without a doubt one of the best World Cup finals ever - and ATN made sure fans across the country got to witness every exciting moment live, in the comfort of their homes.

This year, 2022, was indeed a good year for Ariana TV fans - after ATN scored its own “hat trick” when it secured the exclusive rights to broadcast three major sporting events in the second half of the year.

The first was the Asia Cricket Council’s Asia Cup T20 which was played from August 27 to September 11.

The tournament was hosted by Sri Lanka but held in the UAE – in Dubai and Sharjah - and matches were broadcast live across Afghanistan on Ariana Television.

The second major sporting event that ATN took into the homes of fans was this year’s ICC T20 World Cup, which took place from October 16 to November 13 in Australia.

This was another four week period of world class sport delivered live and exclusive in Afghanistan by ATN.

However, the jewel in the sporting calendar crown ended the year on a high note - the FIFA World Cup 2022, which took place in Qatar between November 20 to December 18.

Afghans love cricket, and they love football, and to have almost three months of live and uninterrupted world class matches brought directly to them resulted in joy, excitement and happiness for millions of fans in the country.

One cricket fan, Khogyani said on Facebook during the T20 World Cup: “Thank you Ariana, my family is so happy that we can watch this cricket.”

Ahmadi, another fan who took to Facebook after Argentina scooped the coveted football trophy also expressed his appreciation and said: “Thank you Ariana. You brought my hero Leo Messi [in]to my home.”

These are just two of millions of grateful fans who have consistently liked and thanked Ariana Television over the past few months. And the good news is that knowing world class tournaments bring so much joy to the nation, ATN hopes to secure the broadcasting rights of more sporting events in 2023.

But, 2022 wasn't the first year such momentous games, matches and tournaments were brought to Afghans by ATN - in fact, Ariana Television has consistently broadcast spectacular events over the years.

In 2014, we brought our viewers FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 and after that came the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio which was followed by FIFA World Cup Russia 2018; then Afghanistan Premier League 2019; then Indian Premier League 2019 and the Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay in 2019.

There was a hiatus in 2020 - globally, in terms of sporting events, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but things picked up in 2021 and ATN broadcast three key events, the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 which were actually held in July 2021; the ICC T20 Men's World Cup 2021 and the Futsal World Cup 2021.

This year, 2022, took a sharp upturn as lockdowns around the pandemic lifted and global sporting events got back on track. For Ariana Television it was indeed a fun-filled year of sport that included the latest FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament; the ICC T20 Men's World Cup 2022; the Asia Cup 2022; Asian Le Mans Series 2022; Winter Olympic Games Beijing 2022 and the ever-popular Indian Premier League 2022.

Going forward however, ATN plans to bring its viewers as many live broadcasts of major sporting events in 2023 as possible - so make sure to watch this space for announcements, and schedules as well as round ups and results.

We will make sure to keep all our fans informed!

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ATN to broadcast Judo Junior Champs and exciting Rallye du Maroc

The Judo championships was held at the Kasri Tennis arena in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

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Ariana Television Network (ATN) will once again bring the latest sporting events into the homes of Afghans around the country when it broadcasts two major events next week.

First up will be the 2024 World Judo Juniors Championships in Dushanbe, which wrapped up recently.

Broadcasts will be aired next week on Ariana Television.

Second up will be next Friday, November 1, when ATN broadcasts the exciting Rallye du Maroc 2024 (Rally Raid Championship).

The Judo championships meanwhile was held at the Kasri Tennis arena in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, recently, as part of the International Judo Federation (IJF) World Tour.

The Head Sport Director of the IJF, Vladimir Barta, praised organizers of the tournament and said: “The organization has been amazing here. Every day when we came to the venue in the morning, it was full, and the crowd was managed very well.

“Regardless of nationality the drummers and cheerleaders in the audience have a great spirit and we hear them break into cheers for Brazil, Uzbekistan, for smaller nations or even for a referee. This spirit is so great to feel,” said Barta.

He also praised Tajikistan as a developing judo country, which won two Olympic medals at the Paris 2024.

Next up, meanwhile, is the thrilling motorsport event - the Rallye du Maroc 2024 (Rally Raid Championship).

Motorsports enthusiasts can tune in next Friday, November 1, to watch Morocco’s thrilling Rally Raid Championship.

Rally raid, which is also known as cross country racing, is a form of long distance off-road racing that takes place over several days.

The length of the event can be as short as 1-3 days for cross-country, to as long as 15 days with marathon rallies like the Dakar Rally.

With skill in navigation being key, the driving skill and endurance of the drivers, co-drivers, and machines are put to the test.

So, for all sports fans across the country, be sure to tune in to Ariana Television for a thrilling week of top-class action.

Also, make sure you check our social media pages regularly for broadcast schedules and up-to-the-minute news.

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ACB names squad for Afghanistan’s ODI series against Bangladesh

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Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) on Tuesday said the National Selection Committee has finalized the squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh next month.

The series will be played from November 6 to 11 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.

Top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran has not been included as he is still recovering from ankle surgery.

The team will also be without the expertise of its frontline spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is still recovering from an injury.

However, talented left-hand top-order batter Sediqullah Atal, with six T20I caps, has been called up to cover for the Zadran.

Atal has impressed with his performances in the domestic season and is currently leading the batting charts in the ongoing ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024.

Noor Ahmad, who missed the three-match ODI series against South Africa, has also been recalled for the Bangladesh ODIs.

The rest of the squad remains the same as that selected for the ODI series last month against South Africa. This lineup led Afghanistan to a 2-1 victory in Sharjah.

In a statement issued Tuesday, ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said: "The calendar year 2024 has been action-packed and quite successful for the ACB and the AfghanAtalan lineup, particularly in white-ball cricket.

“ODI cricket has been a top priority for us, as it helps us prepare the team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.”

He added: “Playing against Bangladesh has always been challenging and full of joy. I believe the group of players selected for this series will perform exceptionally well and bring more glory to our nation.”

ACB Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said: "Ibrahim Zadran is currently undergoing rehabilitation and continues to recover from the surgery he recently had.

“Mujeeb Ur Rahman also remains unavailable due to ongoing treatment. However, Noor Ahmad is back in the squad, and we have included a promising top-order batter in Sediqullah Atal, who has impressed everyone with his consistent top performances."

Afghanistan Squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh is as follows:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.

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Afghanistan A make ACC Emerging Asia Cup semis despite Hong Kong’s win

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Hong Kong left Afghanistan A stunned on Tuesday in their final group match of the ACC T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024, chasing down 132 with three balls to spare at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.

Despite Afghanistan A’s loss, they had already secured a spot in Friday’s semifinals.

The tournament began on October 18 and will run through until October 27 in Muscat, Oman.

Organized by the Asian Cricket Council, the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 involves eight teams, which have been divided into two groups of four teams each.

The tournament is staged in a T20 format for the first time since its inception in 2013.

Group A has Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka A. Hosts Oman, arch-rivals India A, Pakistan A and the United Arab Emirates are clubbed in Group B.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 semi-finals.

The winner of Group A will face the runner-up in Group B in the first semi-final while the top-placed team in Group B will face the second-placed team in Group A in the other semi-final.

The winners of the two semi-finals will lock horns in the final on October 27.

Pakistan A won the previous edition of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup after they defeated India A by 128 runs in the 2023 final in Colombo. Pakistan A also won the tournament previously in 2019.

Meanwhile, India A won the inaugural edition of the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in 2013 while Sri Lanka won the next two editions in 2017 and 2018.

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