Sport
Four Afghans included in Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday confirmed the list of athletes who will form the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for the Paris 2024 games – of which four are from Afghanistan.
The four athletes are Amir Ansari, who will participate in the road cycling event; Arab Sibghatullah, in judo; Farzad Mansouri, in taekwondo; and Nigara Shaheen, in judo.
A total of 36 athletes from 11 different countries of origin will form the team. They will compete in 12 different sports: aquatics (swimming), athletics, badminton, boxing, breaking, canoe (slalom and sprint), cycling (road), judo, shooting, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling (freestyle and Greco-Roman).
IOC President Thomas Bach made the announcement during a ceremony at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday (2 May). He said: “We welcome all of you with open arms. You are an enrichment to our Olympic Community, and to our societies.
“With your participation in the Olympic Games, you will demonstrate the human potential of resilience and excellence. This will send a message of hope to the more than 100 million displaced people around the world.”
The IOC Refugee Olympic Team is competing at the Olympic Games for the third time, after previous appearances at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
This year, its chef-de-mission will be Masomah Ali Zada, who competed as a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team Tokyo 2020.
Afghanistan’s athlete profiles:
Amir Ansari
Cycling Road
Amir was born in Iran but grew up in Afghanistan, before he fled in 2015. Since then, Amir has sought refuge in Sweden and trains with the Stockholm Cycling Club. He has participated in national and international championships in time trial and road race competitions as part of the Stockholm CK team and UCI Refugee Team.
Arab Sibghatullah
Judo
Sibghatullah’s journey in Judo began when he was just eight years old in Kunduz province, Afghanistan. His talent earned him a spot on the Afghanistan National Youth Judo team at the age of nineteen. When he left the country, he traveled overland through several countries, including Iran, Türkiye, Greece, Bosnia, and Slovenia, before finally arriving in Germany in November 2022.
Today, as a Refugee Athlete Scholarship-holder, Sibghatullah trains with the 1. Judo-Club in Mönchengladbach, Germany, and dedicates two days per week to training at a training camp in Köln.
His hard work and dedication paid off when he secured 7th place at the European Open Madrid in the summer of 2023. He firmly believes in the importance of consistency and never misses a morning in the gym.
Farzad Mansouri
Taekwondo
Farzad was born in Parwan, Afghanistan. Representing Afghanistan, he won a silver medal at the 2019 Asian Junior Taekwondo Championships in Amman and was the flagbearer for Afghanistan at the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Soon after the Games, Farzad left Afghanistan and today he trains alongside Great Britain (GB) Taekwondo athletes and continues to improve his English. His focus is on performing his best at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Nigara Shaheen
Female judoka
Born in Afghanistan, Nigara is a judoka who competes in the -70kg category. She took up judo when she was 11, living as a refugee in Peshawar, Pakistan, as practicing martial arts was a family tradition.
She has a master’s degree in international trade from the Ural Federal University in Ekaterinburg. Since September 2022, she has been living in Canada, where she studies and trains.
As a member of the IJF Refugee Team, she participated in the Düsseldorf Grand Slam in 2020 and the Kazan Grand Slam in 2021. She was a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team Tokyo 2020 in the individual and mixed team events.
Broadcasting rights
Ariana Television Network (ATN) will officially broadcast this year’s Olympic Games exclusively on Ariana Television.
The games will start on Friday, July 26 and run through to Sunday August 11.
Sport
Afghanistan wins first-ever gold medal at Islamic Solidarity Games
Mohammad Yousuf Jahangir made history on Friday by securing Afghanistan’s first-ever gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh. The Muay Thai fighter claimed the top spot in the 75 kg category after defeating his Turkish opponent, Mohammad Ali, in the final.
A total of 69 Afghan athletes are competing across 13 sporting disciplines at this year’s Games. Afghanistan’s representatives are participating in athletics (2), boxing (2), futsal (14), ju-jitsu (7), karate (3), muay thai (2), swimming (4), table tennis (2), taekwondo (5), volleyball (12), weightlifting (4), wrestling (9), and wushu (3).
This year marks Afghanistan’s largest-ever delegation at the Islamic Solidarity Games, highlighting renewed national efforts to strengthen sports development and expand the country’s presence in international competitions.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) is serving as Afghanistan’s official broadcaster for the Games, allowing fans nationwide to tune in daily and follow the action live.
The Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 officially opened in Riyadh on Friday, November 7, and will run until November 21. Approximately 3,500 athletes from 57 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are competing in 21 sports and two para-sports. The event returns to Saudi Arabia after 20 years, with the inaugural Games having been held there in 2005.
Sport
Excitement builds as ATN gears up for live coverage of Afghanistan Champions League
The Afghanistan Champions League is one of the country’s most prestigious football tournaments, featuring top clubs and elite players from across the provinces. The event aims to elevate the standard of Afghan football, inspire young players, and celebrate national unity through sport.
The countdown has begun! With just nine days left before the kickoff of the Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) Season 5, excitement is growing among football fans across the country.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) has secured exclusive rights to produce, host and broadcast the entire tournament live across Afghanistan, bringing every match, goal, and moment of drama straight to fans’ screens.
This year’s event will kick off on Saturday, November 22 and run for a month.
The draw will meanwhile take place on Sunday evening, November 16, from 7pm Kabul time and will be broadcast and streamed live on Ariana Radio & Television Network (ATN), Ariana News, as well as on Ariana Sport’s YouTube Channel and Facebook Page.
The Afghanistan Champions League is one of the country’s most prestigious football tournaments, featuring top clubs and elite players from across the provinces. The event aims to elevate the standard of Afghan football, inspire young players, and celebrate national unity through sport.
According to organizers, preparations are in full swing for what promises to be a thrilling season. Teams are finalizing their squads, stadiums are being readied, and fans are eagerly awaiting the first whistle. The competition will feature intense matchups, highlighting both established
stars and emerging talents from Afghanistan’s rapidly growing football scene.
An ATN spokesperson said the network is fully prepared to deliver comprehensive live coverage throughout the tournament. “Ariana Television Network is proud to bring the excitement of the Afghanistan Champions League to every corner of the country. Football unites us all, and ATN is committed to showcasing the best of Afghan sport,” the spokesperson said.
The Afghanistan Champions League stands as a symbol of the nation’s resilience and passion for sport — and with only nine days to go, the stage is set for a celebration of skill, teamwork, and national pride, all broadcast live only on Ariana Television.
This year, 10 teams will battle it out for the trophy. The teams are as follows:
- Istiqlal Kabul FC
- Khurasan Faryab FC
- Sorkh Poshan Khafi
- Abu Muslim Farah FC
- Aino Mina FC
- Arman FC
- Sarsabz Yashlar FC
- Jawanan Pirozi
- Sarafan Herat
- Ettifaq Khanzada
Sport
Afghanistan crushes India 93–26 at IWBF Asia Oceania Championships
Afghanistan’s wheelchair basketball team earned its second consecutive victory at the 2025 IWBF Asia Oceania Championships on Monday, defeating India 93–26.
Earlier, Afghanistan had triumphed over New Zealand in their opening match.
The tournament features men’s teams from 14 countries, including Australia, China, Iran, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.
Afghanistan is set to play Iraq next on Tuesday.
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