Sport
Futsal fever on the horizon, thanks again to Ariana Television
Ariana Television Network is set to bring yet another exciting sports extravaganza into the homes of millions of loyal viewers; this time the upcoming Afghanistan Futsal Premier League (AFPL) which will start on February 15 and run through to March 9.
The second season of the AFPL will be produced and aired by Ariana Television in partnership with the Afghanistan Football Federation, which is the controlling body of futsal in the country, and games will be broadcast live, including the draw, which will take place on February 7.
This draw takes place at 7pm and will be broadcast live on Ariana Television.
The opening ceremony and the matches will also be broadcast live on February 15 starting at 3pm.
The Afghanistan Futsal Premier League will be held in league format and the player’s auction function will be held on February 7.
For the duration of the league, two matches will be held each day. Broadcasts will start at 3pm and run through to 8pm, and will include previews, the matches of the day and post-match discussions.
Ten teams will participate.
Futsal has become steadily more popular in Afghanistan, which is ranked 24 out of 36 on the Asian Football Confederation’s ranking index.
In January last year, 22 teams participated in the 15-day futsal competition which drew young talent from around the country.
This came on the back of significant developments in the sporting code, which continues to grow in the country.
During last year’s tournament, a number of futsal coaches said the skills of players in the country had improved vastly over the past few years and that tournaments of this nature were of particular importance to players.
For more details make sure to follow Ariana Television’s updates on its social media platforms or here, on Ariana News’ website.
CLICK HERE for the full broadcasting schedule
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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