Sport

It’s a wrap: Paris Olympics hands flag to 2028 host city LA

The next Summer Olympics will be in 2028 and will be hosted by Los Angeles

Published

9 months ago

August 12, 2024

The Olympic flame was officially extinguished during an elaborate closing ceremony Sunday, officially ending the 2024 Paris Games as Los Angeles takes over for 2028.

Setting out to prove that topping Paris isn’t mission impossible, Los Angeles rolled out a skydiving Tom Cruise, Grammy winner Billie Eilish and other stars on Sunday as it took over Olympic hosting duties from the French capital, which closed out its 2024 Games just as they started — with joy and panache, AP reported.

Capping two and a half extraordinary weeks of Olympic sports and emotion, Paris’ boisterous, star-studded closing ceremony in France’s national stadium mixed unbridled celebration with a somber call for peace from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.

At what will be his last Games after announcing his intention to step down next year, Bach made a somber appeal for ”a culture of peace” in a war-torn world.

Bach, the 1976 fencing Olympic champion, said in his closing speech: “Despite all the tensions in our world, you came here from all 206 national Olympic committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, to make the City of Light shine brighter than ever before.

Thomas Bach appeals for ”a culture of peace” in a war-torn world

“Your performances were amazing. You competed fiercely against each other. Every contest on the edge of perfection. Every performance sparking excitement around the world. You showed us what greatness we humans are capable of.

“The Olympic Games Paris 2024 were a celebration of the athletes and of sport at its best.

“The first Olympic Games delivered completely under our Olympic Agenda reforms: younger, more urban, more inclusive, more sustainable. The first Olympic Games with full gender parity.

“These were sensational Olympic Games from start to finish – or dare I say: Seine-sational Games.”

The next Summer Olympics will be in 2028 and will be hosted by Los Angeles – for the third time.

But things will be slightly different for the next Games as the IOC has green-lighted several new (and old) sports for 2028 and subtracted another from the program list that was featured in Paris.

Gymnastics, as well as other mainstream international events — such as athletics, aquatics, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, cycling and fencing — will of course be part of the 2028 Olympics.

Flag football is a variant of gridiron football where, instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier

Flag football and squash have been approved as first-time additions in Los Angeles, while baseball, softball, lacrosse and cricket will be added after various lengths of absence.

Lacrosse has not been an Olympic sport since 1908.

Lacrosse will feature six-on-six tournaments, and medals will be awarded for the first time in 120 years.

Cricket was contested once, in Paris in 1900.

Break-dancing and perhaps boxing will be out. Formerly optional sports skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing will transition to permanent events in 2028, the IOC said.

Forbes reported that the proposed budget for the 2028 Games is $6.8 billion, according to chairman Casey Wasserman, and will be completely funded by the private sector.

The IOC said that flag football will feature men’s and women’s medal competitions, with the teams playing five-on-five on a 45-meter field.

The World Squash Federation has meanwhile tried for years to introduce the sport into the Games. They have been given the green-light for Los Angeles.

The World Squash Federation has tried for years to introduce the sport into the Games

Both sports are considered optional and may not continue at the 2023 Brisbane Games.

Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse, Cricket Are Back

Baseball was added as a permanent sport in the 1992 Barcelona Games and was dropped after 2008 before making a one-time return in Tokyo in 2020.

Softball meanwhile has been on the Olympic card five times, most recently in 2020, when host country Japan won its second consecutive gold medal. The US won the first three times.

It will be an optional sport in Los Angeles, although the competition will be held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which is the site of the NCAA Women’s College World Series.

Lacrosse will feature six-on-six tournaments, and medals will be awarded for the first time in 120 years. Canada has won the only two gold medals, in 1904 and 1908. Its B team took the bronze in 1904, and the sport was dropped after Canada and Great Britain were the only competitors in 1908.

Great Britain is the only previous cricket gold medalist, having won in the 1900 Paris Games. Great Britain and France were the only sides to compete.

Boxing meanwhile has not been cleared for Los Angeles. The IOC has stripped recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA) for what it said was a failure to address finance and governance reforms, and the IBA has not been involved in the last two Olympic Games.

The IOC has delayed until 2025 a decision on whether to include the sport, pending the formation of a new governing body. Boxing was introduced in 1904 and has been part of the medal program since 1920.

The purported sport of break-dancing — “breaking” — threatens to be a one-hit wonder after being introduced in Paris.

Breaking is not on the schedule for the Los Angeles Games, and leaders of the sport fear funding issues will prevent reinstatement in Brisbane.

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Fans thrilled to hear FIFA Club World Cup will be broadcast live by ATN

One fan said it “will feel like the world’s biggest stage is right in my living room — pure joy, pure passion, pure football!”

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2025

Ariana News

Last Updated on: May 16, 2025

Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) is excited to announce that it has secured the rights to broadcast yet another international sporting event in Afghanistan – this time the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

Matches will be broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television for football fans across Afghanistan.

This electrifying tournament is definitely not one to miss and with just 30 days to go before it kicks off excitement is growing around the world.

ATN has a long-standing partnership with FIFA, among other key sports bodies. Securing the rights to broadcast the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup is in line with ATN’s commitment to bringing international sporting events into the homes of all Afghans across the country.

Launched in 2005, ATN is a private television network based in Kabul, Afghanistan and offers coverage in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Football fans in Afghanistan meanwhile welcomed the news on Thursday that they will be able to watch matches live on Ariana Television.

One football fan from Kabul, Sayed, thanked ATN for its action-packed sporting schedule on Ariana Television.

He said, “This is great news. We enjoy these international sporting events so much and now, after the IPL, we have the Club World Cup to look forward to.”

Another football fan from Kabul, Saboor, also welcomed the news. “The day I can watch the FIFA Club World Cup on Ariana TV in Afghanistan will be unforgettable. The cheers, the flags, the pride of seeing the world’s best clubs right from my home. “It will feel like the whole world of football has come closer, and for a moment, everything will be about joy, unity, and the love of the game!”

Ahmad, another fan from Kabul, was just as excited about getting the news. He said being able to watch the FIFA Club World Cup on Ariana Television “will feel like the world’s biggest stage is right in my living room — pure joy, pure passion, pure football.”

This global tournament, which will see 32 of the world’s best football clubs battle it out for top place, kicks off on Saturday, June 14, in Miami, in the United States.

A total of 12 venues will be used to host the 63 matches, which will be played across the United States. The final will be at the MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey on July 13.

The club sides are from each of the six international confederations: AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA.

List of qualified teams for 2025 Club World Cup

Europe

Manchester City
Real Madrid
Chelsea
Bayern Munich
Paris Saint-Germain
Inter Milan
Porto
Benfica
Borussia Dortmund
Juventus
Red Ball Salzburg
Atletico Madrid

Oceania

Auckland City

South America

Palmeiras
Flamengo
Fluminense
River Plate
Boca Juniors
Botafogo (Copa Libertadores winner)

North America

Monterrey
Seattle Sounders
Pachuca
Inter Miami (host nation slot)

A replacement to be announced in due course after Club Leon were removed from the tournament after failing to meet criteria on multi-club ownership.

Africa

Al Ahly
Wydad
Esperance de Tunis
Mamelodi Sundowns

Asia

Al Hilal
Urawa Red Diamonds
Al Ain
Ulsan HD

When is the Club World Cup draw?

The draw for the 2025 Club World Cup took place on December 5, 2024.

Club World Cup draw in full

Group A: Palmeiras (Brz), Porto (Por), Al Ahly (Egy), Inter Miami (USA)
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (Fra), Atletico Madrid (Esp), Botafogo (Brz), Seattle Sounders (USA)
Group C: Bayern Munich (Ger), Benfica (Por), Boca Juniors (Arg), Auckland City (Nzl)
Group D: Flamengo (Brz), Chelsea (Eng), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tun), Club Leon removed from competition, replacement TBC
Group E: River Plate (Arg), Inter Milan (Ita), CF Monterrey (Mex), Urawa Red Diamonds (Jpn)
Group F: Fluminense (Brz), Borussia Dortmund (Ger), Ulsan HD (Kor), Mamelodi Sundowns (Rsa)
Group G: Man City (Eng), Juventus (Ita), Wydad AC (Mor), Al Ain (UAE)
Group H: Real Madrid (Esp), FC Salzburg (Aut), Al Hilal (Rsa), CF Pachuca (Mex)

Afghan Fan Zone

Fans across Afghanistan can stay up-to-date on news, information and schedules by following Ariana News and Ariana Television’s websites and social media pages.

Sport

FIFA OKs creation of Afghanistan women’s refugee team

Published

1 week ago

May 10, 2025

Ariana News

FIFA has approved the creation of an Afghanistan women’s refugee team that will compete in matches overseen by the world governing body.

According to FIFA, the team — composed of female players of Afghan nationality who obtained refugee status abroad — would first operate under a one-year pilot phase, which will help the organization determine the long-term viability of the program, Reuters reported.

The FIFA Council must approve the team’s establishment. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, called the approval a “landmark” moment, adding that “FIFA is committed to giving every girl the possibility to play football.”

FIFA regulations require teams to receive recognition by a national federation in order to compete. The Afghan Football Federation, however, has not acknowledged its women’s teams, in fact banning all women’s sports across the country.

Afghanistan has not had a women’s side compete in an official match since 2018.

Sport

India suspends Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament

Published

1 week ago

May 9, 2025

Ariana News

India’s cricket board has suspended the money-spinning Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tournament amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, Reuters reported on Friday.

Thursday’s IPL match was abandoned midway after fighting began in India’s border regions, but the cricket board attributed the disruption to a power failure at the stadium in the hill city of Dharamsala.

The world’s richest cricket tournament began its current season on March 22, and the final fixture was scheduled to be played on May 25, with matches being spread over 13 venues across the country.

The nuclear-armed neighbours have been locked in conflict since Wednesday, when India targeted multiple locations in Pakistan, claiming they were “terrorist infrastructure” in response to a deadly attack in Kashmir last month.

New Delhi named two Pakistani nationals as suspects and accused Islamabad of being involved in the attack, a charge Pakistan denied and sought an independent probe.

India’s army said Pakistan’s armed forces carried out “multiple attacks” using drones and other munitions across the entire western border on Thursday night and early Friday, a claim Pakistan denied.