Sport
Messages of congratulations pour in for Taha Eshaqi after historic win at Wushu Championships
Mohammad Taha Eshaqi, who captured Afghanistan’s first-ever gold medal at the Asian Junior and Youth Wushu Championships, delivered a landmark victory for the country and sparked a wave of praise and a hero’s welcome from government officials.
Competing in the Taolu category in Shanghai, Eshaqi delivered a masterful performance in the Tai Chi Jian event, earning top marks from international judges. He also claimed silver in the Tai Chi Quan discipline, making him one of the top athletes of the tournament.
The championships, which ran from July 23 to 30, featured competitors from across Asia, including top-tier martial artists from China, Iran, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Eshaqi’s breakthrough victory has not only placed Afghanistan on the Asian wushu map but also inspired a flood of congratulations from across the country and abroad.
Messages of congratulations have poured in from sports federations, public figures, and ordinary Afghans. On social media, hashtags celebrating his victory appeared among Afghan users and wushu fans around the world – many praising his discipline, humility, and patriotism.
“This is a moment of immense pride for our country,” said an official from Afghanistan’s Wushu Federation. “Eshaqi’s dedication and perseverance in the face of countless obstacles show what Afghan youth are capable of achieving.”
“Mohammad Taha Eshaqi has not only won medals—he has won the hearts of a nation,” one Kabul-based youth group posted on X.
“In him, we see the future of Afghan sports.”
On their arrival home this weekend, Eshaqi and his fellow wushu athletes were treated to a hero’s welcome by senior officials from the sports directorate, including Hafez Ahmad Jan Zadran, technical deputy head of Afghanistan’s sports directorate, and Dad Mohammad Payanda Akhtari, head of Olympic affairs at the directorate.
Afghanistan’s delegation to the championships included six athletes and two federation officials.
In addition to Eshaqi’s gold and silver, Ahmad Nawid Akbari earned a bronze medal in the Sanda 52 kg category, defeating a Turkmen opponent. The three-medal haul marked Afghanistan’s strongest-ever performance at a continental Wushu event.
Though Eshaqi currently resides and trains in Iran, he competed under the Afghan flag, and his wins have taken on symbolic significance for a nation that has faced years of hardship and limited access to international competition.
Athletes, coaches, and civic leaders have called on Afghan authorities and donors to invest in young talent like Eshaqi, who many now see as a role model for aspiring athletes in martial arts and beyond.
The Afghanistan national futsal team was eliminated from the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup in Indonesia after suffering a 6–0 defeat to Japan in their fourth match of the tournament.
This encounter marked Afghanistan’s quarter-final clash in the competition.
Despite strong effort and determination, the Lions of Khurasan were unable to find the back of the net in the first half, which ended 1–0 in Japan’s favor.
In the second half, Afghanistan controlled possession for long periods and showed improved rhythm, but they still could not break through Japan’s solid defense.
Japan ultimately dominated the match, scoring six goals in succession against Afghanistan.
Earlier in the tournament, Afghanistan had been defeated by Iran 5–2 in their third match.
However, the team had started the competition strongly, winning their first two games, 3–0 against Saudi Arabia and 7–0 against Malaysia.
All remaining matches of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 are being broadcast live on Ariana Television across Afghanistan.
Afghanistan delivered a dominant performance against Scotland in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match on Monday, registering a comprehensive 184/6 in 20 overs and restricting their opponents to 123 all out in 19.3 overs.
After winning the toss in Bengaluru, Afghanistan elected to bat. Darwish Rasooli starred with 84 runs off just 46 balls, supported by Ibrahim Zadran (36) and Mohammad Nabi (34), helping Afghanistan post a competitive total. The team scored at a healthy rate of 9.20 runs per over, with extras contributing 8 runs.
Scotland struggled in reply, losing wickets at regular intervals. Azmatullah Omarzai was particularly effective, claiming 3 crucial wickets, while Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gulbadin Naib, and Ziaur Rahman shared the spoils to keep Scotland under pressure. The visitors were bowled out for 123, falling 61 runs short of the target, with only Matthew Cross (21) and Michael Jones (21) showing resistance.
Afghanistan’s win highlights their strong batting depth and disciplined bowling, sending a clear message ahead of the main tournament.
Afghanistan will face West Indies in their next warm-up game on Wednesday.
Sport
Afghanistan in new kit for T20 World Cup warm-up against Scotland
As part of their preparations for the global tournament, the Afghan squad is also scheduled to play a second practice match on February 4 at the same venue.
Afghanistan’s national cricket team will face Scotland today (Monday) in their first warm-up match ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed.
The team, which arrived in India two days ago, will be decked out in their new kit. According to ACB, “it’s New threads; New Colors; but Same pride”.
The match meanwhile will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Ground 1, in Bengaluru, India, with the first ball scheduled for 2:00 pm local time, according to a statement published on the ACB’s official Facebook page.
As part of their preparations for the global tournament, the Afghan squad is also scheduled to play a second practice match on February 4 at the same venue.
The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will officially begin on February 7, with Pakistan taking on the Netherlands in the opening match in Colombo.
Afghanistan will start their campaign a day later, facing New Zealand on February 8 in Chennai.
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