Sport

Russian, Belarusian athletes barred from Beijing Paralympics

Published

4 years ago

March 3, 2022

Russian and Belarusian athletes were barred from the Winter Paralympics in Beijing on the eve of the Games following threats of boycotts by other teams over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said.

Belarus has been a key staging area for the invasion, which was launched a week ago.

Thursday’s decision comes a day after the IPC gave athletes from the two countries the green light to participate in the March 4-13 Games as neutrals, saying the “athletes were not the aggressors”.

But that led to an outcry and threats from other countries’ National Paralympic Committees (NPC) to boycott the Games, IPC President Andrew Parsons told a news conference in Beijing.

“They told us that if we do not reconsider our decision, it is now likely to have grave consequences for the Winter Games,” Parsons said.

“Multiple NPCs, some of which have been contacted by their governments, teams and athletes, are threatening not to compete.”

Ukraine’s paralympic committee welcomed the decision and thanked the sporting community for rallying around them.

“A fair decision, a decision against a country that started this war,” committee president Valeriy Sushkevych told a news conference.

A 71-member Russian contingent and 12-member team from Belarus are in Beijing.

“Now Russia must leave the Games as soon as possible … we would also like to thank everyone for their support. I have received so many messages in the last few days … it’s time to stop this terrible war,” Sushkevych said.

Officials from the two banned teams were not immediately available for comment.

Parsons said it was clear the situation put his organisation in a “unique and impossible position” so close to the start of the Games, adding that an overwhelming number of members had been in touch and been forthright in their objections to Russia and Belarus taking part.

Parsons said the Russian and Belarusian athletes were victims of the actions of their governments.

“Athlete welfare will always be a priority for us,” he said.

“If Russian and Belarusian athletes stayed in Beijing, nations were likely to withdraw, and a viable Games would not have been possible.

“The atmosphere in the Games village is not pleasant. The situation there is escalating and has now become untenable … The Games are not only about gold, silver and bronze, but also about sending a strong message of inclusion.”

Parsons said the IPC was likely to face legal consequences but was confident that the right decision had been made.

The IPC said earlier in a statement that following a specially convened meeting, its Governing Board has decided not to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part.

The ban got support of the Polish Paralympic Committee, which said it would have been unimaginable for athletes from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus to compete in the same place.

“The decision taken today was in our opinion the only possible one. Russia, with the support of Belarus, has aggressively breached international law and invaded another Paralympic member state and our close neighbour,” the committee said in a statement to Reuters.

“That is why we strongly objected the previous decision of IPC, many nations shared the same opinion and expressed it in their petitions to IPC. We are glad IPC changed their mind.”

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Early medal leaders emerge as Winter Olympics continue in Italy

Published

20 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Ariana News

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games continued to build momentum over the weekend as the early medal race took shape and athletes delivered standout performances across venues in northern Italy.

After the first days of competition, Italy, Japan and Norway sit among the early leaders on the medal table, each with three medals apiece, including one gold, one silver and one bronze. Sweden follows with two medals, while Switzerland, Slovenia, Canada and China have each secured one medal so far.

Host nation Italy provided one of the Games’ early highlights with its first gold medal, sparking celebrations among home supporters and boosting confidence as competition intensifies.

Elsewhere, traditional winter sports powerhouses have begun asserting themselves in disciplines including speed skating, alpine skiing and cross-country skiing, while team sports such as curling and ice hockey are settling into early round-robin play.

Attention now turns to Monday’s schedule, which features another full day of competition and several medal events. Athletes are set to compete across alpine skiing, speed skating, luge, cross-country skiing and figure skating, while preliminary and group-stage action continues in curling and ice hockey.

With qualification battles tightening, results on Monday are expected to further reshape the standings.

As the Winter Games move deeper into their opening week, storylines are rapidly emerging around defending champions, rising stars and nations looking to build early momentum in the medal race.

Ariana Television holds the exclusive rights to broadcast Winter Olympic events across Afghanistan, providing live coverage to viewers nationwide throughout the Games.

Fans are encouraged to follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media pages for updated schedules, programming information, highlights and results as the competition continues in Milan and Cortina.

Sport

Champions League Elite action continues as qualification race tightens

Published

20 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Ariana News

The AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 returns with an action-packed slate of matches today as top Asian clubs continue their battle for qualification in the league stage of the continent’s premier club competition.

With the margin for error narrowing, teams across the region are expected to approach today’s fixtures with urgency as the race toward the knockout rounds intensifies.

Monday’s scheduled matches include:

Al-Wahda vs Al AhliNasaf Qarshi vs Al-ShortaAl Duhail vs SharjahShabab Al-Ahli vs Al Hilal

The fixtures bring together established continental contenders and ambitious challengers, promising a day of tactical contests, attacking football and high-stakes drama as clubs look to strengthen their positions in the standings.

All Champions League Elite matches scheduled for today, February 9, will be broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television, giving fans across Afghanistan and the region full access to Asia’s top club football action.

Fans are encouraged to follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media pages for updated match schedules, kickoff times and programming information, as well as highlights and post-match coverage.

As the road to continental glory continues, today’s Champions League Elite fixtures are expected to deliver another compelling chapter in the 2025/26 season.

Sport

New Zealand cruise past Afghanistan by five wickets in T20 World Cup

Despite the strong batting display, Afghanistan struggled to contain New Zealand’s deep and aggressive batting lineup.

Published

2 days ago

February 8, 2026

Ariana News

New Zealand produced a confident all-round performance to defeat Afghanistan by five wickets, chasing down a target of 183 with 13 balls to spare in their first match of the T20 World Cup in India’s Chennai on Sunday.

Afghanistan, batting first, posted a competitive 182 for 6 from their 20 overs, built around a powerful knock from Gulbadin Naib, who top-scored with 63 off 35 balls. Naib’s innings, laced with clean hitting and smart placement, gave Afghanistan much-needed momentum after a mixed start. Contributions from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (27) and Sediqullah Atal (29) helped steady the innings, while late runs pushed the total beyond the 180 mark.

Despite the strong batting display, Afghanistan struggled to contain New Zealand’s deep and aggressive batting lineup.

New Zealand’s chase was anchored by Tim Seifert, who set the tone at the top with a fluent 65 off 42 balls, attacking both pace and spin with ease. Although early wickets fell, Glenn Phillips swung the match decisively with a blistering 42 off 25 deliveries, keeping the required run rate firmly in check.

The middle order ensured there were no late jitters, with Daryl Mitchell (25 not out) and captain Mitchell Santner (17 not out) calmly guiding the team home in 17.5 overs, finishing at 183 for 5.

Afghanistan’s bowlers found moments of success, particularly Mujeeb Ur Rahman, but were unable to apply sustained pressure as New Zealand consistently found boundaries during key phases of the chase.

Afghanistan will face South Africa in their next match on Wednesday.