Sport
Simon Taufel, Aleem Dar to lead ILT20 Season 2 match officials panel
Two of the most respected umpires in cricket history Simon Taufel and Aleem Dar will spearhead this year’s ILT20 which gets underway at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Both Taufel and Dar will be the on-field umpires for the tournament opener between defending champions Gulf Giants and Sharjah Warriors which will start at 7pm Kabul time.
This match will be broadcast live on Ariana Television, with the pre-match program starting at 6pm.
Besides Taufel and Dar, the ILT20 Season 2 match official panel includes some of the most prominent umpires and match referees who are actively involved in all three international cricket formats.
South Africa’s Adrain Holdstock and Australia’s Rod Tucker – both from ICC Elite Panel, Sri Lanka’s Ruchira Palliyaguruge, England’s Martin Saggers, Australia’s Paul Wilson and Leslie Reifer of West Indies will be umpiring the 34-match tournament.
Roshan Mahanama, Steve Bernard and Taufel will be the match referees – Taufel will join the match referees panel after umpiring the opener.
The Gulf region’s biggest T20 extravaganza, that holds a distinction of being the second-highest watched T20 league around the world, promises yet another blockbuster Season between 19th January and 17th February, and the organizers have ensured the league is played under the watchful eyes of globally-acclaimed umpires.
While Australia’s Taufel was also part of the ILT20 Season 1 match official panel, Aleem Dar – record holder for most Tests and ODIs as on field umpire (145 and 231) makes his maiden ILT20 appearance.
Speaking ahead of the start of the much-anticipated tournament, Simon Taufel said: “I am very excited to return to the UAE for DP World ILT20’s Season 2. It was a great experience to lead the match officials panel last year and closely interact with some of the upcoming UAE ICC International Panel umpires.
“The DP World ILT20 is certainly a fine platform for young players. We are also incorporating two specialized TV umpires for the first time to improve accuracy and time efficiency – Paul Wilson from Australia and Leslie Reifer from West Indies.”
Aleem Dar also expressed his excitement at being part of this year’s tournament. He said: “I am eager and excited to be part of the DP World ILT20 which has emerged as one of the leading T20 leagues globally.
“The tournament provides a unique opportunity for players, particularly from the UAE to shine on an international stage and rub shoulders with some of the most reputed players in the world. I am delighted to be part of the match officials panel this year and look forward to a great season.”
The ILT20 Season 2 meanwhile features some of the greatest stars in the game including Australia’s World Cup hero David Warner, Andre Russell, David Willey, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Alex Hales, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Jordan, Trent Boult, Nicholas Pooran, Chris Woakes and Maheesh Theekshana.
More than 100 international and 25 UAE players will feature in the tournament.
The month-long League will be held in iconic venues in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai with the Final scheduled to be played on 17th February at the famed ‘Ring of Fire’ Dubai International Stadium.
Match schedule
Ariana Television Network has once again secured live and exclusive rights to broadcast this exciting tournament in Afghanistan.
Friday’s opening match will start at 7pm Kabul time, but tune in live on Ariana Television from 6pm for the pre-match program.
Sport
ACL: Sorkh Poshan Khafi maintain top spot after fourth straight win
Sorkh Poshan Khafi maintained their position at the top of the Afghanistan Champions League Season 6 standings on Tuesday after defeating defending champions Abu Muslim Farah 2–0 in Kabul.
The victory means Sorkh Poshan Khafi have now won all four of their matches, taking their tally to 12 points and keeping them at the top of the points table.
The match was the second Afghanistan Champions League fixture played in Kabul on Tuesday and proved to be a physical contest, with five yellow cards shown as both sides battled for control.
Sorkh Poshan Khafi eventually broke through to take the lead and added a second goal to secure a convincing 2–0 victory and another clean sheet.
Yar Mohammad Zakarkhil was named Man of the Match for Sorkh Poshan Khafi following his performance.
For Abu Muslim Farah, the result is a setback for the defending champions, who were looking to build momentum in their title defence. The Farah-based side now face the challenge of recovering points as the league campaign continues.
Sorkh Poshan Khafi, meanwhile, remain unbeaten and have maximum points from their opening four matches, putting them firmly at the top of the standings at this stage of the competition.
The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League Roshan features 10 clubs and runs until November 21.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) is broadcasting all Afghanistan Champions League matches live and exclusively in Afghanistan. Fans can follow ATN’s social media platforms for match schedules, results and tournament updates.
Sport
Omar Zawak edge Arman FC 4–2 in dramatic Afghanistan Champions League clash
Omar Zawak Herat and Arman FC faced each other in the 18th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan on Tuesday at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium in Kabul. The high-scoring and entertaining match ended 4–2 in favor of Omar Zawak Herat.
The two teams started the match with a close contest, with no goals scored during the opening eight minutes. In the ninth minute, Omar Zawak captain Samir Samandari opened the scoring with a spectacular long-range strike.
Omar Zawak continued to press ahead in the second half, and in the 78th minute, Shadab Malekzadah doubled his side’s lead after receiving a well-delivered pass from a teammate.
Arman FC responded by increasing the pressure on their opponents and pulled a goal back in the 84th minute through a free kick. Omar Ceela scored for Arman FC.
The excitement increased in the closing stages, as Esmatullah Hadafmand scored Arman FC’s second goal in stoppage time, reducing the deficit to one goal.
However, Omar Zawak restored their advantage soon after. Captain Samir Samandari scored his second goal of the match in stoppage time, before Shadab Malekzadah added another to complete the 4–2 victory for Omar Zawak Herat.
Arman FC will face Aino Mina in their next match on September 25, while Omar Zawak Herat will take on Toofan Herat on September 26.
Matches from the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League are being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Afghan boxing referee heads to China for international festival
Khyber Sultani, an Afghan national and international boxing referee, has traveled to China to officiate at the 9th International Boxing Festival.
According to Afghanistan’s General Directorate of Physical Education and Sports, Soltani was sent to Xinjiang by the International Boxing Federation in coordination with the country’s Olympic and sports authorities.
The tournament, hosted in China, will run from September 21 to September 30.
Ahead of the competition, Afghanistan’s national boxing team, which had already arrived in China, completed a two-day training camp to prepare for the event.
The Afghan delegation consists of seven athletes, two coaches and one team official, who will represent Afghanistan at the international tournament.
Sultani’s appointment adds an Afghan official to the international officiating team for the competition.
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