Sport
Tokyo goes to the polls as pandemic-shadowed Olympics loom
Tokyo residents went to the polls on Sunday to pick members of its metropolitan assembly just 19 days before the Olympic Games begin, as surveys showed Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was likely to win the vote, Reuters reported.
The capital’s election, in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, will have little impact on the long-planned Games, but is important as a bellwether for a lower house election that needs to be held by October.
Suga’s term as party president will expire at the end of September, and a strong showing by his party in the Tokyo poll could help him clinch another term, analysts say. The head of the LDP is virtually assured of being prime minister, given the party’s large majority in parliament, Reuters reported.
“I voted for a candidate who is not LDP, partially because I am against holding the Olympics, though it would be too late to change now,” said a 60-year-old female office worker, who asked not to be identified.
“But my main interest was to pick the candidate who has more pragmatic policy, including environmental actions, rather than the coronavirus or the Olympics,” she said.
Polls close at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT)
A recent survey by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily showed 23% of respondents saying they would vote for LDP candidates, versus 17% for the Tokyo Citizens First party and 8% for the Japanese Communist Party.
The Tokyo Citizens First party wants the Olympics held without spectators and the Japanese Communist Party wants them cancelled. Suga has said he intended to hold the Games but would not hesitate to bar spectators if deemed necessary.
Tokyo Citizens First is now the largest party in the metropolitan assembly with 46 of its 127 seats, followed by the LDP with 25. The regional party formed by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike won a landslide victory in the last election in 2017.
The Tokyo Olympics, postponed for a year over the virus outbreaks, begins on July 23.
The election also comes during a resurgence of the pandemic in Japan, with Tokyo reporting 716 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, its highest in more than five weeks.
“My focus on this election was the pandemic measures,” a 26-year-old freelance actor, who is deaf, wrote in a note to a reporter outside the polling station. He also asked not to be named.
“I picked the candidate who would take actions to save infected people, as I am afraid of losing my job and my income if I get infected,” he said, declining the name the party. “I don’t care about political parties.”
Arman FC suffered a 1-0 defeat against Abu Muslim Farah in the 83rd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Wednesday.
Abu Muslim Farah found the back of the net once in the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Despite efforts from both sides in the second half, neither team managed to score, and the match ended in a 1-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Arman FC will face Kabul Istiqlal on November 15 in their final match of the competition, while Abu Muslim Farah will take on Toofan Herat on November 14.
All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sorkh Poshan Khafi have mathematically secured the sixth-season Roshan Afghanistan Champions League title after recording a commanding 7-0 victory over Khurasan Faryab in the competition’s 82nd match on Wednesday.
The Herat-based side moved to 47 points from 17 matches, putting the championship beyond the reach of their closest rivals with one fixture still remaining in their campaign.
The title was effectively decided by the result, rather than the conclusion of the competition, as other teams still have matches to play.
Before Wednesday’s encounter, Sorkh Poshan had 44 points, six ahead of second-placed Abu Muslim Farah. Even if Abu Muslim win both of their remaining matches, they can reach only 44 points, leaving Sorkh Poshan uncatchable.
Sorkh Poshan took a 1-0 lead into half-time in Wednesday’s match before producing a devastating second-half display, scoring six additional goals to complete the 7-0 rout.
The victory also confirmed the club’s outstanding consistency throughout the campaign, establishing them as the season’s dominant side.
Sorkh Poshan will play their final league fixture against Omar Zawak on November 15, giving the team an opportunity to finish their campaign on another high note.
Khurasan Faryab, meanwhile, are scheduled to face Sarsabz Yashlar on November 14 as the remaining league fixtures continue.
The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League features 10 clubs competing in a league format, with the title now decided ahead of the final round of matches.
Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) broadcasts all matches of the competition live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Historic first for Rahmat Shah after ICC rankings update
It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill.
Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah has created history by becoming the first player from his country to enter the top 10 in any category of the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.
Rahmat climbs six spots to seventh on the rankings for Test batters following his innings of 173 in the opening match of Afghanistan’s two-game series with Zimbabwe in Sharjah, with the in-form right-hander reaching a new career-high rating in the process.
It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill, South Africa opener Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka left-hander Kamindu Mendis and earn a spot inside the top 10 for the very first time.
It caps off a good fortnight for Afghanistan, who earlier this month achieved their highest-ever spot on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings when they rose to sixth on the back of a tri-series triumph over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
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