Afghan Sports News

September 1, 2010: Rashid Latif changes him mind - will return as coach for Afghan cricket team

After resigning last week when his demands for higher pay and benefits were rejected by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, Rashid Latif has changed his mind and will now be returning as coach for the Afghan national cricket team.  The ACB had been talking with Latif for a few days now and have convinced him to rejoin the team under the previously agreed terms. Former head coach, Kabir Khan welcomed the news, he posted on Facebook that both parties made a good decision to resume working with each other.

August 31, 2010: Three in a row - AYCA Afghanistan cricket team defeats Pakistan Cricket Club

Tonight, the AYCA Afghanistan cricket team defeated the Pakistan Cricket Club by 8 wickets in their fourth game of the Dr. M.A. Shah Lephone Night Trophy-2010 competition, currently being held in Karachi, Pakistan. This is a big win as the Pakistan Cricket Club is considered one of the toughest teams in the competition. Because of this win, AYCA (Afghan Youth Cricket Association) is now in the semi-finals.

Pakistan CC: 92 all out in 20 Overs
Afghanistan: 94/2 in 15 Overs

August 29, 2010: AYCA Afghanistan cricket team wins again - defeats Mullakatiar C.C

Tonight, the AYCA Afghanistan cricket team defeated Pakistan's Mullakatiar Cricket Club by 2 wickets & 147 runs in their third game of the Dr. M.A. Shah Lephone Night Trophy-2010 competition, currently being held in Karachi, Pakistan. With this win, AYCA  (Afghan Youth Cricket Association) is now in the quarterfinals. Much credit for today's win goes to Samiullah Shinwari, who took 5 wickets and 2 runouts. The next match for AYCA Afghanistan is against Pakistan Cricket Club on August 31st. Pakistan Cricket Club is the strongest team of the tournament, so the Afghans will have to stay focused.

August 29, 2010: Domestic T20 inter-provincial cricket tournament schedule

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the schedule and the setup for the upcoming domestic T20 inter-provincial cricket tournament. It is scheduled to begin on September 25th, and all games will be played in the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul. There will be 24 teams, divided into 8 groups - 3 teams in each group. See setup below:

Groups:

Group A: Paktia, Parwan, and Zabul
Group B: Kunduz, Panjshir, and Kapisa
Group C: Logar, Balkh, and Ghazni
Group D: Khost, Baghlan, and Helmand
Group E: Nangarhar, Badakhshan, and Nuristan
Group F: Kunar, Paktika, and Herat
Group G: Kandahar, Laghman, and Jowzjan
Group H: Kabul, Wardak, and TBD (to be determined)*

* Teams from Ghor, Daikuni, Bamiyan and Kuchi will first compete for this spot.

Group A Matches:

September 25 @ 9 am: Parwan vs. Paktia
September 25 @ 1 pm: Zabul vs. Parwan
September 26 @ 9 am: Paktia vs. Zabul

Group B Matches:

September 26 @ 1 pm: Panjshir vs. Kunduz
September 27 @ 9 am: Kapisa vs. Panjshir
September 27 @ 1 pm: Kapisa vs. Kunduz

Group C Matches:

September 28 @ 9 am: Ghazni vs. Logar
September 28 @ 1 pm: Logar vs. Balkh
September 29 @ 9 am: Balkh vs. Ghazni

Group D Matches:

September 29 @ 1 pm: Baghlan vs. Khost
September 30 @ 9 am: Khost vs. Helmand
September 30 @ 1 pm: Helmand vs. Baghlan

Group E Matches:

September 31 @ 9 am: Badakhshan vs. Nangarhar
September 31 @ 1 pm: Nangarhar vs. Nuristan
October 1 @ 9 am: Nuristan vs. Badakhshan

Group F Matches:

October 1 @ 1 pm: Herat vs. Kunar
October 2 @ 9 am: Kunar vs. Paktika
October 2 @ 1 pm: Paktika vs. Herat

Group G Matches:

October 3 @ 9 am: Laghman vs. Kandahar
October 3 @ 1 pm: Jowzjan vs. Laghman
October 4 @ 9 am: Kandahar vs. Jowzjan

Group H Matches:

October 4 @ 9 am: Wardak vs. Kabul
October 5 @ 9 am: Kabul vs. TBD
October 5 @ 1 pm: TBD vs. Wardak

Final Group Matches:

October 6: Group A Winner vs. Group C Winner
October 6: Group B Winner vs. Group D Winner
October 7: Group E Winner vs. Group G Winner
October 7: Group F Winner vs. Group H Winner

1st. Semi-Final and 2nd Semi-Final: October 8
FINAL: October 9

August 28, 2010: AYCA Afghanistan defeats Malir Gymkhana Cricket Club

After losing to Korangi Al-Fatah yesterday, AYCA (Afghan Youth Cricket Association) Afghanistan came back tonight and defeated Malir Gymkhana Cricket Club by 5 wickets in the their second game of the Dr. M.A. Shah Lephone Night Trophy-2010 competition, currently being held in Karachi, Pakistan. Tomorrow, AYCA Afghanistan will play against Mullakatiar C.C.

August 27, 2010: AYCA Afghanistan loses to Korangi Cricket Club

Even with help from national team players, the Afghan cricket team - AYCA Afghanistan, lost against the Pakistani club - Korangi Al-Fatah, in their first game of the Dr. M.A. Shah Lephone Night Trophy-2010 competition, currently being held in Karachi, Pakistan.  The Korangi Cricket Club beat AYCA Afghanistan by 3 wickets. Tomorrow, AYCA Afghanistan will play against Malir Gymkhana.

August 26, 2010: Youth Taekwondo Competition Held In Kabul; Afghan Youth Cricket Team In Pakistani Tournament; Taj Malik Back As Coach?

A three-day, under 8 years old, taekwondo competition was held in Kabul. About 160 children from 40 different clubs participated in the event. The competition put together by Afghanistan's National Olympic committee. The aim of the competition was to choose the Under-8 athletes for Afghanistan's National Taekwondo Team. Taekwondo is a type of martial art originating from Korea.

Cricket News

Afghan cricket players left today to participate in the Dr. M.A. Shah Lephone Night Trophy-2010 competition currently being held in Karachi, Pakistan. The senior team from the Afghan Youth Cricket Association (AYCA) will be participating, however, thanks to help from the Afghanistan Cricket Board, many national team players are also being sent. The Afghan squad will be: Khaliq Dad Noori (Captain), Khan Mohammed, Asghar Stanikzai, Mohammad Shahzad, Samiullah Shinwari, Hamid Hasan, Abdullah Mazari, Badshah Hussein, Juma Gul, Mohammad Nabi, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Shapoor Zadran, Jawaid Ahmadi and Emal Hotak. The team manager is Shafiqullah Asmat Stanikzai. Below is the schedule for the Afghan team and the finals:

Friday, August 27, 2010 - Afghanistan vs Korangi Al-Fatah
Saturday, August 28, 2010 - Afghanistan vs Malir Gymkhana
Sunday, August 29, 2010 - Afghanistan vs Mullakatiar C.C
Monday, August 30, 2010 - 1st Quarter-final (A1 vs C2)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - 2nd Quarter-final (B1 vs D2)
Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 3rd Quarter-Final (A2 vs C1)
Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 4th Quarter-final (B2 vs D1)
Friday, September 03, 2010 - 1st Semi-final (Winner 1st QF vs Winner 3rd QF)
Saturday, September 04, 2010 - 2nd Semi-final (Winner 2nd QF vs Winner 4th QF)
Monday, September 06, 2010 - The Final

In Afghanistan, the matches will be on Shamshad TV. Cars, motorcycles and cash prizes will be given out to the winning team and best performing players.

Taj Malik Alam Is Back?

Reports are circulating that former national team head coach, Taj Malik Alam, may be the national cricket team's head coach again. Malik was the team's head coach until Kabir Khan replaced him. He then served as deputy coach but resigned on May 19th of this year after Afghanistan lost two in a row in the 2010 Twenty20 Cricket World Cup. Other candidates for the coaching job are Darren Lehman (Australia), Andrew John Bichel (also from Australia) and Steve Elworthy (South Africa). However, there are reports that the ACB has rejected the Australian and South African coaches as a result of their high salary requirements.

August 25, 2010: Bahadurzada may face Thompson in MMA fight

Siyar Bahadurzada's new website

Afghan Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and Shooto light heavyweight world championship, Siyar Bahadurzada announced today on his Facebook site the launch of his official website, www.siyarmma.com.  On his site, he posted that his next opponent in the United Glory MMA and Kickboxing World Series taking place in Amerstdam on October 16, 2010 may be Nick Thompson. It's not confirmed. Thompson is an American MMA fighter; he holds a professional  record of 38 wins, 13 losses, and one draw. Thompson has fought in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and in Bodog Fight, he was actually a former Bodog Fight welterweight champion.  Thompson currently fights for World Victory Road, a Japanese organization.

August 25, 2010: Video: Afghan Female Olympian Running For Political Office

Robina Jalali represented Afghanistan as a sprinter in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Below is a video about her running for a seat in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Her official site is: www.robinajalali.com

August 22, 2010: Rashid Latif resigns!

Rashid Latif

Afghan media is reporting that Afghanistan's new national cricket team's batting coach and recently made, acting head coach, Rashid Latif has resigned.  Reports say that he gave a long list of demands to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) which included a major raise and other benefits for him and his family such as paid medical insurance, if Kabir Khan was not restored as head coach again.  The ACB did not accept his demands and instead accepted his resignation.  

Some Afghan fans supported ACB's decision and referred to Latif's action as "blackmail" and "unprofessional", while other's had harsh words for the ACB leadership.  One fan posted on Facebook: "Afghan Government should bring professional people to ACB. These corrupt finance ministry officials will destroy the Afghan Cricket." The comment was directed against ACB chairman, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, who is also Afghanistan's Ministry of Finance.  The same fan posted the following: "I know most of the Afghan players. Afghan cricket is like kingship. There is a family-hierarchy and nepotism in bringing new players to the team and talent is buried down in gutters. It is time for the Afghan Govt to take action and remove the ECONOMISTS and MEDICAL DOCTORS from the cricket affairs"

ACB CEO Hamid Shinwari told the media that he is working with the ICC (International Cricket Council) to get a coach from Australia, South Africa or England.  Afghan fans have doubts this will bring a strong coach to the team, as the ACB cannot afford to pay much.  Both Kabir Khan and Rashid Latif are from Pakistan.

Whatever they do, the ACB will have to act quickly, as the national team is scheduled for a major tour in October.

August 20, 2010: Afghan Cricket Players Nominated For ICC Cricket Award

On October 6, 2010, the International Cricket Council (ICC), in association with the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) will hold the prestigious 2010 LG ICC Awards ceremony in Bangalore, India. Awards will be given out in various different categories. In the Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year category, two members of Afghanistan's national cricket team have been nominated - Batsman Mohammad Shahzad and Middle-Order Batsman and Spin Bowler Samiullah Shinwari.

This is the first time that an Afghan cricket player has been nominated for an ICC award.  The Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year award recognizes the efforts in all international matches of the outstanding cricket players from the teams outside the ICC Full Members.

The other nominees are: Ashish Bagai (Canada), Richie Berrington (Scotland), Muddassar Bukhari (Scotland), Tom Cooper (Netherlands), Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Trent Johnston (Ireland), Kevin O’Brien (Ireland),and Paul Stirling (Ireland).

The nominations were made by a five-man ICC selection panel. It was chaired by former West Indies captain and current chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee, Clive Lloyd. The winner of the award will be selected by a group of 25 cricket personalities (former players, members of the media, and representatives of the elite panels of ICC umpires and referees) from around the world.

Other award categories include: People's Choice Award, Cricketer of the Year, Test Player of the Year, ODI Player of the Year, Emerging Player, Twenty20 International Performance of the Year, Women’s Cricketer of the Year, Umpire of the Year and Spirit of Cricket award.

August 19, 2010: Kabir Khan is no longer coach of Afghan cricket team

Kabir Khan denies he resigned and says a dispute with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has forced his departure. However, the ACB says they have messages from him that they are willing to make public that confirms his resignation.

"I texted our chairman of ACB regarding some issues which I was not very happy with, and stated that if they don't let me work freely without interfering I will rather leave the job with honor and dignity," Kabir told Cricinfo. He did not intend those words to be interpreted as a resignation. Khan said that the ACB leadership was getting involved in the decisions he was making as the coach of the team such as the recent decision to not enforce the follow-on against the Scots in a recent match. Khan said that the ACB was interfering with his coaching and it was frustrating him.

Khan also said that he was frustrated with the ACB's selection process and the fact that he was not listened to when it came to the selection of cricket players. Khan wanted younger players to build up a great team in the future. He communicated that he was also disappointed with ACB Chairman Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal for not following up with him on his grievances and instead took action based on the CEO's (Hamid Shinwari) side of the story.

Many cricket fans agree that Kabir Khan has done a lot for Afghan cricket, even the ACB acknowledges this. It's unfortunate that the relationship has to end this way.

August 19, 2010: Video: Afghan Judo Master Trains US Soldiers

An Afghan Judo teacher who was jailed during the Taliban rule for teaching Afghans Judo is now currently training American soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. See video below:

We often hear stories of how American service members train Afghans, but sometimes they trade roles. Air Force Staff Sgt. Lance Heinzelman reports on a local worker who is helping Americans get their kicks in Afghanistan.

August 18, 2010: Kabir Khan Has Resigned?

Rumors are circulating online that the coach of Afghanistan's national cricket team, Kabir Khan has forwarded his resignation to the head of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). An online Afghan cricket news site reports that in a phone interview with them, an official from the ACB media department told them that Kabir Khan presented his resignation to ACB Chairman Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal via email and SMS message. Apparently, Khan's resignation was accepted by the ACB. The same site reports that they contacted some members of the team and that they were not aware of the resignation, however, "Kabir Khan hinted to them that he may no longer be with the Afghan team." The Afghan team is scheduled to be in Afghanistan Thursday morning.

August 17, 2010: Afghanistan and Scotland each win a game in the ODI 2-match cricket series

Yesterday, Afghanistan 225 for 1 (Sadiq 114, Shahzad 100) beat Scotland 224 for 9 (Watts 55, Drummond 35, Zadran 3-69) by nine wickets (with 114 balls remaining). The first day of the One Day International (ODI) series went very well for the Afghan team, Karim Sadiq and Mohammad Shahzad achieved unbeaten centuries. However, on day 2, they found batting much tougher. In the second match, which was played today, Scotland 121 for 4 (Watts 55) beat Afghanistan 120 (Shenwari 46, Davey 5-9) by six wickets (with 97 balls remaining). Both games were played at Cambusdoon New Ground, Ayr.

August 15, 2010: PCB says no to Afghanistan vs. Pakistan cricket match

PCB Logo

PTI reported today that the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) has rejected Rashid Latif's proposal to have a ODI (One Day International) series against Afghanistan in October of this year. According to the report, the PCB rejected the proposal because the Pakistani team "is busy in the coming months". 

Rashid Latif, a former Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman, is Afghanistan's new batting coach.  Latif had announced early in the month that he would write to the PCB about hosting a ODI series against Afghanistan as a way to reviving cricket in Pakistan, and to provide a chance for the Afghan team to play against a well developed team.

In 2009, Pakistani militants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team.  In the attack, 8 people were killed and seven Sri Lankan players were wounded. An assistant coach to the team was also wounded. The incident has made Pakistan look unsafe for international cricket competitions.

August 14, 2010: Afghanistan defeats Scotland in 4-day cricket match

The 4-day ICC Intercontinental Cup cricket match between Scotland and Afghanistan concluded today with Scotland losing by 229 runs. Today, bowler Hamid Hassan bagged five wickets to help Afghanistan finally end Scotland's suffering - they had been completely dominated on all 4 days. Scotland had been been given a target of 546 runs, so they had a mountain to climb on the last day, and it was just too much for them.

Summary:

Afghanistan 435 (Shenwari 102, Stanikzai 93) and 249 for 5 dec (Shahzad 105*) beat Scotland 139 (Nel 36, Hassan 6-40) and 316 (Chalmers 67, Hassan 5-114) by 229 runs.

Click here to view full scorecard.

With this win, Afghanistan climbs to the top of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10, and another step closer to the final.  The final is scheduled to be played in November in the United Arab Emirates.

Current points table as published on the ICC (International Cricket Counicl) site.

August 14, 2010: Champion Afghan MMA fighter to fight again on October 16, 2010; Volleyball competition was held in Zabul

Bahadurzada after his win on August 6th
 

Afghan Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and Shooto light heavyweight world championship, Siyar Bahadurzada announced yesterday on his Facebook site that his next fight will be on October 16, 2010. The fight will be in Amsterdam and he will be participating in the "United Glory Kickboxing and MMA World Series". His opponent is yet to be named. On August 6th, Bahadurzada successfully defended his Shooto light heavyweight world championship title in Brazil by defeating Carlos Alexandre Pereira in the first round by KO (knock out). 

Afghan Volleyball News

An eight day volleyball competition was recently held in Qalat, the capital of Afghanistan's Zabul province. Winners were given prizes and cups. In the final championship game, team "Afghan Club" defeated "Barq" 3-1. The third place position went to team "Sheikh Mathi". Organizers said the purpose of the event was to help encourage Afghan youth into more healthy activities.
 

August 13, 2010: Yet another day of domination - Afghan cricket team further increase lead against the Scots

Afghanistan's national cricket team continued to dominate and further increase their lead against Scotland in the ICC Intercontinental Cup - thanks to outstanding batting by Mohammad Shahzad, who achieved his second first-class century, and superior bowling from Hamid Hassan.

Scotland which is now 139 and 95 for 2 (Chalmers 37, Berrington 5) will require another 451 runs to beat Afghanistan which is now 435 and 249 for 5 dec (Shahzad 105, Haq, 2-66) with eight wickets remaining.

Clearly, Scotland has a mountain to climb and will need almost a miracle to avoid defeat on the final day.

Click here to view scorecard
 

August 12, 2010: Afghan domination over the Scots continue in the second day of the Intercontinental Cup

In the second day of the ICC Intercontinental Cup in in Ayr, Afghanistan continued to dominate Scotland, this time by its bowlers, as Afghanistan 435 (Shenwari 102, Stanikzai 93, Sadiq 67, Shahzad 54) and 0 for 0 now lead Scotland 139 (Hassan 6-40) by 296 runs (with 10 wickets remaining).

Click here to view scorecard
 

August 11, 2010: Afghans dominate the Scots in the first day of the Intercontinental Cup

Rashid Latif, the Afghan national cricket team's new batting coach seems to have done a good job so far, as the Afghan batsmen dominated Scotland today (349 for 5 wickets) in the first day of the ICC (International Cricket Council) Intercontinental Cup fixture in Cambusdoon New Ground, Ayr (United Kingdom). Noor Ali Zadran and Karim Sadiq set the pace early on in the game and then Asghar Stanikzai kept up the momentum.

Click here to view scorecard
 

August 10, 2010: Afghan Karate and Swimming News

Sensei Qahar Azadani

Kancho Hatsuo Royama, President of Kyokushin-kan International recently appointed Qahar Azadani to Branch Chief and Vice President of Kyokushin-kan International – Honbu in Afghanistan. Kyokushin-kan is a type of full contact Karate. On August 8, 2010, Mohammad Seyar Azadani, President of Kyokushin-kan Afghanistan posted an open congratulatory letter on the internet about Qahar Azadani's appointment. The letter stated: "Sensei Qahar Azadani’s efforts on development of Kyokushin-kan in Afghanistan are admirable. In fact, his Kyokushin Karate background and the medals he has obtained from both national and international championships are well recorded in Afghanistan Karate history."

Afghan Swimming News

Yesterday, a swimming competition was held at the Tasadi Khana Sazi swimming pool in Kabul. The competition was held so that the members of the National Swimming Team can be chosen. Pajhwok Afghan news reported that 300 people participated, and 30 of the best swimmers were selected for the national team and just as many for the youth team.
 

August 6, 2010: Afghan MMA Fighter Defends Title - Wins By Knock Out

Siyar Bahadurzada (center) after the fight

Afghan Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, Siyar Bahadurzada, successfully defended his Shooto light heavyweight world championship title tonight in Brazil by defeating Carlos Alexandre Pereira in the first round by KO (knock out). With this win, Bahadurzada improves his record to 17 - 4 - 1 (Win - Loss - Draw). Bahadurzada recently signed up to fight for Strikeforce, a famous MMA organization that competes against the well known UFC, headed by Dana White. He was also recently interviewed by "Fighters Only" magazine, issue 66. Bahadurzada trains and fights out of Holland.
 

August 5, 2010: Afghan climber to take on Mt. Everest

Nadjib Sirat

Nadjib Sirat, a native of Panjshir province wants to be the first Afghan to climb Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, according to report published last week in the New York Times. The task is considered very dangerous as researchers say at least one person dies for every 10 expeditions.

Sirat's motivation is to improve the image of Afghanistan and Afghans in the eyes of the world. He is tired of seeing his country portrayed only as a nation filled with war and terrorism. He believes if he succeeds, it will be a positive thing for his nation. The other motivation is to promote Alpine sports in Afghanistan. He is hoping the climb will inspire other Afghans to practice Alpine sports. With help from Afghanistan's Olympic Committee, he has already established the Afghan Mountaineering Federation. Sirat plans on ascending the 29,029-foot summit from September 1 to 20. He will be carrying a 22 pound backpack, 9 pounds in oxygen tanks and a satellite phone.

Sirat also has plans to conquer Mount Noshaq, Afghanistan's tallest mountain, in a first ever all-Afghan expedition next year. On July 20, 2009, two Afghan mountaineers, Malang Jan Darya and Amruddin Sanjar, made history by becoming the first Afghans to successfully climb Afghanistan's highest peak. The two men planted Afghanistan's flag on the top of the 7,492-metre (24,580-foot) mountain.
 

August 5, 2010: Latif wants Afghanistan to play against Pakistan in cricket

Rashid Latif

Rashid Latif, the new batting coach of Afghanistan's national cricket team wants Afghanistan to play a one-day series in Pakistan, according to report published by the Associated Press (AP) today. Latif has publicly spoken about reviving cricket in Pakistan on several different occasions.

In 2009, Pakistani militants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team. The incident has made Pakistan look unsafe for international cricket competitions. In the attack, 8 people were killed and seven Sri Lankan players were wounded. An assistant coach to the team was also wounded.

According to the AP report, Latif told a Pakistani newspaper that he will write to the Pakistan Cricket Board to arrange a series some time in October. 

AFP reported on July 28, 2010 that Afghanistan had already agreed to send a cricket team to Pakistan to appear in a club-level event from August 12th to September 6th.
 

August 4, 2010: Afghan champ arrives in Brazil for fight on August 6th

Siyar Bahadurzada (right) at the airport
with his trainer Martijn de Jong and friend Cesario

Siyar Bahadurzada, Afghan mixed martial artists and currently the reigning Shooto light heavyweight world champion announced earlier this week on his Facebook site that he has arrived in Brazil. Bahadurzada is in Brazil to defend his title against Carlos Alexandre Pereira on August 6th. The previous date of August 7th was incorrect, according to Bahadurzada. On his Facebook site, he said that the wrong date was due to a "communication mistake". He posted the following note to his fans: "I'll try my best to make u guys proud again!" Bahadurzada trains and fights out of Holland, and has a record of 16 - 4 - 1 (Win - Loss - Draw). He was recently interviewed by "Fighters Only" magazine, issue 66.

Cricket News

A cricket tournament devoted to the message of peace in Afghanistan has recently begun in the capital of Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktia. Cricket is one of the most if not the most popular sport in Paktia province. The event is sponsored by the NGO (Non Governmental Organization) Sahar Culture and Sport Organization. The head of the NGO, Gul Karim Sahar, told Afghan media that "the purpose of this tournament is to show that we want peace in the country. We do not want our beautiful youth to be killed in fire of wars. Let’s spread the message of peace in all corners of the country, let’s unite.” Thirty two teams will participate - they are divided into eight groups. Here are the groups and the teams in them:

Group A: Dawlatzai 1, Etihad Mahland, Jihad Mena, and Pohantoon
Group B: Ittifaq, Lesa, Sadat Gardezi, and Shaheed Dr. Najib
Group C: Esazoy, Khyber, Shaheen, and Super Star
Group D: Khwazak, Roud Ahmadzai, Taandsahar, and Zamzam
Group E: Abdulshakoor Rashad, Afghan, Niazullah Ahmadzai 1, and Taand
Group F: Pakhtunkhwa, Islam Qala, Teera, and Zurmat
Group G: Ahmadabad, Atal Ahmadzai, Tandar Qoli Ordu, and Zurmat Niazai,
Group H: Azizyar Company, Dawalatzai 2, Niazullah Ahmadzai 2, and Sayed Karam
 

August 2, 2010: Development of Cricket in Afghanistan

Dawlat Ahmadzai

Over the weekend, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced that they have appointed Dawlat Ahmadzai, the former fast bowler of the national team as the new domestic development manager. Ahmadzai's role will be to help develop cricket inside Afghanistan. Ahmadzai has already been quite active with AYCSO (Afghan Youth Cricket Support Organization), an organization currently promoting cricket amongst the Afghan youth. AYCSO was founded by another former national team member, Raees Ahmadzai. During a recent interview for the ACC (Asian Cricket Council) website, Ahmadzai laid out this idea to develop cricket in Afghanistan:

"Afghanistan can be divided into four zones and each zone should have Under-15, Under-16 and Under-19 teams and also a senior team. Then we can make tournaments between the zones and also within the zones themselves. If this is done, we can create strong junior teams and the future of Afghanistan cricket will be bright. We can also spread cricket in this way and start building grounds as well."

Cricket Team Established In Ghor

Over the weekend, the ACB also announced that a cricket team has been established in Afghanistan's Ghor province. According to Afghan media, the governor of the province, Sayed Iqbal Munib expressed his support for the new team and has promised to provide new equipment for the team.

As result of the successes of the national cricket team, cricket has become a very popular sport in Afghanistan, and its popularity amongst the youth grows every day.
 

July 29, 2010: Afghans win medals in international Taekwondo tournament; National cricket team to move training camp location

This year, the 2nd Asian International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) Championships took place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from July 23rd to the 25th. Besides Afghanistan and host country Vietnam, there were participants from such countries as Japan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, China, and Nepal. The fighters competed in 12 performances and 10 fighting events. While none of the members of Afghanistan's National Taekwondo Team won gold, the team did pick up 8 silver medals and 2 bronze medals.

Cricket News

Due to the recent bad weather (heavy rain and flooding), the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to move the national cricket team's training camp from the Nangarhar Cricket Academy in Jalalabad to the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul. However, the grounds in Kabul are inadequate and online reports say that the team plans on leaving earlier than scheduled for the upcoming tournament in Scotland.
 

July 28, 2010: Afghans to help revive cricket in Pakistan

AFP reported today that Afghanistan will send a cricket team to Pakistan to appear in a club-level event.  The aim of the event is take a step in reviving the sport of cricket in Pakistan, after an attack in March 2009 by Pakistani militants on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore suspended any chances of an international cricket tournament being held in Pakistan.  Many countries felt that their players would not be safe in Pakistan. In the attack, 8 people were killed and seven Sri Lankan players were wounded.  An assistant coach to the team was also wounded. 

According to the AFP report, "the 16-team Twenty20 tournament will be held here [Pakistan] from August 12 to September 6, with a total 10 million rupees (117,000 dollars) prize money on offer." During this time, Muslims will be celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.  As a result, the games will be held at night - after breaking of the fast.

Rashid Latif, the new batting coach of Afghanistan's national team,  had also recently expressed his concerns for the damage done to cricket in Pakistan as result of the attack, and hopes Afghanistan can help revive the sport back in Pakistan to how it was before the attacks.

Besides Afghanistan, Hong Kong will also be sending a team to Pakistan.
 

July 26, 2010: Afghans participated in Martial Arts festival; ACB to hold coaching and umpiring courses in the fall

Logo of 2010 World
Martial Arts Festival

Afghan athletes have finished competing in an international martial arts festival recently held in Iran from July 17th to July 22nd. Besides Afghanistan, there were participants from the host country Iran, Germany, Vietnam, China, India, as well as many other countries competing in such events as Kung Fu, Karate Do, Muay Thai, Belt Wrestling and more. The Iranians dominated in many of the events, however, two Afghans won silver medals in Muay Thai (57 and 67 kg categories), and an Afghan woman won a bronze medal in Jujitsu.

Cricket News

In an effort to further build the cricket infrastructure in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will provide coaching and umpiring courses in October 2010. The ACB's technical department, headed by former national team player Hasti Gul Abed will be registering interested individuals. In order to qualify for the courses, the person must be a citizen of Afghanistan, posses at least a 12 grade education certificate and be able to understand English. The instructors and trainers will be provided by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
 

July 25, 2010: Afghan female boxer

Today, The Telegraph (UK) did a story on lightweight southpaw Afghan female boxer Shahla Sekandari.  According to the published story, Sekandari is planning on being the first female boxer to represent Afghanistan in the Olympics. Women's boxing will be an event for the first time in the 2012 Olympics. The story highlights the difficulties women athletes face in a conservative country like Afghanistan.  Many of their family members do not want them to be athletes, and would prefer more traditional roles.

Besides the upcoming Olympics, Sekandari is planning on competing in the International Boxing Association’s Women’s World Championship in Barbados in September of this year. She will represent Afghanistan and fight against women from such places as Kazakhstan, China and India.  In 2009, at the Asian Indoor Games, Sekandari won a bronze medal in the Women's Light Weight 64kg category.

July 21, 2010: Kyokushin-kan tournament held in Kabul and a seminar to be held on August 6th

A friendly Kyokushin-kan tournament was held this week in Kabul between teams from Kabul and Nangarhar provinces. Kyokushin-kan is a type of full contact Karate. The event was organized under the supervision of Sensei Mohammad Seyar Azadani, the Branch Chief and President of Kyokushin-kan Afghanistan. Azadani was the first Afghan to obtain a Kata championship title for Afghanistan when he placed third in the 2004 All Middle East Kyokushin Kata Championships.

The tournament was held in four age categories - Children, Cadet, Juniors and Seniors, and each team consisted of 35 fighters. According to a press released issued by event organizers, the "purpose of this tournament was to increase friendship, mutual understanding, and to improve and develop Kyokushin Karate in the provinces."

A Kyokushin-kan Instructors' Training Seminar is scheduled to be held on August 6th in Afghanistan's western province of Herat. The Chief Instructor will be Sensei Mohammad Seyar Azadani and the seminor will include the following:

Basic Techniques Training

1. Kata training including Pinan Katas, Bunkai, Gekisai-Sho, Seienchin, Naifanchin Shodan, Nainfanchin Nidan, Kanku, and Suushiiho
2. Bo - Jutsu Kata: Oshiro-no-Kon and its Bunkai, and Shushi-no-Kon
3. Kumite Combination Techniques
4. Iken Training

Qualifications to attend the seminar: Dojo Instructors, Black and Brown Belt Holders.

Photos from the event in Kabul

July 21, 2010: ACB has chosen cricket squad to play in upcoming ICC Intercontinental Cup in Scotland

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the national team members that will play in the upcoming ICC Intercontinental Cup in Scotland.

The following players were selected by Haji Ahmad Shah, ACB's Chief Selector and approved by ACB Chief Executive Officer, Hamid Shinwari:

Nawroz Mangal (Captain), Karim Sadiq (vice Captain), Mohammad Nabi, Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammad Shahzad Muhmadi, Hamid Hassan, Samiullah Shinwari, Noor Ali Zadran, Asghar Stanikzai, Shahpoor Zadran, Abdullah Mazari, Aftab Alam, Khaliq dad Noori, Noor ul haq Malikzai, and Mohammad Jawed Ahmadi

The reserve players will be Ezatullah Soha, Hashmat Shahidi, Zakiullah Zaki, Murad Ali, and Zamir Khan.

The team will first train in the Nangarhar Cricket Academy in Jalalabad, before leaving for Scotland on August 5th. Reports say that New batting coach Rashid Latif will be with the team during training and they leave for Scotland.

The national team will participate in their fifth ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Scotland on August 11, and then its two One Day International matches will be played against the host country on August 16 and 17.

July 19, 2010: Young Afghan cricket team finish third at ACC U-16; Kabul province holds local tournament to pick the best

Today at the Asian Cricket Council Under 16 Tournament (U-16 Challenge Cup 2010) in Penang, Malaysia, Afghanistan (61 for no loss off 8.5 overs) defeated Bhutan (60 all out off 24.1 overs) by 10 wickets to finish in the top three. Afghanistan's Shafiullah Mohammad picked up the Man of the Match award for his outstanding performance in the game. Afghanistan had lost to Iran earlier and the loss knocked them out the final match. Iran played against Oman in the final match, however, they lost by 30 runs.

In domestic cricket, a tournament has started amongst the top 8 local cricket clubs from Kabul province. There are a total of 42 clubs in the province. Out of this competition, the best performing players will be chosen to represent the province in the upcoming Domestic T20 inter-provincial cricket tournament, which is scheduled to be held sometime in September of this year. On June 10th, Kabul won the Etisalat Trophy 50-over inter-provincial cricket tournament; they defeated Paktya by 6 wickets.

July 18, 2010: Afghan MMA fighter to defend title on August 6th

Siyar Bahadurzada, Afghan mixed martial artists and currently the reigning Shooto light heavyweight world champion is scheduled to defend his title against Carlos Alexandre Pereira in Brazil on August 6, 2010.  His last title defense was against Brazil's Leandro Silva.   Bahadurzada defeated Silva in the first round by way of a TKO (punches). TKO stands for technical knock out and is when the referee stops a fights after seeing that one fighter is so overwhelmed that he is no longer able to continue. Bahadurzada trains and fights out of Holland, and has a record of 16 - 4 - 1 (Win - Loss - Draw).

Correction - August 4, 2010: The fight date was corrected from August 7th to August 6th. See report from August 4th.

July 18, 2010: Paroon wins local cricket tournament in Nuristan

A cricket tournament that started two weeks ago in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nuristan came to a conclusion today.  Teams from different parts of the province had participated.  In the final match, team Paroon (Parun) defeated team Kantiwa by 10 runs.  The provincial governor (Jamaluddin Badar) had told Afghan media at the start  that "the event is aimed at the selection of four squads to represent the remote province in national tournaments". The governor had also said that the winners would be awarded medals and cash prizes.

July 17, 2010: Young Afghan cricket team lose at ACC U-16

Afghanistan (blue) versus Iran (red) at U-16

Today at the Asian Cricket Council Under 16 Tournament (U-16 Challenge Cup 2010), currently being held in Penang, Malaysia, Afghanistan (111 all out off 39.3 overs) lost to Iran (113 all out off 33.4 overs) by two runs in a semi-final match. The match was a major upset and Afghan fans were disappointed as they believed the Afghan team had a very good chance of easily defeating the Iranian team and finishing first in the event.  Iran will go now go up against Oman in the finals and Afghanistan will face off against Bhutan for the third place finish.

July 17, 2010: Afghan gymnastics team back from Tajikistan

Afghanistan's national gymnastics team came home this week from Tajikistan after competing in an Asian gymnastics competition. Seven countries participated in the event. The Afghan team came in third place by winning 13 bronze medals in the second round of the competition. The Director of Afghanistan's National Olympics Committee, Mohammad Zahir Aghbar, addressed the team upon their arrival and congratulated them on their medals. Since the fall of the Taliban, gymnastics has made a come back in Afghanistan, however, the sport is still very much under funded.

July 16, 2010: Report: Rashid Latif will be the new batting coach for Afghanistan's national cricket team

Rashid Latif

After reports that the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) backed away from a deal with former Pakistani cricket captain Rashid Latif, it was reported today that Latif was given the offer and has accepted the job of being the Afghan team's batting coach. There were speculations back in June that the ACB backed off after complaints from players and head coach Kabir Khan, who prefers an Australian or South African batting coach. Kabir Khan is a former Pakistani fast bowler.

Latif told AFP, "I have decided to join the Afghanistan team as batting coach and help them improve at international level". Latif wants help from other Asian countries to improve the team's performance. He told AFP, "They need more and more cricket to improve and once other Asian countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka tour them or invite them, Afghanistan cricket team will improve".

Between 1992-2004, Latif played 37 Tests and 166 one-day internationals. The Afghan team is scheduled to be in Scotland in August where they will play one four-day match and two one-day internationals.

July 15, 2010: New head of ACB announced

The current head of Afghanistan's Cricket Board (ACB), Ajmal Shinwari, announced his resignation and his replacement in a press conference held today in Afghanistan. Hamid Shinwari, the current Chief Selector of the ACB will replace him as head of the ACB. Ajmal Shinwari resigned to purse his educational goals abroad. Hamid Shinwari was the one who picked the squad for the ICC WCL Division 1 tournament held in the Netherlands recently. He angered many of the players because of his picks, and they threatened to sit out the tournament. Eventually, the issue was resolved.

On the ACB Facebook account, the following has been posted:

Hamid Shinwari replaces Aimal Shinwari as a CEO
The new CEO aims at forming a strong administration for ACB. He said "a disciplined administration for ACB is my priority and soon I will present my five years plan for ACB to the media that includes four cricket grounds in Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, and Jalalabad".

July 14, 2010: Afghan fans upset with national cricket team's performance at ICC WCL Div 1; Domestic Cricket Update

Many Afghan cricket fans are upset that Afghanistan's national cricket team did not do better at the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 tournament that was held in the Netherlands recently. Out of 6 nations, Afghanistan finished in third place. They lost to Ireland and Scotland - both are teams that they have beaten in previous competitions. Fans blame their "poor" performance on the fact that before the tournament had begun, the players were too busy fighting against the Afghanistan's Cricket Board's (ACB) various decisions and threatening to go on strike. The fans argue that too much time was wasted on drama and not enough was dedicated to prepare for the competition. Some fans protested by not welcoming the team at the airport.

Domestic Cricket Update

On the domestic cricket front, the ACB has postponed the upcoming Domestic T20 inter-provincial cricket tournament until after Eid al-Fitr, which will be in September. They want the players to spend the month of Ramadan, which starts in August, with their families instead of focusing on the competition. The ACB also said that the grounds they will be playing on will be further developed to improve the organization of the event and to accommodate bigger crowds.

The ACB also announced that in all future domestic competitions, a team representing the Kuchis (Afghan Nomads) will also be present. The Kuchis will be participating as a provincial team.

July 14, 2010: Two wins in a row for young Afghan cricket team

Qayum Zazai

Today at the Asian Cricket Council Under 16 Tournament (U-16 Challenge Cup 2010), currently being held in Penang, Malaysia, Afghanistan (78 for 3 off 21.1 overs) defeated Bhutan (74 all out off 28 overs) by seven wickets. Qayum Zazai was awarded the Man of the Match award. The coach of the team, Asadullah Khan said, "I am happy for the boys. They fought hard and played well. Maybe they were a little slow at the beginning but they settled down and did their job and now we are in the semi-finals."

Their semi-final game will be on July 17th.

July 13, 2010: Easy win for young Afghan cricket team at ACC U-16

Afghan U-16 Team

Yesterday, in the first game of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Under-16 competition, Afghanistan (39 for 1 off 9.4 overs) defeated Maldives (38 all out off 13.4 overs) by 9 wickets. The U-16 tournament is currently being held Penang, Malaysia. The team from Maldives struggled from the beginning. Afghanistan coach Assadullah Khan was happy with the win and said his team did very well, especially in bowling, however, he still saw room for improvement. Shamsurhman Karokhil was given the Man of the Match award. On Wednesday (July14th), Afghanistan will go up against Bhutan.

July 11, 2010: Various Cricket News

Shahzad Reprimanded

It was reported today that Afghan national team wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad has been reprimanded after apparently breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the team's match against the Netherlands yesterday.  Shahzad has pleaded guilty to the level 1 offense and has accepted the proposed sanction.  He was found to be have breached 2.1.8 of the code which relates to conduct “contrary to the spirit of the game”. According to an ICC press release, "The incident took place in the eighth over of Afghanistan’s innings when Shahzad, on a caught behind appeal by Adeel Raja, showed his upper arm indicating to umpire Norman Malcolm that the ball had not touched his bat."

Mangal and Shinwari part of ICC WCL Division 1 team

Afghan national cricket team captain Nawroz Mangal and Nangarhar province native Samiullah Shinwari were named part of the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 team of the tournament.

The team (in batting order):

1. Paul Stirling (Ireland)
2. Ashish Bagai (Canada) (wicketkeeper)
3. Tom Cooper (The Netherlands)
4. Nawroz Mangal (Afghanistan)
5. Kevin O’Brien (Ireland)
6. Neil McCallum (Scotland)
7. Thomas Odoyo (Kenya)
8. Samiullah Shinwari (Afghanistan)
9. Trent Johnston (Ireland) (captain)
10. George Dockrell (Ireland)
11. Mark Jonkman (The Netherlands)
12th man Gordon Drummond (Scotland)

Cricket Workshop In Balk Province

The Afghan Youth Cricket Support Organisation (AYCSO), working with the Afghan government, held a cricket workshop in the capital of Balkh province, Mazar-e-Sharif late last week. Former national team player, Raees Ahmadzai who founded AYCSO said that the goals of the workshop were to help promote cricket among the youth in the province, and to improve the skills of Afghanistan's future cricket players. At the end of the workshop, each participant got a cricket uniform, a bat, a ball and a cap. According to their website, "The Afghan Youth Cricket Support Organization (AYCSO) is an Afghan NGO, committed to brightening children's lives through cricket."

July 10, 2010: Afghanistan defeats Netherlands for third place finish

Today, Afghanistan defeated the Netherlands in their final game of the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 tournament.  Afghanistan 219/5 in 46.0 overs defeated the Netherlands 218/5 in 50.0 overs by 5 wickets (with 24 balls remaining).  With this win, Afghanistan finishes 3rd in the tournament, and the Netherlands finishes in fourth place. 

In other games today, Ireland defeated Scotland by 6 wickets in the final to win the trophy and become champions of the tournament.  Also, Canada defeated Kenya by 3 wickets. 

Final results of the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division 1 tournament :

Winner: Ireland
Second Place: Scotland
Third Place: Afghanistan
Fourth Place: Netherlands
Fifth Place: Canada
Sixth Place: Kenya

July 9, 2010: Scotland defeats Afghanistan to face off against Ireland in the final

After winning two in a row, Afghan fans were hoping the momentum would carry the Afghan national cricket team to a victory over Scotland in the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 tournament in the Netherlands. Scotland 142/8 (43.5 ov) defeated Afghanistan 141 (47.1 ov) by 2 wickets (with 37 balls remaining). Afghanistan had a poor start, however, a flurry of late wickets gave Afghan fans a hope of a miracle, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and so Scotland edged out a win. Scotland had also defeated Afghanistan in the warm up match on June 29th by 65 runs. Scotland will now face off against Ireland in the final, and Afghanistan will face off against the Netherlands on July 10th for the 3rd place position.

Here are the standings so far:

Domestic Cricket

In domestic cricket news, a tournament started earlier this week in the province of Nuristan. Pajhwok Afghan news cited the provincial governor (Jamaluddin Badar) as saying that "the event is aimed at the selection of four squads to represent the remote province in national tournaments". The governor also said that the winners would be awarded medals and cash prizes.

July 7, 2010: Two wins in a row: Afghanistan defeats host country Netherlands In Cricket Match

After beating Kenya on Monday, Afghanistan made it two in a row by easily defeating host country Netherlands today in the ICC World Cricket League Division One tournament. Afghanistan defeated the Netherlands by 6 wickets, with 45 balls remaining. With this win, their next match against Scotland on July 9th becomes a virtual semi-final. Much credit goes to team captain Nawroz Mangal who hit 67 runs in 53 balls. Ashgar Stanikzai and Mohammad Shahzad also played well and help their captain to guide the team to victory over the Netherlands.

Match Summary:

- Toss Afghanistan, who chose to field
- Netherlands 202/8 v Afghanistan 203/4 (42.3 ov)
- Afghanistan won by 6 wickets (with 45 balls remaining)
- Points: Afghanistan 2, Netherlands 0
- Played at Sportpark Westvliet, Voorburg

Here are the standings so far:

July 5, 2010: Afghanistan defeats Kenya In Cricket Match; New playground inaugurated in Kabul

In must win situation against Kenya, Afghanistan struggled, but finally pulled off a win against Kenya in it's third official game of the ICC World Cricket League Division One tournament.  Afghanistan 234/9 (50.0 ov) defeated Kenya 233/7 (50 ov) by 1 wicket (with 0 balls remaining). Afghan fans were very nervous as their team lost their ninth wicket off the penultimate ball, but thankfully, Shapoor Zadran hit the winning run to win the game for the Afghans.  Next, Afghanistan is scheduled to play against the Netherlands on July 7th and then they play against Scotland on July 9th.

Here are the standings so far:

New Playground

Meanwhile today, officials from Afghanistan's National Olympics Committee, led by Muhammad Zahir Aghbar, inaugurated a new 1750 cubic meter playground in the Panjsad Family area of Kabul city. The cost of the playground construction was $27,000 US. Afghan actress Leena Alam was present at the ceremony, and Afghan athletes played football (soccer), and Taekwondo matches were held to celebrate the event.
 

July 4, 2010: Afghans back from Muaythai (Muay Thai) competition

In the last week of June, a Muay Thai competition (2010 Open Asian Championships) was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Muay Thai is a type of marital arts originating from Thailand in which fighters make use of punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes. Sixteen Afghan Muay Thai fighters participated in the event and overall, they won one gold and eight bronze medals. The event was hosted by the The Uzbekistan Muaythai Federation.

July 4, 2010: Afghanistan loses to Ireland In Cricket Match

In Afghanistan's second official game of the ICC World Cricket League Division One tournament, they lost to Ireland by 39 runs. Afghan batting failed against the Irish team's disciplined bowling and strong fielding. A year ago, in the same tournament, Afghanistan defeated Ireland by 22 runs, so this year, it was sweet revenge for the Irish. The match officially had started on Saturday, but after intermittent rain on Saturday afternoon,  the match was forced to be carried into Sunday (reserve day). Tomorrow, the Afghan team will play against Kenya.  It should be a win for Afghanistan as Kenya has already lost twice.

Match Summary:

 * Ireland - 237-9, 50 overs (Andrew Poynter 78, Kevin O’Brien 44, Trent Johnston 42 not out, Andrew White 31; Hamid Hassan 3-53, Khaliq Dad 2-27)
* Afghanistan -198 all out, 47.1 overs (Shabir Noori 38, Karim Sadiq 25, Mohammad Nabi 23, Noor Ali 21, Asghar Stanikzai 20; Alex Cusack 5-22, Andrew White 2-30)
* Man of the match: Andrew Poynter (Ireland)

Here are the standings so far:

July 1, 2010: Afghanistan Defeats Canada In Cricket Match

Afghanistan's national cricket team has been known for poor batting in the past, but today, it was their batting performance that helped them to achieve victory over Canada in their first and very challenging game of the ICC World Cricket League Division One tournament, currently being held in the Netherlands. The batting actually made up for their poor fielding. Afghanistan defeated Canada by  6 wickets (with 8 balls remaining). The Man of the Match award went to team captain Nawroz Mangal who led the charge with an unbeaten 70, off just 58 balls.

Today's match was played at Sportpark Westvliet, Voorburg. On Saturday (July 3rd), they will play against Ireland at Rotterdam.

Summary:

Coin Toss: Canada won and chose to bat
Canada innings (50 overs maximum)
Afghanistan innings (target: 258 runs from 50 overs)
Some Match Notes:
Mohammad Shahzad 50 in 50 balls, 61 minutes, 6x4, 1x6
Nawroz Mangal 50 in 49 balls, 67 minutes, 3x4

In the other two matches held today, Ireland beat Kenya by 7 wickets and Scotland beat the Netherlands by 1 wicket.

Here are the standings so far:

June 30, 2010: Nabi and Hassan in Holland - ready for cricket match against Canada

Hamid Hassan and Mohammad Nabi, the two Afghan national cricket players who missed yesterday's warm up match against Scotland have finally arrived in the Netherlands.  Hamid Hassan posted on his Facebook account that he and Nabi have arrived safely and are looking forward to their match against Canada tomorrow (July 1st). Nabi and Hassan were in Britain to play for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against the Pakistani cricket team in a Twenty20 match on June 27, 2010 at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, England.
 

June 29, 2010: Afghanistan loses to Scotland in cricket warm up match

In a warm up match before the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 tournament begins on July 1st, Afghanistan's national cricket team lost to Scotland. Scotland won by 65 runs. Scotland scored 283 runs in 50 overs for 7 wickets, and Afghanistan lost all wickets in 47 overs for 218 runs.

Afghan batting was poor, and two of their players, Hamid Hassan and Mohammad Nabi were not present. They weren't able to make it to the Netherlands from the United Kingdom in time. They were in Britain to play for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against the Pakistani cricket team in a Twenty20 match on June 27, 2010 at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, England.

The Afghan team's first official game will be against Canada at Voorburg.
 

June 26, 2010: Wheelchair-Basketball Tournament in Afghanistan

A wheelchair-basketball tournament had been held in Afghanistan around end of May and early June of this year. 6 teams from 3 cities (Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, and Maimana) participated. Click Here to read the story from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
 

June 24, 2010: Afghanistan Cricket Board will not sign Rashid Latif

Rashid Latif

Despite the fact that the Afghan national cricket team is in desperate need of a batting coach, the ACB has changed its mind and has backed away from the deal with former Pakistani captain Rashid Latif. There are speculations that the ACB decided to not sign Latif due to pressure from  coach Kabir Khan and some of the players. Kabir Khan has made it clear on several different occasions that he prefers an Australian or South African batting coach; this seems very unlikely due to the financial situation of the team and the security situation in Afghanistan.

The national team is scheduled to leave for the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 tournament on Saturday.  They will do so now without a batting coach.  They are scheduled to play a warm-up match against Scotland at Deventer on June 29th, and will play their first official game against Canada at Voorburg on July 1st.
 

June 23, 2010: Afghanistan to participate in the Asian Cricket Council U-16 Challenge Cup 2010

An Afghan cricket squad led by Coach Assadullah Khan and Manager Tawab Zafarzai left Kabul yesterday to participate in the ACC (Asian Cricket Council) U-16 Challenge Cup 2010, which is being held Penang, Malaysia from July 11th to July 19th. The teams will be divided into 2 groups (Group A and Group B).

Group A: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives
Group: China, Oman, Myanmar, Iran

Each side will be playing 40 overs in each match.

Afghan squad will consist of: Jawaid Ahmadzai, Abdul Sabur Akhonzada, Ajmal Kamawal, Sayed Hakim Karimi, Shams Karokhil, Jafar Khan Katwazai, Parwiz Khan, Shafiullah Mohammad, Shaif Mohammad Murad, Naweenulhaq Tarakhil, Qadir Zazai, Qayum Zazai, Sadam Zazai, and Yusuf Zazai.

According to the ACC website today, the schedule is as follows:

July 12
Afghanistan v Maldives at Penang Sports Club
China v Iran at Universiti Sains Malaysia

July 13
China v Myanmar at Penang Sports Club
Iran v Oman at Universiti Sains Malaysia

July 14
Oman v Myanmar at Penang Sports Club
Afghanistan v Bhutan at Universiti Sains Malaysia

July 15
Bhutan v Maldives at Penang Sports Club
Myanmar v Iran at Universiti Sains Malaysia

July 16
China v Oman at Universiti Sains Malaysia

July 17
SF1: A1 v B2 at Penang Sports Club

SF2:
A2 v B1 at Universiti Sains Malaysia

July 18
5th/6th Playoff: A3 v B3 at Universiti Sains Malaysia

July 19
FINAL: Winners SF1 v SF2 at Penang Sports Club
3rd/4th Playoff: Losers SF1 v SF2 at Universiti Sains Malaysia
 

June 22, 2010: Afghan bodybuilders at the 7th South Asian Men's Bodybuilding Championship in Nepal

Afghan bodybuilders competed in the various weight classes of the 7th South Asian Men's Bodybuilding Championship in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal. The competition was organized by the Nepal Body Building and Fitness Association (NBBFA).  It started on June 17th and ended on June 20th. Afghan bodybuilders won four silver and five bronze medals. Here are a few photos of the Afghan bodybuilders:

Afghan bodybuilder Abdullah Habibi
during the Heavy Weight (+90Kg) category

Afghan bodybuilder Parwiz Shukram
during the Light Heavy Weight (90Kg) category

Winners of the Welter Weight category gold medalist Aram Bam Booy Singh of India (C), 
silver medalist Khalid Ali of Pakistan (L) and Bronze medalist Ramin Hasanzada of Afghanistan

June 19, 2010: Afghan athletes visit Pul-i-Charkhi prison; Football tournament was held in Kapisa

Various athletic events such as wrestling matches and a volleyball game was held today in Kabul's Pul-i-Charkhi prison. Afghanistan's National Volleyball team even took on a group of prisoners in a friendly match. Officials from the National Olympics Committee were present to encourage prisoner participation in sporting activities.

Earlier in the week (June 16th), a 2 week long football (soccer) tournament came to a conclusion in Afghanistan's north eastern province of Kapisa. There were 6 teams, and each represented the different faculties of Al Biruni University.  The teams were also divided into 2 groups. Sharia Law, Law and Political Science and Agriculture were in Group A, and Medical, Engineering and Literature were in Group B. In the final match, the Law and Political Science team defeated the Literature team 2-1 to win the trophy.
 

June 17, 2010: Afghan Cup 2010

This is mostly a soccer, volleyball and basketball competition amongst various Afghan sport teams based in the United States. The event is being organized by the non-profit Afghan Sports Federation. The organization was established in 1998 to promote amateur sports among the Afghan youths and adults - both men and women. The games are mostly head in the United States.

Click here to enlarge event poster

Preliminary Games:
Fri July 9th - Sat July 10th

Soccer Games:
Howison Homestead Soccer Complex
14716 Minnieville Rd. Woodbridge, VA (USA)
Time: 8 AM - 12 PM and 4 PM - 10 PM

Basketball and Volleyball Games
Hoop Magic Sports Academy
14810 Murdock St, Chantilly, VA (USA)
Time: 12 PM - 5 PM

Championship and Concert
Sunday July 11, 2010
Maryland SoccerPlex Stadium
18031 Central Park Circle Boyds, Maryland 20841 (USA)
 

June 16, 2010: Afghan cricket team to camp in Jalalabad; Hassan and Nabi to play for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC); Weightlifting competition organized in Kabul

Afghanistan's national cricket team will train in Jalalabad for the upcoming ICC World Cricket League Division 1 in The Netherlands. They will start tomorrow (June 17th), and will be there for 8 days. The Afghan squad for this international competition will be: Nowroz Khan Mangal (captain), Mohammad Nabi, Karim Khan Sadiq, Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammad Shahzad Mohammadi, Hamid Hassan, Samiullah Shenwari, Noor Ali Noori, Asghar Stanikzai, Shahpoor Zadran, Shabir Ahmad Noori, Aftab Alam, Khalid Dad Noori, Dawlat Ahmadzai, and Mohammad Jawed Ahmadi.

According to cricketworld.com, Afghan national team players Hamid Hassan and Mohammad Nabi will play for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) when they face off against the Pakistani cricket team in a Twenty20 match on June 27, 2010 at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, England. Marylebone Cricket Club is one of the world's most famous cricket clubs. Bowler Hamid Hassan was the first Afghan to play at Lord's when he represented Marylebone Cricket Club against a Europe XI in 2007. The full MCC squad will be: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Aiden Blizzard, Brian Lara, Ian Harvey, Mohammad Nabi, Tyron Henderson, Chris Harris, John Simpson (wicket-keeper), Glenn Querl, Chaminda Vaas, and Hamid Hassan.

In non cricket news, today in Kabul, a two-day weightlifting competition was organized by the National Olympic Committee. Over 100 weightlifters from across the country are expected to participate in the competition.
 

June 15, 2010: Hasti Gul Abid joins ACB; Afghanistan not at Dambulla; T20 domestic tournament scheduled to start soon

Hasti Gul Abid

Twenty six year old Hasti Gul Abid, a native of Nangarhar province, and former member of Afghanistan's national cricket team was recently appointed as technical manager at the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). In this role, Hasti Gul Abid will work towards the development of domestic cricket, and will help in recruiting and developing future athletes. He will also have to come up with programs to develop cricket coaches, trainers, and umpires.

Reports say that Hasti Gul Abid is not happy with how many of the national players have been acting recently. The players are not happy with the squad chosen by ACB's selection committee, and so they threatening to not participate in the upcoming international cricket matches in the Netherlands (WCL1 - World Cricket League Division 1) until their demands are met.  Hasti Gul Abid has said he will work with the players to resolve all the issues and prevent the players from non participate in the upcoming international cricket matches.

Today was the start of the Asian Cup in Dambulla, Sri Lanka.  Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are competing for the Asian Cup. Unfortunately, Afghanistan was not invited to play despite winning the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Trophy Elite competition in April. This has left many Afghan cricket fans disappointed.  Fortunately, they don't have to be disappointed for too long as their first international match will be against Scotland at Rotterdam on June 29th.

Afghan media is reporting that the ACB has decided to start the second season of the T20 domestic tournament towards the end of June this year. ACB officials say that at least 25 teams from around the country will participate. Last year's T20 winner was Kandahar - they beat Khost in the final championship game.
 

June 10, 2010: Kabul Wins Etisalat Trophy 50-over Inter-provincial cricket tournament

The team from Kabul made history today by defeating Paktya in the final championship match of the Etisalat Trophy 50-over Inter-provincial cricket tournament. Kabul ended the match with 12 overs remaining and 6 wickets in hand - this was a very comprehensive all round win for team Kabul. Paktya batsman performed poorly compared to how well they performed when they went up against team Laghman. Both Kabul and Paktya won four matches to reach the final, however, in the end, Kabul was the last team standing! 

Kabul Won the toss and elected to field first
Kabul 163/4 In 39 overs
Paktia 162/10 In 47.6 overs
Kabul wins by 6 wickets
 

June 9, 2010: Launch of Premier League Football Tournament; National Cricket Team Drama Update

Ghazi Stadium, Kabul

Today in Kabul, the launch of a 24-day Premier League Football (soccer) Tournament occurred at Ghazi Stadium. As many as 12 teams from all over Afghanistan will participate in the tournament. Before the official launch, a friendly match was played between the Kabul Bank and Shah Football teams.

National Cricket Team Drama Update

ACB Chairman
Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal

An online Afghan cricket blog is reporting that Afghanistan's Cricket Board chairman Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal has accepted one of the demands from the players who are threatening to not participate in the upcoming international cricket matches in the Netherlands (WCL1 - World Cricket League Division 1). Dawlat Ahmadzai will replace the Selection Committee's pick, new comer Murad Ali. However, other demands such as replacing the ACB CEO or the Chief Selector with retired player Raees Ahmadzai was denied.

Zakhilwal himself has apparently threatened to quit as ACB chairman if the players continue with their threat of not participate in the upcoming international cricket matches in the Netherlands. The report also stated that Zakhilwal has been a great administrator and fundraiser for the organization and if he actually steps down as ACB chairman, it would be a big loss.
 

June 8, 2010: Paktya defeats Laghman - will play in the finals

In an exciting second semi-final match of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition today, Paktya (Winner of Group D) defeated Laghman (Winner of Group B) by 3 wickets. Team Paktya fans were very excited after game - dancing and celebrating their team's win.

Laghman Won the toss and elected to Bat first
Paktia 224/7 in 47.4 overs
Laghman 223/10 in 48.1 overs

The finals: Kabul vs. Paktya
 

June 7, 2010: Kabul defeats Panjshir - will play in the finals

In the first semi-final match of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition today, Kabul (Winner of Group C) defeated Panjshir (Winner of Group A) by 159 runs. Team Kabul's captain, Noor Malikzai won Man of the Match.

Kabul Won the toss and elected to Bat first
Kabul 225 / 8 in 50 overs
Panjshir 66/All out in 17.3 overs

Next match - Laghman takes on Paktya.  The winner of this match will meet Kabul in the finals.
 

June 6, 2010: Three in a row for Paktya - advances to Semi-Finals; National team drama continues

Yesterday, in the fourth Group D match of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition, Paktya secured their second win by defeating Nuristan by 2 wickets. Then, today, in the quarter-finals, they defeated Kunduz for their third win. Kunduz had made it  to the quarter-finals due to their high run rate. Paktya (Group D) joins Kabul (Group C), Laghman (Group B), and Panjshir (Group A) in the semi-finals.

Tomorrow the semi-finals start - first up Kabul versus Panjshir.

Meanwhile, the drama continues with the national team.  Yesterday, Cricinfo reported that officials from Afghanistan's Cricket Board (ACB) had met with the national team players who have threatened to not participate in the upcoming international tournament in the Netherlands due to the ACB's selections for the squad. They will put together a four-member group of impartial persons to find and present a solution to the player's grievances to the ACB chairman, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal. Cricinfo reported that the players want to replace Hamid Shinwari (Chief Selector) or ACB chief Aimal Shinwari with retired national team player Raees Ahmadzai.
 

June 4, 2010: Kandahar loses to Paktya; National team players unhappy with ACB

In the third Group D match of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition, the defending champions, team Kandahar, lost to Paktya by 75 runs. Paktya won the toss and elected to bat first. They did well in terms of batting, and so did Kandahar, at least in the beginning.  However, later on, Kandahar's batting collapsed.  The Paktya team's bowlers also played a major role in ensuring victory for their team. It was a very exciting match.

National Team Drama

Pajhwok Afghan News reported Wednesday that many members of Afghanistan's National Cricket Team are refusing to participate in the upcoming international tournament in the Netherlands. Pajhwok reported that "11 of the 15 players -- Nawroz Mangal, Noor Ali, Shahpur Zadran, Muhammad Nabi, Hameed Hasan, Karim Sadiq, Samiullah Shinwari, Asghar Stanikzai, Shahzad and Mirwais Ashraf" have refused to participate. 

The players are apparently unhappy with the Afghanistan Cricket Board's (ACB) decision in terms of the players they selected to play in the tournament.  They are upset that experienced players were dropped, and that Mirwais Ashraf was chosen as vice-captain instead of keeping Muhammad Nabi in the role. 

"ACB chief Aimal Shinwari blamed Raees Ahmadzai for creating problems, saying he wanted to be part of the national squad despite announcing retirement from cricket", said the report. The report also stated that the ACB chief "warned of initiating disciplinary action against those cricketers who refused to accept the decision of the selection committee."
 

June 3, 2010: Kunduz defeats Parwan by 4 wickets

Today, in the second Group D match of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition, Kunduz defeated Parwan by 4 wickets. The team from Kunduz played very well today - much to the delight of their fans.  Tomorrow's match will be an interesting match as defending champions Kandahar takes on Paktya in the third Group D match. The match will be broadcasted live by Shamshad TV.
 

June 2, 2010: Nuristan defeats Zabul; National team gets batting coach

In the first Group D match of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition, Nuristan defeated Zabul by 19 runs.

In national team news, despite head coach Kabir Khan's preference for an Australian or South African batting coach, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has reached an agreement with former Pakistani captain Rashid Latif to be the team's new batting coach.

Rashid Latif

Apparently, this isn't the first time this week that the ACB has gone against the wishes of team leaders.  Earlier this week, team captain Nawroz Mangal complained to a reporter from Pajhwok Afghan News that "he was not satisfied with the national cricket squad announced for an upcoming international tournament to be hosted by the Netherlands."  The Pajhwok report stated that "he accused the selection committee of ignoring his opinions, saying several experienced players had been dropped for those who had yet to prove their mettle as dependable cricketers."

Hamid Shinwari, the chief selector for the team, told Pajhwok Afghan News that they "want to give young cricketers a chance, because they are going to be our future asset."
 

June 1, 2010: Domestic cricket update: Kabul defeats Ghazni - advances to Semi-Finals

The Ghazni team got lucky and was allowed by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to advance to the Group C quarter-finals of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition without even playing a match.  Unfortunately, their luck ran out when they played against Kabul.  The team from Kabul defeated them by 147 runs. With this win, they join Panjshir (Group A) and Laghman (Group B) in the semi-finals.

Group D matches start tomorrow - first up - Zabul and Nuristan.
 

May 31, 2010: National Cricket Team Squad for ICC World Cricket League Division One Announced

This weekend, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) which is headed by Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, (also the Finance Minister), approved the National Cricket Team Squad for ICC World Cricket League Division One competition. 

According to the ACB, the players were selected based on the following criteria:

1) Best performer in the 2010 World T20 Qualifying Round, ACC Elite Trophy, and T20 World Cup
2) Having good fitness and fielding skills
3) Newcomers who have performed very well in the U19 World Cup

Here are the names:

Batsman: Noor Ali, Karim Sadiq, Mohammad Shahzad, Nowroz Mangal (Captain), Asghar Stanakzai, Mohammad Nabi, Shabir Noori, Murad Ali, Javed Ahmadi

Bowler: Hameed Hasan, Shahpoor Zadran, Khalid Dad Noori, Mirwais Ashraf (Vice Captain), Aftab Alam

Spin Bowler: Samiullah Shinwari

Reserve Players: Norulhaq (Batsman), Ezitullah (Bowler), Nasratullah (Bowler), Hamza Hotak (Spin Bowler).

The Selection Committee comprised of the following people: Hamid Shinwari (Chief Selector), Haji Ahmad Shah, and Assadullah Khan, and Nazeem Abdul Rahimzai
 

May 31, 2010: Domestic cricket update: Back to back victories for Kabul

Yesterday, in the second Group C match of the the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition, Kabul defeated Kunar by 3 wickets, and today, in the third Group C match, Kabul defeated Logar by 2 wickets. 
 

May 29, 2010: Domestic cricket update: Logar defeats Jowzjan in Group C match

Logar beat Jowzjan by 10 wickets in the first Group C match today of the the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition.  Logar had a very high run rate - this will help them to qualify for the Quarter Finals. Logar's Gulbuddin Nayeb, a former member of the national team, became the Man of the Match. 

Tomorrow Kabul will play against Kunar.
 

May 28, 2010: Domestic cricket update: Laghman defeats Paktika - advances to Semi-Finals

Today, Laghman did it once again by defeating Paktika by 39 runs in the fifth Group B match of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition. Win this win, Laghman advances to the semi-finals. Laghman has become the second team to advance to the semi-finals.  The first was Group A's Panjshir team.  Laghman's Fazal Khan became Man of the Match; he scored 45 runs and took two wickets. Cricket fans were surprised when Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) Chairman, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, decided to attend the event.  Some members of the National Cricket Team (Karim Khan Sadiq, Shahpoor Zadran, and Raees Ahmadzai) were present as well.

Group C matches start tomorrow.  Up first, Logar vs. Jowzjan.
 

May 27, 2010: Domestic cricket update: Laghman defeats Nangarhar, will go up against Paktika in Quarter Finals

In an exciting match today, Laghman defeated Nangarhar by one wickets in the fourth Group B match of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition. Win this win, they have secured themselves a place in the Quarter Finals against Paktika. Paktika was promoted to the quarter-finals by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) for having the highest run rate among the three winning teams (Nangarhar, Paktika, and Laghman) of Group B.

Group B match results so far:

Laghman defeated Nangarhar
Nangarhar defeated Herat
Paktika defeated Badakshan
Laghman defeated Kapisa
 

May 26, 2010: Domestic cricket update: Nangarhar defeats Herat

Today, Nangarhar went up against Herat in the third Group B match of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition. Herat started playing well, but Zamir Khan, who became Man of the Match, helped his team Nangarhar to defeat the Herat team by 122 runs.

Group B match results so far:

Nangarhar defeated Herat
Paktika defeated Badakshan
Laghman defeated Kapisa
 

May 25, 2010: Domestic cricket update: Paktika easily defeats Badakhshan

Today, Paktika went up against Badakhshan in the second Group B match of the Etisalat 50-overs domestic competition. From the start, things went badly for Badakhshan, and they finally ended up losing to Paktika by 182 runs. So far, the Paktika team has scored the highest runs in the tournament (319 runs in 50 overs for 9 wickets). Yesterday, in the first Group B match, Laghman defeated Kapisa by 93 runs.
 

May 24, 2010: Etisalat Trophy: Inter-provincial domestic cricket competition updates

A rain delay caused a rescheduling of the original game dates. All games are scheduled to be played at NYCG (National Youth Cricket Ground) in Kabul.

Here are the results so far:

Group A matches

Day 1 (May 19th) - Panjshir defeats Helmand by 5 wickets

Day 2 (May 20th) - Khost defeats Baghlan by 29 runs

Day 3 (May 21st) - Balkh defeats Wardak by 21 runs

Day 4 (May 22nd) - Khost defeats Balkh by 11 runs.  * Note: Panjshir was supposed to play against Balkh, but a controversial rule change was made by Afghanistan Cricket Board Chairman Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal.

Day 5 (May 23rd - Quarter Finals) - Panjshir defeats Khost by 141 runs.  Panjshir is the first team to make it to the Semi-Finals.

Group B matches (so far)

Day 6 (May 24th) Laghman defeats Kapisa by 93 runs.

Note: There are 4 groups, each team plays against their own group members first.

Here is how it is broken down:

Panjshir, Balkh, Khost, Baghlan, and Wardak are in Group A

Kapisa, Paktika, Laghman, Badakhshan, Nangarhar and Herat are in Group B

Jowzjan, Logar, Kabul, Kunar and Ghazni are in Group C.

Nuristan, Zabul, Parwan, Kunduz, Kandahar, and Paktya are in Group D
 

May 23, 2010: Afghans and Turks play friendly football game

Last week, an Afghan team and the Turkish Provincial Reconstruction Team competed in  a friendly football (soccer) game.  The match was held on Wednesday, May 19th in Kabul.  The team from Afghanistan, beat the Turkish team 2 to 1.  The goal scorers from Afghanistan were Khalid Dilawar and Elias Ahmad Manuchaher. Despite the win by the Afghan team, the head of the Afghanistan's National Olympic Committee, presented the trophy to the Turkish footballers. He said that the point of the match was not to compete against the Turks, but to promote a friendly relationship between the two countries. The Afghan players who did well did get some money out of the game - 5,000 afghanis, about $100, was given to the Afghan goalkeeper and to the two players who scored goals.
 

May 22, 2010: Taj Malik Alam submits his resignation

Taj Malik Alam, the deputy coach of Afghanistan's National Cricket Team submitted his resignation on Wednesday (May 19th). He said his decision was linked to Afghanistan's losses in the 2010 Twenty20 Cricket World Cup.

Many sports commentators have said that even though the Afghans lost both of their matches, the team performed well for such a new organization. Alam said that the team lost because not all the best players participated, and that a commission needs to be formed to investigate the team's "humiliating performance".

In their first game of the Twenty20 World Cup campaign, Afghanistan lost to India by seven wickets, and South Africa beat them by 59 runs in the second game.
 

May 18, 2010: Domestic cricket competition

Yesterday, Afghanistan's domestic cricket competition started in Kabul.  Teams from 24 provinces will compete to win the domestic trophy. The 24 teams are divided into four groups, and one team from each group will proceed to the semi-finals. The games are scheduled to start at 9:00 am Kabul local time.  The event will end on June 4th.  Members of the national cricket team will be playing, however not on the same team.
 

May 15, 2010: US based Afghan Soccer League score updates

As reported earlier this month, the US based amateur Afghan Soccer League games are currently under way. 6 teams are participating in the competitions: Ariana, Khorasan, Afghan 11, Pamir, Afghanica, and Afghan United.

Here are the latest scores:

April 27th - Afghanica and Pamir tie 2-2
April 29th - Ariana beats Afghan 11 2-1
May 4th - Khorasan beats Pamir 2-1

For earlier game scores, see report from April 27th below.

The final championship game is scheduled for June 22, 2010.
 

May 11, 2010: Afghans win gold in the Asian Powerlifting Championships

At the beginning of this month, a group of Afghans went to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in order to compete in the 2010 Asian Powerlifting Championships.  According to Pajhwok Afghan News, there were participants from 46 countries competing in the events.  Four Afghans, Ali Raza Rafezada, Jamil Arab, Ali Ahmad Shahabi and Muhammad Nadar Mujaddidi won gold medals. Despite their success, the athletes were disappointed with the lack of support they received from the government.  They wanted the government to do more in terms of training and coaching for the athletes.
 

May 9, 2010: Cricket Team Returns Home to Heroes' Welcome

Afghanistan's National Cricket Team returned home yesterday, and they were greeted at Kabul International Airport by thousands of adoring fans. Despite being forced out of the the Twenty20 World Cup campaign, after losing to India then South Africa, Afghan fans expressed their joy at the team's overall performance this year. In April, they defeated Nepal to win the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Trophy Elite 2010 competition. Even their performance at the Twenty20 World Cup campaign was respectable for a new team. "These players left for the West Indies as heroes and they’re coming home to Afghanistan as heroes," said Shahzada Masoud, Vice Chairman of Afghanistan Cricket Board. The event was organized by Etisalat Afghanistan, a newly established GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) operator in Afghanistan.

On May 7th, the Afghan cricket team's middle-order batsman, Raees Ahmadzai, announced his retirement on his Twitter page. He said that he is retiring, but will stay involved in cricket and will focus on developing the next line of Afghan cricketers.  "Thanks for all the supportive messages. I have retired in order to focus on developing the younger generation of Afghan cricketers," read his Twitter feed.
 

May 5, 2010: Afghanistan loses to South Africa in cricket - depart Twenty20

The Afghan cricket team gave it their best shot, but unfortunately, it was not enough to defeat the powerful South African team. South Africa 139 for 7 (Kallis 34, Hamid 3-21) beat Afghanistan 80 (M Morkel 4-20, Langeveldt 3-12) by 59 runs. With this loss, Afghanistan departs from the Twenty20 World Cup campaign. 

Kabir Khan, the coach of the Afghan team said in order for the Afghan team to get better, they must be given an opportunity to play more, and play against better teams.  "We have not got a domestic structure in Afghanistan and preparing for a World Cup for three or four weeks isn't enough.... They have to play a lot more than a game or two. We've got ODI status and we can play Twenty20 internationals against any country in the world so the teams need to invite us," coach Kabir Khan said.

On the bright side, Afghanistan was able to restrict a batting line-up like South Africa to 139.
 

May 1, 2010: Afghanistan loses against India in Twenty20

Dhoni and Shahzad shake hands at the end of the game

In their first game of the Twenty20 World Cup campaign, Afghanistan 115 for 8 (Noor 50, Nehra 3-19) loses to India 116 for 3 (Vijay 48) by seven wickets.  Even though they lost, the Afghan team put up a decent fight; they posted a respectable total of 115 for eight, thanks to 50 from opener Noor Ali and 30 by Asghar Stanikzai. India will play their next Group C match against South Africa on Sunday (May 2nd), and Afghanistan will play against another major team, South Africa, on Wednesday, May 5th.

Here's the scorecard:

Afghanistan innings

Noor Ali c Dhoni b Nehra 50
Karim Sadiq c Dhoni b Nehra 0
Mohammad Shahzad c Dhoni b Nehra 6
Nowroz Mangal c Gambhir b Jadeja 5
Asghar Stanikzai c Khan b Kumar 30
Mohammad Nabi c Dhoni b Kumar 0
Raees Ahmadzai not out 5
Samiullah Shenwari run out 7
Hamid Hassan c Nehra b Khan 6
Shapoor Zadran not out 0
Extras (lb-3, w-3) 6
Total (eight wickets; 20 overs) 115

Fall of wickets: 1-6 2-22 3-29 4-97 5-97 6-97 7-107 8-114

Bowling: Kumar 3-0-14-2, Nehra 4-0-19-3, Zaheer 3-0-24-1 (1w), Jadeja 4-1-15-1, Yuvraj 1-0-4-0, Harbhajan 4-0-24-0 (1w), Pathan 1-0-12-0 (1w)

India innings

G. Gambhir c Mohammad Nabi b Dawlat Ahmadzai 4
M. Vijay c Shapoor Zadran b Hamid Hassan 48
S. Raina lbw b Samiullah Shenwari 18
Yuvraj Singh not out 23
MS Dhoni not out 15
Extras (lb-1, w-3, nb-4) 8
Total (three wickets; 14.5 overs) 116

Fall of wickets: 1-19 2-46 3-101

Bowling: Dawlat Ahmadzai 2-0-21-1 (1nb), Shapoor Zadran 2-0-6-0 (1w), Mohammad Nabi 3-0-33-0 (1nb), Samiullah Shenwari 2-0-11-1 (1w), Karim Sadiq 2-0-22-0 (2nb, 1w), Hamid Hassan 3-0-8-1, Nowroz Mangal 0.5-0-14-0
 

April 28, 2010: Cricket: Afghanistan defeats Ireland in Twenty20 warm-up game

Today, at Providence Stadium, in Guyana, Afghanistan 134 for 5 (Stanikzai 39) beat Ireland 133 for 9 (D Ahmadzai 4-15) by five wickets in the Twenty20 warm-game. Dawlat Ahmadzai claimed 4 for 15, and Ashghar Stanikzai and Mohammad Nabi added 66 runs for the fifth wicket in six overs to seal the win and give Ireland the loss. Perhaps this is a taste of what is to come when the Afghan cricket team officially plays in the ICC World Twenty20 on May 1st against India. Coach Kabir Khan did say recently that his team will try to make an upset when they play against India.

The Afghan squad is comprised of: Nowroz Mangal (Captain), Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Ahmadzai, Hamid Hassan, Karim Sadiq, Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Nasratullah, Noor Ali, Raees Ahmadzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Shabir Noori, Shafiqullah Shafiq, and Shapoor Zadran
 

April 27, 2010: Afghan Soccer League Starts Starts Season In The U.S.

The US based amateur Afghan Soccer League games are currently under way. The event actually started earlier this month. 6 teams are participating in the competitions: Ariana, Khorasan, Afghan 11, Pamir, Afghanica, and Afghan United. The games are being held in Fairfax, Virginia, and are being organized by the non-profit Afghan Sports Federation. The organization was established in 1998 to promote amateur sports among the Afghan youths and adults - both men and women. The games are mostly head in the United States.

The final championship game is scheduled for June 22, 2010.

Here are the results so far:

April 06th - Ariana beats Khorasan 3-0
April 08th - Afghan 11 beats Pamir 6-3
April 13th - Khorasan beats Afghanica 6-1
April 15th - Afghan United beats Pamir 2-0
April 20th - Afghan 11 beats Khorasan 6-5
April 22nd - Afghan United beats Ariana 3-0

For more info, check out www.afghansportsfederation.org/soccer_schedule.htm
 

April 21, 2010: Afghan cricket team's matches in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) called off

The Afghan cricket team was scheduled to be in Trinidad and Tobago this week to play against local teams so that they stay in shape for the upcoming World Twenty20 Championship.  Unfortunately, since ash clouds from Iceland's spewing volcano had halted air traffic across a wide swath of Europe recently, the Afghan team's travel plans had been affected. The team's matches were called off since they could not take a flight to Trinidad and Tobago.  Instead they have been participating in training sessions in Dubai to make up for the warm up matches they will miss in Trinidad and Tobago. Latest reports say that the team will still be able to travel to the Caribbean to participate in the World Twenty20 Championship since travel restrictions have been lifted today.
 

April 15, 2010: Boxing competition held in Kabul

A boxing competition was held in Kabul today, and the competition was fierce as each player struggled to win his matches.  The purpose of the event was to pick the best boxers to be part of Afghanistan's National Boxing Team.  The competition was held in Ghazi Stadium, which was built during the reign of King Amanullah Khan in 1923.
 

April 14, 2010: Afghan cricket team's schedule in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T)

As reported earlier, the Afghan cricket team will be in Trinidad and Tobago next week to prepare for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20.  At T&T, they will play against local teams so that they stay in shape when it comes time for the big tournament.  The team's schedule is as follows:

• April 19 - Afghanistan versus local team at National Cricket Centre (NCC) in Balmain, Couva
• April 20 - T20 quarter-finals; Afghanistan versus TTCB (Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board) XI in Queen’s Park Oval
• April 22 - Afghanistan versus TTCB (Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board) XI; T20 quarter-final in in Queen’s Park Oval
• April 24 - Afghanistan versus local team at National Cricket Centre (NCC) in Balmain, Couva

April 12, 2010: Afghan Karate Team Returns Home With Medals

Afghanistan's National Karate Taekwondo team arrived home yesterday and were greeting by adoring fans at Kabul Airport.  The team came back from Iran, where they participated in the 2010 Jam-i-Fajr International Karate Tournament.  The team did very well - overall they won 8 medals: 4 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze.
 

April 10, 2010: Weightlifting Competition Starts in Kabul

A weightlifting competition started today at the gymnasium of the National Olympics Committee in Kabul. 500 athletes from 15 different provinces will compete in the event in the next four days. The sportsmen will not only compete in traditional events showing strength such as dead lifts, but will also compete in just games as racing while pulling 600 pound chains. Local hero, Ali Reza Rafizada, known as "Afghanistan's most powerful man" is competing in the event.
 

April 10, 2010: Afghan cricket team will prepare for ICC Twenty20 in Trinidad and Tobago

The Afghan cricket team will be in Trinidad and Tobago next weekend to prepare for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 Championship to be held in the West Indies. They will be joined by such teams as Ireland. Afghanistan's first match up in the ICC Twenty20 will be against India on May 1st. Yesterday, the team defeated Nepal by 95 runs to become the ACC Trophy Elite 2010 champions.
 

April 9, 2010: Afghan cricket team wins the ACC Trophy Elite

Afghanistan defeated Nepal by 95 runs at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Trophy Elite 2010 competition. The match was held at Hubara Ground in Kuwait.  The The Man of the Match Award went to Raees Ahmadzai. Now, Afghanistan marches on towards their first ICC World Twenty20.

Summary of match:

ACC Trophy Elite 2010

FINAL: Afghanistan v Nepal at Hubara
AFGHANISTAN WON BY 95 RUNS
Nepal have won the toss and elected to field
Afghanistan 224 all out 50 overs (K.Sadiq 58, R.Ahmadzai 52, M.Nabi 48; B.Das 3-35)
Nepal: 129 all out off 40 overs (G.Malla 30, S.Vesawkar 35)
Man of the Match: Raees Ahmadzai (Afghanistan)
 

April 7, 2010: Afghan cricket teams beats the Hong Kong team - Make it to the ACC Trophy Elite Final

The Afghan cricket team played a wonderful game of cricket today and easily defeated the team from Hong Kong by 5 wickets. The Man of the Match Award went to Mohammad Nabi for his outstanding performance in the game. Joining Afghanistan will be Nepal.  They defeated Malaysia by 8 runs today.

Summary of match:

ACC Trophy Elite 2010

Semi-Final 2: Hong Kong v Afghanistan at Unity
AFGHANISTAN WIN BY FIVE WICKETS
Hong Kong won the toss and chose to bat
Hong Kong: 205 all out off 48.1 overs (H.Butt 63; M.Nabi 3-30, H.Hassan 3-53)
Afghanistan: 210 for 5 off 44.4 overs (M.Shahzad 35, A.Stanikzai 55*, R.Ahmadzai 38, M.Nabi 35*)
Man of the Match: Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)
 

April 3, 2010: In Cricket Afghanistan beats Malaysia after loss to UAE. Team has also identified their squad for the World Twenty20

Afghanistan's cricket team came back today to defeat the Malaysians by 1 run in the latest Group B match of the ACC (Asian Cricket Council) Trophy Elite competition. Hamid Hassan won the Man of the Match for his outstanding bowling (10-1-44-5).  The Afghan team really needed this win in order to stay alive in the competition after losing to the team from the United Arab Emirates yesterday.  The UAE won that game by two wickets.

Summary of both matches:

ACC Trophy Elite 2010

Group B: Afghanistan v Malaysia at KOC Hubara
AFGHANISTAN WON BY 1 RUN
Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat
Afghanistan: 236 for 9 off 50 overs (K. Sadiq 46, A.Stanikzai 41, R.Ahmadzai 64*)
Malaysia: 235 all out off 49.5 (D.Warnasavithana 35, S.Kumar 61, A.Arudin 43, S.Navaratnam 33; H.Hassan 5-44)
Man of the Match: Hamid Hassan

Group B: Afghanistan v UAE at KEC
UAE WON BY TWO WICKETS
Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat
Afghanistan: 217 for 7 off 50 overs (M.Shahzad 33, R.Ahmadzai 56, S.Shenwari 50*; S.Silva 3-30)
UAE: 218 for 8 off 49.1 overs (A.Rehman 30, S.Ali 93*; S.Zadran 3-28)
Man of the Match: Saqib Ali (UAE)

This week, the Afghan team also identified their players that will participate in the World Twenty20 cup, which is scheduled to start on April 30th in the Caribbean. Afghanistan will play their first match against India on May 1st, and then South Africa on May 5th - both two powerful teams in world cricket.

The Afghan team is: Nawroz Mangal (captain), Mohammad Nabi, Karim Sadiq, Mirwais Ashraf, Rais Ahmadzai, Dawlat Ahmadzai, Mohammad Shahzad, Hamid Hassan, Samiullah Shinwari, Noor Ali, Asghar Stanikzai, Shahpoor Zadran, Shabir Noori, Sayed Nasrat, and Shafiq Shafaq.
 

March 21, 2010: Afghan Cricket Team In Pakistan

Afghanistan's cricket team and their coach Kabir Khan are in the Pakistani city of Lahore to play four matches against Pakistan's National Cricket Academy (NCA).  The Afghan team will play against the NCA in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming World Twenty20 which is scheduled to start on April 30th in the West Indies. After their matches with the NCA, they will fly to Kuwait to participate in the ACC (Asian Cricket Council) Championships.  After that, they will will hold a training camp in the United Arab Emirates before flying out to play for the World Twenty20 cup.

Last week, construction started on Afghanistan's first cricket stadium in Helmand province. The stadium will be built in the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Township and will cost US$5 million. The stadium will make it possible for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to invite other nations to play in an international standard venue in Afghanistan.
 

February 23, 2010: Afghanistan defeats Canada in ICC Intercontinental Cup match

Afghan cricket player, Mohammad Shahzad played an enormous role today in helping to make Afghanistan victorious over the Canadians in the fourth and last day of the ICC Intercontinental Cup match at Sharjah (United Arab Emirates). Afghanistan 264 and 494 for 4 (Shahzad 215, Nabi 80, Mangal 70) beat Canada 566 and 191 for 4 dec by six wickets. The Afghan team scored 454 runs in 93.3 overs at nearly five runs per over with only 206 runs coming off boundaries.

Scoreboard: Canada (1st innings): 566. Afghanistan (1st innings): 264. Canada (2nd innings): 191. Afghanistan (2nd innings / overnight 40 for no loss): Karim Sadiq c Hansra b Rizwan Cheema 42, Noor Ali c Bastiampillai b Dhaniram 52, Mohammad Shahzad (not out) 215, Nowroz Mangal c & b David 70, Mohammad Nabi c sub (HS Baidwan) b Patel 80, Asghar Stanikzai (not out) 22. Extras: (b-5, lb-3, w-4, nb-1) 13. Total: (for 4 wickets; 106.4 overs) 494. Fall of Wickets: 1-70, 2-119, 3-282, 4-460. Bowling: Rizwan Cheema 22-0-119-1 (1w), Khurram Chohan 17-1-72-0, NR Kumar 8.4-1-43-0, S Jyoti 24-0-105-0, H Patel 8-1-47-1 (2w), S Dhaniram 11-2-30-1, R David 16-0-70-1 (1nb).
 

February 20, 2010: Afghans to participate in Tour de Pakistan

Pakistan's Cycling Federation has invited Afghan cyclists to participate in the 15th Tour de Pakistan. The Tour de Pakistan is a bicycle race race held in Pakistan in which the riders cover 1,655 kilometres (1,028 miles). The event is modeled after the well known Tour de France. The race will begin on March 1st in Peshawar and will end on March 13th in Karachi. The price money is US $10,000.

February 18, 2010: Canada avenges loss to Afghanistan in cricket

After losing to Afghanistan on Tuesday by one run, the Canadians came back today, and defeated Afghanistan by 4 wickets.  The Afghan team was on a winning streak for a while, until they finally lost to the Canadians in the 2nd ODI (One Day International Series).  The Afghans will get a chance to make up for the loss when they face the Canadians once again at Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) on February 20th.

Afghanistan Innings  - 177 all out (43.1 overs)

Canada Innings  - 178 for 6 (39.2 overs)

February 14, 2010: Afghanistan beats Ireland in cricket match

On top of beating the United Arab Emirates yesterday and securing themselves a place in the World Twenty20 finals, Afghanistan beat Ireland  by 8 wickets (with 15 balls remaining) in Dubai yesterday. This will be the first time an Afghan team has made it to the finals of a major ICC tournament. Afghanistan will play India and South Africa in Group C of the World Twenty20. Batting all-rounder Karim Sadiq told an AFP reporter, "People in my country are very happy, and there will be big celebrations in Afghanistan when we return... I think maybe three million people will come to the city to celebrate and dance."

February 13, 2010: Afghanistan beats UAE in cricket match

After losing to the Netherlands yesterday, the Afghan team came back strong today and beat their host, the United Arab Emirates. Afghanistan 101 for 6 (Noor Ali 38, Stanikzai 26, Silva 2-14, Fayyaz 2-14) beat the United Arab Emirates 100 for 9 (Saqib 24, Nabi 3-17, Mirwais 2-15) by 4 wickets. Afghanistan has now officially made it to the World Twenty20 finals in the West Indies which is scheduled from April 30 to May 16, 2010.
 

February 12, 2010: Netherlands defeats Afghanistan

Today, Netherlands 132 for 6 (Kervezee 39, Nabi 3-23) beat Afghanistan 128 for 9 (Ahmadzai 23, Jonkman 2-23) by four wickets at Dubai International stadium. The Afghan team will need to get a strong victory against the UAE tomorrow in order to enhance their chances of making it to the World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.
 

February 11, 2010: Afghanistan beats USA at cricket

Afghanistan 135 for 4 (Mangal 30) beat USA 106 for 7 (Hassan 3-14) by 29 runs. With this win, Afghanistan is now in the Super Fours, and will play against the Netherlands on February 12th.  If they do well in the Super Fours, they will then get to go to the West Indies and participate in the World Twenty20 tournament. Afghan star player Hamid Hassan wrote about the match today on his blog.  Click here to check it out.
 

February 11, 2010: Afghanistan at the 11th South Asian Games

Crowds greeted the Afghan athletes at Kabul Airport yesterday as they returned home after participating in the the 11th South Asian Games.  The games were held in Dhaka, Bangladesh this year.  Besides Afghanistan, 7 other countries (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives) participated in the events.  Overall, Afghanistan came in 6th place in terms of today medal count.  They won 32 medals - 7 of those were gold.

Here is the list of winners for Afghanistan: 

 ‎For more, check out these stories:

• Afghans Know Their Martial Arts!
• Afghanistan wins GOLD in Wrestling
• Afghan basketball team wins GOLD, and the football team gets a lot closer!

January 28, 2010: Afghan Sports News Update

The Afghan cricket team closed the week of January 24th with a win over Ireland in a 4 day match in the Intercontinental Cup. Afghanistan defeated the defending champions Ireland by seven wickets.

There were some major developments this week as well. 

First, on Monday, January 25th, the head of National Olympic Committee (NOC), Gen. Muhammad Zahir Aghbar announced the formation of the Afghanistan Sports Committee for the Deaf.  This committee will works towards encouraging and providing more opportunities for deaf athletes to participate in various sports.

On Tuesday, January 26th, Afghanistan's football (soccer) team left for Bangladesh to participate in a 10-day, eight-nation soccer tournament. The Afghan team is scheduled to play its first match against India on Friday, the second match will be against ‎Pakistan on Sunday, and the third match will be against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. ‎