December 16, 2010:
Afghanistan loses to Pakistan in Women's Football (Soccer)
Today in the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Women's Football
Championship games, currently being held in Cox's Bazar Stadium in Bangladesh,
Pakistan defeated Afghanistan 3-0. Malaika Noor, Shumaila Sattar and Mejzgaan
Orakzai each scored a goal to give Pakistan the win. Unfortunately for the
Afghan women, they were once again scoreless. In their first match, they lost to
Nepal 13-0.
Pakistan will now move on to the semi-finals and face off against Nepal.
Afghanistan still has one more match. They will play against Maldives on
December 18th. Just like Afghanistan, Maldives has lost both to Nepal (6-0) and
Pakistan (2-1).
There are eight nations competing in this first ever SAFF (South Asian
Football Federation) Women's Football Championship: Afghanistan, India,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and hosts Bangladesh.
SAFF is an association of the football playing nation in South Asia. It was
founded in 1997 by Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Bhutan joined in 2000 and Afghanistan joined in 2005.
December 15, 2010:
Report: National A Cricket Team Will Tour Pakistan On December 19th
The Associated Press of Pakistan (AAP) reported today that Afghanistan's
National A Cricket Team will be in Pakistan on December 19th to participate on a
10-day tour to play one-day matches at different venues. Afghanistan's National
A team is coached by former head coach of the national team, Taj Malik Alam.
The 25 Afghan players will be divided into two teams - one team will play
their matches in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the other will play
their matches in Pakistan's province of Sindh. According to the AAP report, "Haji
Ahmad Shah, Chief Selector of Afghanistan Cricket Board said that the aim and
objective of the tour is to prepare cricketers for the upcoming world qualifying
round to be held in Thailand. He also thanked PDCA (Peshawar District Cricket
Association) for making all arrangements in this connection".
Team 2: Shikarpur (Dec. 21), Larkana (Dec. 22), Dadu (Dec 23), Rest Day (Dec.
24), Nawab Shah (Dec. 25) and Hyderabad (Dec. 26).
December 14, 2010:
Afghanistan loses to Nepal in Women's Football (Soccer)
Today
in the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Women's Football Championship
games, currently being held in Cox's Bazar Stadium in Bangladesh, Nepal easily
defeated Afghanistan 13-0.
This comes after defeating Maldives 6-0 on Sunday. The Nepalese women have so
far shown complete dominance over both teams they have played against.
Afghanistan will next play against Pakistan on December 16th and then they will
face off against Maldives on December 18th.
There are eight nations competing in this first ever SAFF (South Asian
Football Federation) Women's Football Championship: Afghanistan, India,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and hosts Bangladesh.
SAFF is an association of the football playing nations in South Asia. It was
founded in 1997 by Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Bhutan joined in 2000 and Afghanistan joined in 2005.
December 14, 2010:
Rashid Latif offers Pakistani cricket team a rematch
It was a great day for Afghanistan when they beat Pakistan in cricket at the
16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China to win the silver medal. Since the win,
there has been lots of speculation in the Pakistani media that the match was
fixed and that the Pakistani players played "slowly". In fact, even the
president of a cricket club whose players were in the team that lost to
Afghanistan has written to the Pakistan Cricket Board, asking them to initiate
an investigation. It certainly isn't the first time Pakistani cricket players
have been accused of match fixing.
However, the talk is upsetting many Afghan sports fans, even the coach of the
Afghan national team is upset. "My challenge is we will beat the same Pakistan
team again. All this talk about the match being fixed is degrading the hard work
of the Afghan players," Coach Rashid Latif recently told the media. Latif even
proposed a rematch. "I know for certain we will beat them again by a bigger
margin this time," Latif said.
December 6, 2010:
Afghans Participate In International Muaythai Competition - One Fighter Wins
Medal
Afghan delegation at the 2010 World Muaythai Championships
A delegation from Afghanistan's national Muaythai team traveled to Bangkok,
Thailand to participate in the 11th World Muaythai Championships from November
27th to December 5th. It was Afghanistan's third year of participation in the
event. According to a press release issued by the President of the Afghanistan
National Federation of Muaythai, 97 countries participated in the event. The
Afghan delegation consisted of 2 fighters, a trainer and the team leader.
Afghan fighter Mansur Ibrahimi won a bronze medal in the 75kg category. The
other Afghan fighter, Jawaid Husseini represented Afghanistan in the 63.5kg
category, however, he was not able to win a medal.
The team will fly back to Afghanistan on Tuesday, December 7th.
December 4, 2010:
Afghanistan defeats Scotland to win ICC Intercontinental Cup
Captain Nawroz Mangal receives the International
Cricket Council (ICC) Intercontinental Cup trophy
Afghanistan's national cricket team made history today by winning the ICC
Intercontinental Cup trophy in Dubai. AFP reported that the "Scots were bowled
out for 82 on the third day of the match and Afghanistan comfortably reached
their target of 124 with seven wickets to spare".
"Afghanistan fast bowler Hamid Hassan, who ended as the top wicket-taker of the
tournament with 43 scalps from six games at an average of 19.8, was named the
Man of the Match for his match haul of 8-84", wrote ICC on their official site.
Afghanistan 171 and 124 for 3 (Shahzad 56*) beat Scotland 212 and 82 (Ashraf
3-8, Shenwari 3-15, Hassan 3-39) by seven wickets.
December 3, 2010:
Rugby Federation Established In Afghanistan
Afghan kids holding rugby ball
The Afghanistan Rugby Federation was officially registered on November 29th
with Afghanistan's National Olympic Committee. The federation will be
responsible for the development of the sport in Afghanistan. Rugby is a style of
football that originated in the United Kingdom, it has influenced the
development of others such as American football and Canadian football. Rugby was
first played on Afghan soil back in the late 1800s by the invading British
troops.
Abdul Khalil Bik, the vice president of the federation told Afghanistan
Online via email that a national team has not been formed yet, however,
qualification trials will soon be held. They will not only establish a national
team, but a junior level team as well. The president of the Afghanistan Rugby
Federation is Mohammad Mansoor Majid.
Other members of the federation include:
Mujeeb Rahman, Vice President (deals with finance and interior administration)
Bashir Stanikzai General secretary (deals with the operational work development
plan)
Khaliqdad Noori Technical Manger (deals with camp and training coaches and
umpires)
Steve Brooking Adviser to the Afghanistan Rugby Federation
December 3, 2010:
Day 2 of ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10 cricket final between Afghanistan and
Scotland
On Day two of the ICC Intercontinental Cup final between Scotland and
Afghanistan, currently being held in the Dubai, Scotland maintained the lead
despite things falling into Afghanistan's favor towards the end of day.
Scotland's bowlers did a good job in restricting the Afghan batters from scoring
the runs they needed to pull ahead. Nawroz Mangal, the captain of the Afghan
team, top-scored with 56.
However, towards the end of the day, Scotland's batsmen undid the good work
of the team's bowlers. "It was a good day for us as the captain and coach put me
in to bowl and get the match back for us which I think I helped to do. "I just
think the spin worked for me today, I had to work a little but I managed to
pitch it just right and the ball turned for the wicket. I hope that tomorrow I
can take two more and make it five." said Afghan bowler Samiullah Shenwari.
So, at the end of day two, Scotland 212 and 64 for 6 lead Afghanistan 171 (Mangal
56, Haq 3-49, Parker 3-56) by 105 runs.
December 2, 2010:
Day 1 of ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10 cricket final between Afghanistan and
Scotland
Today was the first day of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10 cricket final
between Afghanistan and Scotland. The match is scheduled from December 2nd to
December 4th in Dubai Sports City stadium.
On the first day, Afghan bowlers
Hamid Hassan and Shapoor Zadran came out ready to win and made a strong
impression on the Scottish batters. However, the Scots were saved from a
humiliating day by Neil McCallum who helped his team fight back from 97-8 to
finish the day on a respectable 212.
"The Afghan bowlers did well today and
credit has to go to Hamid Hassan and also Shapoor Zadran for their strong
bowling. A couple of the batsmen got themselves out by playing poor shots but
the Afghan bowlers did well today," said McCallum.
In return Hamid Hassan said, ""Credit should go to Neil McCallum for his
innings, he worked hard and in the end was scoring five or six off an over which
worked well for him and his side in the long run today."
So at the end of day one, Afghanistan 18 for 1 (Sadiq 2*, Ashraf 5*) trail
Scotland 212 (McCallum 104*, Hassan 5-45) by 194 runs.
November 26, 2010:
Bangladesh denies Afghanistan gold in Asian Games
Today in the 16th Asian Games, currently being held in Guangzhou China,
Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan in cricket by 5 wickets (with 3 balls to spare),
thus denying Afghanistan from winning their first gold medal in cricket in the
Asian Games. "We are celebrating, but I hope Afghanistan will celebrate
too because they deserve the silver medal," Imran Sarwar, the coach of the
Bangladeshi team, told BBC News. "They are a very good side and I am sure they
will become a top team in the near future."
November 25, 2010:
Afghanistan beats Pakistan, reaches cricket final at Asian Games
Today in the 16th Asian Games, currently being held in Guangzhou China,
Afghanistan's cricket team defeated the tournament favorite Pakistan by 22 runs.
"It's a big win for Afghanistan. Every person there is watching the match and
everybody is happy about this win," said Afghanistan's team captain Mohammad
Nabi to AFP. With this win, Afghanistan now advances to the final, which is
scheduled for November 26th. They will face off against Bangladesh, who
defeated Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in their semi-final match. The final match will
be very exciting as neither Afghanistan nor Bangladesh has ever won a gold medal
in cricket at the Asian Games before.
November 24, 2010:
Afghanistan defeats Hong Kong in cricket at the 2010 Asian Games
Today in the 16th Asian Games, currently being held in Guangzhou China,
Afghanistan's cricket team, this time lead by Mohammad Nabi, defeated the team
from Hong Kong by 8 wickets. With this win, the Afghan team is now in the
semi-finals. Mohammad Shahzad and former captain Nawroz Mangal both
finished unbeaten on 20. Tomorrow, they will play against Pakistan, and the
Afghan coach believes the Afghan team has a good chance of winning. “On paper
Afghanistan is stronger than Pakistan and I’m very hopeful because my players
are mentally and physically tough", coach Rashid Latif told AFP.
November 20, 2010:
Another medal for Afghanistan in the 2010 Asian Games
Mohammad Jawad Lakazee
Yesterday in the 16th Asian Games, currently being held in Guangzhou China, 21
year old Mohammad Jawad Lakazee won a bronze medal in the Men's Under 63kg in
Taekwondo. On Thursday, Nesar Ahmad Bahawi won the silver in the Men's
Under 80 kg in Taekwondo. So far, no gold medals for Afghanistan, but many
Afghan sports fans are hopeful. The Asian Games end on November 27th, so
there is plenty of time.
November 18, 2010:
Afghanistan wins first medal in 2010 Asian Games
Today at the 16th Asian Games, currently being held in Guangzhou China, Nesar
Ahmad Bahawi grabbed Afghanistan's' first medal. He received a silver medal in
the Men's Under 80 kg in Taekwondo. This is an improvement for Bahawi since in
the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, he received a bronze medal.
Nabil Hassan of Jordan narrowly beat him to claim the gold medal. "After four
years of working hard, I made it to the final. I'm really happy," Behawi told
AFP, when he reached the final against Hassan. "All my family and friends are
praying for me. I fight for them, for my people and my country."
As there are still many days of competitions left, Afghan sports fans are hoping
their athletes pick up some more medals in martial arts and in cricket, which
has become very popular in Afghanistan in recent years.
November 15, 2010:
No medals so far for Afghanistan in the 16th Asian Games
Today
is the third day of competitions in the 16th Asian Games, and so far,
Afghanistan has not been able to pick up a medal in any event. The Asian Games
are being hosted this year by China in the city of Guangzhou. The opening
ceremony was on November 12th and the Games are scheduled to end on November
27th.
In what was a big disappointment, the Afghan national basketball team lost to
India on Monday night in a qualifying round game by a score of 83-76, despite
Mohammad Mojaddidi's 25 point contribution to the team. The Chinese news agency,
Xinhua reported that "India outshot Afghanistan 53 percent to 41." The Afghans
were even in the lead at half time with a score of 38-30. India will join Iran,
Japan, Qatar, Chinese Taipei and the Philippines in the preliminaries, which
will start next week. Interestingly enough, in the South Asian Games which were
held in February of this year, Afghanistan defeated India, so this is sweet
revenge for the Indian team.
As there are still many days of competitions left, Afghan sports fans are
hoping their athletes pick up some medals in martial arts and in cricket, which
has become very popular in Afghanistan in recent years. So far, China leads the
total gold medal and the total medal count. After China, South Korea has 18 gold
medals, and 50 total medals, then Japan has 13 gold medals and 61 total medals.
November 11, 2010:
Afghanistan will soon get first women's national cricket team
Cricinfo reported today that a women's national cricket team will be formed
in Afghanistan and they will participate in an international Twenty20 tournament
that will be organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) next year. Women do
play the sport locally in Afghanistan, and there are training camps that help
young girls improve their skills, however, there is no national team - much to
the disappointment of many Afghan female cricket fans. A local competition will
be held first to pick the best players for the national team, said the Cricinfo
report. The report also said that the uniform for the women's team will
reportedly include a headscarf or hijab.
November 9, 2010: Afghanistan
Muay Thai News
Afghan Muay Thai Fighters
Amir Hussain Hussaini was recently elected to be the president of
Afghanistan's National Federation of Muaythai in a gathering held in Kabul. He
will serve for 4 years. Officials from the National Olympic Committee,
federation members and Muaythai fighters were present in the meeting. His first
act after being chosen president was to make Muhammad Hussain Sadiqi his deputy.
The two have agreed to work together to further promote the sport of Muaythai in
Afghanistan.
Also, a recent news release sent out by the federation stated that a
tournament that began on November 2nd to select members of the national team
came to a conclusion on November 7th. 200 athletes from the provinces of Kabul,
Balkh, Parwan, Bamiyan, Ghazni, Logar, Helmand, Herat, Nimroz, Paktya, and
Maidan Wardak participated in the competitions.
List of winners:
Ahmad Jawaid - 63.5 KG (Noted as the best Muaythai fighter)
Abdul Qayum Safari - 57 KG (Noted as the best technical Muaythai fighter)
Jaffar - 54 KG
Najibullah Sakhizada - 67 KG
Razwan Mohammad - 71 KG
November 7, 2010: Tennis
competition started in Kabul
Yesterday a four day tennis competition started in Kabul. A total of 24
tennis players will participate in the event. The head of the Afghanistan Tennis
Federation said that this is an yearly event where teenagers, young adults and
adults compete. Tennis is not a widely played sport in Afghanistan, and
there are very few tennis courts in the country. However, it has gained a little
popularity in recent years.
November 2, 2010: Report: ACB
announces national cricket squad for Asian Games
The Afghanistan Cricket Board has announced the team members for the national
cricket team that will play in the upcoming Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou,
China. According to a PTI report today, one notable change is that the captain
will be Mohammad Nabi, instead of Nawroz Mangal.
Rashid Latif, the coach of the team, is optimistic and believes his team will
do well, however, he recently told Pakistan's The News that, "A gold medal is
beyond us since I don't believe in miracles but if the team performed to its
potential, we can give our opponents a scare."
The Asian Games are scheduled to start on November 12th.
The Afghan squad (according to the PTI report): Mohammad Nabi (Captain),
Nawroz Mangal, Mirwais Ashraf, Karim Sadiq, Mohammad Shahzad, Hamid Hasan,
Samiullah Shinwari, Asghar Stanikzai, Shahpoor Zadran, Mohammad Sami, Aftab Alam,
Gulbudeen Naib, Shabir Noori, Shafiqullah Shafaq.
October 31, 2010: Afghan
women's football team defeats team from ISAF
A friendly football (soccer) match was held last Friday in Kabul
between Afghanistan's national women's football team and the women's football
team of the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force).
The Afghan team defeated the ISAF team by a score of 1-0, thanks
to a goal scored by Roya Noori. The game was held in the Army Sports Club.
The purpose of the game was to help the national women's team players prepare
for upcoming matches against women's team from other Asian countries.
October 28, 2010: 7 new sports
grounds inaugurated in Ghazni
Seven newly built sports grounds for school students in
Afghanistan's province of Ghazni were inaugurated yesterday, according to a Tolo
news report. The students will now be able to play football (soccer), tennis,
basketball, and volleyball. The grounds were constructed in 7 weeks at a cost of
$23,000. Funding for the construction work was provided by the United States
government. The head of the Ghazni Educational Directorate, Hasan Mobarak Azizi,
told Tolo news that the newly built grounds meet international standards.
October 26, 2010: Afghan
bodybuilders to compete in Second World Men's Bodybuilding Championship
Afghan bodybuilder Abdullah Habibi
A team of Afghan bodybuilders will compete in the upcoming
Second World Men's Bodybuilding Championship. The team left from Kabul today for
Varanasi City, India where the competition is being held. The event will be from
October 27th to November 1st. The official website of the event states that
close to 100 countries have agreed to participate in the event. The organizing
bodies are ABBF (Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation), IBBF
(Indian Bodybuilding Federation), and WBPF (World Bodybuilding and Physique
Sports Federation).
Bawar Hotak, the head of Afghanistan's Bodybuilding Federation told the media
that the following Afghan bodybuilders will be participating:
Khwaja Aqa Siddique 55 kg (Light - Flyweight)
Ezatullah Arab 65 kg (Bantamweight)
Abdul Sami Samadi 70 kg (Lightweight)
Abdullah Habibi 100 Kg (Super - Heavyweight)
October 24, 2010: 3 day
football tournament concluded; Inter-school cricket event set to get underway
A three-day football tournament that was held in the
Pul-e-Khumri Stadium in Afghanistan's north eastern province of Baghlan came to
a conclusion yesterday. Pajhwok Afghan News reported that teams from Badakhshan,
Takhar, Kunduz, and of course Baghlan participated in the event, and that nearly
2,000 spectators watched the final match between Baghlan and Kunduz. In the
match, Baghlan defeated Kunduz 1-0.
In cricket news, Pajhwok Afghan News reported today that "an inter-school
cricket tournament, featuring 64 teams from six provinces, is all set to get
under way". The report said that this will be the first event of its kind and
that it will involve teams from Kabul, Nangarhar, Paktia, Parwan, Laghman and
Ghazni. The event is being sponsored by the Afghanistan Cricket Board and a
United Kingdom based NGO called Muslim Hand.
October 21, 2010: Siyar
Bahadurzada to face John "The Natural" Alessio in his next MMA fight;
Afghanistan New Full Contact sports team leaves for competition in Iran
John Alessio
Siyar Bahadurzada, Afghan Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and Shooto Light
Heavyweight World Championship, announced on his Facebook site recently that his
next opponent will be John "The Natural" Alessio on January 30th at the United
Glory 2010-2011 MMA and Kickboxing World Series.
Bahadurzada, who has a record of 18 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw, defeated Derrick
Noble in the first round via TKO on October 16th.
Alessio has a record of 30 wins, and 13 losses. He has won his last 6 matches.
In his most recent match, he defeated Sergey Golyaev in the second round via a
Submission (Kimura).
The winner of this semi-final match will go on to the to the $150,000 final
round.
Bahadurzada posted on his Facebook site that, "Alessio is a good fighter and I'm
Looking forward to fight him!!!"
In other combat sports news, Pajhwok Afghan News reported today that the
15-member (including 2 women) Afghanistan 'New Full Contact' sports team left
for Iran to participate in an international competition that will start on
October 24th in the Iranian city of Arabail. The event is scheduled to last 4
days, and such countries as Japan, Iran, Turkey, Russia and the UAE will be
participating.
October 18, 2010: Afghanistan
will send big delegation to upcoming Asian Games
Afghanistan
is planning on sending a 127-strong delegation to the upcoming 16th Asian Games,
which are being held in the Chinese city of Guangzhou this year, the Chinese
news agency Xinhua reported today. Out of the delegation, 103 are athletes, and
from those athletes, 8 are female. Afghanistan will participate in cricket,
athletics, basketball, billiard, boxing, golf, Judo, Karate, shooting,
Taekwondo, weightlifting, wrestling and Wushu.
Two very popular Afghan athletes will be participating in the Taekwondo event,
Rohullah Nikpai and Nesar Ahmad Bahawe. Nikpai is the first, and so far, the
only Afghan to have ever won a medal in the Olympics. In the 2008 Summer
Olympics in Beijing, Nikpai defeated two-time world champion Juan Antonio Ramos
of Spain to win the bronze medal in the 58 kg category of the Taekwondo
competitions.
Behawe was the first Afghan to win an international medal for Afghanistan, said
the Xinhua report. He received the silver medal in the lightweight category (72
kg) at the 2007 World Taekwondo Championships. He had also won the bronze medal
in the lightweight category at the 2006 Asian Games.
Afghan sports fans are hoping these two athletes will come back from the Asian
Games with gold medals. The event will officially begin on November 12th.
October 16, 2010: Afghan MMA
fighter finishes opponent in first round
Siyar Bahadurzada, Afghan Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and
Shooto Light Heavyweight World Championship, made short work of his opponent
Derrick Noble tonight in Amsterdam, at the United Glory MMA and Kickboxing World
Series. He defeated Noble in the first round via TKO. With this win, Bahadurzada
improves to 18 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw.
See video of match below:
October 15, 2010: Change of
opponent for Afghan MMA fighter; Afghan national cricket team will participate
in the Asian Games
Derrick Noble
Siyar Bahadurzada
Siyar Bahadurzada, Afghan Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and
Shooto light heavyweight world championship, announced recently on his Facebook
site that the opponent he was scheduled to fight against this Saturday in the
United Glory MMA and Kickboxing World Series has been changed. He was supposed
to fight Nick Thompson in Amsterdam this Saturday, however, due to an injury, he
will instead face off against Derrick "The Eraser" Noble.
Nobel has a record of 25 wins, 14 losses, and 1 draw. He has
lost his last two fights, the most recent being on April 24, 2010. He lost to
Drew Ficket after submitting to a Rear-Nake Choke. Interestingly enough, Noble
is Thompson's coach. In response to the change, Bahadurzada tweeted on this
Twitter account that he loves sudden changes before the fight, and that it makes
the fight more exciting for him.
Cricket News
Afghanistan's cricket board (ACB) announced today that Afghanistan's national
cricket team will participate in the 16th Annual Asian Games. The event this
year will start on November 12th in China, however, the cricket portion will not
start until November 24th. 10 countries will be participating in the cricket
competition. Afghanistan will compete against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,
China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal and Singapore for the
championship title.
October 13, 2010: ICC
Intercontinental Cup Date Set
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has formally set the date for the final
of the ICC Intercontinental Cup. Afghanistan will take on Scotland from December
2 to 6 at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai Sports City, United Arab
Emirates.
October 11, 2010: Kenya beats
Afghanistan in final ODI; Plans to construct standard cricket grounds in all
provinces
A good combination of bowling and batting from Kenya's cricket team today earned
them a win over Afghanistan by 8 wickets (with 51 balls remaining) in the third
and final One Day International (OD) match between between the two countries.
With this win, the 3-match series win goes to Kenya 2-1.
Afghanistan 188 (43 ov)
Kenya 189/2 (41.3 ov)
In domestic cricket, Omar Zakhilwal, the chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket
Board, and current Finance Minister of Afghanistan, announced today that there
are plans to construct standard cricket grounds in all the provinces of
Afghanistan in the next two years. He made the announcement during a ceremony
for the winner and runner-up teams in the inter-provincial cricket tournament
that recently came to a conclusion. In the final match, Nangarhar defeated Logar
to win the trophy.
Zakhilwal also said that the current Kabul cricket ground will
be expanded so it will have the capacity for 6,000 spectators. In terms of
funding for the project, Zakhilwal said $1.1 million given to Afghanistan by the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will be spent on
building the new cricket grounds.
October 10, 2010: Nangarhar
wins inter-provincial cricket tournament; Girls and boys cricket camps to be
held in Jalalabad
The final match of the T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament was
played today in the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul. In this final
championship match, Nangarhar defeated Logar to win the tournament trophy.
Shabir Noori of Nangarhar was declared the best player of the match for his
outstanding batting. The Logar team was led by former national team player,
Raees Ahmadzai, and Nangarhar was led by Hasti Gul Abid. The tournament was
launched two weeks ago, and teams from 24 provinces participated. They were
broken down into eight groups, containing three squads each.
In order to promote the sport of cricket and to celebrate International Year
of Youth, UNICEF, working with the Afghan Youth Cricket Support
Organization (AYCSO), will be putting together girls and boys cricket camps in
Jalalabad. AYCSO was founded by former national team player, Raees
Ahmadzai. The youths will be taught how to bat, bowl and field. They will
work with members of the Afghan national cricket team and a female trainer who
will be brought from Pakistan. One hundred girls and 200 boys are expected
to participate in the camps.
Girls Cricket camp: 11 October. Venue: Sherzai Stadium-Youth Department
Boys Cricket camp: 12-13 October. Venue: Nangarhar Cricket Academy
October 9, 2010: Afghanistan
beats Kenya in 2nd ODI cricket match
After losing to Kenya on Thursday by 92 runs, Afghanistan came back today and
defeated Kenya by 6 wickets (with 138 balls remaining) in the 2nd One-Day
International (ODI). In the second over it seemed like Afghanistan would lose as
opener Noor Ali Zadran had to retire hurt, but then outstanding batting from
Ashgar Stanikzai and Mohammad Shahzad ensured there would be no back to back
loss for the Afghan team. Afghan bowling was also great today and Afghan
fans were pleased with their team's performance. The final ODI against Kenya will be played on
October 11th.
October 7, 2010: Afghanistan
loses to Kenya in ODI cricket match; T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket
tournament update
Just two days ago, Afghanistan easily defeated Kenya in a 4-four-day ICC
Intercontinental Cup match. Today, Kenya took their revenge in the first of
three One-Day International (ODI) matches scheduled between Kenya and
Afghanistan. Kenya
180 (Tikolo 57, Kamande 31, Hassan 4-26, Ashraf 4-35) beat Afghanistan 88 (Zadran
41, Odhiambo 3-16) by 92 runs.
Many Afghan cricket fans were surprised considering the thrashing the Afghan
team gave to the Kenyans just recently. Hamid Hassan, the star of the
4-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match posted on his Facebook account the
following to the Afghan fans: "Unfortunately we lost the 1st ODI today to Kenya.
We bowled really well, but could not get the runs. I took 4 wickets for which I
am happy with my efforts. Mirwais also bowled really good and took 4 wickets as
well."
Asghar Stanikzai, another national team player, asked fans and friends not be
be disappointed. Winning and losing is part of the game, said Stanikzai.
Fortunately for the Afghan team, there are still two more ODI fixtures left
against Kenya, so they can easily make up for today's loss. The second ODI
is scheduled for October 9th and the final ODI will be played on October 11th.
Both will be in Nairobi.
Domestic Update
Today, in a quarter final match of the T20 inter-provincial cricket tournament
currently being held at the Youth Stadium in Kabul, Logar defeated Paktia. With
this win, they will now move on to the semi-finals. Logar is being led by former
national team player Raees Ahmadzai. Previously, Wardak had defeated the Kabul
to move on to the quarter finals from Group H. Kabul was the champion team from
the previous inter-provincial cricket tournament. On June 10th, Kabul won the
Etisalat Trophy 50-over inter-provincial cricket tournament.
October 7, 2010: Report:
Afghans victorious in karate tournament
Yesterday, Afghan karate fans joined by members of parliament, 2 governors,
and a delegation from the National Olympic Committee welcomed Afghanistan's
national karate team at the airport as they returned home from South Africa,
reported Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) today. The team had participated in an
international event, where teams from 35 different countries were present.
According to the report, Afghanistan came in first, followed by Zambia and then
South Africa. The PAN report did not mention if it was in a particular category.
Ghulam Jilani Ghroob, head of the Karate Federation told PAN that Wahid Joya,
Farid Agha Doorandish, Mubariz Hakimzada, Ezatullah Kalakani and Ali Asghar
Muddaris won gold medals in the competition. Moreover, according to the report,
four silver and six bronze medals were also won by the members of the team.
(Source: www.goodafghannews.com)
October 5, 2010: Afghanistan
defeats Kenya in 4-day cricket match; T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket
tournament update
On the last day of the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match between
Afghanistan and Kenya, outstanding bowling from Hamid Hassan sealed the deal for
the Afghans as Afghanistan (464 and 207) beat Kenya (160 and 344) by 167 runs.
With this win, all 20 points goes to Afghanistan and now they lead in the ICC
Intercontinental Cup points table. They will face off against Scotland in
the final in the United Arab Emirates.
Today, in the T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament, currently
being held in the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul, Kandahar defeated
Jowzjan by 80 runs and will now move on to the second round (quarter finals).
Also today, from Group H, Wardak defeated Kabul by 7 wickets. Tomorrow Group H
matches continue.
Group A: Paktia
Group B: Panjshir
Group C: Logar
Group D: Khost
Group E: Nangarhar
Group F: Kunar
Group G: Kandahar
October 4, 2010: Day three of Kenya vs.
Afghanistan cricket match
On day three of the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match between Afghanistan and Kenya,
currently being held in Nairobi, the Kenyans rallied hard, but the Afghans were
still in control and much closer to victory. This win will take them to
the top of the table in the ICC Intercontinental Cup cricket competition.
Currently, Scotland leads in the points table.
Status of game so far: Afghanistan 464 & 207
Kenya 160 & 324/6 (82.0 ov)
Kenya needs another 188 runs with 4 wickets remaining.
October 3, 2010: Aazadi Utd
won the AACSA men's indoor football (soccer) tournament
In the final match of the Afghan Australian Cultural and
Sporting Association's (AACSA) all Afghan men's indoor football (soccer)
tournament last night, team Aazadi Utd defeated Phantom Utd by 1-0 to win the
Championship Cup. Each player received a gold medal. Phantom Utd received the
Second Place Cup and all their players received silver medals.
The MVP (Most Valuable Player) award went to Mojtaba Mohebee
from Aazadi Utd, the Golden Gloves (best goal keeper) award went to Moe Alkozai from
Afghan Warriors, and the Golden Boot (top goal scorer) award went to Jawad
Sultani from Phantom Utd.
An AACSA official told Afghanistan Online that a special award
was given to Matten Olumnee from the Afghan Youth Network of Australia (AYNA)
for his service to the Afghan community.
List of teams that participated in the event: Family Fc, Afghan
Killaz, Tajruba Fc, Phantom Utd, The Arrivals, Magnificent 7, Afghan Gladiators,
Afghan Warriors, Cuzzz Fc, The Pooks, Annihilators Fc, Star Fc A, Star Fc B,
Aazadi Utd, Bakhtar A, Bakhtar B, Afghan All-Stars, Afghan Hillsiders, Ghods and
Pamir Fc.
October 3, 2010: Day two of Kenya vs.
Afghanistan cricket match; T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket
tournament update
On day two of the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match between Afghanistan and Kenya,
currently being held in Nairobi, Afghanistan continued the domination. Bowler
Hamid Hassan ripped through the Kenyans to give the Afghan team a 304-run
first-innings lead. Afghan opener Jawed Ahmadi accomplished a half-century and
left Kenya 470 runs behind and still requiring five wickets. Afghanistan is now
in complete control.
Today, in the T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament, currently
being held in the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul, Kunar defeated Paktika
by 5 wickets and will now move on to the second round (quarter finals).
Yesterday afternoon, Kunar had defeated Herat. Tomorrow, the Group G teams face
off. First, Laghman will take on Kandahar in the morning, and then Laghman
will go up against Jowzjan in the afternoon.
Group A: Paktia
Group B: Panjshir
Group C: Logar
Group D: Khost
Group E: Nangarhar
Group F: Kunar
October 2, 2010: Kenya vs.
Afghanistan cricket match started today; Kabir Khan to coach UAE; T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament
update; Sporting tournament started in Zabul province
The four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match between Afghanistan and Kenya
began in Nairobi today with a big bang from Afghanistan and lots of punishment
for the Kenyan bowlers. Captain Nawroz Mangal put the the team in a great
position with a bristling unbeaten 168. Also, Karim Sadiq, Mohammad Shahzad and
Mirwais Ashraf, posted half-centuries.
So far:
Afghanistan 440 for 6 (Mangal 168*, Ashraf 62*, Odhiambo 3-68) v Kenya
AFP reported today that Afghanistan's former head coach, Kabir Khan has
agreed to accept a position as coach of the United Arab Emirates. "I have agreed
to take over as UAE coach on a three-year deal and my target will be to help the
team to the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in 2012," Khan told AFP from his
hometown, Peshawar. Khan also said that the UAE team has a lot of potential.
Today, in the T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament, currently
being held in the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul, Badakhshan defeated
Nuristan by two wickets. That is the second loss for the Nuristani team, as
yesterday afternoon, they had lost to Nangarhar by 29 runs. Nangarhar had also
beaten Badakhshan by 104 runs yesterday morning. Nangarhar has now moved on to
the second round.
In other sports news, Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) reported today that a
month-long tournament (Khazana Tournament) has started in Afghanistan's province
of Zabul. The tournament involves 32 football, 21 volleyball and 14 cricket
teams. Officials told PAN that the purpose of the tournament was to encourage
sports in the province and to keep young Afghans from drugs and anti-government
activities.
September 30, 2010: Day six
of T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament
Today, in the sixth day of the the T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket
tournament, currently being held in the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul,
Khost received their second win as they defeated Helmand. They will now move on
to the second round. Helmand did defeat Baghlan in the next match. Tomorrow, the
Group E matches start.
Quarter Finalists so far:
Group A: Paktia
Group B: Panjshir
Group C: Logar
Group D: Khost
September 29, 2010: Indoor
Afghan football tournament in Australia
On Saturday, October 2nd, the Afghan Australian Cultural and Sporting
Association (AACSA) will be putting together an all Afghan men's indoor football
(soccer) tournament at the Bernie Mullane Sports Complex in Kellyville. The
event is scheduled to start at 7:30 am local time. It is a one day event that is
held twice a year.
According to an AACSA official, "standard indoor soccer rules apply with the
following - teams must consist of maximum 9 registered players, with 5 players
including goalkeeper on the court at a time. Group matches consist of 2 x 10
minute halves and Finals consist of 2 x 12 minute halves."
20 Afghan teams will participate, the winning team will receive the
Championship Cup and all the players will receive gold medals. The team that
comes in second place will receive the Second Place Cup and all their players
will receive silver medals. There will also be an MVP (Most Valuable Player),
Golden Gloves (best goal keeper) and a Golden Boot (top goal scorer) award that
will be given out.
List of teams that will be participating in the event: Family Fc, Afghan
Killaz, Tajruba Fc, Phantom Utd, The Arrivals, Magnificent 7, Afghan Gladiators,
Afghan Warriors, Cuzzz Fc, The Pooks, Annihilators Fc, Star Fc A, Star Fc B,
Aazadi Utd, Bakhtar A, Bakhtar B, Afghan All-Stars, Afghan Hillsiders, Ghods and
Pamir Fc.
September 29, 2010: Day
five
of T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament; ICC Intercontinental Cup
tournament update
Today, in the fifth day of the the T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket
tournament, currently being held in the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul,
Ghazni defeated Balkh, however, it will not be able to move on to the second
round since Logar's back to back victories yesterday ensured that it will be in
the quarter finals from Group C. Logar will go up against the Group A winner,
Paktia in the quarter final match. Also, today, in the first of the Group D
matches, Khost defeated Baghlan; tomorrow morning, they will go up against
Helmand. In the afternoon match tomorrow, Helmand will face off against
Baghlan.
Zimbabwe has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that they are
forfeiting their match against Scotland since they cannot come to an agreement
on the date and venue for their ICC Intercontinental Cup match. As a
result, the ICC has awarded Scotland the full 20 points of the match, and this
now puts them ahead of Afghanistan in terms of points in the ICC
Intercontinental Cup tournament. Scotland is now at 89 points and Afghanistan is
at 77.
Because of this decision, Afghanistan needs to win all 20 points against its
match against Kenya in October or else if a draw happens in the final in Dubai,
Scotland will be declared the winner due to points.
September 28, 2010: Day four
of T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament
Today, in the fourth day of the the T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket
tournament, currently being held in the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul,
Logar defeated both Ghazni and Balkh to move on to the second round of the
tournament (quarter finals). It is worth mentioning that the Logar team has 3
former national cricket team players on the squad: Raees Ahmadzai, Gulbudeen, and Hashmatullah
Shahidi.
Tomorrow morning, Balkh will take on Ghazni in the last of the Group C
matches. The match won't mean much since Logar will represent Group C in the
second round due to their back to back victories today. Then in the afternoon,
the first of the Group D matches will start as Baghlan will go up against Khost.
September 27, 2010: Day
three of T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament; National team off to
Kenya
Today, in the third day of the the T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket
tournament, currently being held in the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul,
Panjshir defeated Kapisa by 7 runs and will now move on to the second round of
the tournament. Kapisa did come back and defeat Kunduz by 7 runs in the
afternoon match. Tomorrow Group C matches start. First up in the morning,
it will be Ghazni versus Logar, and then Logar versus Balkh in the afternoon.
Meanwhile the national cricket team left the United Arab Emirates for Kenya on
Monday afternoon. As scheduled, they will play a series of one-day
internationals and a four-day match. Afghanistan is hoping to win the ICC
Intercontinental Cup. Hamid Hassan, one of the most popular players on the team,
told Afghan media that the team wants to win the competition as a gift to former
head coach Kabir Khan. Also, a small line up change has occurred. Abdullah
Mazari, the team's left arm spin bowler is injured and is not traveling with the
team. Instead, Ezatullah Dawlatzai will go in his place. The 18-man Afghan squad
will be: Nawroz Mangal (captain), Karim Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mirwais Ashraf,
Mohammad Shahzad, Hamid Hassan, Samiullah Shinwari, Noor Ali Zadran, Asghar
Stanikzai, Noor-ul-Haq, Ezatullah, Jawed Ahmadi, Shahpoor Zadran, Izatullah
Khan, Aftab Alan, Hashmat Shahidi, and Afsar Zazai.
September 26, 2010: Report: Taj Malik Alam back as Coach
Afghan Pajhwok News reported today that former coach Taj Malik
Alam has been reappointed as coach of the cricket team. According to the
report, "former Pakistani captain Rashid Latif will serve as international
trainer of the national side". Rashid was only recently appointed as head coach
of the national cricket team, he previously served as batting coach until former
head coach Kabir Khan left.
"We decided to take advantages of Alam's experience in the
promotion of cricket in Afghanistan and training newcomers," Afghanistan Cricket
Board Chief Executive Dr. Hameed Shinwari told Pajhwok Afghan News. "He added
Alam would train the Afghanistan A team and the under-19 squad."
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.
September 26, 2010: Day two
of T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament
Today, in the second day of the the T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket
tournament, currently being held in the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul,
Paktia continued their winning streak by beating Zabul by 7 wickets. With this
win, they are now in the second round of the tournament. In the afternoon,
Panjshir took on Kunduz and beat them by 1 wicket. Tomorrow, 2 more Group B
matches are scheduled. Kapisa will first take on Panjshir on the morning,
and then they will go up against Kunduz in the afternoon.
September 25, 2010:
Day one of T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament
The T20 domestic inter-provincial cricket tournament started today in the
National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul. As scheduled, the first games were Group
A matches - Parwan versus Paktia in the morning and then Zabul versus Parwan in
the afternoon. Unfortunately, for Parwan, they lost both games. First they lost
to Paktia by 6 wickets, and then they lost to Zabul.
Tomorrow morning, Paktia will face off against Zabul to finish off the Group A
matches, and then the Group B teams face off. First up, it will be Panjshir
versus Kunduz.
September 24, 2010:
Afghanistan defeats UAE in cricket again
Mirwais Ashraf
Afghanistan once again outperformed the Emirates Cricket Board team today in
the second one-day 50-over match. The Afghan national cricket team (310/3
in 33 overs) defeated the Emirates Cricket Board team (306/7 in 50 overs) by 7
wickets. The most interesting thing of the match was seeing fast bowler Mirwais
Ashraf strike a century. He clearly showed his fans today
that he is a multi-talented player. Mirwais is one of the few members of the
team to come from northern Afghanistan, he is from Chardara village in Kunduz
province.
September 23, 2010:
Afghanistan defeats UAE in cricket; Shahzad on short-list
Afghanistan's national cricket team played against the Emirates Cricket Board
team today in Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The Afghan team (259/7 in 48 overs)
defeated the Emirate Cricket Board team (137 all out in 33 overs) by 135 runs.
This was the first of two one-day 50-over matches that are scheduled.
We had reported on August 20th that two Afghan
players had been nominated for an ICC cricket award, the Associate and Affiliate
Player of the Year. The two members were Batsman Mohammad Shahzad and
Middle-Order Batsman and Spin Bowler Samiullah Shinwari. A short-list was made
recently, and unfortunately, Shinwari is now out of the competition, however,
Shahzad is still in the race for the award. The other members of the
short-list are Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Trent Johnston (Ireland), and
Kevin O’Brien (Ireland).
The winner will be announced on October 6th, at the 2010 LG ICC Awards
ceremony in Bangalore, India.
September 23, 2010: Football
match held to mark World Peace Day
Today in Kabul, a friendly football (soccer) match was held to
mark World Peace Day, however, this was no ordinary match. Disabled Afghan
football players took on a local club (Sabawoon). The match ended in a 1-1
draw. According to officials from Afghanistan's Paralympics Federation,
the purpose of the game was to not only mark World Peace Day, but to bring more
awareness to the disabled Afghan athletes. Disabled Afghan athletes not only
participate in football, but volleyball, basketball, table tennis, and even
martial arts such as taekwondo.
September 16, 2010: First UAE then Kenya for the Afghan cricket team
Afghanistan's national cricket team will soon head off to the
United Arab Emirates to face off against the Emirates Cricket Board team in two
one-day 50-over matches (September 23 and 24). The matches will be played in the
Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Because of inadequate facilities and security issues,
Afghanistan plays its "home" games at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Then, from October 2-5, Afghanistan is scheduled to play in the International
Cricket Council (ICC) Intercontinental Cup in Nairobi, Kenya. After that, they
will play in three one day matches against Kenya on October 7, 9 and 11. The
Afghan cricket team is currently at the top of ICC I Cup points table, its match
against Kenya is the last match. If they win against Kenya, they will qualify
for the ICC I Cup Final. The 5 day final match is scheduled to be played in the
Dubai Sport City Cricket Ground in Dubai.
September 15, 2010: Rashid
Latif sees Afghan team playing tests within 2 years
Rashid Latif
Afghanistan's new head coach, Rashid Latif announced to the
media today that he believes he can lead the Afghan national team to test match
status within two years. Test matches are long, lasting up to a maximum of 5
days. Four innings are played between two teams of 11 players. Many consider it
the ultimate test of playing ability and endurance in the sport of cricket. The
test status is determined by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Yesterday, Latif resigned as the Pakistan Cricket Boards (PCB) wicket keeping
coach at the National Cricket Academy in Pakistan after he was handed a notice
over a critical statement he made on the recent match-fixing scandal involving
the Pakistani team. Reports say that three of the team's best players had taken
money to bowl no-balls during a test match against England in August.
Latif told reporters that he was very impressed with the talent of the Afghan
national cricket team.
"Some of the Afghanistan players are so talented that they can break into any
international team and my target will be to guide them to test status within the
next two years," Latif said.
"They are an exciting team and my thinking and mentality, as a straightforward
person, matches that of the Afghan players... They, like me, cannot tolerate
wrongdoing," Latif added.
September 12, 2010: Afghan
MMA fighter Siyar Bahadurzada gets political
Siyar Bahadurzada
Yesterday, on the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, Siyar Bahadurzada,
an Afghan MMA fighter and current Shooto Light Heavyweight World Champion,
posted a blog on his site about the September 11th attacks and unleashed a
verbal attack on Osama bin Laden, the man the West believes was responsible for
the attacks. The blog, which is titled, "September 11th, A Black Day in the
History of Mankind" also talks about how Afghans have gotten a bad name.
Here are some excerpts:
"...Osama bin Laden messed it up for the entire world and especially for the
Muslims and Afghans!"
"Afghanistan happened to be the unfortunate country where Osama Bin Laden saw
as a potential place to hide. And the people who were running Afghanistan at
that moment did not see this coming... How could they? They were Taliban and
they had an IQ of a goldfish!"
"I would like to say screw you Osama Bin Laden! You stupid Arab prick ruined
the image of Muslims and especially the image of Afghans. We, all openminded and
educated Muslims, hate you! Hopefully you do not breath now and the rain has
cleaned your dead rests from the surface of the earth! You, as an Arab, has made
it hard for Afghans on the face of the earth and every time Afghans travel to
USA, the get treated like Borats retarded brother! We owe this to you, you
selfish prick! You provided an undying fuel source for hate and the dirty
political games!"
September 9, 2010: Ramadan
Volleyball Tournament Concludes
A Ramadan volleyball tournament that has been going on for the past month in the
province of Ghazni came to a conclusion on Wednesday night. In the final, Azadi
'A' team defeated Ittehad 3-1 to win the championship, and Noor Aqa from Azadi
'A' became the most valuable player of the match. Ittehad ended up in second
place, Azadi 'B' finished third, and Aab Rasani finished in fourth place.
September 6, 2010: Afghans
win the Dr. M.A. Shah Lephone Night Trophy-2010 competition
Tonight, in the final match of the Dr. M.A. Shah Lephone Night Trophy-2010
competition, also known as the Ramadan Cup, the AYCA Afghanistan cricket team defeated
the A.O Blues Cricket Club by 6 wickets and 61 runs. A.O Blues Cricket Club is
Dr. Shah’s team, the organizer of the tournament. The match was played in
the Asghar Ali Shah Cricket Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan. Thousands of
fans attended the event and it was also broadcasted live in Pakistan and
Afghanistan. See scoreboard below for details:
September 6, 2010: Afghan MMA
fighter wins in the first round
MMA fighter Abdul Mohamed
Panjshir born Afghan MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter Abdul Mohamed competed on
Saturday in the KUMMA (Knuckle Up MMA) - Kings of the North event in Bolton,
Greater Manchester, England. He defeated his English opponent Ian Jones by
submission (guillotine choke) in 1 minute 40 seconds of the the first round.
With this win, Abdul Mohamed improves his record to 18 wins, 8 losses, and 3
draws.
Mohamed competes in MMA's lightweight and welterweight divisions. He has been
competing professionally since 2003. He was the former Cage Rage World
Lightweight Champion, and held the Cage Rage British Lightweight Champion title until
the Cage Rage organization folded. The folding of the organization left Mohamed
as the last ever British Lightweight Champion. Mohamed trains and fights out of Widnes, England.
September 4, 2010: Afghan
team will compete in the World Judo Cup
Mohammad Zekria, the head of Afghanistan's Judo Federation has
announced that an Afghan Judo team will participate in the upcoming 4 day Judo
World Cup in Tokyo City, Japan on September 9th. This will be the first time
that an Afghan team will participate in the Judo World Cup. The Afghan team
consists of Friba Razayee, who represented Afghanistan in the 2004 Summer
Olympics in Athens, Atefa Hussani and Sayed Hussain Hussaini. The team is
confident that they will do well and win medals. Athletes from 150 nations will
participate in the competition.
September 3, 2010: AYCA
Afghanistan cricket team wins semi-final match against Pak Korangi Cricket Club
Tonight, the AYCA Afghanistan cricket team defeated Pak Korangi
Cricket Club by 6 wickets in the semi-final match game of the Dr. M.A. Shah Lephone
Night Trophy-2010 competition, currently being held in Karachi, Pakistan. AYCA
(Afghan Youth Cricket Association) is now in the final, which is scheduled for
Monday, September 6th.
See scoreboard below:
September 2, 2010: Video of
Siyar Bahadurzada's fight from August 6th
On August 6th, Afghan MMA fighter Siyar 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). See
video below:
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, Daikundi, 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:
October 1 @ 9 am: Badakhshan vs. Nangarhar
October 1 @ 1 pm: Nangarhar vs. Nuristan
October 2 @ 9 am: Nuristan vs. Badakhshan
Group F Matches:
October 2 @ 1 pm: Herat vs. Kunar
October 3 @ 9 am: Kunar vs. Paktika
October 3 @ 1 pm: Paktika vs. Herat
Group G Matches:
October 4 @ 9 am: Laghman vs. Kandahar
October 4 @ 1 pm: Jowzjan vs. Laghman
October 5 @ 9 am: Kandahar vs. Jowzjan
Group H Matches:
October 5 @ 9 am: Wardak vs. Kabul
October 6 @ 9 am: Kabul vs. TBD
October 6 @ 1 pm: TBD vs. Wardak
Final Group Matches:
October 7 Group A Winner vs. Group C Winner
October 7: Group B Winner vs. Group D Winner
October 8: Group E Winner vs. Group G Winner
October 8: Group F Winner vs. Group H Winner
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.
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.
Country
Games Played
Points
Afghanistan
5
77
Scotland
5
69
Zimbabwe
4
63
Kenya
5
43
Ireland
4
32
Netherlands
5
15
Canada
5
9
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.
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).
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.
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
Kata training including Pinan Katas, Bunkai, Gekisai-Sho, Seienchin,
Naifanchin Shodan, Nainfanchin Nidan, Kanku, and Suushiiho
Bo - Jutsu Kata: Oshiro-no-Kon and its Bunkai, and Shushi-no-Kon
Kumite Combination Techniques
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:
Team
Matches Played
Wins
Losses
Pts
Net Run Rate
Ireland
5
5
0
10
+0.918
Scotland
5
4
1
8
+0.178
Afghanistan
5
3
2
6
-0.105
Netherlands
5
2
3
4
+0.312
Canada
5
1
4
2
-0.449
Kenya
5
0
5
0
-0.915
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:
Team
Matches Played
Wins
Losses
Pts
Net Run Rate
Ireland
4
4
0
8
+0.979
Scotland
4
3
1
6
+0.060
Afghanistan
4
3
1
6
+0.026
Netherlands
4
2
2
4
+0.596
Kenya
4
0
4
0
-0.839
Canada
4
0
4
0
-0.959
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:
Team
Matches Played
Wins
Losses
Pts
Net Run Rate
Ireland
3
3
0
6
+1.009
Netherlands
3
2
1
4
+0.993
Scotland
3
2
1
4
-0.003
Afghanistan
3
2
1
4
-0.205
Canada
3
0
3
0
-0.928
Kenya
3
0
3
0
-1.097
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:
Team
Matches Played
Wins
Losses
Pts
Net Run Rate
Scotland
2
2
0
4
+0.933
Ireland
2
2
0
4
+0.854
Netherlands
2
1
1
2
+1.154
Afghanistan
2
1
1
2
-0.318
Canada
2
0
2
0
-1.027
Kenya
2
0
2
0
-1.625
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:
Team
Wins
Losses
Pts
Net Run Rate
Ireland
1
0
2
+0.857
Afghanistan
1
0
2
+0.161
Scotland
1
0
2
+0.036
Netherlands
0
1
0
-0.036
Canada
0
1
0
-0.161
Kenya
0
1
0
-0.857
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Today
in the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Women's Football Championship
games, currently being held in Cox's Bazar Stadium in Bangladesh, Nepal easily
defeated Afghanistan 13-0. 
Today
is the third day of competitions in the 16th Asian Games, and so far,
Afghanistan has not been able to pick up a medal in any event. The Asian Games
are being hosted this year by China in the city of Guangzhou. The opening
ceremony was on November 12th and the Games are scheduled to end on November
27th. 
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.
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.
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.
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."
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. 
