Saturday February 18, 2017

Kabul (BNA) Second Vice-President, Sarwar Danesh met with a number of Herat athletes at his office the other day, Bakhtar News Agency (BNA) reported.
According to the agency, briefing the Vice-President on their achievements, the Herat athletes asked the government to further pave the way for growing sport in the country. They said that Herat’s Female Taekwondo team that was attended in competitions in Kabul, has obtained considerable achievements, the agency added. They added that their sportswomen have gained five gold, two silver and two bronze medals in the competitions, the agency continued. In return, congratulating the athletes, the Second Vice-President said that despite problems in the fields of sport in the country, the athletes have always gained eye-catching achievements and the Afghan people proud of them, the agency added.
 

Wednesday February 15, 2017

Kabul (BNA) Shaheen Asmayee football team today left Kabul for Bangladesh to participate in Shaikh Kamal Cup Competitions.
Shams Amini member of publication in Afghanistan Football Federation told BNA correspondent, the competitions are to be held between seven clubs from six countries, that Shayeen Asmayee football team will play in group B with Bangladesh and Nepal clubs’ teams.
Shaikh Kamal Cup tournaments launches in Bangladesh every year, which in 2015 Da Aspen Gharbazan football team had participated from Afghanistan in the competition and obtained third position, Amini added.
It is mentionable that Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, South Korea and Kirghizstan club teams participated in the tournaments.
 

Monday, February 13, 2017

Kabul (BNA) Otto Pfister, 79, from Germany has been selected as the new coach for the national football team.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) on Sunday introduced Pfister to the media and said he had signed a one year contract.
The AFF also introduced other new technical staff members including Ali Askar Lali, as the new FIFA instructor, Mansour Faqiryar as goalkeeping coach and Anosh Daster as assistant coach.
“After the resignation of Petar Segrt, former coach we tried to hire a good coach and we were able to reach an agreement with Pfister.  We have signed a contract with him and I hope that with Pfister and the new technical staff we will be able to fulfill our people wishes,” said Kramudin Karim, president of the Afghanistan Football Federation.
“I am glad that I am part of the technical staff and happy to be serving as goalkeeping coach.  I hope that once again I will be able to make the people smile,” said Faqiryar.
Pfister has many years of experience behind him and has coached Rwanda, Togo, Cote d’lvoire, Cameroon, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Trinidad and Tobago teams.
“I like a challenge, I was in different countries, Ghana, Cameroon, I was in Beirut, I was in Saudi Arabia… I am not a political man, I don’t think about a political situation or something like this, “said Pfister.
Pfister who has also coached in Egypt. Lebanon, and Algeria, called on the Afghan football federation and technical staff to work gogether in harmony so as to develop Afghanistan football.  He aims to see a marked improvement in the team’s first match against Vietnam on March 28 in their Asian Cup qualifying match scheduled for Tajikistan.
Pfister is cited as one of Germany’s most successful coaching exports, and was voted Africa’s Manger of the Year in 1992.  
 

Sunday February 12, 2017

Kabul (BNA) Afghanistan cricketers will feature in the Indian Premier League auction for the first time ever this year.
As many as five players from Afghanistan, an associate nation, will go under the hammer in Bengaluru on February 20.
The 29-year-old wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad is seen as a favourite. Last year, Shahzad won the ICC Associate/Affiliate Cricketer of the Year award, becoming the first Afghan player to win such honour. He was also the first Afghanistan player to hit an ODI century when he scored 110 against Netherlands in 2009.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Ambassador of Afghanistan to India, Shaida Mohammad Abdali, said this will be a big opportunity to boost Afghan cricket. (Ishant Sharma, Eoin Morgan in top base price bracket in IPL 2017 auction)
He also expressed hope that the players would get picked by the franchises.
"Cricket is cementing people to people ties. IPL is a big opportunity to boost Afghanistan cricket. Hope team owners pick players," Abdali told India Today.
Abdali mentioned that there was a huge interest for IPL in his country.
"Tremendous interest in Afghanistan for IPL," he said. (IPL 2017 to start from April 5 as scheduled, confirms Committee of Administrators)
Interestingly, Afghanistan cricket shifted its base from Sharjah to Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh in 2015. The team now uses the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida as its home ground.
Indiatoday