Afghanistan’s under-17 national football team concluded their 2026 CAFA U-17 Championship campaign with a 3–2 defeat against Tajikistan in their final match.

The team had previously registered two losses and one draw in their earlier three fixtures of the tournament.

The Central Asian competition, featuring five countries including Afghanistan, is being hosted by Uzbekistan and is scheduled to conclude on April 13.

The championship serves as a development platform for youth football in the region, offering players valuable international exposure while allowing national federations to evaluate emerging talent.

Fans across Afghanistan can follow the matches live on Ariana Television.

Richard Pybus, newly appointed head coach of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team, has arrived in Kabul to oversee the team’s upcoming skill development and training camp, the Afghanistan Cricket Board announced on Saturday.

He was welcomed by Naseeb Khan, Chief Executive Officer of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, who outlined the board’s strategic priorities and expressed high expectations for the team under the new coaching leadership.

During his first visit to the Afghan capital, Pybus held a series of meetings with officials from the Selection Committee, International and Domestic Cricket departments, and the High-Performance Center. He was joined by national team captains Hashmatullah Shahidi and Ibrahim Zadran, with discussions focusing on upcoming fixtures under the Future Tours Programme (FTP), team strategies, and preparations for the training camp.

According to the Afghanistan Cricket Board, a month-long camp involving nearly 40 players will be conducted under the supervision of the High-Performance Center and the head coach. The camp is scheduled to begin on April 12 and will run until May 16.

The training program is aimed at preparing the national side for its upcoming Test match and a three-match One Day International (ODI) series against India National Cricket Team.

The Ariana Snooker Championship has been confirmed for the next five seasons following the signing of a new production and broadcast agreement between Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) and Afghanistan Billiards and Snooker Federation, marking a major boost for the sport’s growing popularity in Afghanistan.

Thursday’s agreement comes just one month away from the start of the second season of the tournament, which will be produced and broadcast by ATN. The tournament will run from May 11 to May 22, 2026, in Kabul, with matches to be broadcast daily from 12:00 to 18:00.

The 10-day competition will follow a structured format beginning with group-stage matches before progressing to knockout rounds, semifinals and the final.

This year’s tournament will once again feature the fast-paced 6-ball snooker format, with approximately 60 male players from across the country expected to compete.

The announcement builds on the success of last year’s inaugural tournament, which was widely viewed on Ariana Television Network platforms and helped spark renewed interest in snooker among Afghan audiences. Viewership figures and fan engagement were notably strong, with many young players emerging as new talents on the national stage.

In recent coverage, Ariana News reported growing enthusiasm for cue sports across Afghanistan, with local clubs seeing increased participation and a new generation of players stepping into competitive play. The championship has quickly become one of the country’s most anticipated sporting events, providing a platform for athletes to showcase their skills on national television.

Organizers say the multi-season agreement will ensure continuity and allow for further development of the tournament, including improved production quality and broader outreach to audiences nationwide.

The competition will bring together players from a wide range of age groups, from teenagers to experienced adults, reflecting the expanding appeal of the sport. The tournament meanwhile is expected to play a key role in strengthening Afghanistan’s domestic snooker scene and inspiring future participation.