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Official match ball unveiled for Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024

The new match ball will make its official debut when the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™ kicks off in Bukhara and the capital Tashkent on 14 September 

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Excitement about this year’s FIFA Futsal World Cup™ in Uzbekistan is building after FIFA and adidas unveiled the tournament’s official match ball.

Drawing on the event’s ‘Masters of Speed’ motto, the design reflects the fast-paced nature of futsal, as well as Uzbekistan’s rich cultural heritage. 

Five eye-catching interpretations of kalampir peppers – a key ingredient in traditional Uzbek cuisine – adorn the ball, each one masterfully crafted in a way that represents a player in motion, never standing still, just like on the futsal pitch.

The capsicum also forms a striking part of the competition’s Official Emblem, which is shaped like the FIFA Futsal World Cup trophy, with five forms of the kalampir peppers forming a ball at the top.

The new match ball will make its official debut when the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™ – the first FIFA tournament to be held in Central Asia – kicks off in Bukhara and the capital Tashkent on 14 September. 

The eastern city of Andijan completes the trio of host cities for the 24-team competition. 

The 2024 edition will be the 10th in FIFA Futsal World Cup history and will run until 6 October.

Futsal has grown rapidly in Uzbekistan – and across Central Asia – over the last decade. 

The White Wolves participated in the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time in 2016 and went on to reach the knockout phase in 2021, losing one of the most pulsating games in the tournament’s history 9-8 to IR Iran in the last 16.

Uzbekistan will be joined at the competition by all four former champions – Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and Spain – and four debutants in Afghanistan, France, New Zealand and Tajikistan. 

Angola, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Guatemala, Iran, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, the Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Thailand, Ukraine and Venezuela round out the line-up, having successfully negotiated a 121-team qualifying field.

Earlier this year, the first-ever FIFA Futsal World Ranking was published for both the men’s and the women’s game, with the top six teams – Brazil, Portugal, Spain, IR Iran, Argentina and Morocco – heading to Uzbekistan next month.

The launch of the ranking was a major milestone and reinforced futsal’s position as a rapidly-expanding version of the beautiful game, which more countries than ever before are playing.

Futsal has also grown in popularity in Afghanistan over the past few years and in line with this, Ariana Television will broadcast matches live in Afghanistan. 

The national team’s first match will be played on September 15 and will see Afghanistan face Angola. 

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Afghanistan clinches ODI series victory against Zimbabwe

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Afghanistan's national cricket team triumphed over Zimbabwe by 8 wickets in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) to claim the series victory.

In a dominant bowling display, Afghanistan dismissed Zimbabwe for just 127 runs in 30.1 overs. The Afghan batsmen then chased down the target comfortably in 26.5 overs, losing only 2 wickets along the way.

The standout performer of the match was Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, who took a remarkable 5 wickets, while Rashid Khan supported with 3 wickets. Azmatullah Omarzai and Farid Ahmad each claimed 1 wicket.

The first match of the series was abandoned due to rain, but Afghanistan bounced back strongly in the second match, securing a commanding 232-run victory.

This series win follows Afghanistan's earlier success in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, further cementing their dominance in international cricket.

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Bangla Tigers lift Lanka T10 Super League title

Player of the match and player of the series was Titan’s skipper Dasun Shanaka.

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Hambantota Bangla Tigers beat favorites Jaffna Titans by 26 runs in Thursday’s Lanka T10 Super League final at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy.

The Tigers produced a fine all-round performance to beat the Titans, who had won all their matches in the lead up to the final.

Player of the match and player of the series was Titan’s skipper Dasun Shanaka.

Hambantota Bangla Tigers, put into bat first, posted 133 for seven from their allotted 10 overs through some useful contributions from their top order batsmen.

The openers Mohammad Shahzad and Kusal Perera added 35 runs from 2.4 overs before they suffered a middle order collapse and reached 59 for three at the halfway stage of the innings.

However, skipper Dasun Shanaka and Shevon Daniel revived the innings with a fourth-wicket partnership of 44 runs in three overs.

Shanaka made 21 with two sixes and two boundaries while Daniel struck 26 with one six and three boundaries before Kennar Lewis and Dhananjaya Lakshan added the finishing touches.

Chasing 133 runs for victory, Jaffna Titans lost wickets at regular intervals and they eventually finished at 107 for six despite a fighting unbeaten half century from middle order batsman Tom Abell.
Richard Gleeson wrecked the Hambantota Bangla Tigers’ innings with excellent figures of three wickets for 21 while Shanaka captured two wickets for four runs.

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Afghanistan crush Zimbabwe by 232 runs in second ODI

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Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by 232 runs in the second ODI on Thursday to secure a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Sent to bat first by Zimbabwe who won the toss, Afghanistan posted 286-6 in Harare.

Sediqullah Atal scored 104, his first hundred in an international match. Abdul Malik followed with 84.

In reply, Zimbabwe scored 54 runs before being bowled out in the 17.5 overs.

Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and Naweed Zadran took three wickets each. Fazlullah Farooqi picked up two wickets and Azmatullah Omarzai one.

This was the second match of the ODI series between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. The first was abandoned due to rain.

The third and final game of the series will be played on Saturday.

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