Shaheen Asmayee and De Maiwand Atalan to meet in the final game of Afghanistan’s most exciting and biggest event to date
Kabul, August 28th 2016 – The Roshan Afghan Premier League (RAPL) kicked off its 2016 Championship tournament at the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) stadium on Thursday, August 25th 2016.
Eight teams representing all 34 provinces in Afghanistan competed against each other in the group stage of the tournament, with Shaheen Asmayee, Simorgh Alborz, Mawj Hai Amu and De Maiwand Atalan advancing to the Semi-finals.
Afghan football fans were enthralled by hard fought and outstanding playing from all qualifying teams. Shaheen Asmayee and De Maiwand Atalan emerged victorious from the Semi-finals and will
face-off in the final match of the RAPL 2016 Championship. The two finalists will compete for the Championship cup on Friday, September 30th 2016, with the opening whistle scheduled for 3pm local time, following a women’s friendly match in the morning on the final day of RAPL 2016 season. RAPL has allocated cash prizes for the winner, runner-up, third and forth positioned teams of the RAPL 2016 Championship tournament.
An estimated 57% of all Afghans (at least 18.6 million viewers) in the country, as well as Afghans around the world (via the RAPL’s YouTube channel), will watch the 2016 Championship match between Shaheen Asmayee and De Maiwand Atalan.
“In four seasons, we have focused on young and new players who have been recruited in the eight RAPL teams. AFF coaches and technical team have been working with these young players to prepare them for the 2016 season matches. Our pre-season program was also different in Season 5 compared to the past seasons. All teams started their training session with 26 players in their squads. The assistant-coaches who are assigned are also younger compared to the previous seasons,” remarked Mr. Keramuddin Karim, President of AFF.
“As we are seeing the conclusion of the 5th season of the Roshan Afghan Premier League (RAPL), we’re pleased to see that our company's support has brought football to the homes of every Afghan family in the far corners of the country,” said Karim Khoja, CEO of Roshan. “Roshan’s support has enabled a new generation of talented Afghan footballers to pursue their dreams of playing football at the highest level. This is exactly what we stand far as a company: connecting Afghans of all backgrounds and enabling them to pursue their passions and dreams!”
“It is an honor for Pamir Group of companies and Party Energy to sponsor RAPL in order to take a step toward the enhancement of sport in the country. And by successful completion of the 5th season of the RAPL, Pamir Group of companies and Party Energy is hopeful to extend their support for the cultural and sport programs,” commented Haji Parwiz Faqiri, CEO of Pamir Group.
“Throughout the RAPL 2016 season, we have witnessed new standards of excellence in playing, coaching, officiating and engagement with millions of football fans from all walks of life across Afghanistan. The RAPL remains committed to developing and offering young Afghans unparalleled opportunities to pursue their dreams of becoming professional footballers. The RAPL 2016 Championship match is the culmination of a very exciting tournament which once again, is a celebration of national unity and pride in our country. Shaheen Asmayee and Maiwand Atalan represent the best of Afghan football and we look forward to sharing this unprecedented event with millions of Afghans, here at home and around the world. “ stated Shafic Gawhari, CEO of MOBY GROUP Afghanistan and RAPL Commissioner.
ABOUT ROSHAN
Roshan has been the Title Sponsor of RAPL since 2012.
Roshan (Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Corp) is Afghanistan's leading total communications provider with over 6.5 million active subscribers and a network that covers over 287 districts and cities in all the country's 34 provinces.
Roshan is a true Afghanistan success story, serving as a catalyst for economic growth and actively contributing to the country’s long-term development. Since its inception in 2003, Roshan has invested over $600 million in Afghanistan and is the country’s single largest investor and taxpayer, contributing approximately five percent of the Afghan government's overall domestic revenue. Roshan directly employs around 900 people, 19 percent of whom are women, and provides indirect employment to more than 35,000 people.
Roshan is deeply committed to Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development. The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), is a major shareholder of Roshan and promotes private initiatives and building economically sound enterprises in the developing world. Also owned in part by Monaco Telecom International (MTI) and TeliaSonera, Roshan brings international expertise to the country and is committed to the highest standards of network quality and coverage for the people of Afghanistan.
ABOUT PAMIR GROUP OF COMPANIES
Pamir Group became the Official Energy Drink of the RAPL in July 2016.
ZALAL MOWAFAQ Company which is a subsidiary of Pamir Group of Companies started its operations from Herat Industrial Park with an initial capital of 2 million USD in 2002. To meet the growing demand of Afghan market for diverse products, Pamir Group of Companies has produced a wide range of products: Party Energy Drink in a variety of flavors, Zalal Mineral Drinking Water, Zamzam Beverage, Zamarud Beverage, Mani Juice, and producing and assembling more than 40 models of motorcycles (Pamir Cyclet). In 2011, to boost the quality and harmonize the products with international standards, Pamir Group of Companies attained seven international certificates: HACCP, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, G.MP, AS18001, OHS, and HALAL. This is a major achievement for the whole country.
ABOUT THE ROSHAN AFGHAN PREMIER LEAGUE (RAPL)
Roshan Afghan Premier League (RAPL), Afghanistan's first professional football league, was launched on 9th of July 2012 by the Afghan Football Federation (AFF), the first Asian football federation to be admitted to FIFA (in 1948), Roshan, Afghanistan's leading total communications provider, and the MOBY GROUP, Afghanistan's largest media conglomerate.
RAPL consists of 8 teams drawn from all over the country, and feature Afghanistan's national team players as well as young men who have been selected for each team via a groundbreaking series of provincial and regional selection tournaments called Maidan-e-Sabz (Green Field). The league’s 18-match Championship Tournament takes place over August - October, with the 8 teams partaking in group play followed by the semi-finals and finals in Kabul's AFF stadium. All matches are broadcast live on MOBY's TOLO (Afghanistan's most popular TV channel) and Lemar (Afghanistan's number one Pashto channel). The matches are also broadcast on Arman FM and Arakozia FM, two of Afghanistan's leading radio stations, as well as to Afghans worldwide via cable and broadband.
ABOUT MOBY GROUP
MOBY Group is one of the leading integrated media and communications groups across South and Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Owning and operating over 17 businesses the group's activities span television, digital, content production, radio, sports, and strategic communications. With a reputation for innovative and ground breaking content, Moby's award winning programming has received accolades from the Sundance Film Festival, Reporters without Borders, Foundation de France and the Seoul International Drama Awards.
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ABOUT THE AFGHAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION (AFF)
Roshan Afghan Premier League 2014 is owned by the Afghan Football Federation (AFF). The AFF is the controlling body for the sport in the country and was admitted to FIFA in 1948.
The Afghanistan Football Federation is a Non-Governmental Organization that began serving football activities for Afghanistan in 1922. The federation is a nonprofit body which wanted to establish an environment where people interested in football could join and be a part of a wider community. The federation continues to organize all types of football related activities within Afghanistan through various tournaments, leagues, championships, and courses.
The Afghanistan Football Federation is recognized by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).
Roshan:
Shafi Sharifi
Director, Corporate Affairs
Office: +93 79 99 99 065
[email protected]
AFF:
Sayed Ali Reza Aghazada
Secretary General
Office: +93 78 88 98 898
[email protected]
Pamir Group of Companies
Ghulam Qader Ghanizada
Marketing Manager
0785100750
[email protected]
RAPL:
Zia Aria
Deputy Commissioner
Office: +93 780 389 241
[email protected]