FUTSAL – AFGHANISTAN were crowned boys’ futsal champions last night in the third Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.
The Afghanis secured gold after defeating Iran 2-1 in a heated final, played at Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town.
Goals on either side of the break from Abbas Heydari and Ali Ahmadi were enough to secure the title for their team. Hosseinreza Yousefi supplied Iran’s lone consolation.
The gold medal contest was marred by an unsportsmanlike incident with only five seconds remaining, when Yousefi deliberately kicked Afghanistan goalkeeper Ahmad Esmaeili after making a save. Yousefi was immediately sent off, but tempers flared between players and officials from both teams. After order was restored, a number of expulsions were made from each side, and the concluding seconds were played to the final buzzer.
Thailand, meanwhile, claimed the bronze medals after defeating Uzbekistan 6-2 in the game for third place.
Punno Wangsilpakhun was the star player for the Thais, scoring four goals – two in each period. Thanawat Phuwipadawat and Ratthawit Sriraksa supplied their other goals.
Following both games, the boys’ podium ceremony took place. In attendance to hand out the medals were Bahrain Football Association board member Shaikh Salman bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa and the third Asian Youth Games’ executive committee chairman Yusuf Duaij Muhoorfi.
&uuid=(email))