Afghanistan Wins Hong Kong Sixes 2026, Slovan Loses in Shootout

Afghanistan secured the Hong Kong Sixes 2026 championship on Sunday, November 1, by defeating Australia in the final match of the tournament. After Australia posted a total of 115 runs for the loss of five wickets in their allocated six overs, Afghanistan successfully chased down the target with five balls to spare. Imran Mir led the charge with an unbeaten half-century, helping his side finish at 119 for the loss of two wickets.

The tournament featured 12 national teams divided into four groups of three, with matches beginning on October 31. Defending champions Pakistan claimed the Plate final by defeating their opponents, while South Africa dominated England to win the Bowl final. Meanwhile, India finished in 11th place out of 12 teams under the leadership of Krunal Pandya, rebounding from group stage losses against Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates by defeating Bangladesh in the 11th-place playoff.

The Hong Kong Sixes format features squads of seven players with six athletes on the field at any given time. Every member of the fielding side, excluding the designated wicketkeeper, is required to bowl an over during the match. The three-day event comprised 25 total matches, including a special women's exhibition game.

In European ice hockey action, HC Slovan Bratislava experienced a disappointing loss at home against HKM Zvolen. The visiting team opened the scoring midway through the first period, catching Slovan off guard while they played without their productivity leader, Pecararo. Slovan struggled to find their rhythm for much of the opening frame.

Slovan defenseman Beňo ignited the offense in the 35th minute by breaking through the attacking zone and setting up sniper Dmowski for the equalizing goal. Early in the third period, Samuel Buček gave the home team a 2-1 lead, putting them in position for a victory. However, Zvolen managed to equalize in the final minute of regulation, sending the match into overtime and eventually a shootout where the visitors secured the win.

Reflecting on the match, Slovan assistant coach Michal Dostál expressed frustration over the late equalizer. "For us a challenging result, because we tried to get into the match, mainly to equalize in the first period. After two good actions we turned the score and we are very sorry that a minute before the end we did not defend that state," Dostál stated.

Forward Samuel Buček echoed those sentiments, noting that his team controlled much of the play despite the final outcome. "I think we were the better team. There were phases when it was even, but we did not use the chances and the opponent on the contrary from the minimum they had extracted the maximum," Buček said, emphasizing that the team will continue working hard ahead of the upcoming playoff stretch.