APL

Sayed Baqir is team captain of De Maiwand Atalan, one of the four teams taking part in the upcoming RAPL Nawroz Tournament 2015. The tournament will begin on March 15th with the final taking place on March 21st, Nawroz (New Years) Day. Baqir's Atalan will go up against defending RAPL champions Shaheen Asmayee in the opening match at 2:30PM on March 15, 2015. The game will be broadcast live from the Afghan Football Federation Stadium in Jalalabad, Nangarhar.

De Maiwand Atalan finished last season in fourth place behind Shaheen Asmayee, Oqaban Hindukosh, and De Spinghar Bazan. Baqir and his team have their sights set on the RAPL crown in 2015, but before then they will have to show the country they can defeat the defending champions.

"It is a great challenge for us to face Shaheen in the opening match of the 2015 RAPL Nawroz Tournament. We will be tested and this test will prepare us for the main tournament in August. Will all the training and preparation we are going through, I think we can overcome this challenge to defeat Shaheen Asmayee, which will build our confidence for the main event."