Saudi U-23 football team tie with Iran in opening match at 19th Asian Games

Saudi Arabia’s U23 football team draw 0-0 on Tuesday in their opening match against Iran during the 2023 Asian Games taking place in Hangzhou, China. (Supplied)

The Saudi basketball team won a friendly match against a Chinese team at the Gym of Shuo Zhang University on Tuesday. (Supplied)

The kingdom’s rowing team start competing on Wednesday when Sultan Al-Shali and Turki Al-Aarif participate in the LM2X race at the main lake of the Fuyang Water Sports Center. (Supplied)

• The Kingdom is one of 45 countries competing at the Games, which are being hosted by Hangzhou in China and will continue until Oct. 8
• Members of the Kingdom’s rowing team launch their medal bids on Wednesday, when Sultan Al-Shali and Turki Al-Aarif compete in the lightweight men’s double sculls

HANGZHOU: Saudi Arabia’s U-23 footballers played out a goalless draw with Iran on Tuesday, in their opening match at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Prince Abdullah bin Fahd bin Abdullah, the head of the Saudi delegation at the Games, watched the match, which took place at the Lining Sports Center. The Green Falcons’ next game is on Thursday morning when they will face Mongolia, who were defeated 4-2 by Vietnam on Tuesday.
The Kingdom is one of 45 countries competing in the Games in Hangzhou, which continue until Oct. 8. Members of the Saudi rowing team will launch their medal bids on Wednesday, when Sultan Al-Shali and Turki Al-Aarif compete in the lightweight men’s double sculls, starting at 9:20 a.m. at the main lake in the Fuyang Water Sports Center.
Haya Al-Mami, will race in the women’s single sculls individual event at 3:30 p.m., and Rakan Ali Reda in the men’s single sculls at 4 p.m. The Saudi rowers completed their final training session on Tuesday at the lake.
Meanwhile, the Saudi weightlifting and shooting teams arrived in Hangzhou on Tuesday. The weightlifting team, which includes Seraj Al-Salem, Ali Al-Khazal, Mahmoud Al-Hamid, and Nujood Kharumi, will take part in a 10-day training camp before their competitions begin. The shooting team includes 12 men and women.
The Saudi basketball team’s preparations for the Games continued on Tuesday with a victory in a friendly match against a Chinese team at Shuo Zhang University gym.
The Kingdom’s fencing team took part in morning and evening training sessions that included warm-ups, physical fitness work, and footwork and other individual exercises.
Saudi Arabia’s tennis hopefuls have been taking part in an intense training regime over the past few days, and on Tuesday coach Jean Marie gave brother-and-sister players Ammar and Yara Alhogbani a rest day, during which they visited the physiotherapy center for muscle treatments.
The Kingdom’s table tennis team began training on Tuesday, and took part in a technical meeting with their head coach that focused on tactical training for players Ali Alkhadrawi, Azam Alem, Turki Al-Mutairi and Khaled Al-Sharif.