Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing

Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
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The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom. (Supplied)
Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
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The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom. (Supplied)
Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
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The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom. (Supplied)
Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
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The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom. (Supplied)
Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
5 / 10
The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom. (Supplied)
Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
6 / 10
The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom. (Supplied)
Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
7 / 10
The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom. (Supplied)
Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
8 / 10
The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom. (Supplied)
Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
9 / 10
The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom. (Supplied)
Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
10 / 10
The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom. (Supplied)
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Updated 04 December 2023
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Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing

Saudi Games 2023: Day 11 crowns champions in beach soccer, fencing
  • In the men’s foil category, Ibrahim Al-Hodaib from Al-Nassr Club secured the gold medal, while Ali Al-Albinali from Al-Hilal claimed silver
  • The women’s individual saber finals saw Al-Shabab’s Ruba Al-Masri taking the gold, with Al-Hilal’s Alhasna Al-Hammad getting the silver

RIYADH: The champions of the fencing competition held at the Riyadh Club on Sunday were honored by Abdulaziz Baeshen, executive director of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Ahmed Al-Sabban, president of the Saudi Fencing Federation.

In the men’s foil category, Ibrahim Al-Hodaib from Al-Nassr Club secured the gold medal, while Ali Al-Albinali from Al-Hilal claimed silver. Bronze medals were awarded to Al-Huda’s Mohsen Al-Shatti and Mahdi Al-Qaros.

The women’s individual saber finals saw Al-Shabab’s Ruba Al-Masri taking the gold, with Al-Hilal’s Alhasna Al-Hammad earning the silver. Bronze medals were awarded to Al-Hilal’s Ahad Al-Muahmmar and Al-Shabab’s Dana Al-Qahtani.

The Saudi Games 2023 volunteer coordinator, Ahlam Qadah, reported the participation of more than 1,460 volunteers in this year’s edition.

Volunteers, selected based on specific criteria, were assigned to 31 different competition venues across the Kingdom. Predominantly university students specializing in law, public relations, administration, computing, and medicine, the volunteers demonstrated a strong interest in sports and related activities.

Al-Masheal Crowns Al-Selmeyya with Gold in Beach Soccer Finals

Saudi Football Federation President Yasser Al-Misehal awarded Al-Selmeyya with the gold medal in beach soccer. Al-Selmeyya beat Al-Nassr 3-2 while Al-Jandal secured the bronze medal by defeating Al-Zulfi 4-3 during the finals.

Indoor Women’s Futsal Final Between Al-Nassr and Al-Shabab

The women’s football semifinals on Sunday saw Al-Nassr defeated Al-Hilal with a final score of 2-1, while Al-Shabab overcame Al-Qadisiyah 8-1.
The final match between Al-Nassr and Al-Shabab is scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. local time. It will be held at Al-Nassr Club, preceded by a third-place match between Al-Hilal and Al-Qadisiyah at 3 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Semifinals Set

Al-Hilal secured a spot in the basketball semifinals after defeating Al-Fateh 91-52 in the quarterfinals held on Sunday at the Green Hall of Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex. Al-Nassr beat Al-Safa 74-63 in a close bout, while Al-Ahli edged out Al-Ittihad 64-60. Tuesday’s semifinals will see Al-Hilal face Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr play Ohud.

Women’s Basketball Quarterfinals Kick Off

The women’s basketball quarterfinals began on Monday at the Green Hall of Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex. Defending champions Jeddah United faced Al-Qadisiyah at 2 p.m., Al-Ittihad vs. Al-Nassr at 4 p.m., Al-Hilal vs. Al-Ahli at 6 p.m., and Al-Nawras vs. Al-Asima at 8 p.m.

Youth and Women’s Fencing Champions

In the youth category, Al-Adalah’s Jehad Al-Obaid won the men’s saber gold medal, while Al-Omran’s Ali Saeed Al-Hashem claimed silver. Al-Adalah’s Ahmed Al-Omran and Al-Watani’s Abdulsalam Turk Al-Anazi secured the bronze medals. In the women's epee, gold was awarded to Al-Huda’s Lamar Arslan after defeating teammate Wateen Al-Toukhy, who took silver. Hala Khaled Khadawardi of Al-Ittihad and Yassmin Al-Saleh of Al-Nassr claimed bronze.

Karate Concludes with 11 Weight Categories

The karate competition concluded on Monday at King Saud University, featuring finals in the women’s open weight category and the men’s 60 kg, 67 kg, 75 kg, 84 kg, and over 84 kg divisions. The youth women’s open weight finals will begin alongside the youth men’s 55 kg, 61 kg, 68 kg, and 76 kg finals.

Muay Thai Concludes Competitions

The muay thai finals were held on Monday at King Saud University. Ghadah Al-Shehri faced Haytan Al-Saif in the women’s 54 kg final, while Ahmed Rosli is expected to compete against Khalid Al-Dawalibi for the men’s 57 kg gold. Abdullah Al-Kahtani and Othmane Essaadaoui will compete for the 63.5 kg gold, concluding with Abdulrahman Bajaba vs. Soufiane Marzak in the 75 kg category.

Handball Youth Matches Continue

King Saud University sports arena will see the third group of handball youth matches take place on Monday. Sunday’s matches saw Al-Ibtisam beat Al-Safa 31-22. Al-Ahli surpass Al-Qarah 30-22 and Mudhar overcome Al-Hilal 34-18. Monday’s group A matches will feature Al-Wehda vs. Al-Hazem and Al-Huda vs. Al-Noor.

Four Matches in Men’s Handball

In men’s handball events, Al-Ahli defeated Al-Rawdah 30-26, Al-Huda overcame Al-Hazem 36-20 and Al-Wehda surpassed Al-Adalah 34-32. Four matches are scheduled on Monday: Mudhar vs. Al-Zulfi and Al-Jeel vs. Al-Qarah in Group A, and Al-Khaleej vs. Al-Muheet and Al-Njoom vs. Al-Safa in Group B.


Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 to go top of Champions League

Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 to go top of Champions League
Updated 27 sec ago
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Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 to go top of Champions League

Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 to go top of Champions League

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to move back to the top of the Champions League standings with a perfect record of five victories from five.
Second-half goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo were enough to give Arne Slot’s team victory, with both Kylian Mbappe of Madrid and Mohamed Salah missing from the spot. Defeat leaves holders Madrid in 24th spot.


Amorim eyes victory in first Man Utd home game to kickstart new era

Amorim eyes victory in first Man Utd home game to kickstart new era
Updated 27 November 2024
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Amorim eyes victory in first Man Utd home game to kickstart new era

Amorim eyes victory in first Man Utd home game to kickstart new era
  • The former Sporting Lisbon boss admitted after the draw at the weekend that United would “suffer for a long time” as he puts his stamp on the club

LONDON: Ruben Amorim said struggling Manchester United need a win to kickstart his Old Trafford revolution as he prepares for a “special” first home match against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday.
United had a disappointing 1-1 draw at Ipswich on Sunday in Amorim’s first game in charge since replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag, leaving them 12th in the Premier League table.
On Thursday they face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League after one win and three draws in their opening four matches in the competition.
“It is said to me that it will be a special time,” Amorim told his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “I just want to win the game, just to give that happiness to the supporters.
“Before the match it will be like a new sensation but after the whistle it will be one more game and we want to win that match.”
Amorim, who changed United’s formation against Ipswich, said the club needed to feel “momentum.”
“It’s important when you are putting an idea,” he said. “If you win it’s a big help.”
The former Sporting Lisbon boss admitted after the draw at the weekend that United would “suffer for a long time” as he puts his stamp on the club.
And on Wednesday he admitted he did not know how long it would take players to get used to his methods, explaining it was difficult to draw parallels with his previous experiences.
“You can say that this is a different league so it’s harder than in Portugal,” he said. “But I also have more experienced players and all these guys play for national teams.
“They just need to increase their confidence and at the moment I don’t know how to answer that question. I don’t know how long.
“But I will know that with a lot of games without time to train it will be tough for me but it will be tougher for them because they are on the pitch and they will suffer a little bit.
“I will try to help and we have to manage to win some games and try to increase that idea in the team.”
Amorim said United had firepower in their ranks despite their lack of goals this season and that he would try to help out-of-form Marcus Rashford.
“We will try to find the right solution for him, as for the other players,” he said.
“He has to be Marcus, first of all, to try to return to that moment. Then he will have the help of all the staff, all the club and all the fans because he’s a Manchester United boy. But he has to be the first one to really want it.”


Israeli soccer team prepares for closed-door match in Hungary after attacks on fans in Amsterdam

Israeli soccer team prepares for closed-door match in Hungary after attacks on fans in Amsterdam
Updated 27 November 2024
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Israeli soccer team prepares for closed-door match in Hungary after attacks on fans in Amsterdam

Israeli soccer team prepares for closed-door match in Hungary after attacks on fans in Amsterdam
  • The team will face off Thursday against Turkiye’s Besiktas in an Europa League match that was relocated to Hungary
  • Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Zarko Lazetic told a news conference on Wednesday that his team was focused on its game, regardless of what tensions may exist elsewhere

DEBRECEN, Hungary: Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team returned to Europe on Wednesday for the first time since its fans were assaulted in the Netherlands earlier this month in attacks that were condemned as antisemitic by authorities in Israel and across Europe.
The team will face off Thursday against Turkiye’s Besiktas in an Europa League match that was relocated to Hungary. The contest at Nagyerdei Stadium in the city of Debrecen will be played without fans due to security concerns following the violence in Amsterdam on Nov. 7 that resulted in five people being treated in hospitals and dozens of detentions.
Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Zarko Lazetic told a news conference on Wednesday that his team was focused on its game, regardless of what tensions may exist elsewhere.
“It’s not a question for me what happened outside of the stadium. We saw some videos and everything, but we really try to focus on football,” he said. “We’ll see tomorrow what is the effect.”
The violence in Amsterdam came after local authorities banned pro-Palestinian demonstrators from gathering outside the stadium where Maccabi was playing Dutch team Ajax.
A large crowd of Israeli fans chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the match, video showed. Afterward, youths on scooters and on foot crisscrossed the city in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them, according to Amsterdam’s mayor.
The city’s police commander said the incidents had “an antisemitic character.”
Maccabi press officer Ofer Ronen-Abels said Wednesday the events in Amsterdam “had nothing to do with football.”
Before the assaults, Besiktas had requested its home game against Maccabi, originally scheduled for Istanbul, to be moved to “neutral ground” over security concerns.
The club later said on social media that Hungary was the only country willing to host the match and that Hungarian authorities requested it be played behind closed doors.
Hungary has hosted several home games for Israel’s national team for security reasons since the war in Gaza began.
Maccabi held its final practice session at the Kiryat Shalom training complex in Tel Aviv on Wednesday before departing for Hungary, the team said on its website.


Jeddah set for Fanatec GT World Challenge race

Jeddah set for Fanatec GT World Challenge race
Updated 27 November 2024
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Jeddah set for Fanatec GT World Challenge race

Jeddah set for Fanatec GT World Challenge race
  • Anticipated SAL Jeddah Race, which will be held for the first time in the Kingdom on Nov. 29-30, will feature two major motorsport races and cover 1,000 km
  • Iconic manufacturers taking part include Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes AMG, BMW M Sport, Audi Sport and Ford

JEDDAH: Jeddah is all set for the final round of the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe on Friday when a 49-car field tackles a six-hour Endurance Cup race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

The anticipated SAL Jeddah Race, which will be held for the first time in the Kingdom on Nov. 29-30, will feature two major motorsport races and cover 1,000 km, making it the longest circuit race in Saudi history.

Iconic manufacturers taking part include Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes AMG, BMW M Sport, Audi Sport and Ford.

The GT4 European Series, supported by RAFA Racing Club, will feature four competitive categories, promising an exciting spectacle for motorsport enthusiasts in Saudi Arabia:

Pro: A showcase for the world’s finest drivers and teams vying for top honors.

Gold: Designed to cultivate and elevate emerging driving talents.

Silver: A competitive platform featuring a mix of amateur and semi-professional drivers.

Bronze: A unique category combining experienced professionals with promising young drivers, offering a valuable learning experience.

Saudi Logistics Services, the official title sponsor for the Jeddah GT Race 2024, announced on Monday the arrival of more than 70 cars from the ports of Barcelona and Valencia in Spain to the port of Jeddah.

The SAL Jeddah GT Race is an endurance racing event that encourages drivers to push their maximum limits and test their stamina, strategy and reliability throughout the intense competition.

The event’s fan zone includes live entertainment and fun activities for families, as well as food festivals.


Messi’s son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watch

Messi’s son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watch
Updated 27 November 2024
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Messi’s son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watch

Messi’s son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watch
  • The 12-year-old Messi played with the No. 10 jersey of an Inter Miami youth team
  • Thiago’s mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several members of his family, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands to watch him play

BUENOS AIRES: Thiago Messi, the eldest son of the Argentina star, has made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the countryside city of Rosario.

The 12-year-old Messi played with the No. 10 jersey of an Inter Miami youth team, which lost 1-0 on Monday to host Newell’s Old Boys in the traditional under-13 competition. The team also played Tuesday.

Lionel Messi took his first steps as a footballer in the Argentinian club in Rosario, 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of capital Buenos Aires.

Thiago’s mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several members of his family, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands to watch him play. Lionel Messi did not attend.

Thiago, who was substituted in the second half, played with his friend Benjamin Suarez, son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, Messi’s teammate and close friend at Barcelona and now at Inter Miami.

Messi and Suarez are in Rosario after Inter Miami’s early elimination in the MLS playoffs. On Sunday, they watched a friendly game of Inter Miami’s U13 team against Union at the same sports complex.

The youth tournament in Argentina brings together eight teams from North and South America.