Saudi, UAE and Qatar secure wins on second day of AlUla Camel Cup

Saudi, UAE and Qatar secure wins on second day of AlUla Camel Cup
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Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar provided the big winners on Day 2 of the second annual AlUla Camel Cup. (Supplied)
Saudi, UAE and Qatar secure wins on second day of AlUla Camel Cup
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The day’s total prize pool of $6.83 million was split equally between the two categories. (Supplied)
Saudi, UAE and Qatar secure wins on second day of AlUla Camel Cup
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The day’s total prize pool of $6.83 million was split equally between the two categories. (Supplied)
Saudi, UAE and Qatar secure wins on second day of AlUla Camel Cup
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The day’s total prize pool of $6.83 million was split equally between the two categories. (Supplied)
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Updated 26 April 2024
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Saudi, UAE and Qatar secure wins on second day of AlUla Camel Cup

Saudi, UAE and Qatar secure wins on second day of AlUla Camel Cup
  • Minister of Interior’s entry takes first race in the Hagayeg category

ALULA: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar provided the big winners on Day 2 of the second annual AlUla Camel Cup.

Held in unseasonably hot conditions, Thursday’s competition consisted of two 5 km categories, the Hagayeg and the Lagaya, with two races run in each.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif won the first Hagayeg race, much to the delight of spectators.

The Prince’s camel, aptly named AlUla, won in a time of 5 minutes 59.3 seconds. In the second Hagayeg race of the day, Shart, owned by Emirati Mohammed Al-Kutbi, took first place in a time of 5:57.8.

The day’s total prize pool of $6.83 million was split equally between the two categories.

Winners in each of the races received $870,000, second-place finishers earned $266,666, and those in third place received $133,333. The balance of the prize pool was distributed among the other finishers.

The event was organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla as part of the AlUla Moments calendar, in partnership with the Saudi Camel Racing Federation.

The 2024 AlUla Camel Cup offers spectators and participants a new and more expansive experience after the inaugural edition in March last year.

This year, designated Year of the Camel by the UN and the Ministry of Culture, the event pays homage to the desert animal that is so integral to the Kingdom’s heritage.

“The AlUla Camel Cup attracts the best riders and the best camels throughout not just the region, but the world,” said Mahmoud AlBalawi, executive director of the SCRF. “Qualification for the AlUla Camel Cup is deliberately challenging, with 11 camel races taking place under the federation’s jurisdiction throughout the season to qualify for this illustrious competition.”

AlBalawi said that the Saudi Camel Racing Federation’s programs “target all corners of Saudi Arabia in a bid to continue to grow and improve the cherished sport of camel racing. There are more than 50 camel racing tracks across the country, including the elite AlUla venue where the AlUla Camel Cup takes place.”

RCU’s chief sports officer, Ziad Al-Suhaibani, praised the participants and said: “The AlUla Camel Cup reflects the importance of camel racing as a symbol of the Kingdom’s heritage and culture.”

While the heritage sport dates from the seventh century, the event this year includes a more contemporary setup that caters to all the family. There are opportunities to take camel selfies, sample camel smoothies or listen to live folk music by local performers.

The final races take place on Saturday.


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.