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Israel clear to play in Olympic soccer tournament after FIFA postpones decision on possible ban

Israel clear to play in Olympic soccer tournament after FIFA postpones decision on possible ban
A general view of billboard that reads “Ban Israel from the Olympics” on the M1 North De Villiers Graaf motorway in Johannesburg. (AFP)
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Updated 19 July 2024
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Israel clear to play in Olympic soccer tournament after FIFA postpones decision on possible ban

Israel clear to play in Olympic soccer tournament after FIFA postpones decision on possible ban
Updated 19 July 2024
AP
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ZURICH: FIFA has postponed a decision on a Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel from international soccer because of the conflict with Hamas, clearing the way for the Israeli men’s national team to play at the Paris Olympics.
Soccer’s world governing body had been set to make a decision Saturday at an extraordinary council meeting after asking for an independent legal assessment of the Palestinian proposal two months ago. That decision would have come just four days before the start of the Olympic soccer tournament, where Israel has been drawn into a group with Japan, Mali and Paraguay.
However, FIFA said Thursday that it had pushed back the timeline because “more time is needed to conclude this process with due care and completeness” — meaning a decision is now set to come after the Olympics have finished.
FIFA said both parties had made requests for extensions “to submit their respective positions” and that the independent assessment will now be shared with FIFA by Aug. 31 at the latest.
The men’s Olympic final is set to take place on Aug. 9.

A Costa Rican team threatens FIFA with legal action in bid for spot at Club World Cup

A Costa Rican team threatens FIFA with legal action in bid for spot at Club World Cup
Updated 20 November 2024
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A Costa Rican team threatens FIFA with legal action in bid for spot at Club World Cup

A Costa Rican team threatens FIFA with legal action in bid for spot at Club World Cup
  • Team spokesman Marco Vazquez noted that Mexican clubs Leon and Pachuca belong to the same owner, Jesus Martinez, of Grupo Pachuca
  • “We hired a law firm in Spain, and they have all the details,” Vazquez said of potential legal action
Updated 20 November 2024
AP

COSTA RICA: The winningest team in Costa Rica are asking FIFA for a spot in next summer’s Club World Cup and are willing to take legal action if denied.
Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, which have won 30 league titles, want FIFA to enforce the rule that forbids clubs from the same ownership to participate in the tournament.
“The claim is based on the principles of eligibility set in the rules of the tournament,” the club said in a press release.
Team spokesman Marco Vazquez noted that Mexican clubs Leon and Pachuca belong to the same owner, Jesus Martinez, of Grupo Pachuca.
“Those are the rules that FIFA established — there cannot be multi-ownership,” Vazquez said Wednesday. “There are two Mexican clubs from the same owner and the rulebook is clear. What we are asking is to review what FIFA itself established.”
The FIFA-run competition has been expanded from seven teams to 32 and will be staged in the United States from June to July next year.
“We hired a law firm in Spain, and they have all the details,” Vazquez said of potential legal action.
FIFA has not publicly reacted to the team’s announcement and didn’t immediately answer a request for comment.
Alajuelense are the best-ranked team in Central America for the CONCACAF but 40th overall in the region.
CONCACAF has four spots in the Club World Cup. The teams that qualified are: the Seattle Sounders, Monterrey, Leon and Pachuca. Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will participate as guests of the host.
All five clubs were announced for the Dec. 5 draw in Miami.
In Mexico, besides Leon and Pachuca, there are another two companies that own two or more clubs in the first division. Grupo Caliente owns Tijuana and Queretaro, while Grupo Orlegi controls Atlas and Santos. TV Azteca owns Mazatlan and has partial ownership of Puebla.
On May 2023, the Liga MX announced that multi-ownership will be forbidden but gave owners four years to sell.
Jesus Martinez Murguia, who runs the Leon club, said they will sell part of the team to comply with the rules but will still have a partial ownership.

Topics: FIFA Costa Rica FIFA Club World Cup Deportiva Alajuelense

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Saudi Arabia edged out by UAE in T20 World Cup qualifier

Saudi Arabia edged out by UAE in T20 World Cup qualifier
Updated 20 November 2024
SUBAS HUMAGAIN
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Saudi Arabia edged out by UAE in T20 World Cup qualifier

Saudi Arabia edged out by UAE in T20 World Cup qualifier
  • Saudi Arabia registered 145 runs at the expense of six wickets in reply to the UAE’s 162-5 in 20 overs
  • Partnership between Rahul Chopra and Asif Khan put the UAE on the front foot
Updated 20 November 2024
SUBAS HUMAGAIN

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia lost their second match in a row as the UAE registered their second consecutive win in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier B in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday.

The UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 17 runs to go top of the table. Saudi Arabia could only muster 145 runs at the expense of six wickets in reply to the UAE’s 162-5 in 20 overs.

The UAE’s decision to bat first at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium did not go their way at the start, as right arm seamer Ishtiaq Ahmad bowled a maiden over in the first over against Alishan Sharafu. Usman Najeeb continued the momentum in the second over, conceding just four runs. Sharafu fell to Ishtiaq in the fifth over for 19, and skipper Muhammad Waseem was out in the next over, leaving the UAE at 38-2.

It was the partnership between Rahul Chopra and Asif Khan that put the UAE on the front foot. Asif Khan scored 45 runs off 37 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes before being bowled by Usman Khalid in the 16th over.

Chopra, who was later announced the player of the match, took the score past 150 as he completed his half-century in 32 balls. In total, he faced 36 balls and hit six fours and two sixes in his innings of 58 runs. He was out caught on the last ball of the innings. Usman Khalid took two wickets, while Ishtiaq and Shahzaib took one each.

In reply, Faisal Khan started off well for the Kingdom, but he lasted only 17 balls. Faisal scored 27 runs as he sent one straight to skipper Waseem off 35-year-old debutant Simranjeet Kang, who got the prized wicket in only his second ball of his T20I career.

A centurion in the previous match, Abdul Waheed failed to continue the momentum as he struggled to get the runs going. Usman Khalid (four) and Abdul (six) were back in the hut by the eighth over, with the score at just 43. Skipper Waji Ul Hasan saved his wicket to let Manan Ali fire, but the required run rate kept going up. Waji was run out for 17 runs off 27 balls, with no boundaries. Manan’s counter-attacking play soon ended as Kang got another much-needed breakthrough for the UAE. Manan scored one four and three sixes in his 28-ball 33.

With 67 runs needed off 24 balls to win, the lower middle order had a go. Abdul Wahid hit 15 runs off 10 balls, Zain Ul Abidin remained not out on 19 off nine, while Usman Najeeb added 18 runs in 11 balls. All three hit a four and a six each. Teenager Dhruv Parashar shared two wickets with Kang for the UAE, while Mohammad Jawadullah took one wicket.

The result meant the UAE would overtake hosts Qatar in the table. Both teams have four points from two matches, but the UAE is ahead on net run rate. Qatar had earlier beaten Bhutan by six wickets. Thailand also overcame their loss the previous day by beating Cambodia by 16 runs.

Bahrain, who beat Saudi Arabia on the first day, has two points. Bhutan, Cambodia and Saudi Arabia are yet to open their accounts. Winless Saudi Arabia and Bhutan will face each other on Friday.

Hosts Qatar are joined by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand and the UAE in the tournament. The top two teams from this qualifier will play in the regional final, which serves as a pathway for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be held in 2026.

Malaysia and Kuwait have already booked their spots from the Asia Group A qualifier, while Samoa and Japan are representing the East Asia-Pacific region. Nepal, Oman and Papua New Guinea will also compete in the regional finals.

Topics: Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates (UAE) ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

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Professional Fighters League strikes deal to run events in Dubai

Professional Fighters League strikes deal to run events in Dubai
Updated 20 November 2024
AP
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Professional Fighters League strikes deal to run events in Dubai

Professional Fighters League strikes deal to run events in Dubai
  • PFL struck a deal with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and the Dubai Sports Council to hold fights in United Arab Emirates
Updated 20 November 2024
AP

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: The Professional Fighters League, the only MMA promotion with a regular season and playoff format, is set to expand its global footprint and run events next year in Dubai.
The PFL also owns Bellator, which it bought in 2023, and will promote its fighters as well in the Champions Series World Title event scheduled for Jan. 25, 2025, at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai’s City Walk.
Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his title against Paul Hughes in the main event.
PFL struck a deal with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and the Dubai Sports Council to hold fights in United Arab Emirates. As part of the deal, PFL will look to sign Emirati fight prospects.
PFL’s purchase of MMA rival Bellator was aided in part by Saudi Arabia’s recent purchase into PFL. The purchase for a relatively modest $100 million by Saudi-backed SRJ Sports Investments ensured mixed-martial arts events would take place in that country.
The agreement allowed the PFL to encroach into the UFC’s Middle East territory. The UFC regularly holds events in Abu Dhabi.
On a larger scale, the investment into PFL fit into Saudi Arabia’s overall strategy of having a major presence in the sports world while putting forward the message it is a much more open society, particularly as it relates to women’s rights.
SRJ is under Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, a sovereign wealth fund fueled by the kingdom’s oil resources that’s made a series of moves into international sports at what appears to be Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s direction. Chief among them was creating the LIV Golf tour and enticing some of the world’s top players with signing bonuses that included some in six figures.

Topics: Professional Fighters League Bellator

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Pakistan’s white-ball coach urges new players to take ‘advantage’ of Zimbabwe series

Pakistan’s white-ball coach urges new players to take ‘advantage’ of Zimbabwe series
Updated 20 November 2024
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Pakistan’s white-ball coach urges new players to take ‘advantage’ of Zimbabwe series

Pakistan’s white-ball coach urges new players to take ‘advantage’ of Zimbabwe series
  • Pakistan will rest star cricketers Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi
  •  Pakistan will play three ODIs and three T20Is from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5 against Zimbabwe
Updated 20 November 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s new interim-white ball Head Coach Aqib Javed on Wednesday urged upcoming cricketers selected for the Zimbabwe series to take advantage of the matches and cement a place for themselves in the squad, as Pakistan rests key players for the series. 

Pakistani cricket stars Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam and Naseem Shah will be rested for the Zimbabwe ODI and T20I series while skipper Mohammad Rizwan will be rested for the T20I series against the African country.

Pakistan will play their first white-ball match against Zimbabwe on Nov. 24. The green shirts’ tour of Australia ended on a mixed note following the three-match T20I series 3-0 loss after they won the ODI series 2-1. The Zimbabwe series features three ODIs and three T20Is, which will serve as preparation for Pakistan ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament in February-March next year. 

“Similarly in Zimbabwe, both the teams that we have selected, the main players have been rested and a message has also been given to new players that if they’re getting an opportunity, they should take advantage of it,” Javed said, speaking to the media. 

“If we don’t open options the pool of choices and players will never increase.”

 

 

Pakistan ODI squad: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir

Pakistan T20I squad: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan

Zimbabwe ODI squad: Craig Ervine (capt), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Joylord Gumbie, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brandon Mavuta, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams

Zimbabwe T20I squad: Sikandar Raza (capt), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Brandon Mavuta, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava
 

Topics: Pakistan cricket Aaqib Javed

Kingdom to host E1 Electric Boat World Championship for second time in January

Kingdom to host E1 Electric Boat World Championship for second time in January
Updated 20 November 2024
Arab News
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Kingdom to host E1 Electric Boat World Championship for second time in January

Kingdom to host E1 Electric Boat World Championship for second time in January
  • Two-day event will be organized by the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation, under the supervision of the Sports Ministry
  • Eighteen male and female drivers, representing nine teams, will compete in the event
Updated 20 November 2024
Arab News

JEDDAH: Nine international teams will participate on Jan. 24 and 25 in the opening round of the E1 Electric Boat World Championship, which Jeddah Waterfront hosts for the second consecutive year.
The nine international teams featured in the championship are owned by prominent figures including Will Smith, Marc Anthony, Steve Aoki, Rafael Nadal, Sergio Perez, Tom Brady, Virat Kohli, Didier Drogba and Marcelo Claure, a media statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Sports on Wednesday said.
The two-day event will be organized by the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation, under the supervision of the Sports Ministry, and in cooperation with the Union Internationale Motonautique.
Eighteen male and female drivers, representing the teams, will compete in the event, which travels to international locations throughout the year.
Last season’s races were held in locations including Venice, Monaco, Puerto Banus, Lake Como and Jeddah. The title was claimed by “Team Brady,” owned by American football star Tom Brady, after intense competition from “Westbrook Racing.”
Sam Coleman and Emma Kimilainen represented Team Brady, which secured their victory in the Jeddah round last season in February.
“Miami” finished second, and “Raf” took third place, amid strong competition and a lively audience enjoying the activities along the Red Sea coast.
The E1 Electric Boat World Championship is one of the most prominent events overseen by the Ministry of Sports.
It aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals, aiming to promote sustainability, clean energy and optimal investment across various sectors, including sports. Additionally, the championship contributes to accelerating the growth of maritime sports in the Kingdom.

Topics: E1 Electric Boat World Championship Jeddah waterfront Saudi Ministry of Sports

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