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Saudi Games torch relay begins 3,500 km journey in Diriyah

The countdown to the start of the third Saudi Games got underway on Thursday night as the torch relay began its journey from Bujairi Terrace in Diriyah. (AN Photo/Loai El-Kellawi)
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The countdown to the start of the third Saudi Games got underway on Thursday night as the torch relay began its journey from Bujairi Terrace in Diriyah. (AN Photo/Loai El-Kellawi)
The countdown to the start of the third Saudi Games got underway on Thursday night as the torch relay began its journey from Bujairi Terrace in Diriyah. (AN Photo/Loai El-Kellawi)
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The countdown to the start of the third Saudi Games got underway on Thursday night as the torch relay began its journey from Bujairi Terrace in Diriyah. (AN Photo/Loai El-Kellawi)
The countdown to the start of the third Saudi Games got underway on Thursday night as the torch relay began its journey from Bujairi Terrace in Diriyah. (AN Photo/Loai El-Kellawi)
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The countdown to the start of the third Saudi Games got underway on Thursday night as the torch relay began its journey from Bujairi Terrace in Diriyah. (AN Photo/Loai El-Kellawi)
Taekwondo champion Dunya Abu Taleb was the first athlete to carry the sacred flame. (AN Photo/Loai El-Kellawi)
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Taekwondo champion Dunya Abu Taleb was the first athlete to carry the sacred flame. (AN Photo/Loai El-Kellawi)
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Updated 23 August 2024
Tamara Aboalsaud
Lama Alhamawi
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Saudi Games torch relay begins 3,500 km journey in Diriyah

Saudi Games torch relay begins 3,500 km journey in Diriyah
  • Taekwondo champion Dunya Abu Taleb first athlete to carry sacred flame
  • More than 9,000 athletes will take part in Games that open in October
Updated 23 August 2024
Tamara Aboalsaud Lama Alhamawi
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DIRIYAH: The countdown to the start of the third Saudi Games got underway on Thursday night as the torch relay began its journey from Bujairi Terrace in Diriyah.

Athletes and officials came together as the flame — a symbol of unity and ambition — was passed from Diriyah Governor Prince Fahd bin Saad to Ahmed Eid, the first elected president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, and on to taekwondo champion Dunya Abu Taleb.

“It’s an indescribable feeling, honestly, to carry the torch and put my thumbprint on a championship like this,” the Olympian told Arab News.

The relay will take the flame on a 30-day, 3,500 km journey through 17 cities across the Kingdom before arriving in Riyadh for the start of the Games proper.

This year’s competition coincides with the Year of the Camel, an animal that stands as a pillar of nation’s identity and culture and blends well with the torch’s message of friendship, peace and faith in the future.

When asked how it felt to to receive the torch from Prince Fahd, Eid said: “My feelings didn’t start today, they started early in my life when I carried the Saudi Arabian flag for the first time. And the pride I have felt since to have carried it three times in a row.

“Today I felt a deep trust between generations, between ideologies. The ideologies today are different than those around 50 years ago. Today, we see the vision of a nation, the vision of an inspired prince,” he told Arab News.

“Sport is growth and that growth happens in competition. And the competition begins next week.”

The 2024 Saudi Games begin in October 3rd and will feature more than 9,000 athletes competing in 53 sports. The event will also feature seven Paralympic sports, 11 exhibition sports and 15 youth sports.

Eid said he was most looking forward to watching the football competition as the game “is my soul,” but was also keen on combat sports and had watched all of Abu Taleb’s contests.

When asked what advice she would give to aspiring athletes, the taekwondo champion said: “Be ambitious … I hope that no player ever gets discouraged, and starts dreaming today and achieves all their dreams.”

Topics: Saudi Arabia Saudi games Saudi Games 2024

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Cavs ride huge first half to crushing win over Warriors and perfect 10-0

Cavs ride huge first half to crushing win over Warriors and perfect 10-0
Updated 09 November 2024
AFP
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Cavs ride huge first half to crushing win over Warriors and perfect 10-0

Cavs ride huge first half to crushing win over Warriors and perfect 10-0
  • Atkinson: Ten-0 is a magic number
  • In Boston, Jayson Tatum scored 33 points to lead the Celtics in a 107-102 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets
Updated 09 November 2024
AFP

LOS ANGELES: The Cleveland Cavaliers continued their perfect start to the NBA season in sensational style on Friday, seizing a 41-point halftime lead on the way to a 136-117 rout of the Golden State Warriors.

The Cavs improved to 10-0, ending the Warriors’ five-game winning streak and handing them their first road defeat of the season.

The damage was done early, the Cavs’ 83 first-half points tying a franchise record for most scored in any half and their 41-point halftime lead the biggest in team history.

Against the Warriors’ second-ranked defense, the Cavs posted their fifth game of the young season with at least 130 points.

That ties a team record for the most 130-plus point games for an entire season.

“Ten-0 is a magic number,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We’re playing really good basketball and I’m just really pleased where the group is.

“I was worried about tonight — they’re 7-1 and rolling and they’re coming in here, they’re champions and they’re going to try and knock our block off.”

Darius Garland scored 27 points, Evan Mobley added 23 and Ty Jerome chipped in 20 off the bench as six Cavs players scored in double figures against a Warriors defense that came in ranked second in the league.

Meanwhile, they kept the potentially explosive Warriors offense in check, opening the game on a 20-2 scoring run.

“The way we came out tonight — that surprised me, how ready we were, how hungry we were,” Atkinson said.

Andrew Wiggins with nine points and Stephen Curry with seven were the only Warriors starters to score before the break.

Golden State were able to adjust after the break, out-scoring the Cavs 41-29 in the third quarter.

“First half, can’t play much better than that,” Atkinson said. “But second half, way we came out, they scored 13 points in the first three minutes. It was a little frustrating.”

The Warriors, however, were in too deep a hole.

Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State with 21 points off the bench, Curry finished with 12 on five-of-10 shooting, making just one from three-point range.

“We’ve got to execute better,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Thirteen turnovers in the first half — we were completely disorganized.”

In Boston, Jayson Tatum scored 33 points to lead the Celtics in a 107-102 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who led by as many as 14 in the first half and didn’t surrender the lead until the fourth quarter.

In Detroit, Cade Cunningham drove for the go-ahead basket with 8.5 seconds left to play in the Pistons’ 122-121 victory over Atlanta, then sealed the victory with a block on a driving Onyeka Okongwu.

Cunningham finished with a triple-double of 22 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists with a steal and the game-saving block.

Jusuf Nurkic’s free throw with eight-tenths of a second remaining lifted the Phoenix Suns to a 114-113 victory over the Mavericks in Dallas.

Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Nurkic added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns, who notched a seventh straight victory to improve to 8-1.

“It’s been fun,” Durant said of the Suns start. “(It has) definitely been nerve-wracking with the tight games we’ve been in, but I think that’s great for our team to understand what it’s like in crunch time.”

Luka Doncic scored 30 points and Kyrie Irving added 29 for Dallas, who have now lost twice this season to Phoenix.

In New York, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 32 points for the Knicks, who led by as many as 30 in a 116-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Milwaukee, who trailed all the way.

Topics: Warriors basketball

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Nikola Jokic’s third straight triple-double leads Nuggets past Heat 135-122

Nikola Jokic’s third straight triple-double leads Nuggets past Heat 135-122
Updated 09 November 2024
AP
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Nikola Jokic’s third straight triple-double leads Nuggets past Heat 135-122

Nikola Jokic’s third straight triple-double leads Nuggets past Heat 135-122
  • Jamal Murray had 28 points and became the first player in Nuggets franchise history with 1,000 career 3-pointers
Updated 09 November 2024
AP

DENVER: Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds for his third straight triple-double to lead the Denver Nuggets past the Miami Heat 135-122 Friday night.
The triple-double was Jokic’s NBA-best fifth of the season.
After missing the past three games in concussion protocol, Jamal Murray had 28 points and became the first player in Nuggets franchise history with 1,000 career 3-pointers.
The Heat played most of the game without Jimmy Butler, who turned his ankle on a drive against Murray seven minutes into the game and did not return.
Denver raced out to a 17-6 lead in the opening 4:10 as part of a 40-point first quarter in which it made 14 of its 20 shots. Though it fought back to get within seven in the final five minutes of the game, Miami never led and trailed by as many as 26 in the second half.
Tyler Herro had a team-high 24 points and 11 assists for the Heat.
Takeaways
Heat: Miami’s fourth loss in its past five games came with the added pain of losing Butler, who is second on the Heat with 18.1 points per game.
Nuggets: Though concerns continue to persist about the drop off between its starting five and its bench, Denver continued its recent surge, winning for the sixth time in the past seven games after an 0-2 start.
Key moment
After carrying an 11-point lead into halftime, the Nuggets outscored the Heat 15-4 in the opening 3:03 of the third quarter to extend its advantage to 86-64.
Key stat
Russell Westbrook continued a strong recent stretch, dishing out a season-high 10 assists for Denver. It’s just the second time he’s had double-digit assists in his past 44 games.
Up next
The Nuggets host the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, the same day the Heat continue a six-game road swing at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Topics: basketball Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets Miami Heats NBA

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McKenzie shines in All Blacks' 23-13 victory over sloppy Irish

McKenzie shines in All Blacks' 23-13 victory over sloppy Irish
Updated 09 November 2024
AFP
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McKenzie shines in All Blacks' 23-13 victory over sloppy Irish

McKenzie shines in All Blacks' 23-13 victory over sloppy Irish
  • McKenzie: It’s never easy to win here in Dublin so we’re really happy
  • The Irish will have to up their game as they regroup to host Argentina next Friday while the All Blacks play France
Updated 09 November 2024
AFP

DUBLIN: New Zealand ended Ireland’s 19-match winning streak at Lansdowne Road, running out deserved 23-13 victors over the world ranked No. 1 side in a scrappy encounter on Friday.

Man of the match Damian McKenzie scored 18 of the All Blacks points — with Will Jordan maintaining his record of scoring a try every time he has played Ireland.

“It was extremely tough, the Irish are a great side. I’m proud of the boys’ efforts,” McKenzie told TNT Sports.

“It’s never easy to win here in Dublin so we’re really happy.”

The Irish will have to up their game as they regroup to host Argentina next Friday while the All Blacks play France.

“We’ve had a very good 10 days away, it’s not an excuse,” Ireland captain Caelan Doris told RTE. “We just need to be better.”

The evening started well for the hosts, Jack Crowley putting them ahead in the eighth minute with a penalty.

However, McKenzie — starting instead of Beauden Barrett who failed a Head Injury Assessment in last Saturday’s win over England — soon leveled.

The edge between the sides because of a tetchy end to their Rugby World Cup quarterfinal last year boiled over as Joe McCarthy eye-balled All Blacks captain Scott Barrett, resulting in several Kiwis surrounding him.

McCarthy going head to head with Barrett brought Irish actor Paul Mescal — in town for the premiere of his latest film Gladiator II — to his feet, punching the air in delight.

The All Blacks settled and put together some neat passing, only great tackles by Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson-Park preventing tries.

Yet after over 10 minutes of constant pressure the All Blacks only came away with a penalty — converted by McKenzie.

Both sides were making elementary errors, McCarthy at fault for a lost Irish line-out handing the All Blacks more possession.

This led to an Irish infringement and McKenzie accepted the opportunity to strike another penalty for 9-3.

However, the battered Irish trooped off at halftime only 9-6 down.

Crowley converted a penalty after Jordie Barrett was penalized — and sin-binned — for a high tackle on his soon to be Leinster teammate Garry Ringrose.

The Irish began the second half with more fire, dragging former All Blacks captain Sam Cane back over his line for a five meter scrum.

They made it count as Josh van der Flier went over for a try and at last brought the home crowd to their feet.

Crowley converted for 13-9.

McKenzie reduced the deficit with a long range penalty, all the more admirable as the ball fell off its tee and he had to put it back with the clock ticking down.

Irish Head coach Andy Farrell rang the changes shortly before the hour, making four changes including Ciaran Frawley for Crowley.

One of the replacements, prop Tom O’Toole, lasted just minutes before he was led off after taking a hit to the head in a collision with Wallace Sititi.

The braided Finlay Bealham, who had just about regained his breath, had to trundle on again.

Bealham was shaking his head in bemusement seconds later as he was penalized. McKenzie punished him by slotting over the penalty for 15-13.

McKenzie added another three points when Iain Henderson was punished for not releasing in the tackle.

The Irish were flagging. Their bete noire Jordan went over in the corner for his fifth try in five Ireland Tests.

McKenzie failed to land the conversion but the visitors had a 10 point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

“Our discipline was definitely a big factor,” said Doris. “The first half, we gave them territory, points. We felt it might swing in the second half, it was definitely a factor.”

The Irish pressed but the outstanding Ardie Savea forced a turnover prompting huge celebrations as the All Blacks became the first visitors to win at Lansdowne Road since France in 2021

“We were able to build pressure through our kicking game,” said Mackenzie.

“Test matches like that are won in small moments. We capitalized on some great moments, got some penalties and some points.”

Topics: sport

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Federal judge denies motion to recognize NASCAR teams as chartered organizations for next season

Federal judge denies motion to recognize NASCAR teams as chartered organizations for next season
Updated 09 November 2024
AP
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Federal judge denies motion to recognize NASCAR teams as chartered organizations for next season

Federal judge denies motion to recognize NASCAR teams as chartered organizations for next season
  • The court decision came down just hours before Cup Series cars hit the track for the first practice session of championship weekend
  • Jeffrey Kessler, an antitrust attorney hired by the 23XI and Front Row Motorsports in the legal fight, indicated after Monday’s hearing in Charlotte that the plaintiffs can immediately appeal the ruling
Updated 09 November 2024
AP

AVONDALE: A federal judge on Friday denied a motion by two NASCAR teams — one of them owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan — to be recognized as chartered teams as they proceed with their antitrust lawsuit against the stock car series and chairman Jim France.

The motion was signed by federal Judge Frank Whitney of the US District Court of Western North Carolina in Charlotte at the exact same time NASCAR executives were giving their annual “State of the Sport” address at Phoenix Raceway.

NASCAR President Steve Phelps opened the address by noting that series officials have not publicly discussed negotiations over charters in the more than two-year process and would not start now.

“I know people are frustrated about that,” Phelps said. “We are not going to negotiate in the media about charters, ever. And we are very happy that 32 of the 36 charters were extended because those were race teams that where the deal that was put on the table for them, the primary big win for the race teams was money.

“I won’t go into what the money split looks like, but what I will say is that the amount of money, it now puts the race teams, starting in ‘25, as the single largest beneficiary of our media deal,” he added. “And we did that because the race teams were upside down financially.”

The court decision came down just hours before Cup Series cars hit the track for the first practice session of championship weekend. Tyler Reddick, who drives for Jordan-owned 23XI Racing, is one of four drivers in Sunday’s winner-take-all finale.

When the ruling came out and NASCAR was informed as executives sat on the stage at Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR chief operating officer Steve O’Donnell quipped: “You can’t make it up, for the timing” as he and Phelps declined comment.

Jeffrey Kessler, an antitrust attorney hired by the 23XI and Front Row Motorsports in the legal fight, indicated after Monday’s hearing in Charlotte that the plaintiffs can immediately appeal the ruling.

“We are pleased with the court’s decision to expedite discovery and fast track the schedule in our case against NASCAR,” Kessler said Friday. “Although we are disappointed that the preliminary injunction was denied without prejudice and as premature, which we intend to appeal, this denial has no bearing on the merits of our case. My clients will move forward to race in 2025 and fight for a more fair and equitable system in NASCAR that complies with antitrust laws.”

Both 23XI and Front Row Motorsports refused to sign a take-it-or-leave-it charter agreement presented to teams by NASCAR in September, just 48 hours before the playoffs began. The offers came after more than two years of negotiations and 13 of 15 teams signed the deal.

23XI Racing and Front Row accused NASCAR of being “monopolistic bullies” in forcing teams to into what is essentially a revenue-sharing agreement between the sanctioning body and its teams.

NASCAR has since rescinded the offers on charter extensions to 23XI and Front Row, whose current charters expire at the end of the year. The teams are free to operate as “open” teams but the lack of chartered protection denies them an equal share of revenue, a guaranteed spot in the field of 38 races and other provisions.

23XI and Front Row have asked for things to remain status quo as their antitrust case proceeds because the new charters prevent teams from suing NASCAR. Kessler asked that the teams be released from that clause for the duration of the lawsuit.

In his ruling, the judge found that Kessler failed to demonstrate that 23XI and Front Row “will face irreparable harm through several avenues.”

Kessler had argued the plaintiffs asserted they risk losing sponsors while competing as open teams because the sponsors “could abandon (them) if they ... do not qualify for all of their races.” For instance, Kessler said 23XI’s sponsorship agreements require that each sponsored car runs in every Cup Series race, so failure to qualify for a race could reduce the amount of sponsorship money it receives.

The plaintiffs also alleged they will risk the loss of their drivers if their cars are not chartered. Kessler said Reddick is permitted to terminate his contract with the team if there is no charter for his car — and he could leave as the reigning Cup champion should he win on Sunday.

Kessler also argued racing as open teams “could threaten (their) continued existence” as both teams alleged they will lose substantial amounts of revenue without charters.

The judge was not persuaded by the argument. Whitney wrote that showing the “possibility of irreparable harm” was not sufficient to win an injunction and “the required irreparable harm must be neither remote nor speculative, but actual and imminent.”

“That is, although plaintiffs allege they are on the brink of irreparable harm, the 2025 racing season is months away — the stock cars remain in the garage,” the judge added. “Plaintiffs have not alleged that their business cannot survive without a preliminary injunction. Instead, they allege that their businesses may not survive without a preliminary injunction.”

Whitney said if circumstances change, the two teams can file a new motion for a preliminary injunction. The teams were given a deadline of Dec. 2 to respond.

Topics: NASCAR

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Paul Waring shoots 61 in Abu Dhabi to set 36-hole record on European tour with 19-under par

Paul Waring shoots 61 in Abu Dhabi to set 36-hole record on European tour with 19-under par
Updated 08 November 2024
AP
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Paul Waring shoots 61 in Abu Dhabi to set 36-hole record on European tour with 19-under par

Paul Waring shoots 61 in Abu Dhabi to set 36-hole record on European tour with 19-under par
Updated 08 November 2024
AP

ABU DHABI: Paul Waring hit the shot of his life to complete a career-low 11-under 61 in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Championship on Friday and establish a five-stroke lead heading into the weekend of the European tour’s first playoff event.
The No. 229-ranked Englishman hit a draw with a 3-wood from about 260 yards to inside 4 feet at No. 18 and tapped in the birdie putt to move to 19-under par for the tournament.
The European tour confirmed to The Associated Press that it is the lowest 36-hole score to par in the tour’s history.
Waring, who opened with a 64 on Thursday, made nine birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round at Yas Links and set a course record.
“I’ve got a nice lead at the moment but even before I tee off tomorrow, someone might have caught me,” said the 39-year-old Waring, whose sole win came at the Nordea Masters in 2018. “While I’m in the lead at the moment, and if we are rational about this, everyone is still going to fire a lot of
birdies in there.

Paul Waring. (AFP/File)


“So if I’m going to be involved on Sunday afternoon, I’ve still got to keep going the way I am and I know that.”
First-round leader Tommy Fleetwood of England (68), Johannes Veerman of the United States (67) and Danish players Niklas Norgaard (65) and Thorbjorn Olesen (67) were tied for second place on 14 under.
Rory McIlroy hit his tee shot into a greenside bunker at the par-3 17th and made a triple bogey on the way to a second successive 67, leaving him nine strokes off the lead.
McIlroy, who can clinch a sixth Race to Dubai title with a win this week, was 7 under after 13 holes of his second round and feels he’ll need to produce something similar to reel in Waring and his closest chasers.
“I need the golf course to firm up a little bit and toughen up a little bit to have a chance,” McIlroy said. “There’s so many gettable holes out there.”

Topics: Paul Waring Abu Dhabi Championship

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