Formula E and FIA reveal all-electric Gen3 race car
The vehicle, built for speed and sustainability, will debut in season nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in 2023
Updated 29 April 2022
Arab News
MONACO: The future of all-electric high-performance motorsport, a third-generation race car produced with speed and sustainability in mind, has been unveiled by Formula E and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, or FIA.
The Gen3 is the world’s first race car designed and optimized specifically for street racing. It will debut in season nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship next year, which will see some of the world’s greatest manufacturers race wheel-to-wheel on the streets of iconic global cities.
The Gen3 race car was shown to the public at the Yacht Club de Monaco on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s Monaco E-Prix.
“Monaco is the spiritual home of motorsport and there is nowhere more fitting to unveil our Gen3 race car,” said Jamie Reigle, chief executive officer of Formula E. “The Gen3 disrupts and challenges the conventions of motorsport, setting the benchmark for performance, efficiency and sustainability without compromise.
“Together with the FIA, we are proud to reveal the Gen3 to Formula E fans and demonstrate to the wider sports industry how elite sport, high performance and sustainability can successfully co-exist in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,” he added. “We cannot wait to see how our teams and drivers push the car to its limit in 2023.”
While aerodynamic development programs have been central to driving incremental improvement in motorsport for decades, the launch of the Gen3 demonstrates innovative software engineering. Performance upgrades to the Gen3 will be delivered as updates directly to the advanced operating system built into the car.
“Both technologically and environmentally, Gen3 sets new standards in the sport,” said Mohammed bin Sulayem, the FIA’s president. “The FIA and Formula E development teams have done a superb job, and I thank them for their hard work on this project. I am delighted to see so many leading manufacturers already signed up to the championship’s next era and await Gen3’s competitive debut in season nine with great anticipation.”
Seven of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers have registered with the FIA to race the new Gen3, with pre-season testing this winter. They are DS Automobiles (France), Jaguar (UK), Mahindra Racing (India), Maserati (Italy), NIO 333 (UK/China), Nissan (Japan), and Porsche (Germany).
Every aspect of Gen3 ensures the car sets the benchmark for high-performance and sustainable racing, with natural materials introduced to tires, batteries and bodywork construction. Gen3 batteries are among the most advanced in the world, consisting of sustainably sourced minerals while battery cells will later be reused and recycled.
Linen and recycled carbon fiber will be used in bodywork construction for the first time in a formula car which will reduce the carbon footprint of the production by more than 10 percent. Natural rubber and recycled fibers will make up 26 percent of new Gen3 tires, which are also fully recyclable after racing.
Alejandro Agag, founder and chairman of Formula E, said: “The Gen3 represents the ambitious third age of Formula E and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. With every generation of race car we push the boundaries of possibility in EV technology further, and the Gen3 is our most ambitious project to date.
“The eyes of the world are on the Principality for the Monaco E-Prix and we are proud to reveal a car that (has) been two years in the making in the historic home of motorsport. My thanks go to the great team behind it at Formula E and the FIA — the future of all electric racing is bright.”
Murray falls in Washington opener while Halep, Pegula win
World number 50 Murray, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champion, is trying to earn a seeding at the US Open, which he won a decade ago
Updated 02 August 2022
AFP
WASHINGTON: Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray of Britain crashed out in the opening round of the ATP and WTA Washington Open on Monday, falling to Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
The 35-year-old Scotsman fell to 115th-ranked Ymer 7-6 (10/8), 4-6, 6-1 after two hours and 50 minutes at the US Open tuneup tournament.
“I’m excited,” said Ymer, who saved four set points in the first set. “A lot left to do but it’s a very good start of the American swing.”
World number 50 Murray, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champion, is trying to earn a seeding at the US Open, which he won a decade ago.
“It’s still possible,” Murray said. “I would just need to have a good run in Canada or Cincinnati really. It’s pretty straightforward if I was to make a quarterfinal or a semifinal, which right now — after a loss like that — doesn’t seem realistic.
“I do feel like if I play very well that I could do that. But I’ll need to certainly play better than I did today.”
Ymer, who lost his only career ATP final last August in Winston-Salem, will next face 15th seed Aslan Karatsev.
Ymer won 75 percent of his first-serve points, 49-of-65, and smashed 37 winners past Murray, who made only 25 with 35 unforced errors, five more than Ymer.
Murray had a set point in the 12th game of the first set but sent a backhand wide and Ymer held into a tiebreaker.
Murray had three more set points in the tiebreak but Ymer smashed two forehand winners and a forehand volley winner to pull level at 7-7, prompting Murray to toss his racquet in frustration. Ymer, 23, took the set on a backhand volley winner.
“Had chances in the first set to close that out,” Murray said. “Didn’t get it. Yeah, frustrating.”
While Murray clawed back to force a third set, Ymer raced to a 4-0 lead, they exchanged breaks on double faults and Ymer ended the match on a backhand crosscourt winner.
Murray said he will explore why he has had cramping issues in his past two matches when he often thrives in heat and humidity.
“I started cramping at the end of the first set, Murray said. “After that you’re just trying to find a way to get through the match.
“Need to have a little look at that with my team and maybe see why that is, make a few changes.”
Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep, coming off a Wimbledon semifinal run, beat Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 7-5.
Simona Halep of Romania plays a shot against Cristina Bucsa of Spain during Day 3 of the Citi Open at Rock Creek Tennis Center on August 01, 2022 in Washington, DC. (AFP)
“Always the first round is difficult when you change the surface,” third seed Halep said. “I know it’s going to take time to make the game more solid.”
US top seed Jessica Pegula cruised 6-2, 6-2, over US wildcard Hailey Baptiste.
Pegula won the most recent WTA Washington event in 2019 after two missed years due to Covid-19.
“It definitely feels weird,” Pegula said. “It’s great to be back.”
Britain’s Kyle Edmund made a triumphant return to ATP singles after three left knee surgeries and a 20-month layoff by defeating Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 6-4, 7-6 (10/8).
Edmund, who next faces British 16th seed Daniel Evans, played in his first tour-level singles match since October 2020 at Vienna, a month before his first operation.
“I didn’t find it easy today,” said Edmund. “I hung in there and I got my reward in the end.”
Man City, Liverpool renew title fight as Premier League clubs flex financial muscle
City and Liverpool have dominated English football for the past five years, but if there is to be a challenge from the chasing pack, it could come from Tottenham
Updated 02 August 2022
AFP
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Premier League clubs have splashed an estimated £1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the arms race for new talent ahead of the start to the 2022/23 season on Friday, but champions Manchester City remain the side to beat.
After winning four league titles in five years, Pep Guardiola’s squad has been bolstered by the biggest name arrival of the summer in Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian had his choice of Europe’s top clubs after scoring 85 goals in 88 games for Borussia Dortmund and followed in the footsteps of his father Alf Inge — a former City captain — to the blue side of Manchester.
Haaland may have had a debut to forget as he missed a glaring opportunity toward the end of City’s 3-1 Community Shield defeat to Liverpool on Saturday, but Guardiola warned the pretenders to his side’s throne that “the goals will come.”
“There is no reason not to be confident,” added Guardiola. “What these guys have done, not just in the Premier League, but in the cups, the steps we have made in Europe and in many things.”
In a window of significant change at the Etihad, Argentine forward Julian Alvarez and England international midfielder Kalvin Phillips have also arrived.
But Guardiola has let plenty of experience go to Premier League rivals with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko heading to Arsenal and Raheem Sterling joining Chelsea.
Liverpool are best placed to pounce on any slipping of City’s standards.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were denied a historic quadruple by the finest of margins last season as they were pipped to the title by a point and lost the Champions League final 1-0 to Real Madrid after winning the League and FA Cup.
The Reds have also refreshed their front line with the imposing presence of Darwin Nunez coming in to compensate for the loss of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich.
Nunez did make an immediate impact in the Community Shield, winning a penalty and scoring to turn the game in Liverpool’s favor late in the game.
City and Liverpool have dominated English football for the past five years, but if there is to be a challenge from the chasing pack, it could come from Tottenham.
Ahead of Antonio Conte’s first full season in charge, the Italian has been heavily backed by the normally thrifty Spurs board with the signings of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic, Djed Spence, Clement Lenglet and Fraser Forster.
Crucially, Tottenham have also retained the star duo of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min as they aim for a first league title in 62 years.
Arsenal have been in blistering pre-season form with Jesus on fire in thrashings of Chelsea and Sevilla.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel blasted his side as “not competitive” after losing 4-0 to the Gunners in Orlando and the Blues are a team in transition following Todd Boehly’s takeover.
There is also plenty of work ahead for new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag with the uncertain future of Cristiano Ronaldo hanging over start of a new era for the Red Devils.
Amid the scale of big spending from English clubs, Newcastle have been surprisingly quiet in their first summer window since a takeover from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.
The Magpies have spent just short of £60 million on Dutch defender Sven Botman, England goalkeeper Nick Pope and a permanent deal for left-back Matt Targett.
New boys Nottingham Forest have splashed over £70 million on 12 new signings in the two-time European champions’ first season back in the top flight for 23 years
That sum does not even include a one-year deal for Jesse Lingard worth a reported £200,000-a-week after he joined on a free transfer from Manchester United.
Aston Villa’s transfer business is arguably the best example of the growing financial gulf between the Premier League and the rest of Europe.
French international midfielder Boubacar Kamara and Brazilian center-back Diego Carlos have turned their backs on Champions League football with Marseille and Sevilla respectively to join Steven Gerrard’s side, who finished 14th in the English top flight last season.
A glorious summer of women’s football gives Arab nations something to dream about
UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 and other tournaments have shown the challenges Arab female footballers must overcome
Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced on Monday an intention to bid for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup
Updated 02 August 2022
Ali Khaled
DUBAI: For sports fans across the Arab world, the announcement on Monday of Saudi Arabia’s intention to bid for the 2026 Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asian Cup was a fitting finale to one of the most exciting weeks in the history of women’s football.
Just days earlier, the confetti drifted across the Wembley sky as the curtain came down on a triumphant UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 for hosts England. A 2-1 win after extra time had seen the Lionesses claim their first ever title and a first trophy for England since the men’s 1966 World Cup win, infamously against West Germany at Wembley as well.
It has been a glorious summer, indeed year, for women’s football around the globe.
A day before England’s triumph, the Brazil women’s team had won the Copa America Femenina title after beating Colombia 1-0. And only two weeks ago, South Africa had defeated hosts Morocco to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
In January, China had been crowned AFC Women’s Asian Cup champions after beating South Korea 3-2 in Mumbai.
Women’s football continues to smash barriers.
Eyes are already turning to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to Aug. 20 next year. Not everyone has joined in the fun and games, however. Not yet, at least.
As positivity sweeps the women’s game, these tournaments — even their qualification stages — have shown the challenges that Arab female footballers must overcome before they can join the party.
Only Morocco, courtesy of reaching the last four in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, have qualified for next year’s World Cup.
The reasons for lack of Arab involvement at the highest level are many, be they political, sporting or cultural. The time to compare the women’s game in this part of the world to Europe and the Americas is not here yet.
But there is room for cautious optimism, as football federations, according to their means, are increasingly embracing women’s football.
In terms of participation and performances, African Arab nations remain clear of their Asian sisters. Hosts Morocco were joined by Tunisia in 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, while no Arab nation took part in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in India last January.
FIFA’s latest world rankings back up the trend. Africa’s top Arab nations are Tunisia at 72, Morocco (77), Algeria (79) and Egypt (94).
Meanwhile, in Asia, the top three women’s teams are Jordan at a very creditable 65, Bahrain at 84 and the UAE at 106.
So far, results — and subsequently, rankings — have generally correlated to longevity and history. But even there, official participation by Arab African nations preceded their Asian counterparts by a matter of years.
Morocco, Algeria and Egypt all played their first women’s international matches in 1998, while Tunisia followed as recently as 2006. In Asia, Jordan’s women made their bow in 2005, as did Bahrain’s, while a UAE team made up mostly of expats played their first ever international in 2010.
Considering the fact that those matches were all held fairly recently, great credit must go to these pioneering women for blazing a trail for those who followed.
Going forward, however, things are likely to change, with footballing history becoming less of a factor. Increased funding, establishment of programs and accessible training facilities are the future.
FASTFACTS
Saudi Sports For All Federation launched the Women’s Football League in 2020.
SAFF officially established the Regional Football League in Nov. 2021.
Al-Mamlaka became Saudi Arabia’s first ever National Football Championship winners on Jan. 8, 2022.
This is where Saudi Arabia, not yet a FIFA member, is looking to accelerate the women’s game. The Women’s Football Department at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) was only established in 2019, but has since overseen an impressively brisk agenda.
Players of the first Saudi Women's National Football Team attend a training and show off their skills at Prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdulaziz stadium in Riyadh on Nov. 2, 2021. (AFP)
In 2020, as the world emerged from lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saudi Sports For All Federation launched the Women’s Football League, involving several long-established ladies teams that nonetheless had not previously taken part in any regular organized competition.
But it was in November 2021 that SAFF officially established the Regional Football League, a 16-team competition that would see the country’s best eight clubs — mostly from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam — advance to a knock-out National Championships in early January.
The league was split into three regions: A six-team Central region, a six-team Western region and a four-team Eastern region, with matches played in a round-robin, home-and-away format.
The top three teams in the Central and Western regions, as well as the top two from the Eastern region, would progress to the National Championships, with a prize of $133,000 awaiting the eventual winners.
Al-Yamamah, Jeddah Eagles and Eastern Flames were crowned champions of the Central, Western and Eastern divisions, respectively, and were joined in the quarter-finals by Miraas, The Storm, Sama, Al-Mamlaka and Challenge.
At almost 11 p.m. on January 8, Al-Mamlaka became Saudi Arabia’s first ever National Football Championship winners after a 7-0 victory over Challenge at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
It was a landmark day for the fledgling women’s football scene in the Kingdom. The competition was not without its challenges, but was an undoubted overall success.
Another important step taken by the SAFF was to hire 12 top Asian female referees to officiate at women’s football league matches, and also to train local women who wish to go down that path. Now there are qualification courses established for new female referees, with 63 officials approved under the SAFF so far.
But perhaps the most significant appointment came when German coach Monika Staab was tasked with leading the newly established (2021) Saudi women’s international team, and to oversee the development of the game at all levels across the Kingdom.
Staab has had a successful career, which saw her play in France and England before returning to Germany and to the women’s Bundesliga. As a coach, she led 1. FFC Frankfurt (now Eintracht Frankfurt) to four German league titles, four German Cups and, famously in 2002, the UEFA Women’s Cup (now the UEFA Women’s Champions League).
After a coaching journey that had seen her visit over 80 countries in the past four decades — including Bahrain, Iran and Qatar — Staab was the perfect candidate for SAFF. So far, it has proven a wise choice.
Staab oversaw the Saudi Arabian national women’s team first-ever international match, a 2-0 win over the Seychelles in a friendly at held at the National Stadium in the Maldives on Feb. 20.
The historic occasion drew acknowledgment from leading football figures around the world, including Brazilian legend Pele, who tweeted a message of congratulations for the female Falcons.
Encouragingly, nationwide training programs, set up by Staab and her team, are looking to unearth Saudi female talent to take part in the Regional Football League and eventually the national team.
Additionally, 40 D-License coaching courses have been delivered at schools across the Kingdom, awarding 857 teachers their coaching certificates, while 15 refereeing courses will enable 544 teachers to officiate at the Girls Schools League set to launch in September 2022.
Several players are already making names for themselves. Al-Bandari Mubarak scored Saudi Arabia’s first ever goal in that win against the Seychelles and is seen as an integral part of the national team, as is goalkeeper and captain Sara Khaled, who plays for Al-Mamlaka.
Farah Jafri, of Jeddah Eagles, is another talent marked out for stardom. Meanwhile Leen Mohammed has emerged as the star of the Saudi Women’s Futsal National Team (established in 2019), which hosted and finished as runners-up in the 2022 West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Women’s Futsal Championship.
There are others. Staab’s first target is to get the Saudi national team into the FIFA world rankings, and then to take part in official competitions, regionally and internationally.
And it looks like this could come sooner than expected with the SAFF announcement on Monday of its intention to bid, making Saudi Arabia one of four nations, including Jordan, looking to host the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
A host is expected to be confirmed by the AFC next year.
“Saudi Arabia has embraced women’s football. When I speak to girls across the Kingdom, I see their excitement for the game,” said Staab.
“The 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup is an unprecedented opportunity to inspire a generation of girls to achieve their football dreams.”
No doubt that there is plenty of hard work to be done in the coming years. But should Saudi Arabia be successful in its bid to host the tournament, we might just see the joyous scenes at Wembley repeated closer to home in three years’ time.
Druze: the great survivors
How the world's most secretive faithhas endured for a thousand years
Equestrian Dreams: A Vision of Hope from the Sons and Daughters of Life
Updated 01 August 2022
Phil Butler
When Khaled Al-Afrangi started his Palestine Equestrian Club, he probably never envisioned flying his students to Europe. Years back, international cooperation would have seemed far off.
Yet, today, as he and a team of his riders fly back home from Crete in Greece, he must recall those early days.
Crete island is not known for its equestrian myths. It is, however, the birthplace of western civilization, a harmonious blend of western and eastern cultures spread thinly across a stunning landscape. The land once known as Keftiu by the ancient world was the most critical trading hub when the Minoans were the world’s first thalassocracy at the dawn of civilizations. It makes an ideal backdrop for the story you are reading. The world still trades and inspires on horseback.
Greece’s biggest island is still a mysterious crossroads of tradition and culture. The land that saw peace for over a thousand years during the Bronze Age is still a welcoming portal that connects ideas, dreams, and potential.
Somehow, the horseman and mentor (murshid) Khaled Al-Afrangi knew this before bringing a team of his best students to Europe for the first time.
Palestine Equestrian Club's Laith Ghozzi negotiating the gates – Crete Riding Academ. (M and K Photo)
And something he told me last week echoes in my mind like a golden bell. “I am looking for a home away from home for me, my school, and my students,” he said. Home - a Crete home.
There it is again, the subtle chiming of the glowing bell.
The Palestine Equestrian Club Knights were exuberant and excited when they arrived at the Crete Riding Academy outside the island’s capital of Heraklion earlier this month. Al-Afrangi had been searching for the right place for his club’s first trip abroad when he came across Marianna Grammatakiki’s equestrian school at Karteros. According to the Palestinian equestrian, the Crete school’s social media prowess and professionalism rang out over many others across Europe. This was his answer to the “why Crete” question, though I believe other forces were at work.
In any event, Crete is world-renowned for its hospitality and beauty. And the fact that Grammatikaki is sending the first Greeks ever to compete in Para-dressage at the FEI World
Equestrian Games in Denmark next month has not gone unnoticed in the horse and rider world. Greece does not yet have a team in this discipline. So, can a pair of Paralympic hopefuls from remote Crete lead the way with their good example? And importantly, will the Palestinian riders continue the international competitive trail toward excellence?
I am sure Michalis Kalarakis and Dimitra-Eleni Pantechaki are perfect archetypes who can lead other para-athletes onto the world stage. The riding academy they’ve trained at since early childhood is an ideal conduit for equestrian sport’s catalytic energy. So, when I saw Palestinian equestrians Siri Al-Saba and Farid Qawasimi winning 1st and 3rd place at the jumping competition the other day, I imagined them at international jumping competitions. And the sport itself is expanded geometrically by dreams like those of Grammatiki and Al-Afrangi.
Renad Mousa also participated in the training and competition in Greece - Crete Riding Academy. (M and K Photo)
The Greek riders began their equestrian journey years ago via something known as “horse therapy,” or Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT), under the direction of Grammatakiki. Talking with Al-Afrangi last week, we learned of his similar program and the extended goal of helping many disabled or in-need people. I suspect this was another reason the Palestinian coach decided on Crete Riding Academy, but his team’s training regime did not permit further discussion.
Ultimately, The Palestine Equestrian Club Knights and Grammatikaki’s equestrians participated in a friendly competition at Karteros. And I must say, after watching the Palestinian riders perform, everyone in attendance was impressed by their skill in every age group. Their collaboration and good sportsmanship with their Greek colleagues is a great story, an excellent example of what’s good in our world. But there’s a more significant epoch at hand—that golden bell, chiming, chiming.
Gateways to cooperation and peace. How can anyone ignore how sorely the world needs cooperation and goodwill? A man from Palestine who burns to show young Palestinians the wide world of possibility, how potent is this? No one reading this story will know how an invisible golden chord connects Crete and Palestine.
We don’t often speak of fate these days, but if we consider that Crete (Caphtor, Keftiu) and ancient Palestine were inextricably linked before 1,500 BC socially, technologically, and even genetically, should we fail to consider unseen forces? (See Origin of Palestinians) Even if sports, culture, and politics in the modern age are wholly independent, does this make natural corridors for cooperation any less vital?
Am I too ambitious in attempting to link equestrian sports stories, world history, and global peace? Or, as once said, am I compelled to do so? To obtain ultimate peace in this world, we must dive deep within the soul of humanity. And like the immortal Greek Alexander, understand and embrace our collective dreams and culture. Our children, we must think of these children riding together here on Crete. If these horse people can show us we are brothers and sisters, the true spirit of the Olympics is burning bright today. I leave you with a favorite quote, something chiming and chiming in my mind all day today: “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.” ― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet
Saudi Arabia seeks to host AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026
Australia, Jordan and Uzbekistan have also expressed interest
Updated 01 August 2022
Arab News
Saudi Arabia is among four nations that have expressed an interest in hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026.
Football Australia, Jordan Football Association and the Uzbekistan Football Association were the other member associations to join the Saudi Arabian Football Federation in expressing an interest by the July 31 deadline, the Asian Football Confederation has confirmed.
The AFC will now work with all the associations on the delivery of the necessary bidding documentation, and will announce the successful country in 2023.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 is expected to build on the solid foundations of the tournament’s celebrated legacy. Expanded from eight to 12 teams, not only was the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 the biggest-ever edition in nearly two decades, but it was also organized by the largest-ever women’s delegation.
Off the pitch, the tournament benefitted from the biggest ensemble of women match officials who were instrumental in implementing the Video Assistant Referee system for the first time from the quarterfinal stage.
Similarly, engagement and coverage of the 2022 showpiece surpassed the previous edition as the AFC’s digital channels witnessed a remarkable 5,324 percent rise compared to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2018. More than 270 million impressions, 17 million engagements and 74 million video views were recorded across the AFC’s channels.
Australia last hosted the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2006 with the Matildas going on to clinch their sole title four years later in China. Uzbekistan, the hosts of this year’s AFC Women’s Club Championship (West), will be vying to become the first Central Asian nation to stage the continent’s most prestigious women’s tournament in their second attempt.
Jordan became the first West Asian country to host the competition in 2018. Saudi Arabia is therefore aiming to be only the second nation in the West Asian zone to do so.
