Saudi Arabia hosts 3×3 Basketball World Tour Nov. 11-12

Saudi Arabia hosts 3×3 Basketball World Tour Nov. 11-12
Saudi Arabia is hosting the 3×3 Basketball World Tour competitions in Diriyah from Nov. 11-12.
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Updated 08 November 2022

Saudi Arabia hosts 3×3 Basketball World Tour Nov. 11-12

Saudi Arabia hosts 3×3 Basketball World Tour Nov. 11-12
  • This is the fourth time this tour is held in Saudi Arabia and will witness the participation of elite athletes from teams across the world

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the 3×3 Basketball World Tour competitions in Diriyah from Nov. 11-12, as part of the activities of the second Diriyah Season 2022.

With the participation of 14 international teams, the competition is organized by the Ministry of Sports, in cooperation with the Saudi Basketball Federation, and supervised by the International Basketball Federation.  

President of the Saudi Basketball Federation Dr. Ghassan Tashkandi praised the Kingdom’s hosting of this and other international sporting events, which help establish the country as an important destination for major competitions.

He acknowledged the support shown by the Saudi leadership in this regard, including that of Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal.

This is the fourth time this tour is held in Saudi Arabia and will witness the participation of elite athletes from teams across the world.


Ticket sales top 1 million for Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand

Ticket sales top 1 million for Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand
Updated 09 June 2023

Ticket sales top 1 million for Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand

Ticket sales top 1 million for Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand
  • Infanatino: Delighted to share with the world that FIFA has passed one million tickets sold
  • Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the 2023 edition features an expanded field of 32 teams, up from 24 in France

SYDNEY: More than 1 million tickets have been sold for the Women’s World Cup kicking off in Australia and New Zealand next month, with soccer’s international governing body saying the tournament is on track to be the most attended standalone women’s sporting event in history.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino issued a statement saying 1,032,884 tickets had been sold up to Friday morning local time in Sydney, surpassing the pre-tournament sales for the 2019 edition in France.

Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the 2023 edition features an expanded field of 32 teams, up from 24 in France. There are 64 total matches during the tournament.

“Delighted to share with the world that FIFA has passed one million tickets sold,” Infantino said. “This means that with over one month to go before kick-off ... 2023 is on track to become the most attended FIFA Women’s World Cup in history. The future is women — and thanks to the fans for supporting what will be the greatest FIFA Women’s World Cup ever!”

Total stadium attendance exceeded 1.35 million at the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada, when the number of participating teams had increased to 24 from 16 at the previous edition.

The tournament kicks off with New Zealand against 1995 champion Norway in Group A at Auckland’s Eden Park, followed by the Group B opener between Sam Kerr’s Australia lineup and Ireland at Stadium Australia, the main venue for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.


Home hope Corey Conners shares lead at Canadian Open

Home hope Corey Conners shares lead at Canadian Open
Updated 09 June 2023

Home hope Corey Conners shares lead at Canadian Open

Home hope Corey Conners shares lead at Canadian Open
  • Conners is seeking to become the tournament’s first Canadian winner in 69 years
  • Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy opened with a 71 at Oakdale

TORONTO: Corey Conners shot a bogey-free 5-under 67 on Thursday to share the first-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open, the first PGA Tour event since its announcement of a merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Conners is seeking to become the tournament’s first Canadian winner in 69 years. Also at 67 were Aaron Rai, Justin Lower and Chesson Hadley.

Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy opened with a 71 at Oakdale. Matt Fitzpatrick, who will seek to defend his US Open title next week at Los Angeles Country Club, was one of nine players at 68.

At No. 29 in the world, Conners is the highest-ranked of 21 Canadians in the field. The last homegrown winner of the event was Pat Fitzgerald in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver.

Conners did not speak to reporters after his morning round because he was dealing with an urgent personal matter. His two PGA Tour victories both came at the Valero Texas Open, including this year.

“Really disciplined off the tee, we didn’t try to do too much,” said Danny Sahl, Conners’ caddie. “But he had tons of fairways, missed maybe a couple in the first cut.

“Corey’s just tee-to-green hitting greens in regulation, made some good putts, just strong all around.”

Mike Weir in 2008 was the first Canadian to lead after the first round. The 53-year-old Weir shot 72 Thursday in his 30th Canadian Open appearance.

“I think he’s experienced enough to know that it’s so early, that it doesn’t really mean much yet,” Weir said of Conners. “He just wants to, I’m sure, just keep doing what he’s doing.”

Canadians Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith and Roger Sloan were among the group at 3 under.

“You can’t win it on Thursday, but you can lose it,” Hughes said. “So definitely nice to be in a good spot after Thursday but it’s going to take four quite nice rounds and some steady golf.”

An air quality advisory was in effect due to wildfires across Ontario and Quebec that have led to postponements of sporting events in the northeastern United States. There was some rain during the afternoon, but play was never delayed.


Unseeded Karolina Muchova to face No. 1 Iga Swiatek in French Open women’s final

Unseeded Karolina Muchova to face No. 1 Iga Swiatek in French Open women’s final
Updated 09 June 2023

Unseeded Karolina Muchova to face No. 1 Iga Swiatek in French Open women’s final

Unseeded Karolina Muchova to face No. 1 Iga Swiatek in French Open women’s final
  • At No. 43, Muchova is the fourth-lowest-ranked women’s finalist in French Open history
  • Swiatek is seeking a third title in Paris and fourth major championship in all

PARIS: As it is, Karolina Muchova was the unseeded, unexpected participant in the French Open semifinals.

And then, dealing with cramping legs nearly three hours into the match, she was just one point from losing to No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who entered Thursday with a 12-0 Grand Slam record in 2023, including an Australian Open title.

Muchova somehow worked her way out of that difficult situation, grabbing the last five games against an error-prone Sabalenka for a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5 victory at Roland Garros to reach her first major final at the last place she expected.

“A roller coaster,” Muchova said.

In Saturday’s title match, she will meet No. 1 Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, who got past No. 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 7-6 (7) on Thursday night. Swiatek is seeking a third title in Paris and fourth major championship in all and her win in the semifinals assured the 22-year-old from Poland of remaining atop the WTA rankings.

At No. 43, Muchova is the fourth-lowest-ranked women’s finalist in French Open history. On the other hand, she is now 5-0 for her career against players ranked in the Top 3.

It was tough to decide which was more stunning: that Sabalenka lost — or the way she lost.

“I just tried to keep fighting and it worked,” Muchova said. “I really don’t know what happened.”

Well, here are the basics: Sabalenka held a match point while ahead 5-2 in the third set, but Muchova erased that with a forehand winner. That began a run in which Muchova collected 20 of the last 24 points.

“After that game, she kind of stepped in and started playing a little bit more aggressive, and I kind of lost my rhythm,” was Sabalenka’s summation. “Yeah, I wasn’t there.”

Until Saturday, this trip to Paris was far more complicated off the court for Sabalenka than on it, where all six of her opponents was unseeded.

The subject of Belarus’ role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — the attacks began in February 2022 and continue to this day — and Sabalenka’s stance on the matter arose repeatedly, in part because she faced two Ukrainian opponents.

She was asked about the war following each of her first two victories, and Sabalenka refused to participate in standard post-match news conferences after her next two contests, saying she felt unsafe and wanted to protect her mental health and well-being. She returned to speaking to the media after her quarterfinal win.

“Some challenges,” Sabalenka said. “Emotional challenges.”

Swiatek did not begin particularly well on Thursday, getting broken at love in the very first game. But she quickly turned that set around. Then, in the second, the big-swinging, left-handed Haddad Maia took a 3-1 lead, before Swiatek got back on serve.

In the tiebreaker, Haddad Maia held a set point at 6-5, but she slapped a seemingly neutral ball into the net. A few moments later, it was over, allowing Swiatek to improve to 60-13 in Grand Slam play for her career — the same record Serena Williams had after 73 matches at majors.

“It was stressful in some moments, so I’m happy that I was really solid and I was able to close it in the tiebreaker,” Swiatek said. “It wasn’t easy.”

Hours earlier, in the 80-degree warmth of Court Philippe Chatrier, Muchova’s variety and all-court style provided the right mix against one of the game’s biggest hitters.

An oversimplification, granted, but think of it this way: Sabalenka tries to hit the ball past her opponent; Muchova tries to hit the ball away from her opponent.

“It’s kind of a little bit tricky to build points against her,” Sabalenka said.

The third set appeared to tilt toward Sabalenka when her pressure prompted some extra errors. A long forehand by Muchova resulted in a service break and a 4-2 lead for Sabalenka, who held for 5-2.

That’s when it all began to come apart for her.

Sabalenka needed just one more point to end it, but Muchova came up with a big serve and a quick-strike forehand winner to erase that chance.

“Just another point,” Muchova would say later.

Sabalenka couldn’t break there, but then she served for the victory at 5-3 — and again couldn’t come through. Muchova broke to 5-4, then sat down and massaged her right thigh during the ensuing changeover. Soon enough, suddenly, it was 5-all.

Sabalenka continued to miss and, as if blaming it all on her racket, tried to get the attention of her entourage in the stands so she could swap her equipment. She finished with 53 unforced errors, nearly twice as many as Muchova’s 27.

Muchova — who was stretching between points — simply kept hitting big shots.

“I could see,” Muchova said, “that she was struggling a little bit and doing fast mistakes.”

Muchova, a 26-year-old from the Czech Republic, has always found that her game worked best in faster conditions: Her best previous showing at a major was a semifinal run at the 2021 Australian Open on hard courts, her lone WTA title came on a hard court, and she never made it past the third round on the red clay at Roland Garros until now.

“It’s not my favorite surface,” Muchova said earlier in the tournament, “but I think I can play good on it.”

Sure played well enough Thursday.


Belmont cancels racing, Nationals postpone game due to poor air quality from wildfires in Canada

Belmont cancels racing, Nationals postpone game due to poor air quality from wildfires in Canada
Updated 09 June 2023

Belmont cancels racing, Nationals postpone game due to poor air quality from wildfires in Canada

Belmont cancels racing, Nationals postpone game due to poor air quality from wildfires in Canada
  • New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned the Belmont Stakes could be called off if the air quality index exceeds 200 on its scale
  • Paula Creamer, the 2010 US Women’s Open champion, was among several golfers wearing masks during a pro-am in Galloway, New Jersey

NEW YORK: Racing at Belmont Park was canceled and the Washington Nationals’ home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks was postponed Thursday due to poor air quality from wildfires in Canada.

It’s the second straight day the continuing fires north of the border have impacted sports in the Northeastern United States. Several Major League Baseball games were called off Wednesday. A National Women’s Soccer League game in New Jersey and an indoor WNBA game set for Brooklyn were also called off Wednesday amid hazy conditions that have raised alarms from health authorities.

With weather systems expected to barely budge, the smoky blanket billowing from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia and sending plumes of fine particulate matter as far away as North Carolina and northern Europe could persist throughout Thursday and possibly the weekend.

The New York Racing Association canceled live racing at Belmont Park two days before the facility is scheduled to host the final leg of the Triple Crown with the Belmont Stakes.

As previously announced, morning training was canceled Thursday at both Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park. The conditions that necessitated the cancelation of training are likely to persist this afternoon and into the evening, according to the NYRA, and a twilight racing program that would kick off the 2023 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival has been canceled.

“Based on current forecast models and consultation with our external weather services, we remain optimistic that we will see an improvement in air quality on Friday,” NYRA President & CEO David O’Rourke said in a statement.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned the Belmont Stakes could be called off if the air quality index exceeds 200 on its scale.

If the air quality is 150 to 200, only horses that pass an additional pre-race vet examination will be permitted to race.

“People come from all over the country,” Hochul said. “It’s huge for the local economy. And so we … hopefully can get this going, but there’s no assurance of what the weather’s going to be. So it’s going to be a last minute decision, I’m sure.”

Paula Creamer, the 2010 US Women’s Open champion, was among several golfers wearing masks during a pro-am in Galloway, New Jersey, on Thursday, a day before the LPGA Classic was to begin.

Creamer also wore sunglasses during most of her nine holes as her eyes became irritated with the hazy, smoky conditions.

Creamer is accustomed to seeing the clear, Atlantic City skyline as she poses for a pro-am photo. This was different. “You can’t even see an outline of it,” she said. “It’s such a wild thing. I don’t know if I’ve ever played in a tournament where we have to worry about the air and pollution, especially in the United States.”

A statement from Major League Baseball said the Diamondbacks-Nationals postponement was made after conversations with medical and weather experts and the two teams “regarding clearly hazardous air quality conditions in Washington, DC.”

Plans call for a makeup game at 1:05 p.m. on June 22 at Nationals Park.

The postponement comes a day after games in New York and Philadelphia were postponed because of the poor air. The Diamondbacks defeated the Nationals 6-2 on Wednesday when smoky conditions were noticeable, but not as severe as Thursday.

About 20 minutes before the game was called off, Washington manager Dave Martinez said he took his dog for a walk earlier in the morning.

“Not good,” Martinez said. “It was a quick one. ... It’s pretty bad out there.”

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) was delaying its non-public state championship baseball games from Thursday to Friday. The organization also cut its two-day state championship track and field meet to just Saturday.

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference has moved its 12 boys and girls state tournament semifinals from Thursday to Friday.

The NFL’s New York Giants also canceled practice Thursday.


Karim Benzema receives ecstatic welcome from Al-Ittihad fans

Karim Benzema receives ecstatic welcome from Al-Ittihad fans
Updated 4 min 37 sec ago

Karim Benzema receives ecstatic welcome from Al-Ittihad fans

Karim Benzema receives ecstatic welcome from Al-Ittihad fans
  • Over 50,000 turn up to see French star in black and yellow
  • Deal is an estimated $215m for three seasons with champions

JEDDAH: Over 50,000 Al-Ittihad fans turned out to catch their first glimpse of Karim Benzema wearing his new black and yellow, number nine jersey, at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Thursday, as part of the Saudi League champions’ official team presentation.

The former Real Madrid forward and Ballon d’Or holder signed for three seasons to play for Al-Ittihad, in a contract worth an estimated $215 million a year.

The 35-year-old striker was introduced amid enthusiastic chants from Al-Ittihad supporters.

With fireworks exploding around him, Benzema emerged on the pitch to present fans with the moment they had been waiting for since the announcement was made on Tuesday.

The Frenchman lapped up the adulation from his new home crowd — juggling a ball, waving, blowing kisses and tossing balls into the crowd.

Expectations are high that, with the addition of Benzema, Al-Ittihad will have a shot at competing for both the Saudi Pro League and the Asian Champions League.

The player, who attended a press conference with Abdul Wahab Abid, the CEO of Al-Ittihad, said he was excited at the prospect of playing for the club and winning titles.

 

He said that playing with “such a great team makes me (want) to work hard” and “put a smile” on the faces of all the fans.

Asked why he chose Al-Ittihad, he added: “I am proud to be here in Saudi Arabia with such a team with (such a) great reputation.” He said his family was happy to be in the Kingdom.

Abid told journalists the club was proud to have signed such a legendary player. “I believe we are lucky to bring Benzema to Saudi Arabia to represent our club. We are looking forward to seeing him on the field with his teammates to bring more glory locally and internationally,” he said.

Benzema won 25 trophies and scored 353 goals in 647 appearances to become Real’s second all-time top scorer after Cristiano Ronaldo.

His first appearance for Real Madrid in 2009 was against Al-Ittihad during the Friendly Peace Tournament held in Madrid.