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Eriksen plays at World Cup after cardiac arrest at Euro 2020

Eriksen plays at World Cup after cardiac arrest at Euro 2020
Denmark’s Christian Eriksen after their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match against Tunisia at the Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan on Tuesday. (Reuters)
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Updated 22 November 2022
AP

Eriksen plays at World Cup after cardiac arrest at Euro 2020

Eriksen plays at World Cup after cardiac arrest at Euro 2020
  • Eriksen nearly won it for Denmark when he produced a dangerous long-distance shot on goal
  • His appearance at the World Cup is the latest step of a remarkable comeback
Updated 22 November 2022
AP

AL RAYYAN, Qatar: Christian Eriksen was back playing a major tournament less than a year and a half after his cardiac arrest at the European Championship.
Eriksen started in his customary playmaker position for Denmark’s opening game at the World Cup on Tuesday against Tunisia in Group D and played the full 90 minutes of a 0-0 draw.
Eriksen nearly won it for Denmark when he produced a dangerous long-distance shot on goal in the second half that Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen had to bat away.
After Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 group game against Finland in June of last year, medics used a defibrillator to restart his heart as a horrified nation — and much of the soccer world — watched on as he lay lifeless on the field at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.
Eriksen’s appearance at the World Cup is the latest step of a remarkable comeback that has already seen him return to elite soccer in the Premier League, first with London club Brentford and then Manchester United — showing he is still among the world’s best playmakers.
He made his national team comeback in March, scoring two minutes after coming on as a substitute in a 4-2 loss to the Netherlands. He also netted with a 25-yard shot against Croatia in the Nations League in September.

Topics: World Cup 2022 Denmark Christian Eriksen

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Sport plays key part in ambitious Makkah quality of life improvement program

Sport plays key part in ambitious Makkah quality of life improvement program
Updated 11 sec ago
Tareq Al-Thaqafi

Sport plays key part in ambitious Makkah quality of life improvement program

Sport plays key part in ambitious Makkah quality of life improvement program
  • Makkah mayor’s assistant undersecretary, Fahd bin Marzouq Al-Bishri, said local officials were looking to promote sporting activities and competition
Updated 11 sec ago
Tareq Al-Thaqafi

MAKKAH: Ambitious plans aimed at improving the quality of life for people in Makkah have so far seen the building of 118 sports venues and numerous pedestrian zones.

Football, volleyball, and tennis courts are among the new facilities that have been provided by Makkah Municipality throughout the city and affiliated governorates.

Makkah mayor’s assistant undersecretary, Fahd bin Marzouq Al-Bishri, said local officials were looking to promote sporting activities and competition, particularly among youth, while also spotting talent.

The municipality has more than 843,000 square meters of green zones containing dedicated areas set aside for leisure pursuits.

Dr. Turki Al-Hamidi, a resident of Al-Shoqiyah neighborhood in Makkah, said the municipality’s initiatives would not only help improve the health of the population but also create a more vibrant and aesthetically pleasing environment.

“This directly contributes to people’s happiness and eliminates negative phenomena, the most important of which are removing random graffiti on walls, reducing construction waste, and ensuring street cleanliness,” he added.

Ali Al-Harthy, from Al-Sharia in eastern Makkah, said it was important to make cities more competitive and smarter while improving the quality of life for residents.

“We all must focus on the human dimension and take into account the wide design of playgrounds, parks, and main streets, and respect aspects of design, especially in green spaces, as they are considered environmentally friendly concepts,” he added.

More than 226,000 trees and 15,000 palm trees have planted in the municipality as part of a major landscaping program.

Al-Harthy said: “Officials must realize how important it is for people to take strolls, especially since Makkah receives over 2 million visitors, so its infrastructure and streets must be in harmony with the ambitious vision of the Kingdom, particularly since Makkah is loved by people from around the world and has been known as a civilized city throughout history.”

He noted that public areas were being built or redesigned to meet international standards that ensured access for all.

Topics: Saudi Arabia Makkah Saudi sport Saudi Vision 2030

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Algeria second team after Morocco to qualify for African Cup

Algeria second team after Morocco to qualify for African Cup
Updated 28 March 2023
AP

Algeria second team after Morocco to qualify for African Cup

Algeria second team after Morocco to qualify for African Cup
  • Striker Baghdad Bounedjah’s early goal was enough for Algeria to beat Niger 1-0 in African Cup of Nations qualifying and book its place at the tournament
Updated 28 March 2023
AP

CAPE TOWN: Striker Baghdad Bounedjah’s early goal was enough for Algeria to beat Niger 1-0 in African Cup of Nations qualifying on Monday and book its place at the tournament in Ivory Coast next year.
Algeria is the second team to qualify after World Cup semifinalist Morocco.
Bounedjah struck in the sixth minute, putting a shot in the bottom right corner after he was played in by Riyad Mahrez. Algeria held firm in a game played in Tunisia to improve its record to four wins from four in the final qualifiers.
The race is on between Tanzania, Niger and Uganda to take the other qualifying place in Group F alongside Algeria.
Morocco qualified last week without playing after South Africa and Liberia drew 2-2 on Friday. That meant Morocco will definitely take one of the top two places in Group K, which was reduced to a three-team and not four-team group because Zimbabwe was disqualified from the qualifiers.
Morocco celebrated by beating Brazil 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday.
Morocco made history last year in Qatar when it became the first African team to reach the last four of the World Cup and will be considered one of the favorites for the African Cup title next year. The North African nation is enjoying a golden period after hosting FIFA’s Club World Cup in February and being announced this month as part of a joint bid with Spain and Portugal to stage the 2030 World Cup.
Its victory over Brazil was its first against the five-time World Cup winner.
Defending champion Senegal is also top of its African Cup qualifying group and on course to reach the final tournament following forward Sadio Mané’s return to action with his country last week. Senegal can qualify on Tuesday if it wins in Mozambique.
In other qualifiers on Monday, Nigeria gained revenge for a surprise home loss to Guinea-Bissau on Friday by winning in Guinea-Bissau 1-0. Moses Simon converted a penalty in the 30th minute to put Nigeria back on top of Group A.
Angola and Ghana drew 1-1 and Ghana leads a tight Group E by a point from Central African Republic, and three points from third-placed Angola with two rounds of games to play.

Topics: African World Cup

With Mbappe quiet, Pavard earns France 1-0 win at Ireland

With Mbappe quiet, Pavard earns France 1-0 win at Ireland
Updated 28 March 2023
AP

With Mbappe quiet, Pavard earns France 1-0 win at Ireland

With Mbappe quiet, Pavard earns France 1-0 win at Ireland
  • France makes it back-to-back wins to open Group B but is far from the easy ride during pevious match
Updated 28 March 2023
AP

DUBLIN: With Kylian Mbappe kept quiet, France relied on another brilliant finish from recalled defender Benjamin Pavard and two sensational late saves by Mike Maignan to win at Ireland 1-0 in European Championship qualifying on Monday.

Making his first appearance since France’s opening match of last year’s World Cup, Pavard intercepted a stray pass just outside Ireland’s area and sent in a shot that glanced in off the underside of the crossbar in the 50th.

It was the right back’s third goal for France and all three have been screamers. His first, against Argentina in the 2018 World Cup, was voted goal of the tournament.

France made it back-to-back wins to open Group B but this was far from the easy ride that the Netherlands gave Les Bleus in a 4-0 thrashing on Friday. That night, Mbappe scored twice in his first match as France captain but the striker was barely a factor against a resolute Ireland team which defended stoutly early on before piling on the pressure near the end at the Aviva Stadium.

It needed Maignan to produce two stunning stops at corners — first off his own teammate, Jules Kounde, and then from a header from Ireland defender Nathan Collins that was heading into the top corner — to preserve the win.

“It was a tough game. Ireland are always difficult to play here,” France manager Didier Deschamps said. “They were dangerous at the end, especially from set-pieces. We have a young team, but they have quality and character, too.”

France brought Olivier Giroud back into the lineup and the striker, at 36 years, 178 days, became the oldest outfield player in the history of the national team to start.

Giroud was also quiet, though was involved in the highlight of a low-key first half when his header at a corner took a double deflection before Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazuna flopped on the ball at Mbappe’s feet.

It fell to Pavard to produce the magic.

“The World Cup didn’t go the way I would have imagined,” the defender said. “But I was happy after every win, I was there for the collective.”

It was Ireland’s opening game of group play.

“We’re disappointed and frustrated, but that’s why they’re such a good team,” Ireland captain Seamus Coleman said of France. “We didn’t allow them a lot of chances. I thought we defended well, kept them quiet.”

Topics: football France UEFA

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Jeddah MMA fighter eyes success as Saudi’s leading contender

Jeddah MMA fighter eyes success as Saudi’s leading contender
Updated 27 March 2023
HUSSAM AL-MAYMAN

Jeddah MMA fighter eyes success as Saudi’s leading contender

Jeddah MMA fighter eyes success as Saudi’s leading contender
  • 22-year-old Nawef Chahlal has already competed in the flagship French MMA Supreme League, as well as across Europe
Updated 27 March 2023
HUSSAM AL-MAYMAN

RIYADH: Long established as one of the world’s fastest-growing spectator sports of the 21st century, Mixed Martial Arts is starting to get a foothold in Saudi Arabia as a participatory one as well.

It might still be relatively early, but hopefuls from across the Kingdom are slowly but surely making their move into regional and, in the future, international competitions.

For one of them, Nawef Chahlal, inspiration came from a close source.

The 22-year-old prodigy from Jeddah told Arab News that his father’s passion for boxing served as the impetus for him to enter the sport.

“My father, he always supported me, since my beginnings. He used to come to my fights when I was a kid, he used to assist me, he even coached me sometimes,” said Chahlal.

After growing up in France as a big fan of Bruce Lee, considered by many as the godfather of MMA, Chahlal competed in the country’s flagship MMA Supreme League, as well as across Europe.

“One of the biggest competitions I had the opportunity to participate in was the Supreme League, and (I) also had the chance to fight in many countries in Europe, notably in Hungary, Switzerland, Croatia and Spain, but in another discipline, K1,” he said.

Chahlal’s record in K1 is 8-3-0, and with the flyweight fighter looking to sign his first MMA contract next week - a three-fight deal in AEF Championship - his first professional bout is set to take place on Oct.14.

The road ahead — as was the case with his journey so far — will be a difficult one, and Chahlal explained that there are many challenges for him to overcome in order to thrive in the sport, including finances and other rising talents.

“We weren’t poor, but let’s just say that as we grow up, we all have expenses that accumulate and it’s a bit complicated sometimes,” he said. “Beyond the money, if we stay really focused on the sport, there is also the fact of the strong competition in the field, which is a real challenge but which pushes us to surpass ourselves.”

Chahlal aspires to be the biggest name for KSA in the world of MMA.

“I visualize a very precise goal: to be the first Saudi world champion in different MMA organizations, and one day to reach the biggest world federations such as UFC, One, KSW, and to represent the flag of Saudi Arabia.

"Give me some time. I will make you proud and make our country go down in the history of combat sports,” he said.

Chahlal’s coach Mathis Nazil, from the French Atch Academy, believes the Saudi has what it takes to succeed.

“He is a fighter who has a lot of potential and we have to work to be at the best level. He is very dedicated in what he does,” Nazil said.

“As far as our future is concerned, we try to go slowly, step by step and we hope to be at the best level.”

Topics: Mixed martial arts MMA Saudi Arabia

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Chelsea FC hosts open iftar for Muslims at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea FC hosts open iftar for Muslims at Stamford Bridge
Updated 27 March 2023
Arab News

Chelsea FC hosts open iftar for Muslims at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea FC hosts open iftar for Muslims at Stamford Bridge
  • Ramadan celebrated at football club as part of its No To Hate campaign
Updated 27 March 2023
Arab News

LONDON: Chelsea football club hosted its first Open Iftar on Sunday, bringing Muslims together to break their fast at the Stamford Bridge stadium. 

The iftar was organized in partnership with the Ramadan Tent Project, a UK charity dedicated that brings communities together and expands understanding of the holy month. 

(Supplied/Chelsea FC)

The event began with a speech by Dowshan Humzah, advisory board member of the charity and was followed by speeches from Daniel Finkelstein, the chairman of the Chelsea Foundation, and former Chelsea player Paul Canoville.

”We are a big community with lots of supporters from different backgrounds and we want to honor, respect and share the joy of every single fan,” Finkelstein said.

“This is about saying yes to love, inclusion, community and yes to everyone who wants to be a Chelsea fan. 

“It’s very special to be the first Premier League club to host an Open Iftar and something we are extremely proud about.”

(Supplied/Chelsea FC)

Imran Abu Hassan led prayers after the speeches.

The event was part of Chelsea and the foundation’s No To Hate campaign against racism and discrimination.

Topics: Ramadan 2023 football soccer Chelsea FC Premier league iftar

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