Celtics down Warriors in NBA Finals rematch, Bulls shine in Paris

Celtics down Warriors in NBA Finals rematch, Bulls shine in Paris
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum drives past Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and guard Stephen Curry (30) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Boston. (AP)
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Updated 20 January 2023

Celtics down Warriors in NBA Finals rematch, Bulls shine in Paris

Celtics down Warriors in NBA Finals rematch, Bulls shine in Paris
  • The day tipped off at the Accor Arena in Paris, where DeMar DeRozan returned from injury to help Chicago Bulls beat Detroit Pistons 

PARIS: The Celtics put Boston in the NBA spotlight on Thursday with a gritty 121-118 overtime win over reigning champions Golden State Warriors as the league polished its global credentials with a glitzy game in Paris.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown came alive late for the Celtics, whose eighth straight win — this one against the team that bested them in last season’s NBA Finals — pushed their league-leading record to 34-12.

Even as Tatum and Brown struggled to make shots early, the Celtics built a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter.

But the Warriors chipped away, and grabbed a 55-54 on Stephen Curry’s shot from the halfcourt logo at the halftime buzzer.

It looked like the Warriors, who dominated Boston in a December victory in San Francisco, had the Celtics’ number again as they pulled away to lead by as many as 11 in the third quarter.

They were up by nine early in the fourth, but Tatum’s running dunk pulled Boston within two with two minutes remaining. Al Horford came up with a three-pointer and a big block and Brown’s three-pointer tied it at 106-106 with 18.6 seconds left in regulation.

Marcus Smart’s opening basket of overtime gave the Celtics their first lead since the first half.

After a three-pointer from Curry put the Warriors up by one, Brown drove for a layup that put the Celtics back on top for good with 2:23 remaining.

“It was a crazy game,” Tatum, who scored 34 points with a career-high 19 rebounds, told broadcaster TNT, insisting the contest wasn’t about revenge.

“The fact of the matter is they beat us in the championship, there’s nothing we can do about that,” Tatum said. “This was a regular-season game against a great team that’s really well coached, and it’s just two tough-minded teams playing against each other.”

Brown, returning from a three-game absence because of groin tightness, finished with 16 points — including 12 in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Curry paced the Warriors with 29 points. Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole added 24 apiece.

But the defeat was another road blow for the Warriors, who fell to 22-23 overall and 5-18 on the road. They have yet to beat a team with a winning record on the road this season.

The day tipped off at the Accor Arena in Paris, where DeMar DeRozan returned from injury to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons 126-108.

DeRozan, who missed three games with a thigh injury, scored 26 points.

Bulls guard Zach LaVine led all scorers with 30 as the French capital hosted its second regular-season game after debuting on the NBA calendar in 2020.

Victor Wembanyama, the 19-year-old French prodigy who is expected to be the first overall pick in this year’s NBA draft — which could belong to the Pistons – was seated courtside.

So were past NBA greats including Magic Johnson and France’s Tony Parker, as well as celebrity spectators like rapper Lil Baby and music producer Pharrell Williams.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said before tip-off it was likely another game will be held in Paris in 2024.

“Man, it was amazing,” DeRozan said. “Tonight is one of those games, I know for me, I’m going to look back years and years down the line and realize how great of a moment this was.

“It definitely was a beautiful atmosphere and a privilege to be part of this whole thing.”

Pistons guard Killian Hayes, who grew up in France, received a thunderous ovation when the starters were introduced, but Chicago started quickly.

Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 25 points and Jalen Duren had a double-double. Duren, the NBA’s youngest player at 19 years old, was late arriving in France after misplacing his passport.

But it was a difficult night for Hayes as the 21-year-old dished out eight assists but was limited to four points with as many fouls.

Elsewhere, D’Angelo Russell scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to help the Minnesota Timberwolves rally for a 128-126 home victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Russell’s two free throws with less than 10 seconds remaining sealed the win. Anthony Edwards added 23 points and Kyle Anderson scored 20 for the Timberwolves, who were without Rudy Gobert and Austin Rivers.


Saudi woman to become 1st female referee at Mt. Everest International Yoga Championship

Saudi woman to become 1st female referee at Mt. Everest International Yoga Championship
Updated 19 sec ago

Saudi woman to become 1st female referee at Mt. Everest International Yoga Championship

Saudi woman to become 1st female referee at Mt. Everest International Yoga Championship
  • Abdulmajeed was among Saudi Arabia’s first batch of 19 female and two male yogasana referees who graduated in October at an event in Riyadh
  • Nouf Al-Marwaai, president of the Saudi Yoga Committee, said she was proud that Abdulmajeed would be participating alongside the Saudi team

JEDDAH: Mashael Akram Abdulmajeed will on Thursday make history when she becomes the first Saudi woman to referee at the Mt. Everest International Yoga Championship.
The second edition of the event has been organized by the Nepal Yoga Association and the International Yoga Sports Federation.
Abdulmajeed was among Saudi Arabia’s first batch of 19 female and two male yogasana referees who graduated in October at an event in Riyadh.
Nouf Al-Marwaai, president of the Saudi Yoga Committee, said she was proud that Abdulmajeed would be participating alongside the Saudi team, competing for the first time in an international championship.
She noted that considerable planning had gone into helping more Saudis qualify as referees to officiate at local, regional, and international championships.
“With the increasing number of yoga practitioners and professionals in all parts of the Kingdom, there has been an urgent need to equip national cadres of male and female referees to supervise the arbitration of local championships.
“To achieve this goal, the Saudi Yoga Committee hosted experts from the Asian Yoga Federation to qualify young cadres of both sexes through training courses. Intensive training for referees,” Al-Marwaai added.
Abdulmajeed will be the first Saudi referee to participate in an international championship since the establishment of the yoga committee, although Nouf bint Muhammad Al-Maroui had officiated at the level prior its setup.
 


Kyle Walker: Manchester City one step away from ‘invincibility’

Kyle Walker: Manchester City one step away from ‘invincibility’
Updated 07 June 2023

Kyle Walker: Manchester City one step away from ‘invincibility’

Kyle Walker: Manchester City one step away from ‘invincibility’
  • Pep Guardiola’s team face will complete a glorious treble if they beat Inter Milan in Saturday’s Champions League final
  • “I think that United team, along with the Invincibles, is probably up there with the best Premier League teams of all time,” said Walker

LONDON: English football player Kyle Walker says Manchester City are a step away from invincibility and matching football’s greatest sides.
Having won the Premier League and FA Cup, Pep Guardiola’s team will seal a treble if they beat Inter Milan in Saturday’s Champions League final.
Only Manchester United, back in 1999 under Sir Alex Ferguson, have ever achieved that feat among English clubs.
Walker says United and Arsenal — who went through the entire 2003-04 Premier League season unbeaten and were known as the Invincibles — are the standard-bearers in the modern era for the best English clubs.
Now, he hopes City will confirm their status among them with success in Istanbul.
“I think that United team, along with the Invincibles, is probably up there with the best Premier League teams of all time,” said Walker, who joined City from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017 for £50 million ($62 million).
“(United) have got the big Champions League trophy that we can never say we have got.”
Inter Milan, he added, also “need to be considered as a great team.”
While City have enjoyed domestic success — they have now won five of the last six Premier League titles — they crave European glory.
But Walker, 33, added: “It doesn’t define what this squad has achieved over the last six years. It doesn’t define us if we go on and win this or not.
“It helps massively to say that we can be put in that category of probably one of the best Premier League teams of all time, but we don’t win five Premier Leagues in six years if we are not a good team.
“We … know we are a good team, but to be recognized globally as one of the best teams, you need to win the Champions League.
“We are not beating around the bush with that; we know this is now a great opportunity. We have a second chance definitely with Pep and the group of players who have stayed around, and we need to put right the wrongs we did against Chelsea.”
That 1-0 defeat to Chelsea came in the 2021 Champions League final in Porto, where City were below par.
Walker, John Stones and Phil Foden then went on to lose the European Championship final with England against Italy at Wembley to cap a painful period for club and country.
“I didn’t really have much time to get over the 2021 final as I had to tune back into England and go and compete in a tournament for my country,” he added.
“It was hard seeing all the Chelsea boys there. You say congratulations to them because they are your teammates now, but it was tough.
“Then I experienced a loss against Italy in the final and I had to pick myself up again and get ready for the season.”
Walker says it is part and parcel of football to experience such disappointment.
“I don’t think any great team goes straight to the final and wins it,” he said. “I think you always have to go through setbacks … Hopefully big things are around the corner.”
Walker has endured a frustrating season with injuries forcing him on the sidelines and then Guardiola preferring Stones, Manuel Akanji and teenager Rico Lewis in the right-sided position, where players have moved into midfield during games.
The City boss felt Walker was not capable of playing that role, saying he did not have the “educated movements” of Stones.
While the criticism hurt, the defender said he did not let it affect him, and he has responded with impressive displays to be a starter again.
“No, it’s his opinion,” said Walker. “He’s my manager and I have to listen to him. If his opinion is right or wrong — it’s not my decision.
“He’s the boss of this club and makes the decision of who goes onto the field, and I have to accept that, right or wrong, get my head down, do my extra work in the gym, make sure I am putting in performances on the training field so when I am called upon, he’s not saying, ‘That’s why I was dropping you, because you are not playing well.’
“When I have got the chance, I have tried to do what I do, play good football and defend well, and hopefully that will give him the confidence to carry on picking me in the big games.
“I wasn’t playing at the start of the season, but things change in football.”
Walker’s upbringing has helped him cope with setbacks. He grew up on a Sheffield estate where he witnessed a fatal arson attack and the dead body of a person who had committed suicide next to his front door.
“When I say certain things about it, people look at me thinking, ‘What actually happened?’, but that was my upbringing,” he said. “It has channeled me into this path where I am now. Do I think I can overcome certain things when the going gets tough, can I stand my heels in the ground and then keep moving? I think I can do that.
“That is just the way I have been brought up, especially in England where people bring (you) up to pull you back down.”


Team Jayco Alula welcomes Saudi cycling talent Moroj Adil to European training camp

Team Jayco Alula welcomes Saudi cycling talent Moroj Adil to European training camp
Updated 07 June 2023

Team Jayco Alula welcomes Saudi cycling talent Moroj Adil to European training camp

Team Jayco Alula welcomes Saudi cycling talent Moroj Adil to European training camp
  • 24-year-old describes move as ‘a major step for my career’
  • Adil first met the team in Alula a few days after the UCI Saudi Tour in February, where she attended key presentations and underwent valuable training

ALULA: Professional road race cycling team Team Jayco Alula has welcomed young Saudi Arabian talent Moroj Adil to their European training camp.
The 24-year-old is in Girona, Spain, a European base for many of the team’s riders and staff. There, Adil took part in more training in the pursuit of becoming a professional rider in the women’s WorldTour peloton.
Adil first met the team in Alula a few days after the UCI Saudi Tour in February, where she attended key presentations and underwent valuable training.
She said it was a great step to join the camp in Spain, and progress for a sport she began as a hobby at just one and a half years old.
“I used to be really attached to my father and whatever he would do, I would do with him. After he passed away, I wanted to find a new hobby. I found cycling and it helped me cope with stress and allowed me to spend more time outdoors.
“As my love for cycling grew, I was determined to become a professional cyclist and compete,” she added. “Being part of the training with Team Jayco Alula is a major step for my career and I’m grateful for such a wonderful opportunity.
“It’s been an honor to be part of the growing cycling community in Alula, and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Philip Jones, Chief Tourism Officer of The Royal Commission for Alula, said: “Moroj is an incredible talent, embodying the spirit of cycling and inspiring Saudi women and men. I’m thrilled that our collaboration with Team Jayco Alula has empowered her to experience this transformative milestone.
“Moroj’s story is a core part of what Alula is striving to achieve as a destination for cycling, with its scenic roads and mountains, historic landscape and robust infrastructure that is rapidly expanding. We hope that Alula will be a source of motivation and a dynamic hub for even more athletes.”
Brent Copeland, Team Jayco Alula General Manager said that his organization is “very excited” to work with the Royal Commission for Alula and the Saudi Cycling Federation for future camps.
“Despite her relatively recent start in cycling, the team is fully dedicated to supporting her. We all hope Moroj’s unique experience will inspire more Saudi women and men to embrace cycling not just as a potential profession but as a lifestyle choice.”
When Moroj began cycling, she was determined to participate and compete in local cycling competitions and was selected by the Saudi Cycling Racing Federation to join the Women’s Saudi National Team to compete regionally and internationally.
In 2022, her determination enabled her to enter the four-day MTB race in NEOM Titan Desert Saudi Arabia. The race covered a total of 427 km with more than 3,500 meters altitude gain.
Fares Alotaibi, Adviser Saudi Cycling Federation, said: “The Saudi Cycling Federation is proud of Moroj Adil, a young and talented woman who is passionate about cycling.
“Moroj loves cycling and wants to improve her quality of life by achieving her goal of becoming a pro cyclist.
“We, at the Saudi Cycling Federation, will continue to support Saudi cyclists to help them achieve their dreams and will extend our support to our partners in Alula, The Royal Commission for Alula and Team Jayco Alula.
“We strive to achieve common objectives such as engaging more young Saudi men and women to take up cycling and make it a lifestyle choice, while also helping them improve their performances to be able to compete like pro riders.”


Saudi and Somali football authorities team up to develop the sport at grassroots and youth levels

SAFF President Yasser Al-Misehal poses with Somali counterpart Ali Abdi Mohamed. (SAFF)
SAFF President Yasser Al-Misehal poses with Somali counterpart Ali Abdi Mohamed. (SAFF)
Updated 07 June 2023

Saudi and Somali football authorities team up to develop the sport at grassroots and youth levels

SAFF President Yasser Al-Misehal poses with Somali counterpart Ali Abdi Mohamed. (SAFF)
  • Somalia has made great strides in the sport recently, including victory at the regional qualifying tournament for the 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations

RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Somali Football Federation have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to help grow the game in both countries.

The collaboration between the governing bodies for the sport in their respective countries will focus on technical exchanges and the development of grassroots football, and provide additional opportunities for youth national teams to play overseas.

“We are pleased to cooperate with the Somali Football Federation, a country with a young population and a great passion for the beautiful game,” said Yasser Al-Misehal, president of the Saudi federation.

“Despite facing challenging circumstances, Somali football has made remarkable progress recently, as evidenced by their participation in the U-17 AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) 2023 in Algeria.”

Ali Abdi Mohamed, the president of the Somali federation, said: “We feel very proud to strengthen our cooperation with SAFF and benefit from their expertise across Asian and global football. We look forward to us working together to contribute to the development of Somali football.”

Somali football has made great strides lately, including a historic victory at the 2022 U-17 Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations tournament in Ethiopia, which served as a qualifier for the U-17 AFCON 2023 tournament in Algeria and earned the young Ocean Stars a place in an official continental competition for the first time.


Czech police: Fiorentina fans attack West Ham supporters ahead of Europa Conference League final

Czech police: Fiorentina fans attack West Ham supporters ahead of Europa Conference League final
Updated 07 June 2023

Czech police: Fiorentina fans attack West Ham supporters ahead of Europa Conference League final

Czech police: Fiorentina fans attack West Ham supporters ahead of Europa Conference League final
  • Three West Ham fans and one police officer were injured in the incident while 16 people were detained, police said

PRAGUE: Fiorentina fans attacked West Ham supporters in a bar in downtown Prague ahead of the Europa Conference League final, Czech police said on Wednesday.
Three West Ham fans and one police officer were injured in the incident while 16 people were detained, police said.
An investigation was ongoing, and no more details were immediately provided.
Thousands of West Ham and Fiorentina fans have arrived in Prague for the final of the third-tier European competition at Slavia Prague’s Eden Arena.
Both clubs are aiming to end long European trophy droughts.
Organizers prepared two separate fan zones for the fans of both clubs who don’t have tickets for the match.