Local cyclists complete mission as Saudi Tour wraps up in AlUla
Final stage concluded in Maraya mirrored building in Ashar Valley
Updated 03 February 2023
Arab News
ALULA: The Saudi Cycling Federation team ended the 2023 Saudi Tour with some valuable racing experience under their belts, having competed alongside world-class cyclists in the AlUla desert.
Stage five offered a fitting finale after four grueling stages around the ancient desert city.
The 142.9km sprint took the peloton through the streets of AlUla Old Town and Al-Jadidah’s arts and culture district, before passing the farms and verdant oases of the area and moving through Hegra, Saudi’s first UNESCO World Heritage site.
The riders had to navigate a tricky gravel section at pace, before finishing with a sprint in front of Maraya, the iconic mirrored building and multi-purpose entertainment venue in the Ashar Valley.
The stage also had a lighter moment when the peloton was joined by a herd of donkeys which ran along the roadside.
Reflecting on the Saudi Cycling Federation’s impressive debut on the Saudi Tour, team member Hassan Al-Jumah said: “It was a wonderful experience to ride in the Saudi Tour in AlUla with these international athletes and teams was unforgettable and will play a big part in our progress. There is a big gap in levels, we can see how hard the international teams work and how much experience plays a role.
“This race is a big part of our development and if we continue, we should be getting better year on year and the gap will be closer to the professionals.”
Abdulaziz Al-Hashim was the best placed of the Saudi team on stage five, just one minute and 50 seconds behind winner Simone Consoni of Cofidis (3 hours 10 minutes and 13 seconds), with fellow Saudi team-mates Al-Jumah, Azzam Al-Abdulmunim, Murtadha Al-Shaghab and Hani Al-Mrhoon finishing in a group further back.
Azooz & Jude, Saudi Motorsport Company partner in awareness campaign
The cartoon is supported by an activity book and an online interactive challenge for children to test their skills and knowledge
Using the story of Azooz & Jude, teachers introduced children to the world of motorsport
Updated 23 March 2023
HUSSAM AL-MAYMAN
JEDDAH: The Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) has partnered with Dream Rock Entertainment to produce an educational children’s community program to spread awareness about motorsport in the Kingdom.
Dream Rock Entertainment, a children’s content company and creators of the children’s YouTube channel Azooz & Jude, released a story and cartoon series titled “Azooz and Jude Go to the Race” as part of the partnership.
The cartoon is supported by an activity book and an online interactive challenge for children to test their skills and knowledge. The program includes a roadshow visit to disability centers, where children can see Formula One cars up close and wear helmets to learn about safety measures in racing.
“Dream Rock Entertainment’s team knew how to reach our audience and get the message out there in a way that truly captured the hearts and minds of the youth. This collaboration has proven to be a great success in reaching thousands in our local community and beyond. We look forward to bringing more excitement about motorsport,” said Sara Bughdadi, SMC community engagement leader.
To generate excitement among young fans and their parents in both Arabic and English, as well as reach a new generation of bilingual children, SMC conducted a six-week roadshow across schools in Jeddah.
Using the story of Azooz & Jude, teachers introduced children to the world of motorsport. SMC teams distributed more than 2,000 activity books to schools and centers, while the YouTube cartoon was promoted across the social media channels of both Azooz & Jude and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Saudi Motorsport Company to produce this educational cartoon series,” said Sara Ashmemry, co-founder of Dream Rock Entertainment.
“This collaboration brings together the community in a way that makes it possible to create a cartoon series that not only entertains, but also educates young fans about the world of motorsport,” said Alanoud Alhejailan, CEO of Dream Rock Entertainment.
Both founders of Dream Rock Entertainment said that as a team, they were thrilled to have collaborated with the Saudi Motorsport Company. The partnership gave them the opportunity to bring Azooz & Jude to life, which was a challenging but exciting project, they added.
“With hard work, dedication and passion, we were able to deliver this project in less than three months,” said Ashmemry.
“We are grateful for the opportunity we had, and we are proud of what we achieved together. We look forward to future collaborations that showcase our commitment to excellence,” Alhejailan added.
Adidas launches all-new Saudi Arabian Football Federation home, away jerseys
Green home jersey inspired by palm tree featured in national emblem
Women’s national team kit features unique design variation in week they receive first ever FIFA world ranking
Updated 23 March 2023
Arab News
Riyadh: Adidas has kicked off its partnership with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation with the official launch of the national team’s home and away jerseys.
Inspired by the palm tree featured in the national emblem, the home jersey embodies the country’s growth, vitality, and prosperity with a touch of gold-like accents, adding elegance and a premium feel that will standout both on and off the field.
The women’s national team will be wearing a slightly different jersey to the men’s, with the home kit featuring a unique variation of the same palm tree-inspired design.
It coincides with the women’s team achieving another major milestone by becoming an official FIFA-ranked nation for the first time in their history, further showcasing the federation’s commitment to the growth and development of women’s football in the Kingdom.
The jerseys celebrate Saudi Arabia’s relationship between culture and football. supplied
The white away jersey features dark green sleeves inspired by the country’s flag, with the iconic adidas three stripes in gold. Both jerseys celebrate Saudi Arabia’s relationship between culture and football.
Working together toward a common goal and vision, adidas cements the launch of the new kits with its Weaved as One campaign, which pays homage to the fabric of Saudi culture while simultaneously highlighting themes of unity within football communities and beyond.
The campaign film follows men’s national team players Mohammed Al-Owais, Hassan Tambakti, Hattan Bahebri, and Abdulelah Al-Amri and women’s national team players Farah Jefry, Al-Bandari Mubarak, and Dalia Adel as they journey through Riyadh to present the official jersey to members of diverse communities that make up the DNA of Saudi heritage and sports culture.
From the camel herding community of northern Riyadh who have dedicated their lives to one of the oldest sports in the nation, to the women making waves at the forefront of the motorsports and rally racing industry, and finally the city’s passionate gaming and e-sports enthusiasts – each community was presented with the opportunity to be among the first to wear the jersey as a symbol of togetherness.
The kit launch is the first in a four-year partnership between adidas and the SAFF at a time when football continues to grow at all levels throughout the country.
The jerseys celebrate Saudi Arabia’s relationship between culture and football. supplied
The men’s team performed on the world’s biggest stage with their 2-1 win over Argentina at the FIFA World Cup, while the under-23 team won the 2022 Asian Cup while conceding zero goals.
Last year also saw the establishment of three new age groups (U-16, U-18, and U-19) as part of the Kingdom’s investment in establishing a clear player pathway to the first team.
In addition to the women’s team being a FIFA-ranked nation for the first time, the growth of women’s football will be further enhanced through the introduction of a U-17 team.
Both the home and away kits feature sweat-wicking, moisture-absorbent technology, and specially placed breathable mesh inserts. The range is also made using 100 percent recycled materials.
Bilal Fares, adidas General manager MENA, said: “Inspired from the Kingdom’s national emblem, the palm tree, we have ensured that the design of the jerseys embody the country’s goals and growth.
“Through our partnership, we strive to support the federation’s strategy to enhance access to sports for the country and support emerging talents.
“As we celebrate the intrinsic relationship between Saudi culture and football, it’s a collection that I’m hoping players and fans can wear with huge pride, on and off the pitch,” Faris added.
The jerseys celebrate Saudi Arabia’s relationship between culture and football. supplied
On the arrival of the new Green Falcons kit, SAFF President Yasser Al-Misehal, said: “We’re extremely proud to usher in this new era for Saudi football with the famous three stripes of adidas emblazoned upon our men’s and women’s national team kits.
“They are a symbol of unity and inspiration, and to see our men, women, boys and girls players, and fans wearing it as one – side to side, shoulder to shoulder – is exactly how football should be.
“In adidas, we have a partner that places equal importance to the women’s national team, which reflects how we operate at the federation. Together we are excited to continue building on the strong momentum of Saudi football across both the men’s and women’s game, while inspiring millions of young footballers along the way,” Al-Misehal added.
The home and away jerseys will be available on adidas.com and at select adidas retailers from March 23.
Red Bull to launch new football tournament in Riyadh
Red Bull Four 2 Score will kick off on March 31 with national finals on April 8
Updated 22 March 2023
Arab News
RIYADH: Riyadh is set to host Saudi Arabia’s first Red Bull Four 2 Score — a new 4x4 football competition — from Friday, March 31, with national finals following on Saturday, April 8.
The Saudi leg of the Red Bull Four 2 Score championship is part of a series held across different countries in preparation for the world finals that will be hosted in Germany later this year.
The championship, organized in partnership with Red Bull MOBILE, is centered around football matches for teams of four, giving amateur players the chance to showcase their skills in a special competition format.
The all-new tournament comes with a twist that will see each goal doubled in the first and last minute of the 10-minute matches.
The teams of four with one substitute will battle it out in qualifiers from March 31 to April 5 at Koora Park stadiums in Riyadh, in the hope of making it to the national final on April 8.
There will also be a women’s national final held in parallel with the sixth day of the men’s qualifiers on April 5.
The winners of the Saudi final will travel to Germany, where they will be hosted by Red Bull Leipzig and face winning teams from more than 25 countries in a bid to bag the world title.
The rules and concept of the tournament are designed to allow participants to experience Red Bull’s power football philosophy first hand.
In the first and last 60 seconds of the games, teams get goals doubled and there are no breaks or goalkeepers, just the need to score when it matters. Male and female players between the ages of 16 and 35 can participate in the tournament.
Saudi football fans can now register through Red Bull’s official website.
Esports at the Summer Olympic Games could be Saudi Arabia’s best chance at its first gold medal
The Kingdom is heavily invested in creating the next wave of elite ‘e-athletes,’ but the current IOC setup is missing the point of eSports
Updated 22 March 2023
Nathan Irvine
The calls for esports to become a fully-fledged discipline of the Summer Olympic Games have been ringing out for decades.
A new breed of “e-athletes” has emerged from a sport that requires cat-like reflexes, laser-targeted accuracy and lightning-fast decision-making.
Yes, the competitors usually sit in front of a screen, rather than showing physical prowess, but their approach to honing their skills is on the same level as many other professional sportspeople. Athletes in esports have fitness coaches, psychologists, nutritionists and more tasked with keeping them in peak condition. As such, esports would fit in nicely with the Summer Games lineup.
Unfortunately, the International Olympic Committee still appears to be perplexed by the sport.
On March 1, 2023, the IOC announced details of its brand-new Olympic eSports Series 2023. And in one simple press release, it managed to marginalize an entire community. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the Olympic eSports Series would be separate from the official Summer Games rather than part of it. Secondly, this sideshow, which is to be held in Singapore from June 22, would include “games” such as archery, sailing and chess. Only two recognized video games would make up the nine disciplines — Gran Turismo (motor racing) and Just Dance (dance). The IOC’s interpretations of esports are way off the mark and the news was met with disappointment. Not one of the esports chosen featured in the official 2022 Top 40 most popular eSports chart.
For the uninitiated, games like CS:GO, League of Legends and PUBG are huge in esports and often pull in viewers in their millions across platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. At best, the IOC has been misinformed about what constitutes a true esports video game. At worst, it simply doesn’t care what the industry thinks, and this is an attempt to bend the future of eSports to its whim.
Saudi esports pro gamer Omar “Eaglex99” Dajani is frustrated with the IOC.
“It feels like the IOC was in a bubble when it came to selecting the games to be featured,” he told Arab News. “I think a lot of games are (better) suited for the Olympics, such as FPS (first-person shooters) like Rainbow Six: Siege and Valorant, and sports titles like FIFA.”
It’s a sentiment that is not only shared by his peers in esports but by the countries and governments that are investing heavily in the sport’s infrastructure.
Take the Kingdom’s Savvy Games Group for example. The Public Investment Fund-owned portfolio recently invested a record $265 million in Chinese esports startup VSPO. This type of investment demonstrates just how important the esports scene is to the country. It’s also part of a more holistic view that Saudi Arabia has of the games industry. Savvy Games Group is set to invest $37.8 billion to turn the country into a global gaming hub that creates thousands of jobs and nurtures the esports champions of the future. This trailblazing effort will put Saudi Arabia among the top countries that could potentially dominate esports in the future. In fact, if the IOC does eventually see sense and integrate it into its Summer Games, then Saudi could finally end its wait for an Olympic gold medal.
It’s already home to a number of esports champions. The biggest superstar is Musaed “Msdossary” Al-Dossary, who rose above his rivals to win the coveted 2018 FIFA World Championship.
Dajani agrees: “Saudis are most skilled at the sports genre such as FIFA. I believe this is our best chance of securing a gold medal at the Olympic games.”
Although the disappointment of the IOC’s decisions is still raw, there is hope for the future. It wasn’t long ago that esports were completely ignored by the governing body, so in this regard, some progress has been made.
There will no doubt be revisions to the current setup and hopefully, the backlash will at least make the IOC sit up and take notice of the concerns that are being aired. If and when they do include esports in the Summer Games proper, expect to see Saudi Arabia standing proudly atop the podiums with a shiny medal in hand.
Saudi national football team gear up for friendlies against Venezuela, Bolivia
Sessions have included skills training and mini matches between the Saudi players
Updated 21 March 2023
Khaled Alarafah
Riyadh: The Saudi national football team are gearing up for friendly matches against Venezuela and Bolivia on March 24 and 28.
Head coach and technical director Herve Renard has been putting squad members through their paces at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah in preparation for the games.
Sessions have included skills training and mini matches between the Saudi players.
Salem Al-Dawsari and Hassan Al-Tambakti took part in special exercise sessions under the supervision of medical staff, but Nawaf Al-Aqidi missed training after complaining of back pain.
