Local horses looking for 3rd straight Saudi Cup win

Local horses looking for 3rd straight Saudi Cup win
Mishriff the champion of The Saudi Cup 2021 (Supplied)
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Updated 20 February 2023

Local horses looking for 3rd straight Saudi Cup win

Local horses looking for 3rd straight Saudi Cup win
  • Saudi-owned Mishriff, Emblem Road won world’s richest race in 2021 and 2022, respectively

RIYADH: Leading international horses and jockeys have begun flocking to Riyadh for the $35.35 million fourth edition of the Saudi Cup set to take place at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Feb. 24-25.

Saudi-owned horses will be looking for a third straight win in the world’s richest horse race following Mishriff’s win 2021 and Emblem Road’s triumph last year.

In the first-ever run of the Saudi Cup in Feb. 2020, US colt Maximum Security crossed the line in first place, though the final result of that contest remains unclear due to possible cases of fraud connected with Maximum Security in previous US competitions.

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA), organizers of The Saudi Cup, suspended the 2020 edition prize as the investigation continues. The title may yet go to the runner-up, filly Midnight Bisou.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed an unexpected challenge to both the JCSA and The Saudi Cup, with restrictions on social interaction and international travel. The 2020 Saudi Cup did successfully go ahead, but with precautionary measures ensuring the safety of both people and horses.

The disruptions had a silver lining as the JCSA is now leading the way toward an integrated approach to health and safety in horse racing across the Gulf region.

Saudi Arabia’s first success came when local-bred Mishriff, owned by Prince Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Faisal and trained by Englishman John Gosden OBE, claimed the 2021 Saudi Cup.

Another Saudi star, Emblem Road, owned by Prince Saud Bin Salman Abdulaziz, triumphed in the 2022 edition, keeping the prize in the Kingdom for the second consecutive year.

The Saudi Cup trophy could now remain in the Kingdom for the third year in a row with defending champion Emblem Road and stablemate Scotland Yard — winner of the Custodian Of The Two Holy Mosques Cup (held earlier this year) — among the favorites for the fourth edition of the race.

The Kingdom is witnessing a rapid expansion of horse racing with major investment in the JCSA’s racing facilities in both Taif (the JCSA’s summer venue) and Riyadh (host of the winter season), improvement of equine healthcare and streamlining of racing rules and regulations throughout the region.

While The Saudi Cup is the annual highlight, the JCSA has a mission to broaden the appeal of horse racing from an elite activity to a fun day out for all the family — with a host of side features including fashion shows, diverse cuisine and play areas for children.

“This is a hugely exciting time to be part of the JCSA and to see the progress that Saudi Arabia is making as a racing jurisdiction, both globally and on the domestic front,” said JCSA Chairman Prince Bandar bin Khaled Al-Faisal.

“We encourage anyone who is interested in learning more, or experiencing the thrill of the action, to come and visit us during our race meetings, ask questions and get involved.”


Jeddah MMA fighter eyes success as Saudi’s leading contender

Jeddah MMA fighter eyes success as Saudi’s leading contender
Updated 27 March 2023

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

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.”


Saudi national team in training ahead of Bolivia friendly

Saudi national team in training ahead of Bolivia friendly
Updated 27 March 2023

Saudi national team in training ahead of Bolivia friendly

Saudi national team in training ahead of Bolivia friendly
  • The Green Falcons are holding one final training session before the Bolivia match on Monday evening, open to the media

JEDDAH: The Saudi Arabia national team continued their training camp on Sunday ahead of Tuesday's friendly with Bolivia at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal stadium.

The training session was held under the supervision of head coach Herve Renard, and included possession exercises and mini-matches.

Players Hassan Al-Tambukti, Abdel-Rahman Al-Aboud and Riyad Sharahili had to miss out on the training session due to injury.

The Green Falcons are holding one final training session before the Bolivia match on Monday evening, which is open to the media.


Tough night for the Green Falcons as they suffer Venezuela friendly defeat

Tough night for the Green Falcons as they suffer Venezuela friendly defeat
Updated 25 March 2023

Tough night for the Green Falcons as they suffer Venezuela friendly defeat

Tough night for the Green Falcons as they suffer Venezuela friendly defeat
  • The last time the Saudis faced South American opposition they shocked Argentina at the World Cup, but this time they received a lesson in clinical finishing

JEDDAH: The last time Saudi Arabia met South American opposition, in November at the World Cup in Qatar, they shocked billions around the world by coming from behind to defeat eventual champions Argentina.

On Friday, however, there was no such comeback as the Green Falcons were brought down to earth with a bump, losing 2-1 in a friendly against Venezuela in Jeddah.

Much of the damage was done in the first half, during which the visitors, who also defeated Herve Renard’s men 1-0 last June in the build up to the World Cup, gave the hosts a lesson in clinical finishing.

It was the Saudis’ first game on home soil since the World Cup, but as a homecoming it was not quite what anyone had in mind. There was plenty of energy and effort on display from the hosts but they struggled to create clear, meaningful chances against determined opponents, although in the end they did come close to equalizing.

The first goal came came in the 26th minute courtesy of Josef Martinez. Salomon Rondon floated a ball over from the left and Martinez, at full stretch, volleyed it home with a low shot from the edge of the area.

Just eight minutes later, Rondon, who now plays his club football for River Plate in Argentina after saying goodbye to the English Premier League in December, made it two. The former Everton star received the ball 18 yards out, and then turned smartly to fire a low shot into the bottom corner.

The night could have gotten worse for Saudi Arabia as Martinez once again found the back of the net three minutes before the break but the goal was ruled out by the video assistant referee.

Haroune Camara came closest to getting the home fans on their feet during the first half but the Al-Ittihad forward’s shot was saved by Alain Baroja in the Venezuelan goal.

As the second half progressed, coach Renard, linked recently with the vacant position of coach for the French women’s national team, threw on several substitutes. Just after the hour mark, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, who scored his first goal for Al-Nassr during a recent 3-1 win over Abha, took over from Hussein Al-Qahtani and Camara was replaced his Al-Ittihad club colleague Abdul Aziz Al-Bishi.

Almost immediately, Saudi Arabia thought they deserved a penalty when Samuel Sosa barged over Saleh Al-Shehri in the area. After VAR took a look, however, the appeal was waved away.

Then, with 17 minutes remaining, Salem Al-Dawsari pulled a goal back in style. The 30-year-old, who scored the winning goal against Argentina, received the ball with his back to goal just inside the area and turned quickly to curl a lovely shot into the corner and finally get the fans in Jeddah cheering and believing.

Suddenly there was a renewed sense of urgency from the players in green and soon after, Baroja was diving to save a twisting header from Abdullah Al-Hamdan.

The goalkeeper was busy again three minutes from the end, as he palmed away a powerful header from Al-Shehri. As much as the two-time Asian champions tried, however, they could not get the all-important equalizer.

Despite all their efforts, in the end it was not quite enough. With the Asian Cup taking place next January, the result was not the most important aspect of this game but Saudi Arabia will look to get back to winning ways against Bolivia on Tuesday.
 


FIFA ranking is start of something special for Saudi women’s football, says federation chief

Saudi women’s national team were officially recognized by FIFA in their world rankings for the first time. (Supplied/SAFF)
Saudi women’s national team were officially recognized by FIFA in their world rankings for the first time. (Supplied/SAFF)
Updated 24 March 2023

FIFA ranking is start of something special for Saudi women’s football, says federation chief

Saudi women’s national team were officially recognized by FIFA in their world rankings for the first time. (Supplied/SAFF)
  • The Green Falcons enter the rankings for the first time at No. 171 after nine international matches over the last year

JEDDAH: “This is just the start of something very special.”

Those were the words of Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) president and FIFA council member Yasser Al-Misehal after the Saudi women’s national team were officially recognized by FIFA in their world rankings for the first time.

With 188 nations now included in the list of FIFA’s women’s world rankings, Saudi Arabia have made their debut at 171; a respectable placement considering their relative lack of experience, highlighting the significant development that has taken place in women’s football in the Kingdom since 2019 when the SAFF first developed the Women’s Football Department, headed by Lamia Bahaian.

“Our national team made history when it was established 18 months ago and since then their journey has inspired millions across Saudi Arabia and the region,” said Bahaian, the supervisor of the Women’s Football Department and SAFF board member.

“Entering the FIFA rankings (is what) we’ve been building towards, and signals just the beginning of what we want to achieve with these girls. They can write their own history now.

“We are also already in active collaborations with many global bodies and federations and invite the world to join in our women’s football movement as we strive to give it the platform it truly deserves.”

The official recognition continues the rapid development of the women’s game within the Kingdom, which has seen unprecedented growth in the past two years. It also means the team can now enter both FIFA- and AFC-sanctioned events.

“What these girls achieved in just a year and a half has been nothing short of incredible,” said a very proud Al-Misehal. “Since 2019 we have managed to successfully establish a national team, a premier league, a first division, a school league — with 50,000 girls signing up, and an under-17 national team.

“In just two years, we have nearly doubled the number of registered players, clubs, referees and staff and seen an 800 percent growth in the number of coaches. (These are) statistics all of football can be proud of and it just shows what is possible when you love the game.”

Most significantly, at a time when many national associations are at war with their players over equal pay and treatment, including a number that will compete at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Al-Misehal says the SAFF is determined to ensure their female players are treated the same as their male counterparts.

“We are fully committed to offering equal opportunities for boys and girls, in sport and beyond,” he said.

“For instance, our national teams get equal daily allowances while representing their country, regardless of gender. They share the same training pitches, stay in the same quality accommodation, and have access to the same equipment and resources.”

To get to this point, it has been an 18-month journey that began with the formation of the team in September 2021, after more than 700 players took part in nationwide tryouts in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

Assessing each of those players was Monika Staab, the veteran German manager and ex-player, who took on the Herculean task of starting the national team from scratch, ultimately giving 28 players the honor of being the first to be selected for the national team’s first training camp in Riyadh in November of that year.

It wasn’t until a few months later that they played their first official matches in a three-team tournament with the Maldives and Seychelles, winning both of their fixtures 2-0.

Since then there have been a further seven official matches and Saudi Arabia also hosted (and won) its inaugural women’s football tournament against Pakistan, Comoros and Mauritius earlier this year. Staab has now moved into the technical director’s role with Finland’s Rosa Lappi-Seppälä becoming coach.

“Each player has their own story, but what we all share is a love of football and a desire to compete,” national team captain Sarah Khalid said.

“To be FIFA ranked makes us part of world football and that means everything. We recognize that we have a huge responsibility to inspire the youth and pave the way for the future generations who will represent Saudi Arabia.”

Having achieved official recognition, the focus now turns to the future and building a sustainable women’s football program.

To that end, the under-17 national team was recently formed, playing their first matches earlier this month against Kuwait. The next fixtures for the senior team are currently being arranged as they look to improve on their inaugural ranking.

The focus remains on Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, aiming to become just the second West Asian nation to host the tournament and fast-tracking the growth of women’s football within the Kingdom.


NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team looking to build on Season 3 opener

NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team looking to build on Season 3 opener
Updated 24 March 2023

NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team looking to build on Season 3 opener

NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team looking to build on Season 3 opener
  • Emma Gilmour, Tanner Foust finished Saudi Desert X Prix with 14 points in 7th place

RIYADH: As the championship’s 10 teams got behind the wheel at the Season 3 opener, NEOM McLaren Extreme E looked to pick up where they left off with a podium finish at the Season 2 finale in Uruguay.

The 3.4-kilometer course of the 2023 Desert X Prix in NEOM provided the first of the challenges in what promises to be the most tightly fought season to date.

A hectic Qualifying 1 on Saturday saw McLaren’s Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust experience a frustrating start to their Season 3 campaign. Albeit running in P3 in Qualifying 1, the driver pairing ultimately finished fifth in the first session, suffering a Switch Zone penalty as they also adjusted to the course.

Bouncing back with a stronger performance in qualifying, the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team finished their heat in third place. It was not enough to escape the Redemption Race, however, as the team finished sixth in the overall qualifying standings – one spot short of a place in the grand final.

Having won the Crazy Race in spectacular fashion at last year’s Desert X Prix, Foust and Gilmour were no strangers to battling it out against the best of the rest in NEOM.

Foust enjoyed a great start to the series’ first ever Redemption Race, but multiple incidents including Nasser Al-Attiyah’s ABT CUPRA XE car rolling over the top of Foust’s ODYSSEY 21, saw the race red flagged.

In the chaos, Heikki Kovalainen had taken the lead for JBXE, but as the race resumed Gilmour used her ENOWA Hyperdrive to close the gap on Hedda Hosas and overtake the JBXE driver as NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team won the Redemption Race and secured valuable championship points.

Foust said: “We certainly didn’t disappoint on the extreme side. We started off with some pretty aggressive set-up changes due to the lack of track time we have in this series. We unfortunately lost a bit of time in the process in Qualifying 1, but then showed good pace for the rest of the day.

“The team were fantastic, repairing the car, enabling us to improve, and we won the Redemption Race making us the best of the rest.”

Round 2 offered a chance to use the momentum from that race win for a better qualifying stint, with plenty of racing and points opportunities still on the table in NEOM.

Sunday was another challenging day for the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team, with fourth and third-place finishes in their respective qualifying heats meaning the team narrowly missed out on Round 2’s grand final.

Running in second and fighting for points once again in the Redemption Race, Foust and Gilmour nearly gained an all-important two championship points from the Continental Traction Challenge as they pushed hard for another Redemption Race win.

Closing out their weekend with second place in Round 2’s Redemption Race saw the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team come away from Saudi Arabia having accrued a total of 14 points and in seventh place in the championship standings.

Gilmour said: “It was a slightly frustrating day and it’s a shame that we have not come away from this Desert X Prix with more points.

“In motorsport though, you can always have worse weekends. Considering where we were at the start of the weekend, and the progress we had to make, I think we did well.”

The Neom McLaren Extreme E Team will be looking to hit the ground running at the next Extreme E round in Scotland on May 13 and 14.