Founder’s Cup horse race to mark Saudi Arabia’s first Flag Day celebration

Founder’s Cup horse race to mark Saudi Arabia’s first Flag Day celebration
Prince Bandar bin Khalid Alfaisal, chairman of the JCSA and Saudi’s Equestrian Authority. (JCSA)
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Updated 08 March 2023
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Founder’s Cup horse race to mark Saudi Arabia’s first Flag Day celebration

Founder’s Cup horse race to mark Saudi Arabia’s first Flag Day celebration
  • Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al-Faisal: ‘The Founder’s Cup is a tribute to the memory of King Abdulaziz, the knight closely associated with horses’
  • Locally bred horses to compete in 2 championship rounds at Janadriyah racecourse for total purse of $2.66m

RIYADH: Local horses will compete in The Founder’s Cup this weekend, with the showcase King Abdulaziz Cup on Saturday, March 11 splitting a total prize of $2.66 million over two races.

Dubbed the crown of the championships, The Founder’s Cup is locally classified as Grade One and will be held at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Janadriyah, north of Riyadh, in conjunction with the first celebration of Saudi Arabia’s Flag Day.

The King Abdulaziz Cup – named after the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – is one of the most valuable prizes of the Riyadh racing season.

Four-year-old Arabian horses are to participate in the first round, while the second is dedicated to three-year-old thoroughbreds. Both races are open grades and cover 1,600 meters on a dirt track.

Organized by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, The Founder’s Cup includes a total of 22 races over Friday and Saturday, the most prominent being the two main rounds of The King Abdulaziz Cup on Saturday evening.

Alongside the races, the JCSA will host a variety of cultural and entertainment activities, offering an exciting day out for families as well as horseracing enthusiasts. Attractions will include a folklore dance performance by the Shabah Bisha ensemble and other events commemorating Flag Day.

A quarter-century of The Founder’s Cup

Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al-Faisal, chairman of the Equestrian Authority and the JCSA, said: “This occasion honors the memory of King Abdulaziz, the knight closely associated with horses.”

He pointed out that almost a quarter of a century had passed since the establishment of the Founder’s Cup in 1999, when the late King Abdullah, former JCSA chairman, launched a new equine championship in the name of the Kingdom’s founder King Abdulaziz.

“This renewal of The Founder’s Cup coincides with the celebration of our Flag Day, as decided by King Salman. The Jockey Club will play a prominent role in reviving this cherished national occasion linked to the history of our dear Kingdom and raising the national flag high on a joyful day,” Prince Bandar added.

A showcase of local horse quality

The prince described The Founder’s Cup as “the crown of championships” and the most important event in the Riyadh racing season, as it reflected the quality of both Arabian and thoroughbred horse production in the Kingdom. The number of horses produced locally has reached at least 3,000 per year.

“The renaissance of horse riding in general and specifically of horse racing in the Kingdom would not have been possible without the will of God and the unlimited support of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” he said.

Prince Bandar noted that this support had a positive impact on the spread of horse racing in Saudi Arabia, while helping to meet the expectations of both participants and followers.

Systems and races development

Equestrian Authority Secretary-General Marwan Al-Olayan said: “The Founder’s Cup reflects the scale of development of local horse production, the strength of the races, and the quality of participating horses.

“As Prince Bandar has described it, The Founder’s Cup is indeed the crown of the championships.”

Al-Olayan noted that the JCSA was ready and primed for the big event.

“We are doing our best to introduce a successful championship as our goal in the Jockey Club is no longer just to hold the event but rather to nurture it so that we can repeat the success of last year.

“Our goal is the development of everything related to the Equestrian Authority in addition to its racing activities. We also aim to highlight the global leadership we have achieved in previous races,” he added.

JCSA chief executive officer, Ziad Almogren, said: “In light of the tireless work of my colleagues at the Jockey Club, we are optimistic that the current renewal of The King Abdulaziz Cup will be honored on an annual basis, in a way that satisfies the aspirations of local and foreign horse lovers.”


Sports minister attends competitions on day 14 of Saudi Games 2023

Sports minister attends competitions on day 14 of Saudi Games 2023
Updated 07 December 2023
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Sports minister attends competitions on day 14 of Saudi Games 2023

Sports minister attends competitions on day 14 of Saudi Games 2023
  • He was accompanied on the tour by Prince Fahd bin Jalawi and Princess Delayel bint Nahar, director and deputy director of the games respectively

RIYADH: Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki toured the Saudi Games complex on Wednesday and attended the tennis, beach volleyball and chess events on day 14 of the competition.

He was accompanied on the tour by Prince Fahd bin Jalawi and Princess Delayel bint Nahar, director and deputy director of the games respectively.

During his visit, Prince Abdulaziz also visited the games’ Fan Zone, the entertainment sector, as well as the Saudi Olympic Academy.

Elsewhere on day 14, medals were awarded in the women’s jujitsu under-60kg category, and in the under-66kg, under-77kg, under-88kg and over-88kg categories in the men’s jujitsu.

In the men's handball competition, Mudhar currently lead Group A with 6 points following their 33-22 victory over Al-Qarah. In Group B, Al-Khaleej continued to assert its dominance after defeating Al-Safa 27-24. Meanwhile, Al-Muheet secured a win against Al-Njoom with a score of 47-19, placing them in third.

After Wednesday’s competition, the deaf futsal competition reached the quarterfinal stages and the youth handball is now at the semifinals.

On Thursday, there are three finals in the MMA competition scheduled, in the men’s basketball final Al-Hilal will face off with old rivals Al-Nassr, while Jeddah United and Al-Asima will compete in the women’s basketball final.


E-visas available for 2023 FIFA Club World Cup ticket holders

E-visas available for 2023 FIFA Club World Cup ticket holders
Updated 06 December 2023
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E-visas available for 2023 FIFA Club World Cup ticket holders

E-visas available for 2023 FIFA Club World Cup ticket holders

Riyadh: The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed on Wednesday that electronic visas would be available to ticket holders for the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup in Jeddah.

The move has been made in cooperation with the Ministry of Sport.

“The step aims to facilitate travel procedures to the Kingdom for football fans to attend the 2023 Club World Cup matches, and also aims to provide the best possible experience for fans to visit the Kingdom and support their clubs during the tournament in an enthusiastic atmosphere,” a ministry statement said.

Ticket holders can apply online for an e-visa to attend the tournament’s games.

The Kingdom will host the competition from Dec. 12 to 22, with the participation of Al-Ittihad, the Roshn Saudi League champions for the 2022 to 2023 season.


Arab Cycling Federation delegation in Saudi Arabia for Arab Road Cycling Championship inspection

Arab Cycling Federation delegation in Saudi Arabia for Arab Road Cycling Championship inspection
Updated 04 December 2023
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Arab Cycling Federation delegation in Saudi Arabia for Arab Road Cycling Championship inspection

Arab Cycling Federation delegation in Saudi Arabia for Arab Road Cycling Championship inspection
  • The competition, overseen by the International Cycling Union (UCI), will take place Dec. 15 to 23 in Riyadh

RIYADH: A delegation from the Arab Cycling Federation was in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for an inspection visit ahead of the Arab Road Cycling Championship next month, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The ACF delegation, led by secretary-general Ismail Al-Hosani, met with the president of the Saudi Cycling Federation, vice-president of the Arab Cycling Federation, Abdullah Al-Wathlan.

The visit included inspection tours covering the race routes totaling 730 kilometers.

It also included a tour of the accommodation for teams, technical and arbitration needs, as well as the final preparations and arrangements to welcome the Arab teams.

During the meeting, Al-Wathlan expressed the SCF’s eagerness for further cooperation with ACF to provide the best cycling experience possible for more than 300 cyclists representing 13 countries.

The competition, overseen by the International Cycling Union, will take place Dec. 15 to 23 in Riyadh.



 


Al-Ahli, Al-Shabab to the fore at Saudi Games

Al-Ahli, Al-Shabab to the fore at Saudi Games
Updated 03 December 2023
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Al-Ahli, Al-Shabab to the fore at Saudi Games

Al-Ahli, Al-Shabab to the fore at Saudi Games
  • Medals also given out following the fencing and robotics events
  • 3x3 basketball and handball competitions got underway on Saturday

RIYADH: Al-Ahli and Al-Shabab dominated the medals at the Saudi Games’ athletics events on Saturday.

In the men’s 800-meters final, Al-Shabab’s Issa Ghazwan took the gold and his teammate Sami Al-Yami the bronze. There was also a gold medal for Al-Shabab in the men’s 400-meters hurdles, which was won by Mohammed Al-Mauwi.

Al-Ahli’s Ali Mas took home the gold medal in the men’s 200-meters final, while Suga Saied finished first for the same club in the women’s long jump final.

Elsewhere, Ryan Al-Khawiter beat last year’s champion Kevin Orlandi to win gold and SR1 million ($266,574) in the triathlon at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex.

Khaled Al-Mobty also clinched gold on Saturday in the individual show jumping event, with Meshari Al-Harbi taking home silver and Mohammed Al-Askar the bronze.

The jet ski gold medal and SR1 million prize was won by Tariq Bukhari at Durrat Al-Arous in Jeddah.

There were also medals awarded in the under-54 kg, under-65 kg, under-80 kg and under-97 kg categories of the paralympic weightlifting event.

Al-Nassr and Al-Selmeyyah qualified for the beach soccer final, to be held on Sunday evening, while the Riyadh club also secured a place in the men’s futsal final against Al-Ettifaq.

There were medals given out following the fencing and robotics events, while the 3x3 basketball and handball competitions got underway on Saturday.


Emirates Team New Zealand sail away to win 2nd America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in Jeddah

Emirates Team New Zealand sail away to win 2nd America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in Jeddah
Updated 03 December 2023
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Emirates Team New Zealand sail away to win 2nd America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in Jeddah

Emirates Team New Zealand sail away to win 2nd America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in Jeddah
  • CEO Dantly thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the Preliminary Regatta

JEDDAH: Emirates Team New Zealand won the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta on Saturday in Jeddah ahead of its Italian challenger Luna Rossa.

The New Zealand team clinched the victory after three days atop the standings and exploiting its speed advantage to pick up back-to-back wins.

The Italian team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli closed the second preliminary event of the 37th America’s Cup in second place, having raced brilliantly in the final race.

“We’ve been sailing so well all week, haven’t done too many things wrong and we’re super happy to come away with the win here in Jeddah,” New Zealand skipper Peter Burling told the crowd.

“It has been awesome here and a great showcase for our sport, to have a couple of breezy days here, it’s been amazing.”

Luna Rossa skipper Marco Gradoni said: “We definitely didn’t race very well but we were there with the Kiwis.”

Hundreds of fans visited the America’s Cup Race Village on Jeddah Corniche to see the New Zealand team claim victory in the final race.

Badr Al-Kadi, Saudi deputy minister of sports, and Grant Dantly, CEO of the America’s Cup, also attended the trophy ceremony.

Dantly thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the Preliminary Regatta and praised everyone involved in organizing the race.

“It was a very successful race, weather conditions were great, and we really enjoyed being here in Saudi Arabia,” he said.