AlUla Camel Cup set to launch with revamped venue, offerings

The AlUla Camel Cup (March 14-17) was preceded by a parade on Saturday. (RCU)
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The AlUla Camel Cup (March 14-17) was preceded by a parade on Saturday. (RCU)
The AlUla Camel Cup (March 14-17) was preceded by a parade on Saturday. (RCU)
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The AlUla Camel Cup (March 14-17) was preceded by a parade on Saturday. (RCU)
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Updated 13 March 2023
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AlUla Camel Cup set to launch with revamped venue, offerings

AlUla Camel Cup set to launch with revamped venue, offerings
  • Details of AlUla Camel Racing Field unveiled ahead of March 14-17 event
  • Champion of champions to be crowned at inaugural cup competition

ALULA: The countdown has begun for the inaugural AlUla Camel Cup, the pinnacle of camel racing, as details of the revamped AlUla Camel Racing Field were unveiled along with a fashion guide, retail offerings, and dining outlets.

Held under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, chairman of the Royal Commission for AlUla, more than 40 of the region’s finest racing camels have qualified for the tournament.

Phillip Jones, the RCU’s chief tourism officer, said: “Much time and effort has been spent ensuring that the AlUla Camel Cup has a venue showcasing the stunning backdrop of AlUla in which the pinnacle of camel racing will be held.

“As a place that helped enhance and expand Saudi Arabia’s traditional pastime of camel racing across the region, the AlUla Camel Racing Field is an important venue in the history of the sport. The AlUla Camel Cup now marks another milestone moment in both the AlUla Camel Racing Field and camel racing’s glorious journey.

“We look forward immensely to Tuesday for the beginning of what will be a major highlight in Saudi Arabia’s sporting calendar,” he added.

Organized by the RCU – as part of the AlUla Moments calendar – in collaboration with the Saudi Camel Racing Federation, a champion of champions will be crowned at the refurbished, state-of-the-art AlUla Camel Racing Field.

The AlUla Camel Racing Field now has a total area of approximately 20 square kilometers, with a capacity of 900 people. The main track is 6 sq km in size, with the length of the racetrack 8,140 meters, and the width ranging from 20 to 38 meters. There are five turns and two sides of balustrade running for 16 km.

SCRF executive director, Mahmoud Suleiman Albalawi, said: “The revamped AlUla Camel Racing Field, a venue of historical significance in our illustrious sport, is truly befitting a tournament of the magnitude of the AlUla Camel Cup.

“As well as being the pinnacle for the elite of camel racing, the AlUla Camel Cup helps us introduce our sport to a wider audience, ensuring that our revered national pastime remains attractive and exciting to new generations.”

Advanced technology has been used to ensure the safety and efficiency of the races while still preserving the sport’s cultural and traditional values.

The four-day event will offer a heritage village featuring a range of local Saudi fashion, jewelry, and homeware and the Madrasat Addeera store will be selling handmade crafts and jewelry from local artisans.

Al-Qafila market will offer locally made souvenirs and handicrafts, and immersive experiences such as watching live camels and learning about their feats and attributes, while painting camel monuments, henna, calligraphy, and sand art areas will also be available, plus a variety of dining options.

The activities follow on from a parade held on Saturday which featured 15 camels and a group of performers in traditional Saudi attire.

One of the performers showcased Alheda’a, the oral tradition of calling camel flocks. The ancient art is inscribed in the UNESCO list of Intangible Heritage of Saudi Arabia. The camel parade aimed to highlight how the cup was bringing together ancient and modern, sport and culture, elemental and opulent, in the Kingdom’s sporting calendar.

AlUla Camel Cup is one of the flagship sporting occasions of the AlUla Moments 2023 calendar of events and festivals, which includes five major festivals and six marque events.

So far this year, AlUla has hosted The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup, the AlUla Trail Race, and the Saudi Tour.


Athlete Yousef Masrahi claims Saudi Arabia’s 1st gold at 19th Asian Games

Athlete Yousef Masrahi claims Saudi Arabia’s 1st gold at 19th Asian Games
Updated 30 September 2023
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Athlete Yousef Masrahi claims Saudi Arabia’s 1st gold at 19th Asian Games

Athlete Yousef Masrahi claims Saudi Arabia’s 1st gold at 19th Asian Games
  • Saudi pole vaulter Hussein Al-Hizam wins first bronze in Asian Games with a jump of 5.65m
  • Hamoud Al-Elwani qualifies for long jump finals with 7.46m leap in first group semifinals

HANGZHOU, China: Saudi athlete Yousef Masrahi has claimed the Kingdom’s first gold medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou with victory in the 400-meters final on Saturday.
The Asian record holder won with a time of 45.55 seconds, repeating his victory in the 17th Asian Games in Incheon in 2014 when he won Saudi Arabia’s first gold medal in the same race.
Saturday’s victory marks Masrahi’s third medal in Asian Games. He won his first bronze in the 400-meters in Guangzhou in 2010 before winning gold in Incheon in 2014.
“The support of the Saudi audience was a great incentive for me to achieve the gold medal. I thank my parents for their support. I also thank my national coach Hamdan Al-Bishi, who worked hard to prepare me for this edition for over a year,” Masrahi said following his victory.
He also thanked Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee president, and his deputy Prince Fahd bin Jalawi for their support for Saudi sports.
Saudi pole vaulter Hussein Al-Hizam won his first bronze medal in the Asian Games with a jump of 5.65 meters on Saturday.
Al-Hizam said he is confident his Saudi teammates will win more medals in the remaining days of the Games, being held in Hangzhou in China.
Athletes Raed Al-Jedaani and Faisal Al-Subaiei qualified for the finals of the 1,500-meters race. Al-Jedaani finished first in the semifinals with a time of 3:51 minutes, while Al-Subaiei finished fourth with a time of 3:56 minutes.
Hamoud Al-Elwani qualified for the finals of the long jump with a 7.46-meter jump in the first group semifinals.
Injury forced sprinter Nasser Mahmoud to pull out of the 100 meters semifinals. His teammate Abdullah Abkar finished fourth with a time of 10.21 seconds.
In the 10,000 meters, Tareq Al-Omari finished seventh with a time of 28:46 minutes.
In the hammer throw final, Mohammed Al-Dubaisi finished 10th with a throw of 65.95 meters, while his teammate Mohammed Al-Zayer finished 12th with a distance of 62.5 meters.
Basketball:
The Saudi basketball team defeated the UAE 74-67 in the first group and qualified for the second round after finishing second behind Iran in first group. Iran defeated Kazakhstan 86-60. Each group’s first two teams will qualify in addition to the top four teams that rank third.Asian 


Kingdom’s Youssef Masrahi qualifies for 400-meter final at Asian Games

Kingdom’s Youssef Masrahi qualifies for 400-meter final at Asian Games
Updated 29 September 2023
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Kingdom’s Youssef Masrahi qualifies for 400-meter final at Asian Games

Kingdom’s Youssef Masrahi qualifies for 400-meter final at Asian Games
  • Asian record holder finishes second in semifinal in 45.64 seconds
  • Abdullah Abkar, Nasser Mahmoud through to semifinals of 100-meters

HANGZHOU, China: Saudi athlete Youssef Masrahi has qualified for the final of the men’s 400-meters at the 19th Asian Games.
The Asian record holder secured his place in the medal race after finishing second in his semifinal at the Olympic Stadium on Friday in a time of 45.64 seconds. Japan’s Sato Fuga won the race in 45.56.
Masrahi took the gold medal in the 400 at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, where he also broke the Asian record with a time of 44.46.
His teammate, Mazen Alyassin, failed to qualify for the 400 final after coming home fourth in his semifinal in a time of 46.13.
Meanwhile, Saudi sprinter Abdullah Abkar made it through to the semifinals of the 100-meters after finishing fourth in his heat in a time of 10.30. He will be joined by teammate Nasser Mahmoud, who qualified in 10.50.
Esports
The Kingdom’s esports team of Abdulrahman Al-Fahad, Abdulrahman Al-Aroui, Khaled Al-Abdulaziz and Ahmed Al-Qahtani have been eliminated from the Games after losing in the last 16 of the Peace Elite contest.
Boxing
Boxer Mohamed Al-Sabhi was also eliminated from the Games after losing to his Uzbek rival on a judges’ decision in the last 16 of the 80 kg category.
Table Tennis
The Kingdom’s Azam Alaam and Khalid Al-Shareef were knocked out of the table tennis doubles competition after losing 3-0 to their opponents from Chinese Taipei in the last 16.
Fencing
The Saudi fencing team of Ahmed Al-Hussein, Khalifa Al-Umairi, Jawad Al-Daoud and Faisal Aabid were also eliminated on Friday, after going down by 45-43 to Japan in the quarterfinals of the epee category.
Golf
The Kingdom’s golfers ended their second round on Friday, with Othman Al-Mulla shooting 70, Ali Al-Sekhi 71, Faisal Al-Salhab 72 and Saud Al-Sharif 73.


Saudi U-23 football team reach quarterfinals at Asian Games

Saudi U-23 football team reach quarterfinals at Asian Games
Updated 28 September 2023
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Saudi U-23 football team reach quarterfinals at Asian Games

Saudi U-23 football team reach quarterfinals at Asian Games
  • Boxer Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi advances to the quarterfinals of the 51kg weight category after winning against Bangladeshi contender 4-1
  • Table tennis players Azzam Alaam and Khalid Al-Sharif defeat Yemeni opponents 3-2 and advance in the doubles competition

ARAB NEWS
HANGZHOU, China: Saudi Arabia’s U-23 football team has qualified for the quarterfinals at the 19th Asian Games, being held in Hangzhou, China, after defeating India 2-0 on Thursday.
In the presence of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Vice President Prince Fahd bin Jalawi, Mohamed Maran scored a brace in the 51st and 58th minutes to secure the Green Falcons’ spot in the quarterfinals, said a media statement.

Boxing
Saudi boxer Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi has advanced to the quarterfinals of the 51kg weight category after winning against Bangladeshi contender Mohamed Abu Talha 4-1 in the 16th round.
Meanwhile teammate Hadeel Ashour lost in the same round against an Indian opponent in the 60kg weight category.

Table tennis
Azzam Alaam and Khalid Al-Sharif defeated their Yemeni opponents 3-2 to advance to the round of 16 in the doubles competition.
Teammates Ali Al-Khudrawi and Turki Al-Mutairi lost 0-3 against South Korea and left the competition.

e-sports
The Saudi Arabian electronic sports team qualified for the round of 16 in the Peace Elite game, finishing first in their group ahead of Sri Lanka, Macau and Uzbekistan.

Basketball
The Kingdom’s basketball team lost their second game against Iran 66-81 in the group stage. Iran led in the first half 38-28.

Shooting
Saudi Arabian shooter Atallah Al-Unezi finished in seventh place in the 10 meter air pistol event, scoring 134.4 points in the final.
His teammates Sefar Al-Dosari and Mohamed Al-Maliki were eliminated in the qualification stage on Thursday.

Fencing
Fencers Adel Al-Mutairi, Ahmed Al-Qadhi, Mohamed Al-Omari and Abdullah Al-Mansaf lost 36-45 against Japan and were eliminated in the round of 16 of the Saber event.

Taekwondo
The Kingdom’s taekwondo team concluded their participation in the Asian Games after Ali Al-Mabrook lost to his Chinese contender, Zhe Zhuang Song, in the last 16 of the men’s +80kg weight category.


Saudi Arabia hosts men’s handball Super Globe 2023 in November

International Handball Federation’s men’s Super Globe Championship. supplied
International Handball Federation’s men’s Super Globe Championship. supplied
Updated 28 September 2023
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Saudi Arabia hosts men’s handball Super Globe 2023 in November

International Handball Federation’s men’s Super Globe Championship. supplied
  • 16th edition of the championship will see the participation of 12 teams from 10 countries

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will host the International Handball Federation’s men’s Super Globe Championship for the fourth consecutive time, from Nov. 7 to 12.

The Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Arabian Handball Federation made the announcement on Thursday.

The event will take place in Dammam and is a key component of the Kingdom’s Quality of Life Program.

The 16th edition of the championship will see the participation of 12 teams from 10 countries.

The Kingdom’s Al-Khaleej and Al-Noor teams are participating for the second time. Al-Noor participated in the 2021 championship in Jeddah, while Al-Khaleej competed in last year’s tournament in Dammam, securing a commendable sixth-place finish.

The following clubs will participate: Saudi champions Al-Khaleej and runner-up Al-Noor; Germany’s SC Magdeburg, the reigning champions; Poland’s Kielce, the European champions; Bahrain’s Al-Najma, the Asian champions; Egypt’s Al-Ahly, the African champions; Argentina’s San Fernando, the south and central America champions; San Francisco CalHeat, the champions of North America and the Caribbean; University of Queensland, Oceana champions; and Kuwait, the Arab region’s champions.

There are two IHF-nominated teams, namely Barcelona from Spain and Fuchse Berlin from Germany.


Saudi athletes ready to shine at Riyadh’s 2023 World Combat Games

Saudi athletes ready to shine at Riyadh’s 2023 World Combat Games
Updated 27 September 2023
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Saudi athletes ready to shine at Riyadh’s 2023 World Combat Games

Saudi athletes ready to shine at Riyadh’s 2023 World Combat Games
  • Total of 127 men and women from the Kingdom to challenge for gold
  • Athletes to compete in 12 disciplines

Riyadh: A total of 127 Saudi male and female athletes are set to compete in the prestigious Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games between Oct. 20-30.
A media statement on Wednesday said the Saudis were confident that their efforts will put them in with a realistic chance of a podium finish at the action-packed tournament which is to be held at the King Saud University Arena.
The Saudi contingent includes 87 male athletes, 40 females, and a dedicated team of 56 coaches and administrators.
Saudi contestants will compete in 12 combat disciplines: aikido, boxing, fencing, judo, ju-jitsu, karate, kickboxing, muaythai, sambo, taekwondo, wrestling, and wushu.
Wrestling and fencing will boast the most Saudi nationals with 24 in each. Aikido has 17 Saudis while muaythai will see 15 participating.
The statement added that the Saudi athletes’ aspirations are high and fueled by the hope of bringing honor to the Kingdom.
Tickets for the event can be purchased through the official website at https://tickets.riyadh2023.com/
Priced at SR15 ($4), each ticket grants access to all competition venues and the fan zone, while offering complimentary parking. Athletes’ families, children under 12, and seniors over 65 will be admitted free of charge.
Tickets for the competition’s final day will include access to the closing ceremonies.
The World Combat Games aims to promote physical excellence, cultural exchange and international collaboration.