Saudi basketball player opens door for next generation of female ‘ballers’

Saudi basketball player opens door for next generation of female ‘ballers’
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Dareen Sabban joined Al-Ahli in January 2023. (Supplied)
Saudi basketball player opens door for next generation of female ‘ballers’
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Dareen Sabban in action for Al-Ahli. (Supplied)
Saudi basketball player opens door for next generation of female ‘ballers’
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Al-Ahli play in the Saudi Premier League for women. (Supplied)
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Updated 18 April 2023
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Saudi basketball player opens door for next generation of female ‘ballers’

Saudi basketball player opens door for next generation of female ‘ballers’
  • Dareen Sabban plays for Al-Ahli Club in women’s Saudi Basketball Premier League

RIYADH: Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark recently made headlines in the basketball world when an on-court spat saw TV ratings for the LSU-Iowa national championship obliterate records as 9.9 million viewers tuned in.

The controversy, combined with some spectacular talent on display and exciting games, ensured the two players put women’s basketball on the map, generating new fans.

Building a legacy in sport starts with trailblazers that can generate that type of interest, the ones who aspire to inspire, and play for the love of the game.

That is what several talented players in the Saudi Basketball Premier League are hoping to do for the women’s game in the Kingdom.

At 5-foot 4 inches tall, Dareen Sabban is not your typical basketball player.

Hailing from Jeddah, she did not grow up playing basketball in the backyard with her brothers, nor was sport a part of her life at all. Sabban first picked up a basketball when she was 17 years old starting university, where she ended up playing a number of sports.

She said: “I fell in love with basketball more than any of the other sports. By the end of university, I had decided I wanted to pursue basketball more seriously. I practised harder and started participating in competitions.”

After representing the Jeddah Swish Basketball Academy, and coaching youngsters, she was approached by Al-Ahli Club and joined the Saudi Basketball Premier League.

“I heard of people signing up with the clubs, but I never thought I would be one of them. It was very surreal when everything became official. I am super happy and excited to be a part of this club – and my favorite color is green, so it’s a perfect match,” the 29-year-old added.

Sabban joined the Al-Ahli Club in January, and the newly formed women’s basketball league began its season in February.

Although the campaign only lasts three months, the teams’ training continues all year round. By day, Sabban works full time as a senior advertising executive, and by evening she has her hands full shooting hoops, spending six days a week on the court; training, playing friendly games, and league matches.

The development of sport in the Kingdom is part of the Vision 2030 reform plan to offer a fulfilling and healthy life under the strategic objective of a vibrant society.

Saudi Arabia has made it clear that sport is an important pillar to a community’s health and actively supports gender equality across the board. Sabban is among many other female players who have just joined the league and got the ball rolling.

She said: “I want to inspire the new generation to do what they love. I am blessed to be one of the first to play in the official women’s league, the Saudi Games, and to open the door for all females. I am grateful for that.

“I will keep playing harder to represent the Al-Ahli Club in the best way possible and make them proud. So, they can tell my story to the next generation of basketball players.”

Similar to all the clubs in the league, Al-Ahli’s hope is to come out on top every season, but just as importantly, it aims to build strong teams that generate growth for the benefit of the league and its players.

“Al Ahli Club has been great, they are very supportive and provide everything we need,” Sabban added.

And she highlighted the support of her family and the Al-Ahli fans.

“Some people ask me for pictures, some ask to follow me on social media, and they tell me how I inspire them, alhamdulillah this means the world to me.

“The crowds at our games are amazing, I love them. Obviously, I feel a little nervous, but I am starting to get used to that type of competitive atmosphere now and really enjoy it.”

Her path has not been without its challenges, however, and not everyone accepted her decision to play sport professionally.

Sabban said: “At first the challenges were based on the lack of female coaches, and it was new to everyone, so it seemed weird.

“Thankfully my family, they are different, and they didn’t stop me from doing what makes me happy. They come to my games or ask for the link to watch the matches live.

“But there are others who believe that basketball is for men, and they criticize me for my choices, but I don’t care as long as I have my parents, sisters, and brothers with me, that is all I need.”

Sabban aims to win and represent her club well, so that more players will take up the sport, while at the same time building a strong fan base.

In the long term, she hopes to play for the Saudi national team and make her mark internationally for the Kingdom.

“I love everything about basketball, every single moment,” she added.


‘Day of Reckoning’ in Riyadh set to reorder boxing’s heavyweight division

‘Day of Reckoning’ in Riyadh set to reorder boxing’s heavyweight division
Updated 08 December 2023
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‘Day of Reckoning’ in Riyadh set to reorder boxing’s heavyweight division

‘Day of Reckoning’ in Riyadh set to reorder boxing’s heavyweight division
  • Several top-10 fighters will clash on Dec. 23, including Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua

RIYADH: Boxing’s heavyweight division is set for a major reordering when the “Day of Reckoning” takes place in Riyadh on Dec. 23, with a number of top-10 fighters vying for No. 1 status.

Leading the pack are Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua, who may fight each other after their bouts this month. A bout between the two has long been mooted but negotiations have broken down several times over the past few years.

They are on the same card and seeking to become the No. 1 contender for the World Boxing Council title.

Should both win their respective bouts, they will face each other for the right to challenge the winner of the undisputed heavyweight championship between WBC champion Tyson Fury and Unified Heavyweight Champion Oleksander Usyk that will take place in February in Riyadh.

Mauricio Sulaiman, president of the WBC, recently outlined the stakes involved for Wilder and Joshua.

“We’ve been waiting and pushing and mediating and encouraging everyone to try to make this happen,” he told Sky Sports recently.

“When Wilder was champion there were a couple of occasions where Wilder-Joshua came very close. The WBC left that window without interfering with anything that could get in the way.”

Before that, there is the small matter of Wilder facing current IBF and WBO Intercontinental Champion Joseph Parker, a difficult opponent for anyone on any given night.

Parker, fresh from a knockout victory over Simon Kean at Riyadh’s “Battle of the Baddest” in October, is hoping to extend his winning streak and stake his own claim to the throne.

Meanwhile, standing in Joshua’s way is Otto Wallin, who is ranked nine, and has only lost to Fury.

Wallin and Joshua faced off as amateurs over a decade ago — with the latter winning both in 2010 and 2011. It could be third time’s the charm for Wallin who, since then, may have developed the skill — and the will — to finally overcome Joshua.

Wallin is currently ranked No. 2 in the IBF heavyweight rankings, with rumors of that title becoming vacant next year. Should this happen, Joshua will wish to leapfrog Wallin to face No. 1-ranked Filip Hrgovic for the IBF title.

In Riyadh, Hrgovic will face the Australian Mark De Mori who has only been beaten twice in 45 fights. This fight is crucial for Hrgovic, who needs to keep his No. 1 IBF spot to challenge for the title next year. He has his work cut out for him as De Mori has an almost 90 percent knockout rate.

Daniel Dubois, who lost to Usyk in August, takes on the unbeaten knockout artist Jarrell Miller. Dubois lost the fight against Usyk after a contentious “low blow” ruling saw the Brit lose his momentum against the Ukrainian.

Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov against Germany’s Agit Kabayel could be the sleeper fun fight of the night. Makhmudov, the current WBC-NABF champion, has been steadily climbing the rankings, and will hope to defeat the unbeaten Kabayel, the EBU heavyweight champion.

Rounding out the heavyweights on the card is Frank Sanchez who will take on Junior Fa. This is a crucial bout for Fa, who has lost two of his last three fights. He faces a challenging task ahead in the form of the unbeaten Sanchez, the WBC Continental Americas heavyweight champion.

“In itself it is a natural WBC elimination tournament,” said Sulaiman. “You have Wilder, No. 1 Joshua, you have Parker, you have Otto Wallin, all those are highly ranked in the WBC. After Dec. 23 we’re going to see a different picture in the rankings.”

Looming further on the horizon is one of boxing’s newest and hottest properties: Francis Ngannou. The Cameroonian has catapulted himself into the WBC top 10 by almost beating Fury. A rematch is possible, according to Fury’s promoter Frank Warren.


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.