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.


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 1 min 52 sec ago
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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.


Saudi Olympic Committee president attends 19th Asian Games esports competition

Saudi Olympic Committee president attends 19th Asian Games esports competition
Updated 11 min 45 sec ago
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Saudi Olympic Committee president attends 19th Asian Games esports competition

Saudi Olympic Committee president attends 19th Asian Games esports competition
  • Saudi handball team misses chance to qualify for 2nd round after 23-23 draw with Iran, which qualified along with Japan from the group
  • Table tennis players Ali Al-Khadrawi and Turki Al-Mutairi qualify for 32nd round in singles competition

HANGZHOU, China: Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee president, who is leading the Kingdom’s delegation to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, on Wednesday attended the Saudi team’s esports competition.
The Saudi team reached the quarterfinals of the League of Legends game in the esports stadium, where they lost 0-2 to the Korean team.
Committee Vice President Prince Fahd bin Jalawi attended the Saudi handball team’s game against Iran as part of the handball competition group stage.
The Saudi team missed the chance to qualify for the second round after a 23-23 draw with Iran, which qualified along with Japan from the group.
A total of 193 Saudi athletes will compete in 19 sports at the Asian Games, which conclude Oct. 8.

Table tennis
Ali Al-Khadrawi and Turki Al-Mutairi qualified for the 32nd round in the singles competition after winning their 64th-round matches on Wednesday.
Al-Khadrawi defeated his Pakistani opponent 4-1, while Al-Mutairi beat a Mongolian rival 4-3.

Equestrian
Saudi rider Samantha Saifi concluded the qualifying round of the dressage competition, scoring 57.706 points in the second round of the competition on Wednesday. Saifi had previously scored 57.617 points in the competition on Tuesday, claiming 29th place in the overall standings.

Shooting
Prince Saud Al-Saud, Hatem Al-Shammari and Saed Al-Mutairi, who are representing Saudi Arabia in the shooting competitions, concluded their participation in the individual shotgun.
Al-Shammari finished 21st in the overall standings with a score of 116 out of 125, while Al-Mutairi ranked 25th with a score of 113. Prince Saud ranked 25th with a score of 113.

Taekwondo
Hisham Al-Dukhi and Mohammed Al-Suwaik exited the games in the quarterfinals of the taekwondo competitions after losing to China and the Philippines, respectively, on Wednesday.
Al-Dukhi defeated his Iraqi opponent Hussein Al-Lami 2-1 in the 32nd round before losing against China’s Chenming Xiao in the 16th round of the U-68 kg weight category. Al-Suwaik departed in the quarterfinals of the U-80 kg weight category.

Football
The Saudi U-23 football team trained for the last time ahead of their match against India in the 16th round on Thursday. National coach Saad Al-Shehri led the training session, which included fitness recovery exercises, a midfield mini-match, shooting practice and stretching exercises.


Increase in races and prize money for new Riyadh racing season

Increase in races and prize money for new Riyadh racing season
Updated 27 September 2023
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Increase in races and prize money for new Riyadh racing season

Increase in races and prize money for new Riyadh racing season
  • 700 races will be run at King Abdulaziz Racecourse with a total prize fund, excluding the Saudi Cup meeting, of $21.9m
  • Three other new cup races for Thoroughbreds have been added to the calendar

RIYADH: Prize money for the 2023-24 horse racing season in Riyadh, which begins on Oct. 16 and continues until Mar. 16, will increase by more than 7 percent compared with last season, and 56 additional races will be run at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, where the highlight remains the Saudi Cup in February.
The total prize money for the season, excluding the Saudi Cup meeting, will rise by $1.5 million to a total of $21.9 million, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia said. The total number of races will increase to 700 across 59 meetings, all of which will comprise 12 races compared with the previous 11: 10 for Thoroughbreds and two for purebred Arabians.
This represents a significant increase in the number of races for purebred Arabians over the course of the season, the jockey club added, with 66 races added to the calendar. They include a new cup race, the $80,000 Abdulaziz bin Musa’id bin Jalooey Cup, which will be run for the first time on Feb. 10, 2024.
Five purebred Arabian contests have been introduced to the pattern, the highest level of races, this season and will be run as listed contests. The JCSA Cup will take place on Nov. 25, a week after a new, yet to be named listed race on Nov. 18. In the new year, the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Sword on Jan. 13, the Sprint Championship on March 8, and the King Abdulaziz Racecourse Championship on March 9 will be run as purebred Arabian listed events.
Three other new cup races for Thoroughbreds have been added to the calendar. The Imam Mohammed bin Saud Cup, worth $240,000, is a notable addition to the King’s Cup race day on Jan. 13, and the others are the $80,000 Prince Saad bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Cup on Jan. 19 and the $80,000 Prince Fahad bin Jalawi Cup on Feb. 10.
A further development this season is the reduction of the distance in the listed Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup to 1,800 meters, the same trip as the $20 million Saudi Cup, to better reflect its status as a key qualifier for that contest.
The dates for the Saudi Cup meeting have been confirmed as Feb. 23 and 24. It will once again carry an enormous prize fund of $35.4m, with the centerpiece $20 million Saudi Cup race itself maintaining its position as the most valuable in the world.
For the first time this season, the Saudi Cup meeting will feature three international G1 races, after the Al-Mneefah Cup for purebred Arabians, which takes place the day before the Saudi Cup, was promoted to G1 status this season.
Prince Abdullah bin Khaled, chairperson of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia’s Technical Committee, said: “The announcement of the 2023-24 Riyadh program marks the JCSA’s continued commitment to the growth of racing in the Kingdom.
“The Riyadh program, held throughout the autumn, winter and spring at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, builds on the success of the Ta’if summer season and leads the Saudi Arabian racing community into the Saudi Cup weekend and beyond, to the conclusion of the season in March and then potentially an international campaign for the top performers.
“This season the listed Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup will be run as an 1,800-meter race for the first time, making it a true prep for the Saudi Cup, which is held over the same course and distance.
“In addition we have added to our purebred Arabian program, with almost double the amount of races on offer. Every race night will now feature 10 Thoroughbred races and two purebred Arabian contests, underlining our continued commitment to developing this code of racing both in Saudi Arabia and beyond.”
 


Saudi Arabia participating in Asian Games with an eye on Riyadh 2034

Saudi Arabia participating in Asian Games with an eye on Riyadh 2034
Updated 27 September 2023
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Saudi Arabia participating in Asian Games with an eye on Riyadh 2034

Saudi Arabia participating in Asian Games with an eye on Riyadh 2034
  • 188 Saudi athletes are competing in the 19th Asian Games
  • Riyadh will host the 22nd edition of the event in 2024

Hangzhou: The main target of Saudi participation in the 19th Asian Games is to uplift the contingent’s performance, the squad’s spokesperson told Arab News, as the Kingdom is preparing to host the games in Riyadh. 

A total of 188 Saudi athletes, including 19 women, are competing in 19 sports at venues spread across Zhejiang province in eastern China. The games started on Sept. 23 and will conclude on Oct. 4. 

During a glittering opening ceremony in Hangzhou, equestrian Ahmed Adnan H. Sharbatly and taekwondo athlete Dunya Ali Abutaleb held the Kingdom’s flag, leading its delegation in a march pass. 

The opening ceremony was one of the best spectacles in sports with the use of technology and lightning, setting a benchmark for the next hosts, including Riyadh, which will organize the 22nd edition of the pan-Asian multi-sport event in 2034. 

“The ceremony was impressive,” Abdulaziz Al-Baqous, media attache to the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee for the 19th Asian Games, told Arab News, referencing the technology that was used. 

Saudi Arabia has yet to register any number on the medal tally. Success is expected in athletics — the sport in which Saudi Arabia has won 17 out of its 25 gold medals in the games’ history. 

Al-Baqous, who has been working with the committee since 2016, feels the target for the Saudi team this time is to better its previous performance in the 2018 Asian Games held in Indonesia. At the time, the Kingdom won one gold, two silver, and three bronze medals. 

“The expectation from the Saudi team is to first (improve upon) the performance from the last Asian Games. Then to start pulling up the scales as we will be hosting the games in 2034,” he said. “We need to work harder and realize our targets in the coming years.” 

Saudi Arabia’s participation this time has not been limited to traditional sports, with esports making its debut as a medal sport in the 19th Asian Games, and the 21 players from the Kingdom competing in the category. 

The Kingdom has been investing heavily in the discipline and is emerging as a powerhouse in esports development under its Vision 2030 transformation programs. 

“Vision 2030 and its initiatives are a key enabler for all athletes. It is just the beginning. The strategies that were announced recently, i.e. the federation support strategy, the clubs support, also the Olympic training center, are the long-term programs — they will bring results in the future and that is why our delegation has young participants and new sports too,” Al-Baqous said. 

“We are confident with time, will be seeing the results from these strategies and massive investments in sports.” 

For Al-Baqous, the Asian Games was not just about competition but also about allowing athletes to meet their counterparts from other countries and establish connections with them. 

“For me, the participation in Asian Games is beyond sports,” he said. “It is also an opportunity to gather and socialize between sports fraternities in Asia, getting to share culture.” 


Tough Mudder set for Middle East launch at AlUla

Tough Mudder set for Middle East launch at AlUla
Updated 27 September 2023
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Tough Mudder set for Middle East launch at AlUla

Tough Mudder set for Middle East launch at AlUla
  • Inaugural 8-hour Tough Mudder Infinity competition takes place on Feb. 24, 2024

ALULA: Tough Mudder, a global leader in obstacle course races, has announced the debut of its new contest in the Middle East.

The ultra-endurance obstacle course event, titled Tough Mudder Infinity, will take place on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at AlUla, one of the world’s top destinations.

Tough Mudder Infinity is an eight-hour competition, challenging participants to complete as many laps of a course as they can. The event will offer one of the largest prize pots in the history of obstacle course races. Participants can enter as individuals or as part of a team.

Nic Cartwright, Tough Mudder Middle East license holder, said: “We are thrilled to bring this groundbreaking Tough Mudder Infinity event to AlUla, showcasing the region’s commitment to pushing boundaries and promoting an active lifestyle. The scenic and challenging landscape of AlUla will serve as the perfect backdrop for this exhilarating event.”

Taking place in AlUla, an ancient oasis city located in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, the event will welcome participants from the Tough Mudder global community.

AlUla has been the home of several human civilizations for over 7,000 years. These peoples have left behind a rich tapestry of historical artifacts and clues to their way of life. The region also has remarkable flora and fauna worth exploring.

Rami AlMoallim, vice president of destination management and marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla, said: “AlUla is one of the most captivating tourist destinations in the region, and we are pleased to partner with Tough Mudder to host this unique sporting event for the first time in the Middle East. AlUla continues to delight visitors with its annual calendar of AlUla Moments shows and events, and we look forward to hosting fans of this very special sport in AlUla.”

There will also be 5 km and 10 km Tough Mudder races on the same day for new and returning Mudders, suitable for participants at different fitness levels.