Team Abu Dhabi’s Al-Qemzi makes flying start with superb victory in Lithuania Grand Prix

Team Abu Dhabi’s Al-Qemzi makes flying start with superb victory in Lithuania Grand Prix
Rashed Al-Qemzi (left) and Mansoor Al-Mansoori of Team Abu Dhabi (Team Abu Dhabi)
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Updated 14 August 2023
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Team Abu Dhabi’s Al-Qemzi makes flying start with superb victory in Lithuania Grand Prix

Team Abu Dhabi’s Al-Qemzi makes flying start with superb victory in Lithuania Grand Prix
  • Emirati star launches new title bid with an impressive win, as late setback denies Al-Mansoori podium finish

KLAIPEDA: Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al-Qemzi recorded an impeccable start-to-finish victory in the Grand Prix of Lithuania to ignite his challenge for a fourth drivers’ title in the 2023 UIM F2 World Championship.

The Emirati driver made up for a disappointing fourth place in qualifying with a brilliant surge into the lead from the start and a composed drive to win from another three-time F2 world champion, Britain’s Colin Jelf.

Team Abu Dhabi looked set to have both their drivers on the podium in the opening round of the 2023 F2 championship, with Mansoor Al-Mansoori holding third place before overturning on the 28th of 35 laps, and going out of the race.

That incident brought out the second of the day’s race stops, and the grand prix finished under the yellow flag, with Estonian rookie Stefan Arand claiming third place.

Driving a new boat, Al-Qemzi said at the finish: “I feel really happy for my team. They gave me a new boat and everyone worked very hard to get this result. It was a very hard race, and it’s a perfect start to the season.”

The victory could be a powerful omen for Al-Qemzi, who won in Lithuania on the way to two of his F2 world titles, in 2017 and 2019.

Underlining his reputation as a fast starter, Al-Qemzi powered his way from fourth into an immediate lead as Monaco’s Giacomo Sacchi fell four places from pole position.

With Jelf leaping from fifth to second, Al-Mansoori was also an early riser as he climbed from sixth spot to third to give the top three a complete shake up.

The race was briefly halted by a yellow flag on lap 17 after Latvia’s Nikita Lijcs collided with a buoy, while Norway’s Tobias Munthe-Kaas plunged to the back of the field shortly afterwards when he stopped for a propeller change.

Jelf tried to apply pressure from the first restart, but Al-Qemzi remained in control, and after his unfortunate departure from the Grand Prix, Al-Mansoori was the first to congratulate his teammate at the finish.


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

Riyadh: Saudi Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal attended day 14 of the second edition of the Saudi Games.

The prince toured tennis courts at Mahd Academy, watched the action in some of the competitions, and visited the Fan Zone where attractions include the Saudi Olympic Academy, and Guinness World Records Challenge Zone. He later witnessed beach volleyball and chess matches.

Prince Abdulaziz was accompanied by Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, the director of the Saudi Games, and Princess Delayel bint Nahar, the event’s deputy director.

Women’s jujitsu:

Alanoud Al-Dhefian bagged the gold medal in the women’s under-60 kg jujitsu competition staged at the King Saud University Arena in Riyadh. Silver was awarded to Lama Al-Madani, while Maram Mohamed and Noura Al-Dakhil received bronze.

In the over-60 kg weight category, Hajar Jalili clinched gold, Heba Edress silver, and Lina Qari bronze.

Men’s jujitsu:

Abdulmalik Al-Murdhi was awarded the gold medal in the under-66 kg weight class, with Faris Kashmeeri taking silver, and Imran Strauss and Khalid Al-Mekainzi bronze.

Mohammed bin Hareem claimed gold in the under-77 kg section, while silver went to Mohammed Huraymal, and bronze medals to Mohanad Aziz and Yusuf Al-Majid.

The over-88 kg division saw Sultan Kandil receive gold, Abdulmohsen Al-Mohaia silver, and Saud Ahmed and Faris Al-Majed bronze. In the under-88 kg category, Omar Nada was the gold-medal winner, Abdalrahman Abu Irmeileh took silver, and bronze was awarded to Khaled Al-Ghamdi and Osama Al-Sumari.

Abdulaziz Al-Masad, deputy minister of sport and youth affairs, and Joao Chantemerle, secretary-general of the Jujitsu International Federation, congratulated the winners.

Three finals in mixed martial arts:

The mixed martial arts competitions will on Thursday be held at the King Saud University Swimming Hall with three championship bouts taking center stage.

The first match will see Malik Basahel take on Abbes Hadded in the under-61.2 kg contest, with Ahmed Al-Mufarrij and Mohammed Moufrij competing in the under-70.3 kg division, and Mohammed Assoum up against Ahmed Albrahim in the under-83.9 kg category.

Men’s basketball finals — Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr:

Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr will go head-to-head in the men’s basketball finals being held in the Green Hall of the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex.

Al-Hilal earned their spot in the final with an 81-51 semi-final win, while Al-Nassr secured their place with a narrow 75-73 victory. Before the championship match, the defeated semi-finalists Al-Ahli and Ohod will vie for bronze.

Women’s basketball finals — Jeddah United vs Al-Asima:

The women’s basketball tournament will reach its conclusion with a Green Hall championship showdown between Jeddah United, the defending champions, and Al-Asima.

Jeddah United secured their championship place by defeating Al-Ittihad 53-29 in the semis, while Al-Asima triumphed over Al-Hilal 58-41. Al-Hilal will tackle Al-Ittihad for bronze before the final takes place.

Mudhar men top handball standings:

In the men’s handball competitions, Mudhar currently leads Group A with six points following their 33-22 victory over Al-Qarah.

Meanwhile, Al-Zulfi maintained third place after narrowly defeating Al-Jeel 25-24. In Group B, Al-Khaleej continued to dominate with a 27-24 defeat of Al-Safa. Meanwhile, Al-Muheet secured a 47-19 win against Al-Njoom, placing them third.

In Group 4, Al-Hadawill go up against Al-Wehda, while in Group 3, Al-Ahli will face Al-Noor, and Al-Hazem will take on Al-Adalah.

Youth handball — Al-Noor advances to semi-finals:

The men’s Al-Noor handball team secured a spot in the semi-finals of the youth handball tournament after defeating Al-Wehda 33-27. In the same group, Al-Hada emerged victorious against Al-Hazem, winning 33-23.

Three other matches will see Al-Hilal versus Al-Ahli, Al-Qarah play Mudhar, and Al-Safa against Al-Khaleej.

Hail and Jeddah reach deaf futsal quarterfinals:

Hail Deaf Center and Jeddah Deaf Club secured their spots in the quarterfinals of the deaf futsal competition, which took place at Al-Nassr Club Hall. Hail Deaf Center beat Abha Deaf Center 8-0, while Jeddah Deaf Club defeated Al-Sharqiya Deaf Club 10-0.

Hail Deaf Center will now go head-to-head against Al-Riyadh Deaf Club, with Al-Sharqiya Deaf Club facing Bisha Deaf Center, and Makkah Deaf Center meeting Taif Deaf Center.

Khadijah to ignite Saudi Games 2023 Fan Zone:

The Saudi Games Fan Zone was on Thursday staging a musical extravaganza, featuring Saudi star Khadijah Muath, at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex.

Fan Zone visitors can take part in activities and challenges presented in collaboration with Guinness World Records, and there are designated areas for children’s activities, a DJ platform, and a food and beverage section.

Public admission is free, and tickets can be reserved online.


Pakistan hope to put chaos behind them and focus on Australia tests

Pakistan hope to put chaos behind them and focus on Australia tests
Updated 07 December 2023
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Pakistan hope to put chaos behind them and focus on Australia tests

Pakistan hope to put chaos behind them and focus on Australia tests
  • Last time Pakistan won a test Down Under was in late 1995 when nearly half of the current side were not even born
  • Pakistan’s unpredictability means they can never be ruled out but their chaotic buildup makes the tourists tough to back 

Whitewashed in each of their last five test tours of Australia, optimism will be in short supply for Pakistan ahead of a three-match series starting in Perth next week, with new captain Shan Masood’s task made even more difficult by a depleted bowling corps.

The last time Pakistan won a test Down Under was in late 1995 when nearly half of the current side were not even born, and in Pat Cummins-led Australia they face the reigning world test champions.

Pakistan’s unpredictability means they can never be ruled out but their chaotic buildup to the series makes the tourists tough to back in Australia.

Masood inherited the test captaincy from Babar Azam, who stepped down as all-formats skipper last month in the wake of their failure to make the semifinals of the 50-overs World Cup in India.

Pakistan were not exactly spoiled for choice for the role but in Masood they have a level-headed leader who can shoulder the burden of the test captaincy while allowing Babar to focus solely on being the team’s batting bulwark.

A major concern for Pakistan is their bowling unit, which is usually their strong suit.

Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi has not looked the same since returning from a knee injury and is a lesser force without Naseem Shah, recovering from a shoulder injury, operating from the other end.

Pakistan could do with the rapid pace of Haris Rauf but he has declined an offer to be part of the test squad — the limited-overs specialist opting instead to play in Australia’s franchise-based Big Bash League.

Masood has asked for 400-plus totals from his batters but that will not be easy on lively Australian pitches against the likes of Cummins and Mitchell Starc.

“It’s the pace and bounce in Australia, along with their pace attack and Nathan Lyon, which you want to get used to and put under pressure from the word go because they’ve dominated world cricket for a while,” Masood said.

The Pakistan captain will hope to have set the tone for their tour with an unbeaten double hundred in the ongoing tour match in Canberra.


Outbreak of new controversies continues to plague international cricket

Outbreak of new controversies continues to plague international cricket
Updated 07 December 2023
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Outbreak of new controversies continues to plague international cricket

Outbreak of new controversies continues to plague international cricket
  • Two recent controversial developments have done little to improve the image of the game in Australia and Pakistan

All of a sudden cricket has been impacted by an outbreak of controversies. Amongst them have been a fierce dispute between former colleagues in the Australian men’s team, the loss of free-to-air viewing rights in Australia and the appointment of a disgraced Pakistani cricketer as an advisor on national selection.

On Dec. 4, the International Cricket Council announced that Amazon Prime had been awarded the broadcast rights in Australia for all ICC tournaments for the next four years, starting on Jan. 1, 2024.

This means that Australian cricket fans will need to have a Prime Video subscription if they wish to watch Australia’s men’s and women’s teams playing in ICC competitions, including Under-19 World Cup events. There are 11 of them up to the end of 2027. None of the tournaments will be held in Australia. This has provided an opportunity for the ICC and Amazon Prime to avoid so-called Australian anti-siphoning rules.

Unsurprisingly, the establishment of a paywall has been greeted with outrage. The CEO of Free TV Australia, the industry body which represents all free-to-air Australian TV networks, condemned the move, saying that “all Australians deserve the right to share our great sporting moments for free, and that right is in serious jeopardy.”

That view seems to be shared by the federal communications minister, Michelle Rowland, who has recently introduced a bill to parliament that updates anti-siphoning laws. Once in law, free-to-air services must be offered first refusal for important sporting events.

This measure may not go far enough. The Broadcasting Services (Events) Notice, as the anti-siphoning legislation is known, was first introduced in 1992 when the concern was related to subscription TV securing sports rights. The protective provisions apply to senior Australian cricket teams playing in Test, one day and T20 matches in Australia, New Zealand and the UK between Australia and England. Discussion has been reawakened as to whether this geographical coverage should or can be expanded.

It is too late for the timescale of the ICC/Prime deal. Social media comments have been quick to blame the minister and Cricket Australia for this to happen. Neither has any involvement or power in the broadcast deals which the ICC arranges. However, the introduction of Prime, as the fourth major broadcaster of cricket in Australia and the first which is entirely on-line, has added to the melange of cricket viewing options for Australian audiences.

They have been used to a 15-year long joint venture for ICC tournaments between Foxtel and Channel Nine, which ended with this years ODI Final. Cricket Australia’s domestic broadcast rights have been held by a partnership between free-to-air broadcaster Seven and pay TV channel Foxtel since 2018, when Channel Nine lost out after forty years of dominance. A new seven-year domestic rights deal was signed in January 2023 by Seven and Foxtel.

They, along with Foxtel’s video streaming subscription service, Kayo, will broadcast Australian men’s Tests and all women’s internationals on home soil. They will also show both the men’s and women’s Big Bash. Fox Cricket and Kayo broadcast Australian men’s limited-overs internationals on home soil, non-Ashes Australian men’s internationals and women’s outside of Australia.

The once dominant Channel Nine has the rights to broadcast the England v Australia Ashes series scheduled to played in England in 2027 and 2031. Domestic men’s and women’s competitions are broadcast by Cricket Australia’s Live app and cricket.com.au, with selected matches shown on Fox and Kayo. At least for the next four years, the broadcasting landscape for Australian audiences looks stable if not wholly acceptable, given the new loss of free-to-air.

This means that audiences will have to pay for all international limited-overs cricket played by Australia’s men’s and women’s teams. The next ICC event scheduled to be hosted in Australia is the T20 World Cup in 2028, after the timeframe of the Amazon deal. The battle is on to preserve an Australian way of life — the opportunity for all to enjoy free TV coverage of iconic sporting events,

Alongside this development, two former colleagues in the Australian men’s team have locked horns. Mitchell Johnson, who retired in November 2015, has criticized the decision of opening batter David Warner to choreograph his retirement. Warner announced his plans on June 3, 2022, targeting the third test against Pakistan in Sydney in January as his Test swansong.

Johnson thinks it wrong that a player can attempt to influence team selectors in this way. He argues that Warner’s recent performances do not justify his selection. Furthermore, Johnson has rekindled the tensions over Warner’s involvement in a ball-tampering incident in South Africa in 2018 over which Johnson feels that Warner displayed insufficient contrition.

Current colleagues have come to Warner’s defense and former players have commented that the affair paints a bad image for Australian cricket. Johnson also criticized the chair of selectors for being too close to the players, implying that this is a contributory factor to Warner’s continuing presence in the team. When Warner made his original announcement, it did appear to be rather presumptuous. Johnson has a point, but he could have expressed it in a less vituperative manner. It seems that he may have been prompted into action by a text which he received from Warner on another issue.

In Pakistan, those who replaced the leaders of the men’s team in the 2023 World Cup caused an embarrassment by appointing a former captain, Salman Butt, as a selection consultant. Butt received a five-year ban from cricket and served a seven-month prison sentence for spot-fixing in Test in 2010. A wave of criticism from commentators, journalists and ex-players, caused the chief selector to reverse his poorly judged appointment after one day.

Two of the three controversies are not good for the image of two countries — Australia and Pakistan. Whether the ICC’s broadcasting rights deal will damage its image will take longer to be emerge. No doubt, the ICC will be happy with the undisclosed funds it has generated, but incurring the wrath of Australians, seemingly without consultation, may have unintended consequences.


Formula E confirms suppliers for Gen4 car to debut in season 13

Formula E confirms suppliers for Gen4 car to debut in season 13
Updated 07 December 2023
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Formula E confirms suppliers for Gen4 car to debut in season 13

Formula E confirms suppliers for Gen4 car to debut in season 13
  • Season 9 saw the introduction of the Gen3 car, and now the new Gen4 will launch in the 2026-2027 championship

DUBAI: The FIA has confirmed its choice of suppliers for the Gen4 race car set to debut in season 13 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in 2026-2027.

Formula E is just nine seasons old, having debuted in 2014, but the on-track technology has undergone revolutionary changes.

The tender process saw Formula E and the FIA evaluate bidders on various technical specifications. As with the Gen3, the Gen4’s process saw sustainability take centerstage, covering emissions and resource consumption. Gen4 will be a net-zero race car by design, like its predecessor.

Spark Racing Technology will continue to supply the chassis to Formula E, as it has done since inception.

Podium AT, an Italian company, will become an FIA World Championship single supplier of batteries for the first time.

Marelli will provide front powertrain, extending the Italian brand’s longstanding relationship with the FIA. Bridgestone will provide the tires, marking the manufacturer’s return to an FIA World Championship for the first time in 15 years.

Season nine saw Formula E’s third great leap and the introduction to the Gen3 era, with the new car previewed and launched at the 2022 Monaco E-Prix and hitting the track for the first time in Valencia, at testing, later that year.

The Gen3 is lighter, smaller, faster and more sustainable than previous cars, and incorporates a number of cutting-edge features. It is also the most efficient race car on the planet, with almost 50 percent of the energy it expends recaptured for use through the rear and a new front powertrain, for up to 600 kilowatts total regeneration.

Before the Gen4 debut, the Gen3.5 will hit the track in seasons 11 and 12.

Activation of the front powertrain in drive and use of four-wheel drive in certain scenarios, softer compound, and bodywork tweaks are all on the table as possibilities — with lap times projected to be several seconds faster than is currently possible with Gen3.


Cameron Bancroft makes half-century against Pakistan in ‘bat-off’ to replace Warner

Cameron Bancroft makes half-century against Pakistan in ‘bat-off’ to replace Warner
Updated 07 December 2023
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Cameron Bancroft makes half-century against Pakistan in ‘bat-off’ to replace Warner

Cameron Bancroft makes half-century against Pakistan in ‘bat-off’ to replace Warner
  • Pakistan declared at 391-9 after captain Shan Masood completed a double century
  • Pakistan’s warm-up match will follow a three-Test series beginning in Australia next week

SYDNEY: Cameron Bancroft hit 53 and Marcus Harris 49 against Pakistan Thursday in their quest to become Australia’s new Test opener, but neither was able to push on and make a big score.
They helped the Prime Minister’s XI reach 149-2 at stumps in Canberra to trail by 242 in Pakistan’s only warm-up match before the three-Test series starting in Perth next week.
The visitors declared at 391-9 after captain Shan Masood completed a double century, having resumed day two of the four-day game at Manuka Oval on 156, smashing 14 fours and six in his 201 not out.
South Australian quick Jordan Buckingham took 5-80.
Billed as a “bat-off” to replace David Warner, Bancroft and Harris got the nod to open ahead of Matt Renshaw, who is also a contender to fill the void left by the veteran when he retires.
Warner has indicated he plans to quit the longer format after the third Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January, his home venue.
Bancroft, best known for his role in the notorious “Sandpaper-gate” ball-tampering scandal in 2018, was patient in building a half-century before he was trapped lbw by Khurram Shahzad.
Harris, who has been in and around the Test side since his debut in 2018, fell short of his 50 when caught by Shahzad at mid-off from the spin of Abrar Ahmed.
Renshaw was not out 18 and Cameron Green was unbeaten on 19.