NBA expands fan events surrounding Abu Dhabi games 2023

NBA expands fan events surrounding Abu Dhabi games 2023
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the LA Lakers skyhooks over Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets during a game played in 1988 at the Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California. (Getty Images)
NBA expands fan events surrounding Abu Dhabi games 2023
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Gary Payton of the Miami Heat moves the ball against Quinton Ross of the Los Angeles Clippers during a game at American Airlines Arena on January 3, 2007 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images)
NBA expands fan events surrounding Abu Dhabi games 2023
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Kenny Smith of the Houston Rockets dribbles the ball up court during a game against the Sacramento Kings circa 1992 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. (Getty Images)
NBA expands fan events surrounding Abu Dhabi games 2023
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Tim Hardaway of the Golden State Warriors dribbles circa 1991 at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Getty Images)
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Updated 05 September 2023
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NBA expands fan events surrounding Abu Dhabi games 2023

NBA expands fan events surrounding Abu Dhabi games 2023
  • NBA Fan Appreciation Day in Abu Dhabi will debut at Etihad Arena on Oct. 6; NBA District will return to Manarat Al-Saadiyat from Oct. 5–8
  • Events will feature appearances by NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Hardaway Sr., Gary Payton and Kenny Smith

ABU DHABI: The National Basketball Association and the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi today announced an expanded series of fan events surrounding the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 Presented by ADQ, which will see the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves play two preseason games on Thursday, Oct. 5 and Saturday, Oct. 7 at 8 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

The first NBA Fan Appreciation Day in Abu Dhabi will take place on Friday, Oct. 6 from 4:30 p.m. GST at Etihad Arena. The unique fan experience will feature appearances by Mavericks and Timberwolves players and NBA legends including 19-time NBA All-Star and six-time NBA champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith. Activities will include a skills challenge and three-point contest featuring Mavericks and Timberwolves players, performances by the Mavericks Entertainment Team, the Timberwolves Dunk Team, and the team mascots, and a slam dunk contest featuring professional dunkers.

NBA District, an interactive event that last year welcomed nearly 10,000 fans, will return to Manarat Al-Saadiyat from Thursday, Oct. 5 to Sunday, Oct. 8. Fans will be able to meet five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway Sr., and nine-time NBA All-Star and NBA champion Gary Payton, participate in basketball activities on a full-size NBA court, watch NBA highlights and programming, take photos with the Larry O’Brien Trophy, purchase limited-edition NBA merchandise, and more.

First access to NBA Fan Appreciation Day in Abu Dhabi tickets will be offered to NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 ticket holders via a unique link starting today and for a one-week period prior to tickets going on general sale on Sep. 14. Tickets for NBA District, which cost AED 55 ($15) for a one-day pass and AED 180 for a four-day pass, are now on sale at ticketmaster.ae.

“We are excited to expand our fan programming around this year’s games by introducing NBA Fan Appreciation Day in Abu Dhabi and bringing back NBA District,” said NBA Europe and Middle East Head of Fan Engagement and Direct-to-Consumer George Aivazoglou. “Through these events, fans of all ages, from Abu Dhabi and abroad, will have more opportunities to interact with the NBA, the Mavericks and the Timberwolves.”

The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 will air live in the UAE and across the Middle East and North Africa on beIN SPORTS, The Sports Channel and NBA League Pass, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital media and social media. In addition to presenting partner ADQ, the games and surrounding events will be supported by a roster of marketing partners, including Aldar, Experience Abu Dhabi, Gatorade, Nike and Tissot.

The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 follow last year’s preseason games between the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks, which marked the league’s first games in the Arabian Gulf. In January, the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi launched an expanded second season of the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, featuring boys’ and girls’ leagues each composed of 450 players ages 11-14 from schools across the UAE capital. The collaboration also includes a variety of interactive fan events featuring appearances by current and former NBA players, a series of NBA FIT clinics promoting health and wellness, and an NBA 2K League exhibition event. The collaboration sees DCT Abu Dhabi, under Experience Abu Dhabi, the tourism promotion initiative of the UAE’s capital, serve as the official tourism destination partner of the NBA in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and China.

NBA fans in the UAE and across the Middle East can shop online at NBAStoreME.com and at the NBA Store at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi for the widest selection of authentic NBA products ever available in the region.

Tickets for the NBA Abu Dhabi 2023 are on sale at etihadarena.ae and ticketmaster.ae.


Tottenham snatch point at Manchester City in classic after Liverpool drama

Tottenham snatch point at Manchester City in classic after Liverpool drama
Updated 20 sec ago
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Tottenham snatch point at Manchester City in classic after Liverpool drama

Tottenham snatch point at Manchester City in classic after Liverpool drama
  • Champions City looked set to move to within one point of leaders Arsenal when they led Spurs 3-2 in the dying minutes
  • Liverpool turned the tables in dramatic fashion against Fulham

LONDON: Dejan Kulusevski headed a dramatic late goal as Tottenham held Manchester City in a six-goal thriller on Sunday after Liverpool staged a sensational comeback on a breathless afternoon in the Premier League.
High-flying Aston Villa scored in the 90th minute to draw 2-2 at Bournemouth while 10-man Chelsea shrugged off a red card for captain Conor Gallagher to edge Brighton 3-2 on a day when 24 goals were scored in five matches.
Champions City looked set to move to within one point of leaders Arsenal when they led Spurs 3-2 in the dying minutes at the Etihad.
But Kulusevski headed home from Brennan Johnson’s cross in the 90th minute to leave City ruing dropped points for the third match running.
Son Heung-min put the away side ahead in the sixth minute but three minutes later the South Korean forward turned villain, putting the ball into his own net.
Phil Foden put City in front just after the half hour following a sweeping move but Giovani Lo Celso levelled about 20 minutes from time.
Jack Grealish restored the home side’s lead once more, only for Kulusevski to stun the Etihad late on.
“Of course that’s why we love football,” Tottenham captain Son told Sky Sports. “That’s what I told the lads.
“Obviously Man City are a huge, huge team and one of the best teams in the world but that’s why we love football, it happens sometimes. We kept believing until 90 minutes so I’m very very proud of the team.”
Earlier, Liverpool appeared set for their first home defeat in the Premier League since October 2022 when they went 3-2 down to Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s goal in the 80th minute.
But they turned the tables in dramatic fashion through Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who struck in the 87th and 88th minutes for a 4-3 win.
It was the latest Liverpool have ever fallen behind in a Premier League match that they went on to win.
“We played an incredible game until we didn’t anymore,” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp told the BBC.
“All credit to Fulham, they did really well. Today we scored four worldies and were lucky in the end to win the game, and that tells you everything.”
Alexander-Arnold set Liverpool on their way in the 20th minute when his brilliant free-kick clipped the underside of the crossbar and went in off Fulham keeper Bernd Leno for an own goal.
Harry Wilson levelled before Alexis Mac Allister produced a moment of magic to restore the home side’s lead, unleashing a rising drive that found the top corner for his first Liverpool goal.
But Fulham equalized through Kenny Tete before half time and the London side looked set for a sensational victory when substitute De Cordova-Reid nodded home their third with 10 minutes of normal time to go.
However, Liverpool were not finished. Mohamed Salah set up Endo, who found the net from the edge of the box and Alexander-Arnold drove the ball home a minute later, sparking wild scenes at Anfield.
Chelsea recorded just their second Premier League home win of the season against Brighton, despite being reduced to 10 men before half-time.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men were cruising midway through the first half after goals from Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill.
Facundo Buonanotte halved the deficit for the visitors shortly before half-time and there was still time for Gallagher to pick up a second yellow card before the break, changing the complexion of the match.
Fernandez restored Chelsea’s two-goal cushion from the penalty spot, but Joao Pedro struck in stoppage time to heap the pressure on the home side but they held on.
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins headed home a cross from Moussa Diaby in the 90th minute to rescue a point Unai Emery’s team, which kept them in fourth place.
At the London Stadium, Mohammed Kudus put West Ham ahead in the first half, before Odsonne Edouard equalized in the second period to earn a point for Crystal Palace.


Fatima Sana, Shawaal Zulfiqar lead Pakistan women to historic win against New Zealand

Fatima Sana, Shawaal Zulfiqar lead Pakistan women to historic win against New Zealand
Updated 1 min 2 sec ago
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Fatima Sana, Shawaal Zulfiqar lead Pakistan women to historic win against New Zealand

Fatima Sana, Shawaal Zulfiqar lead Pakistan women to historic win against New Zealand
  • Pakistan defeated New Zealand women by seven wickets in the first T20I
  • Player of the match Fatima Sana took three wickets, Shawaal scored 41 runs

DUNEDIN: Pakistan women’s team created history on Sunday as they defeated New Zealand by seven wickets in the first T20I at the University of Otago Oval in Dunedin.  

Chasing 128-run target, Pakistan’s opening pair of Shawaal Zulfiqar and Muneeba Ali provided a decent 40-run start to the innings. Muneeba (23 off 24, four fours) was the first batter to return to the pavilion.  

At that stage, captain Nida Dar promoted herself up in the order and knitted 51 runs for the second wicket with right-handed batter Shawaal. Playing her sixth T20I and first on New Zealand soil, 18-year-old Shawaal scored her highest T20I score of 41 off 42 balls, smashing seven boundaries. 

Following Shawaal’s departure at the end of the 13th over with 91 runs on the board, Nida too was dismissed after a quick-fire 23 off 14 balls, including a four and a six.  

With back-to-back wickets falling, the experienced pair of Bismah Maroof and Aliya Riaz got together and guided the team to a seven-wicket win with 10 balls to spare. Aliya returned unbeaten on 25 off 12 balls. Her innings included two fours and a six, the latter of which she struck on the second ball of the 19th over to finish the match. Bismah was undefeated on 13 off 18 balls, hitting a four. 

"The victory vibes in Dunedin," the Pakistan Cricket Board wrote on X, sharing scenes from Otago Oval. "Grateful for the support we received in the first T20I." 

 

 

 

This marked the first win for Pakistan women’s team over the White Ferns in the T20I format.  

Earlier, after opting to bat first, New Zealand were restricted to 127 for six courtesy of a fine bowling display by the touring side. Right-arm fast Fatima Sana, who missed the Bangladesh tour due to injury, capitalized on the overcast conditions and bowled a spell of four overs, giving away only 18 runs and bagging three wickets. Nida, Diana Baig and Aliya took a wicket each. 

For New Zealand, Maddy Green was the top run-getter, scoring 44 not out off 28 balls, hitting four fours. 

Pakistan will now take on New Zealand in the second T20I on Tuesday at the same venue, while the third and final T20I of the series will be played in Queenstown on December 9. 


Medjedovic upsets Fils to win 5-set Next Gen Finals championship match

Medjedovic upsets Fils to win 5-set Next Gen Finals championship match
Updated 03 December 2023
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Medjedovic upsets Fils to win 5-set Next Gen Finals championship match

Medjedovic upsets Fils to win 5-set Next Gen Finals championship match
  • First five-set final in six editions of the tournament

RIYADH: Hamad Medjedovic squandered two match points before he finally upset the top-seeded Arthur Fils and won the Next Gen Finals championship match on Saturday.
It was the first five-set final in six editions of the tournament.
Medjedovic missed the chance to seal it in four but converted his third match point in the fifth to beat Fils 3-4 (6), 4-1, 4-2, 3-4 (9), 4-1 after two hours, 11 minutes.
The 20-year-old Medjedovic did not lose a match on his way to becoming the first Serbian to win the tournament for the top eight players aged 21 or under.
The tournament was held in Saudi Arabia for the first time after it was played in Milan ever since the inaugural edition in 2017. Besides shorter sets, other changes to the usual tennis rules included shorter changeovers and less time on the shot clock for some points.
“I can’t believe I have won this title, but it’s going to give me a lot of confidence for 2024,” said Medjedovic, the lowest-ranked champion yet at No. 110.
The 36th-ranked Fils became the youngest Frenchman in nearly two decades to win an ATP title when he triumphed at Lyon this year.
Medjedovic, who is coached by Serbia Davis Cup captain Viktor Troicki, reached tour-level semifinals in Gstaad and Astana and won three lower-level Challengers this year.

Past Next Gen champions include Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
 


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.


Kashmiri students arrested for celebrating India's Cricket World Cup defeat get bail

Kashmiri students arrested for celebrating India's Cricket World Cup defeat get bail
Updated 03 December 2023
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Kashmiri students arrested for celebrating India's Cricket World Cup defeat get bail

Kashmiri students arrested for celebrating India's Cricket World Cup defeat get bail
  • Police dropped the charges and an Indian court granted bail to the students on Saturday, according to their lawyer
  • In granting bail, the court imposed a condition the students should be available when needed for the investigation

SRINAGAR: An Indian court has granted bail to seven Kashmiri students who were arrested under anti-terror laws for allegedly celebrating Australia's victory over India in the men's Cricket World Cup final last month, a lawyer said on Sunday. 

The students from an agriculture university were detained in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) after one student filed a complaint accusing them of using anti-India slogans and cheering for Pakistan along with Australia after the match. 

Claimed in full but ruled in part by India and Pakistan, Muslim-majority Kashmir has seen a bloody insurrection against New Delhi for decades. Muslims in the region have in the past cheered for the competing side in India cricket matches as a way of protesting Indian rule. 

Local political leaders opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's rule over J&K had said the arrests were a way to intimidate locals using the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The act deals with inciting any unlawful activity and is punishable with seven years' imprisonment. 

Police dropped the UAPA charges and an Indian court granted bail to the students on Saturday, according to the lawyer of students, Shafiq Bhat, and a court order seen by Reuters. 

In granting bail, the local court imposed a condition that the students should be available when needed for the investigation and "shall not indulge in any anti national activity," the order stated. 

The students still face allegations under other Indian laws that related to making statements inducing public mischief. 

Australia had entered the World Cup match as clear underdogs against an all-conquering India side, who had won 10 matches in a row to storm into the final. But India was defeated in the final match on Nov. 19. 

India blames Pakistan for supporting the Muslim insurgents. Pakistan denies this and accuses India of violating the rights of Kashmir's Muslim people, a charge India rejects.