UAE-based free divers target more underwater records

UAE-based free divers target more underwater records
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Freediving has increased in popularity across the Middle East in recent years. (Supplied)
UAE-based free divers target more underwater records
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Providing a simultaneous physiological and psychological challenge like few other sports, free diving is pushing the limits of human endurance. (Supplied)
UAE-based free divers target more underwater records
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Providing a simultaneous physiological and psychological challenge like few other sports, free diving is pushing the limits of human endurance. (Supplied)
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Updated 19 September 2023
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UAE-based free divers target more underwater records

UAE-based free divers target more underwater records
  • Sport of ‘apnea’ has increased in popularity across the Middle East in recent years

After years in the shadow of scuba, the sport of free diving has been increasingly moving from the marginal to the mainstream. Also known by its scientific name “apnea,” free diving has always had a fervent following, with its practitioners often obsessively chasing marginal gains in performance.

Providing a simultaneous physiological and psychological challenge like few other sports, free diving is pushing the limits of human endurance.

Just last year, French free diver Arnaud Jerald broke the world record for the deepest dive with bi-fins as he descended to a depth of 120 meters in 3 minutes, 34 seconds.

Helped by hit Netflix shows like “The Deepest Breath” and “Hold Your Breath: The Ice Dive,” free diving’s popularity is firmly on the rise and the organization Freediving UAE exemplifies this. It began life in 2009 as a small group of passionate practitioners but has grown into a thriving community of divers — many of whom now test their limits in competitions.

In July, one such event, the Apnea Pirates AIDA Cup, was hosted in Dubai. Organized under the auspices of the International Association for the Development of Apnea, it was a first taste of competitive free diving for some and was notable for a number of new national records being set. Palestinian Firas Fayyad and Iraqi Aws Lafta were among those to claim new benchmarks for their respective nations.

Former scuba diver Fayyad claimed five Palestinian records including holding his breath for 5:24 in the Static Apnea category and swimming 75 meters horizontally underwater in the Dynamic With Fins competition. For Fayyad, it was a documentary about New Zealander William Trubridge, the first man to dive deeper than 100 meters without oxygen, that initially piqued his interest.

“I remember thinking he must be just a one-off, crazy guy,” Fayyad said. “I definitely didn’t think it was a sport so although I was curious, I never really gave it much attention.

“Then I was in Dahab in Egypt three years ago for scuba diving and I saw all these people standing to one side stretching and doing yoga. The scuba instructors told me they were free divers and then when we were underwater, I saw them come from nowhere and just disappear below us, super-fast and with no equipment.

“The next day I went to sign up for a free diving course and that’s where it began.”

As a long-time yoga practitioner, Fayyad quickly became attuned to the nuances of breathwork in free diving and found himself improving quickly.

“The yoga background really helped and within the first month I was doing some big numbers,” the Palestinian explained. “I wasn’t really training to compete but then I started reaching some big numbers that were competition worthy and so I did it and of course it’s an honor to hold the national record.”

Fayyad admits that he has “had some accidents along the way” and the risk of passing out, and even dying, in free diving competition is certainly very real.

“Yes there are blackouts in the sport, particularly in competition, and while it’s not ideal, it is usually resolved on the spot and most divers don’t even have to go to the hospital. Ultimately, there are factors you can be aware of that reduces that risk — the way you prepare your body and your training.

“I’ve injured myself in almost every sport I ever played — broken shoulders, knee pain. But the only sport I’ve never had a lasting injury in is free diving.”

Iraqi national recordholder Lafta, echoes that sentiment, insisting that an understanding of safety is central to all free divers’ training.

“For me the fear is of not executing the dive properly, not of dying,” Lafta said. “Free diving can be very intense and painful and nerve-racking. But if you feel that way you will not go deep.

“You must force yourself to be more calm and more self-aware and these qualities help make smoother diving experience. Fear in anything is normal but safety is paramount in free diving and when you understand this, it is easier to push your limits.”

Lafta first found his way into the sport after becoming interested in spearfishing and discovering he first needed a free diving qualification. Now they are twin passions and he is the first to encourage others to try them out.  

“Every weekend I drove 200 kilometers from Abu Dhabi to just learn but I loved escaping the city and that down there underwater, it’s totally a mental game,” he said. “I fell in love with the challenge of it.

“I never thought I’d be a competitor but there is something very enjoyable about pushing yourself through a certain amount of discomfort to achieve a personal best. And of course, the feeling of freefall in the water is not something that you can replicate anywhere. If your mind is turned off and you’re free, falling in the water — it’s pretty epic.”

“Really free diving is like life. When you relax, you thrive. In life, if we are hungry, angry, stressed — we tense up, we struggle through and we don’t enjoy it. But when we find a way to deal with the pressure, we are happy.”


Saudi U-23 football team beat Vietnam 3-1 in Asian Games

Saudi U-23 football team beat Vietnam 3-1 in Asian Games
Updated 58 min 12 sec ago
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Saudi U-23 football team beat Vietnam 3-1 in Asian Games

Saudi U-23 football team beat Vietnam 3-1 in Asian Games
  • The Greens will face the Indian team in the qualifying rounds on Thursday

HANGZHOU, China: The Saudi under-23 football team qualified for the second round of the event in the Asian Games after defeating Vietnam 3-1 on Sunday.
Scoring for the Green Falcons were Mohammed Al-Yami in the 43rd minute, Mohammed Maran in the 87th minute, and Zakaria Hawsawi in the 90th minute.
The Greens will face the Indian team in the qualifying rounds on Thursday.
In tennis, Ammar Al-Haqbani of the Saudi team qualified for the round of 32 in the men's singles competitions, after defeating Qatar'sRashid Naif, 2-0, in the round of 64.

Ammar will next meet on Monday the 60th ranked player in the world, Zhizhen Zhang of China's.
His sister, Yara, lost to Mongolia's Maraljo Shumjav in the round of 64 of the women’s singles tennis competition in two sets to zero.
Ammar and Yara will open the tennis doubles competition at 3 p.m. Monday, facing the Indonesian national team. 

In Taekwondo, the Saudi Arabia's Wahid Mughais was eliminated from the quarter-finals of the individual poomsae competition, after losing to Vietnam's Tran with a score of 7230 against 7490 points.
Wahid had qualified for this round by defeating the Bangladeshi Hussein Noureddine with a score of 7400 against 6460 points.
His colleague Abrar Bukhari dropped out of the competition after losing to Pakistan's Naila with a score of 7340 against 7180 points.

The Saudi under-23 football team qualified for the second round of the event in the Asian Games after defeating Vietnam 3-1 on Sunday. (Supplied)

In e-sports, Saudi Arabia's Ahmed Mujahid retired from competitions early after losing to Vietnam's Duc Hieu Trong with a score of 2-0, and losing to (Non Martinez) from Macau with the same score.
In boxing, the Kingdom's Musa Al-Hawsawi lost his match to Kyrgyzstan's Azat Usenaliev by knockout in the second round of the round of 32 competitions in the over 63-kilogram category.
Saudi rowers Sultan Al-Shali and Turki Al-Aarif ended their participation in the tournament after finishing 12th in the overall standings of the doubles competition in the (LM2x) category. The duo finished the race with a time of 6.56.63 minutes.
In handball, the Saudi handball team lost its first match to Japan with a score of 29 against 37 points. The first half of the match ended with a Japanese lead of 20-14 points.
The Greens Hand will play their second match in the tournament, when they meet the  Mongolian team at 4 p.m. on Monday.


Newcastle thrash Sheffield United 8-0 in Premier League

Newcastle thrash Sheffield United 8-0 in Premier League
Updated 24 September 2023
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Newcastle thrash Sheffield United 8-0 in Premier League

Newcastle thrash Sheffield United 8-0 in Premier League
  • Victory lifts Newcastle up to eighth and within five points of the top four

SHEFFIELD: Newcastle came close to matching the Premier League's record margin of victory as they thrashed Sheffield United 8-0 at Bramall Lane on Sunday.
Eddie Howe's side ran riot with goals from Sean Longstaff, Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Callum Wilson, Anthony Gordon, Miguel Almiron, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.
The biggest winning margin in the Premier League era is 9-0, a score recorded by Manchester United against Ipswich and Southampton in 1995 and 2021 respectively.
Liverpool won 9-0 against Bournemouth last year, while Leicester managed it against Southampton in 2019.
Sheffield United's largest ever league defeat sent the Blades to the bottom of the Premier League table.
With just one point from their first six games back in the English top flight, Paul Heckingbottom's future as manager is now in doubt.
"The first-half goals we conceded were really poor, but it's the second half I'm upset with," said Heckingbottom.
"The errors that led to goals, a lot of things I'd never seen before, and there's certain things that aren't acceptable."
Newcastle had lost three of their opening five league games of the season to dampen expectations that the Saudi-backed Magpies could challenge for the title.
Howe's men had been in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years on Tuesday as they played out a 0-0 draw away to AC Milan.
But Newcastle showed no signs of fatigue and they exhibited their strength in depth as they became the first side in Premier League history to have eight different scorers in one match, not including own goals.
"I thought we were really good, and once the goals came the confidence returned," said Howe.
"What a response from the players in the past week."
Sheffield United had started the game brightly at an emotional Bramall Lane as tributes were paid to Maddy Cusack.
The 27-year-old, who was the longest-serving player in the club's women's side and also worked in the club's commercial department, died earlier this week.
However, the hosts fell apart as Newcastle struck three times in a 14-minute spell.
Longstaff swept home Gordon's cross before centre-backs Dan Burn and Sven Botman headed home from Kieran Trippier crosses.
Trippier had a hat-trick of assists shortly after the break as he set up Wilson.
It was 5-0 just after the hour mark when Gordon capped a scintillating display by cutting inside and curling a fine 20-yard shot into the bottom corner.
Almiron's sweet strike found the bottom corner to make it six before Guimaraes converted a loose ball in the area.
Substitute Isak completed the rout by latching on to a loose header from Tom Davies.
Victory lifts Newcastle up to eighth and within five points of the top four.


Al-Kholood boss Fabiano Flora eyes Al-Ittihad giant-killing in King’s Cup

“Of course, this is one of the biggest matches of my coaching career, Fabiano Flora said ahead of the King’s Cup clash.
“Of course, this is one of the biggest matches of my coaching career, Fabiano Flora said ahead of the King’s Cup clash.
Updated 24 September 2023
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Al-Kholood boss Fabiano Flora eyes Al-Ittihad giant-killing in King’s Cup

“Of course, this is one of the biggest matches of my coaching career, Fabiano Flora said ahead of the King’s Cup clash.
  • Sharing the spotlight with Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Fabinho will give the second-tier club belief in its quest for promotion, says coach

Among a host of fascinating King’s Cup ties this week is the visit of star-studded Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Ittihad to second-tier side Al-Kholood on Tuesday.

While there is every chance that Nuno Espirito Santo will rest some of his big players, opposite number Fabiano Flora is hoping that the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Fabinho and Jota will take to the field at Al-Kholood’s modest 8,000-capacity ground, which they share with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hazem.

“Of course, this is one of the biggest matches of my coaching career, Flora told Arab News ahead of the King’s Cup clash.

“Al-Ittihad is not just the biggest team in Saudi Arabia as the champions last season. This is a club that is one of the most important in Asia, too, and has the capacity to win the AFC Champions League.

“It is a tough game against Nuno because they have a great team with high-quality players. We know all of them — Benzema, Fabinho, Kante. It’s a big team and a big challenge, but at the same time it is a great experience for me and my players.”

Flora has admired the work done at Al-Ittihad by fellow Portuguese coach Nuno.

“Nuno has obviously had a great career now, working with big clubs and with big experience,” Flora said. “He has clear principles in the way he wants his team to play and from what I see, he tries to keep things simple for his players.

“Al-Ittihad are adaptable to different formations and tactics, but the football they play is not complex — they play effectively with simple processes. We know this will be a difficult game.”

Flora has been in charge of Al-Kholood for just three weeks, but has made an immediate impact, leading the club to three successive wins in the Saudi First Division since his arrival. Al-Ittihad will represent a different challenge entirely, but the 38-year-old insists his side are primed to cause a cup upset.

“It is still early days for me, but I think the team is improving and we feel ready to compete,” he said. “In the league we have beaten Al-Batin, who came from the Saudi Pro League last season, and also Al-Arabi, who have spent a lot of money to try to get promotion this year.

“We are in a good moment so let’s see. Everything is possible in football; with good organization, with a good mentality, I think we can play a very good match and we can compete with Al-Ittihad.”

Flora hopes that the experience of playing against the reigning Saudi Pro League champions will give Al-Kholood players the belief that they can gain promotion this season, although he recognizes that the Saudi First Division is hugely competitive.

“I came here because I believe we can do some something important. We know it is difficult for us because there has been some big investment from four or five teams this season, but we also know that there is quality in our team.”

Flora’s coaching career has been a globetrotting adventure that began in traditional surroundings at the academy of Serie A side Lazio, but has also taken in less-traditional footballing nations, including Myanmar, Madagascar and Timor-Leste.

“Working in different places gives you such a rich experience as a coach — you are not just learning about the tactical and technical side of the game but about society and culture, too. You become more adaptable as a coach.”

Managers such as Arrigo Sacchi, Jose Mourinho and Carlos Alberto Parreira have demonstrated that you do not need to have a professional football career to become a successful coach, and it is a blueprint that Flora is trying to follow.

“Of course, when you are a player and have lived inside the group, you understand the feelings players have in certain moments.

“But when you don’t play, you have more time to learn. This is a big difference. You start to think early on about football — how you can improve players, how you can improve as a coach — and you can study the game in more depth. As a player, you just don’t have this time.”

Flora spent a number of years at Lazio before working at Juventus when Antonio Conte was first-team coach.

“I learned a lot in in Italy; I think they stay one step in front of all coaches in the world in terms of their tactical approach,” Flora said.

“When you work in the youth leagues with these big clubs with a great history, of course I was able to connect with people like Filippo Inzaghi and Paolo Negro — important players who have had valuable experience. You learn from them and the way they think about football.”

Just 15 months ago, Flora’s colorful coaching career had taken him to Latvia, but on Monday he will test his tactical acumen against a world-class coach and a team bursting with talented players. It is an opportunity he is relishing.

“It’s a good feeling, of course, when you play against a big club with big players. When you are young or early in your career, you are always thinking about the future and whether these moments might come.

“You want to believe it will happen so when it does, this feels like a great reward for the decisions you have made, the places you have coached, the challenges you have taken. Really, I feel a great satisfaction and I am looking forward to this match.”


Trevor Peek ‘has a tough fight in front of him and I’m coming for the kill,’ says UAE’s mixed martial arts warrior

Trevor Peek ‘has a tough fight in front of him and I’m coming for the kill,’ says UAE’s mixed martial arts warrior
Updated 24 September 2023
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Trevor Peek ‘has a tough fight in front of him and I’m coming for the kill,’ says UAE’s mixed martial arts warrior

Trevor Peek ‘has a tough fight in front of him and I’m coming for the kill,’ says UAE’s mixed martial arts warrior
  • Mohammad Yahya will make his UFC bow against Peek on Oct. 21 at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena
  • Yahya believes the home court advantage will tip the odds in his favor

A month out from his historic debut in the UFC next month, UAE’s Mohammad Yahya is already talking a big game.

The first fighter from the Emirates, and the Gulf region, to sign with the world’s leading MMA promotion, Yahya will make his UFC bow against Trevor Peek on Oct. 21 at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena.

Peek may have experience on his side given it will be his third UFC outing, but Yahya believes the home court advantage will tip the odds in his favor.

“He has one win, one loss in the UFC. But he’s coming to my turf, he’s coming to my land, so he’s the one who’s going to be nervous,” Yahya told Arab News in an interview.

“I’ve fought in Etihad Arena, I defended my belt there, three, four times. That arena is basically my home. So he’s coming to fight me there, he’s the one who needs to be nervous and he has a tough fight in front of him and I’m coming for the kill.”

Yahya’s words sound all the more convincing when you realize that they are accompanied by a soft-spoken voice and an ice-cold demeanor.

The 29-year-old has indeed defended his UAE Warriors Arabia lightweight championship title on three occasions at Abu Dhabi’s state-of-the-art indoor arena, most recently last February, and enters his clash with Peek at UFC 294 carrying a five-fight winning streak.

Based in Dubai and training out of TK MMA Fit gym in Media City, Yahya first fell in love with mixed martial arts at the age of 14, watching it on television with his brother and cousins.

“My brother said it’s kind of like WWE, but they actually fight. I was shocked that they were actually hitting each other for real and they’re fighting,” Yahya said.

“And then over the years we just kept following the UFC, watching the events and then the Ultimate Fighter came out, I watched a few of their seasons.

“I wanted to find somewhere to train in the UAE but there weren’t that many gyms, so I ended up finding some kung fu gym and trained there; ended up loving it and had my first fight and just loved it and kept on doing it.”

Yahya began his career in Tam Khan’s Dubai Fighting Championship in 2012 before joining regional promotion Desert Force. He signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator in 2017 then made his way to UAE Warriors two years later.

It has admittedly been a long road, but Yahya insists that he always knew the day would come where he would step into the octagon on the sport’s grandest stage.

“Honestly from a very young age, I always knew I would (make it to the UFC). I stood out and I always put the training in,” he said.

“I think anyone can achieve their dreams with a lot of hard work and determination. And obviously we are in the land of opportunities, the fight capital of Abu Dhabi.

“I had a feeling that I was going to be on this card for maybe about a year. I knew UFC came last year. And then I said, ‘OK, maybe I’ll get on next one’. Then I see the poster and I just felt like I would be on this event and I finally got the opportunity.”

Yahya has had the support of his parents from the start and says that they were particularly pleased with how it introduced discipline to his life “in a different way” during his teen years.

“I was doing better in school, I wasn’t getting in trouble and they could see how dedicated I was to the sport. Now they’re super proud of me that I’m in the UFC,” he said.

“It’s called mixed martial arts, it’s an art. And some people love to express their feelings in what they do and how they perform. So it might look like a crazy sport to some people, and violent, but it’s basically our way of expressing ourselves to people.”

Yahya comes off as an exceptionally calm person, and he says that it is an attribute he relies on heavily in the cage.

“I’m kind of calm in the cage, too. When I was younger, I was more energetic and more wild but now I feel like I’m just focused and I’m very wise and do what I need to do in the cage,” he said.

That level-headedness will come in handy as the hype continues to build up for UFC 294, which will be headlined by Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira, in a rematch of their UFC 280 bout in Abu Dhabi last year.

Yahya is well aware that being the first from the GCC region comes with great responsibility and this is something that he does not taking lightly.

“Obviously, I’m representing the whole nation, I’m representing my country as I’ve always done. I wouldn’t have accepted this opportunity if I wasn’t ready. I knew I can do this and I’m looking to make a lot of people proud on 21 October,” he said.

“My approach is as every fight, normally I’m very calm for the fight, I’m never nervous. Obviously, this is a whole different game, it’s the Ultimate Fighting Championship, so it’s the ultimate. And obviously there’s going to be 15,000 16,000 people there and observe. I think the last pay-per-view on this when Islam and Oliveira fought, it sold 50 million pay-per-views, or 40 million pay-per-views.

“No one wants to get knocked out in front of those people and lose. So I’m taking this fight very seriously. The pressure is obviously there but you have to overcome it, that’s what makes you different to other people, it’s how you deal with all that pressure.”


Dominant champion Al-Qemzi grabs pole in Portugal

Dominant champion Al-Qemzi grabs pole in Portugal
Updated 24 September 2023
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Dominant champion Al-Qemzi grabs pole in Portugal

Dominant champion Al-Qemzi grabs pole in Portugal
  • Team Abu Dhabi star underlines F2 superiority as battle for silver and bronze goes down to the wire

VILA VELHA DE RODAO: Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al-Qemzi underlined his dominance of the 2023 UIM F2 World Championship on Saturday with another stunning performance to secure pole position for Sunday’s final Grand Prix of the season in Portugal.

Having wrapped up his fourth F2 world title with one round to spare last weekend, the Emirati driver produced another impressive display to win the seven-boat qualifying shoot-out in dramatic fashion at Vila Velha de Rodao.

Lithuania’s Edgaras Riabko briefly looked to be heading for a repeat of his pole position success in Peso da Regua when he squeezed ahead of Al-Qemzi late in the session, but the champion responded with a brilliant final lap to take the honors.

Norway’s Tobias Munthe-Kaas set the third-fastest qualifying time ahead of Portugal’s Duarte Benavente, Estonian Stefan Arand, Team Abu Dhabi’s Mansoor Al-Mansoori and Sweden’s Mathilda Wiberg.

While the title race pressure is removed for Al-Qemzi, he is determined to complete the season with a third Grand Prix success of the campaign tomorrow afternoon following wins in Lithuania and Italy.

The battle for the championship’s silver and bronze medal positions is still wide open, however, and there was fierce competition for qualifying places, with the intensity set to continue tomorrow.

It was on the Tagus River at Vila Velha de Rodao two years ago that Al-Qemzi scored a second Grand Prix victory in the space of eight days to wrap up his third F2 world title.

Happy to be back at the venue, a week after adding to his title triumphs in 2017, 2019 and 2021, Al-Qemzi was fastest in the free practice session, while Abu Dhabi teammate Al-Mansoori made a late surge to set the third-best time.

Al-Qemzi then cruised through the first of two qualifying rounds behind Benavente, with Wiberg setting the third-quickest time ahead of Al-Mansoori.

With just 13 points separating Riabko, Arand, Monaco’s Giacomo Sacchi, Britain’s Colin Jelf and Al-Mansoori in the tussle for the two remaining overall podium places, the stage is set for a big climax to the season.

It has been a fiercely competitive championship season, and Al-Qemzi has risen to the challenge superbly to join Swede Erik Stark in the record books as a four-time F2 champion.