Sifan Hassan wins marathon to claim 3rd Paris medal

Sifan Hassan wins marathon to claim 3rd Paris medal
Netherlands’ gold medallist Sifan Hassan celebrates after winning marathon event. (Reuters)
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Updated 11 August 2024
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Sifan Hassan wins marathon to claim 3rd Paris medal

Sifan Hassan wins marathon to claim 3rd Paris medal
  • Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan had taken on what many considered to be a crazy gamble, competing in the 5,000m, the 10,000m and the marathon — the last two events just two days apart

PARIS: Sifan Hassan completed her mission impossible with a gruelling women’s marathon win on the sun-baked streets of Paris Sunday.

On the final day of what has been seen as a spectacular Games, the race to top the medals table was coming down to the final event, with China and the US grappling for dominance.

Dutchwoman Hassan had taken on what many considered to be a crazy gamble, competing in the 5,000m, the 10,000m and the marathon — the last two events just two days apart.

But in a thrilling sprint finish, Hassan overhauled Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa to take gold by three seconds in an Olympic record of 2hr 22min 55sec.

On Friday, she had taken bronze in the 10,000m in the Stade de France after coming away with a bronze in the 5,000m.

She fell to the ground on the blue carpet in front of the golden dome of the Invalides memorial complex in the heart of Paris before grabbing a Dutch flag to celebrate an extraordinary achievement.

“It was not easy,” said Hassan, 31. “It was so hot, but I was feeling OK. I’ve never pushed myself through to the finish line as I did today.”

“Every moment in the race I was regretting that I ran the 5,000m and 10,000m. I was telling myself if I hadn’t done that, I would feel great today.

“From the beginning to the end, it was so hard. Every step of the way. I was thinking, ‘Why did I do that? What is wrong with me?’

Hassan’s victory was a sensational ending to an Olympics athletics program that saw US sprinter Noah Lyles win the 100m by just five thousandths of a second.


Baseball United partners with ECB to launch UAE national team

Baseball United partners with ECB to launch UAE national team
Updated 07 October 2024
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Baseball United partners with ECB to launch UAE national team

Baseball United partners with ECB to launch UAE national team
  • Emirates Cricket Board backs history-making new team that will compete in Baseball United Arab Classic tournament next month
  • Baseball United presented the plan for the team and program to the ECB as part of its grassroots and community development strategy

DUBAI: Baseball United, the first-ever professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, announced today a plan to form and develop the first national baseball team in the history of the UAE.

Baseball United received official sanctions from the Emirates Cricket Board to manage the UAE National Baseball Team and institute a corresponding development program for baseball in the nation. The Emirates Cricket Board is the governing body for bat and ball sports activities in the UAE.

The new team will compete in international baseball events, beginning with Baseball United’s inaugural Arab Classic tournament, which will take place from Nov. 7-10, 2024, at Baseball United’s new ballpark in Dubai.

Baseball United presented the plan for the team and program to the ECB as part of its grassroots and community development strategy. The new sanctions tout Baseball United’s professional knowledge, expertise and pedigree as a respected international baseball organization, and enable it to oversee player selection, player development and the team’s participation in baseball competitions worldwide.

“Thanks to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan, chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, and the ongoing support of Vice Chairman Khalid Al-Zarooni and General Secretary Mubashshir Usmani, we’ve been able to reach another significant milestone for baseball in this region,” said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Baseball United.

“While our professional league aims to create the gold standard for baseball across the Middle East and South Asia, we believe the most powerful way to grow the game is through the development and enhancement of national team programs in this part of the world. We’ve supported several national teams over the past three years, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, and now we are very grateful to build a new program here in our UAE headquarters.”

The new team will now compete with Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia and five other regional nations at Baseball United’s Arab Classic event. Saudi Arabia and the UAE will field national baseball teams for the first time. The tournament will be the largest national baseball team tournament in the history of the region, with all games played at Baseball United’s new ballpark at the Sevens sports and entertainment complex in Dubai.

The UAE National Baseball Team will follow World Baseball Classic eligibility rules and regulations, which will enable broader representation and participation for local residents. In addition to country citizens, WBC rules allow for permanent legal residents and/or players born in the national team’s country or territory to participate in its international events. In addition, players with at least one parent who is, or if deceased, was, a citizen of the national team’s country or territory, or whose parent was born in the national team’s country or territory, are also eligible to play.

“I truly believe this milestone will be an inspiration to countless young players, coaches and fans across the UAE,” Shaikh added. “We are excited to implement our baseball training curriculums and professional protocol, and get to work in developing the most competitive team possible. I have no doubt that the UAE team will make their country proud.”


Rakan Ali Reda, Haya Al-Mami take gold at rowing competition

Rakan Ali Reda, Haya Al-Mami take gold at rowing competition
Updated 07 October 2024
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Rakan Ali Reda, Haya Al-Mami take gold at rowing competition

Rakan Ali Reda, Haya Al-Mami take gold at rowing competition
  • Sixteen male and female rowers from various parts of the Kingdom took part in the beach sprint at Kokiyan Beach in Jeddah
  • Ali Hussein Alireza: The tournament showed the emergence of great talents in the sport of rowing, which will be the nucleus of a Saudi team

JEDDAH: Jeddah Gov. Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi crowned the winners of the coastal rowing competition as part of the third Saudi Games on Saturday.

Sixteen male and female rowers from various parts of the Kingdom took part in the beach sprint at Kokiyan Beach in Jeddah.

The two-day competition began with preliminary qualifiers to determine the finalists.

In the men’s category, Rakan Ali Reda claimed the gold medal, with Turki Al-Aref earning the silver, and Moayyad Al-Rashidi securing the bronze. In the women’s category, Haya Al-Mami won the gold medal, while Israa Qadri took home the silver, and Yusra Malaika earned the bronze.

The President of the Saudi Rowing Federation Ali Hussein Alireza congratulated the winners on their achievement.

“The tournament showed the emergence of great talents in the sport of rowing, which will be the nucleus of a Saudi team that can provide impressive results in the upcoming international championships,” he said.

“The future of rowing will witness great development in the Kingdom with the direct support of the Ministry of Sports.”

The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event held annually in the Kingdom, featuring the participation of more than 9,000 athletes, representing 200 clubs and competing in 52 different sports.

The total prize pool exceeds SR200 million ($53.25 million), with the gold medalists in the coastal rowing receiving SR1 million, the silver medalists SR300,000, and the bronze medalists SR100,000.


Dubai Basketball fall to Mega MIS on last-second foul call

Dubai Basketball fall to Mega MIS on last-second foul call
Updated 07 October 2024
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Dubai Basketball fall to Mega MIS on last-second foul call

Dubai Basketball fall to Mega MIS on last-second foul call
  • A 80-83 defeat to the Serbian team saw the new franchise lose their unbeaten start to the ABA League

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball saw their perfect start to the 2024-2025 ABA League season come to an end following an agonizing 80-83 defeat to Serbia’s Mega MIS on Saturday night — in a game that was watched by NBA and global basketball royalty.

Both sides went into the Round 3 game with an unbeaten 2-0 record, and it was Mega MIS who maintained their flawless start to the season with a closely fought victory in front of almost 4,000 vociferous fans at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

Among the stars sitting at courtside were Denver Nuggets’ stars, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, a 2023 finals champion and MVP, and 7-time NBA All-Star, and Vlatko Cancar, who both played for Mega MIS, as well as Dario Saric.

They were joined by Denver Nuggets’ owners, Stanley Kroenke and Josh Kroenke, former EuroLeague president, Jordi Bartomeu, NBL owner, Larry Kestelman, BeoBasket owner, Misko Raznatovic, VTB League president, Serhiy Kurchenko, and owner of Gigantes Spanish basketball newspaper, Jose Luis Ortiz.

The fans were treated to a thrilling game that was decided in the last second, on a controversial foul call against Awudu Abass that brought Mega MIS’ Kosta Kondic to the free-throw line — scoring three consecutives to seal his team’s victory.

Earlier, the hosts made a strong start to the game, buoyed by strong home support. Leon Radosevic’s three-pointer was among the highlights that saw Dubai Basketball take a 24-18 advantage at the end of the first quarter. By the end of the second quarter Mega MIS had found their rhythm, but Dubai Basketball’s intensity saw them rewarded with a 45-36 advantage going into half-time.

The third quarter was closely fought as Mega MIS closed the gap to just three points at 63-60, setting things up for an enthralling final 10 minutes.

With the scores tied at 77-all, Kosta Kondic hit a huge three-pointer for Mega MIS to give his team a three-point lead going into the final minute. However, Dubai had their answer ready as Danilo Andusic drove through the lane for a tough-fought two, and was fouled in the process — making the free throw to complete tie the game at 80-80.

As the clock went below five seconds, with Dubai Basketball’s defense pressuring, Kondic’s three-point attempt was off the mark — but a foul was called, sending him to the line for three, with the entire game in the balance. Kondic kept his cool despite the loud Dubai crowd, draining all three shots from the line, and finishing the game’s joint-top scorer with Filip Jovic (16 points).

For Dubai Basketball, the US’s Isaiah Taylor scored a game-high 14, and also grabbed five rebounds while captain Klemen Prepelic continued his impressive form with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Dubai Basketball head coach, Jurica Golemac, was proud of his team and said there were positives to take from the defeat.

Golemac said: “We couldn’t catch the rhythm and break the game. We were up most of the game. But we never got through and Mega played extremely energetically and extremely quick. I would say at crucial moments we missed a couple of lay-ups and we let them shoot open shots on the end.

“The season is a marathon and not a sprint, but we need to learn from the mistakes. From the defeats — we are learning. Defeats make you learn; defeats make you work harder. In the wins, not everything is perfect, and in the defeats not everything is bad.”

Dubai Basketball will next be in action on Sunday, Oct. 13 when they travel to Serbia to take on Borac Mozzart. They will then return to the Coca-Cola Arena for the home game against Spartak Subotica on Sunday, Oct 20.


Jayson Tatum declares MVP ambitions as Celtics rout Nuggets in Abu Dhabi

Jayson Tatum declares MVP ambitions as Celtics rout Nuggets in Abu Dhabi
Updated 07 October 2024
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Jayson Tatum declares MVP ambitions as Celtics rout Nuggets in Abu Dhabi

Jayson Tatum declares MVP ambitions as Celtics rout Nuggets in Abu Dhabi
  • Boston beat Denver 130-104 in the second of the preseason NBA Games at Etihad Arena on Sunday night

ABU DHABI: Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is not shying away from declaring his MVP ambitions but says his personal goals will never come at the expense of the team’s success.

The Celtics wrapped up their preseason trip in Abu Dhabi on Sunday with a second victory in three days over the Denver Nuggets, routing the 2022-2023 champions 130-104 at Etihad Arena.

Boston went a league-best 64-18 en route to the 2023-2024 NBA title, but the one team they were unable to beat all season were the Denver Nuggets.

The tables were turned during the two preseason games they had in the UAE capital though, where Boston outplayed their opponents, particularly with a 42-16 run against Denver in the third quarter.

The Celtics stuck to their starting lineup from Friday’s game — Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Luke Kornet, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday.

However, the Nuggets swapped Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon with Julian Strawther and Vlatko Cancar, who joined Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun and Jamal Murray on the floor on Sunday.

Newly-acquired guard Russell Westbrook, who made his debut for the Nuggets on Friday, did not participate in the game, nor did Porter Jr. and Gordon.

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Brown scored a game-high 21 points for the Celtics, with five other players on the squad hitting double digits, including 17 points from Tatum.

Tatum, whose three-point shooting let him down during the playoffs last season, says he has been working on his shooting form and feels he has made progress ahead of the start of the new campaign.

The 26-year-old power forward shot 43 percent from beyond the arc on Sunday and had a 43 field-goal percentage.

Discussing his MVP ambitions for next season, which tips off on Oct. 22, Tatum said: “Everybody should have individual goals and we’re all mature enough and know what it’s like to have team success that nothing gets in the way of what we’re trying to accomplish and be as special and great as we were last year and even better this year.”

The Celtics are trying to become the first team to successfully defend their NBA crown since the Golden State Warriors went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.

“Whether the guys want to make All-Defensive Team or All-Star or being MVP, you should be able to want to go after that. That means that you’re having a hell of a year, that means that you’re dominating, that means that you’re being the best version of yourself, which we want everybody to be,” continued Tatum.

“So not chasing MVP in spite of, costing us games or anything like that, but if I’m in that conversation, that means we’re one of the best teams, that means I’m playing the right way and everybody on the team is having success and we’re going in the right path.”

Three-time MVP Jokic top-scored for the Nuggets on Sunday with 20 points in 18 minutes, 30 seconds of play, but the team’s second unit and further combinations off the bench struggled to keep up with the Celtics after halftime.

“That third quarter was a far cry of who we need to be,” admitted Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “I don’t get caught up in the losses in preseason, I get caught up in getting better and that’s the most disappointing thing about tonight.”


LeBron and son Bronny James play together for the first time in a preseason game for the Lakers

LeBron and son Bronny James play together for the first time in a preseason game for the Lakers
Updated 07 October 2024
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LeBron and son Bronny James play together for the first time in a preseason game for the Lakers

LeBron and son Bronny James play together for the first time in a preseason game for the Lakers
  • LeBron and Bronny are the first father and son to play in any NBA game at the same time

PALM DESERT: LeBron James grew up without a father, and the top scorer in NBA history has often said he savors every moment and milestone he can experience with his own three children.
When he stepped onto a court Sunday night to play alongside his son, Bronny, for the Los Angeles Lakers, this moment was more than basketball history to him.
It was the realization of a family dream.
LeBron and Bronny became the first father and son to play in any NBA game together during the first half of the Lakers ‘ preseason contest against Phoenix, playing just over four minutes side-by-side in the second quarter.
“It’s pretty cool for the both of us, and especially for our family,” LeBron said. “It’s definitely a moment that I will never forget.”
The James family’s remarkable moment coincidentally happened on Bronny’s 20th birthday, and it felt like a celebration for the 39-year-old LeBron, who has spoken about his desire for this opportunity since Bronny was in high school.
Although LeBron knows they’ll get more chances to play together in the Lakers’ upcoming season, the first time on court together in uniform felt “not real” to the four-time NBA champion and 20-time All-Star.
“For a father, it means everything,” LeBron said. “For someone who didn’t have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have that influence on your son, be able to have moments with your son — and the ultimate, to be able to work with your son — that’s one of the greatest things that a father could ever hope for or wish for.”
Bronny James entered the preseason game as a substitute to begin the second quarter, joining his father on court at Acrisure Arena in the Coachella Valley. Bronny was told by coach JJ Redick before the game that he would be playing alongside LeBron, but the rookie maintained his usual cool demeanor both before and after the moment.
“I was pretty psyched for that,” Bronny said.
Although he’s much less vocal about the whole situation than LeBron, Bronny is still learning how to navigate an on-court relationship with his father, who has repeatedly insisted that his son can’t call him “Dad” on the court.
“I’m always thinking about, ‘That’s my dad!’, because that’s literally my dad,” Bronny said. “But when I’m playing, he’s just my teammate. That’s all.”
Their minutes together weren’t as smooth as they’ll be later in the season: Bronny committed two turnovers and LeBron made another in their first two minutes. Shortly after LeBron hit a 3-pointer moments later, LeBron got the ball to Bronny and set a screen for his son’s 3-point attempt, but Bronny missed.
“I was really hoping that wing 3 would have gone in,” Redick said with a smile. “That would have been a cool moment. But they’ll have a lot of moments together, I’m sure.”
Bronny came off for a substitute 4:09 into the second quarter, and LeBron came off 25 seconds later at the next dead ball. LeBron had 19 points, five rebounds and four assists in 16 minutes during the first half, and he watched the Lakers’ second half from the bench alongside Anthony Davis.
Bronny played about nine minutes in the second half, but didn’t score in the Lakers’ 118-114 loss to the Suns.
“I just told him, ‘Keep getting better,’” LeBron said. “He’s young. He wants to continue to improve, and that’s what’s most important. So every time you get a moment out there, just continue to make winning plays. Continue to learn from his mistakes and make winning plays.”
LeBron James is beginning his record-tying 22nd season in the NBA, while LeBron James Jr. — known to all as Bronny — was the Lakers’ second-round draft pick this summer. After recovering from cardiac arrest over a year ago, Bronny played just one season at Southern California before entering the draft.
Redick had vowed that the pairing would only happen “in the flow of the game,” and wouldn’t be “gimmicky.”
“I’m thrilled that I get to be a part of this, I really am,” Redick said. “It’s cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron’s longevity, but also his competitive stamina that he’s able to still be doing this in Year 22. It speaks to the work that Bronny has put in to get to this point, and really just the fatherly care, and certainly the motherly care from Savannah as well. Bronny, he’s such a great kid and a pleasure to be around.”
The 6-foot-2 Bronny is expected to spend much of the upcoming season working on his game with the South Bay Lakers of the G League, but he will almost certainly get to play alongside his 6-foot-9 father in a real game early in the regular season.
The games that count begin Oct. 22 at home against Minnesota.
Although LeBron will turn 40 in late December, the top scorer in NBA history has shown no sign of slowing down with age. LeBron sat out of the Lakers’ preseason opener against Minnesota last Friday night, resting up after a full week of training camp following a busy summer. Bronny had two points on 1-for-6 shooting and three blocked shots while playing 16 minutes against the Timberwolves.
LeBron was early in his second NBA season with the Cleveland Cavaliers when he and his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson, became parents for the first time in 2004. They had two more children — son Bryce and daughter Zhuri.
LeBron and Bronny have been preparing for the chance to play together ever since LeBron returned from a summer vacation after winning a gold medal with the US team at the Paris Olympics.
The father and son have scrimmaged together repeatedly during workouts at the Lakers’ training complex, both as teammates and opponents.
In the regular season, they’ll join a short list of fathers and sons who have shared a playing field in North American professional sports. Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. played together with the Seattle Mariners during parts of the 1990 and 1991 baseball seasons, while hockey great Gordie Howe played with sons Marty and Mark for the Houston Aeros in the WHA and the New England/Hartford Whalers in the WHA and NHL.