Jordan’s Al-Selawe banking on experience for victory at PFL MENA 3

Jordan’s Al-Selawe banking on experience for victory at PFL MENA 3
Jordan's Jarrah Al-Selawe will take on Egypt's Omar El Dafrawy at PFL MENA 3 in Riyadh. (Source: PFL)
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Updated 18 September 2024
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Jordan’s Al-Selawe banking on experience for victory at PFL MENA 3

Jordan’s Al-Selawe banking on experience for victory at PFL MENA 3
  • MMA star takes on Omar El Dafrawy of Egypt in Riyadh on Sept. 20

RIYADH: When Jarrah “The Jordanian Lion” Al-Selawe first burst onto the Professional Fighters League, he was already one of the Middle East’s best homegrown talents, and was seen as a trailblazer, opening doors for other fighters from the region to reach a global platform like the PFL. 

On Friday, a worldwide audience will get to see him in top-class MMA action at PFL MENA 3 in Riyadh, but getting here has not been a straightforward ride for the welterweight fighter.

A two-division champion in the Brave Combat Federation, Al-Selawe was already a star on the regional circuit and planning to become a household name on the world stage. Early on, it looked as if he was well on his way, impressing in the PFL Challengers Series to earn a spot on the league’s global roster. 

With an opportunity at a million-dollar purse during the 2022 PFL regular season, the Jordanian star defeated UFC veteran Gleison Tibau in his league debut and put himself in prime position to make the playoffs. He lost to Magomed Umalatov in his next outing, denying him a spot in the postseason that year, but he looked a likely contender in years to come. 

The following season, a PFL playoffs berth continued to elude him as Al-Selawe suffered losses in both his regular season assignments and it looked as if his days in the SmartCage were done. 

After a quick stint back in Brave CF where he scored a bounce-back win, the man who was once seen as the blueprint for Middle Eastern stars to succeed in the PFL is now back ine the PFL’s SmartCage and just two wins away from capturing PFL gold. 

At PFL MENA 3 on Sept. 20, Al-Selawe makes his postseason debut when he faces Omar El Dafrawy in the welterweight semifinal co-main event at Boulevard Riyadh City, with the winner punching his ticket into the inaugural PFL MENA Championships. 

With his experience in the PFL’s million-dollar global tournament, Al-Selawe believes that he has the edge over his Egyptian opponent. 

“I’ve faced more skilled fighters in the past, and I’ve beaten them,” the 32-year-old said. “I have a lot of respect for Omar, and I am not underestimating his abilities, but I have complete confidence in myself and I believe that my experience makes victory more within my reach.” 

The significance of the moment is not lost on Al-Selawe — a championship win could be his ticket back to the PFL’s million-dollar regular season, the way it helped, for example, Dakota Ditcheva, who was crowned PFL Europe Champion last season, and is now on track for a PFL World Championship.

“Winning the PFL MENA Championship is what every fighter strives for, because it means so much for us to become champions,” he said. 

Speaking of the PFL’s global tournament, Al-Selawe looks back at his difficult experiences there as ways to improve his game and become an even better version of himself. 

“I’ve worked hard during my training sessions to address the mistakes that I made during my previous fights,” he said. “Since then, I’ve developed my skills and focused on every small detail in preparation for this upcoming fight.” 

“I’m looking to be at the highest level that I can be, and with good preparation, I will be able to claim victory. El-Dafrawy won’t be able to defeat me,” he said. 

PFL MENA 3 will feature semifinal bouts in the bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions. 

 


Bento feeling the heat as UAE look to revisit former Glories

Bento feeling the heat as UAE look to revisit former Glories
Updated 1 min 9 sec ago
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Bento feeling the heat as UAE look to revisit former Glories

Bento feeling the heat as UAE look to revisit former Glories

A familiar crunch point awaits for the UAE and their long-held – but, stubbornly unfulfilled - dream of earning a World Cup return.

Hopes bolstered of repeating 1990’s unmatched heroics in 2026 when the Whites opened this third round of qualifying with resounding 3-1 victory at double Asian Cup holders Qatar have receded, with a dispiriting one-point earned from three subsequent run-outs.

Their impending double-header in Abu Dhabi against Kyrgyzstan (Thursday) and Qatar (Tuesday) will decide much for Group A’s third-placed outfit. With a team this mercurial, theUAE could just as easily go past the halfway stage on the heels of automatic entry as be cast asunder.

Last month alone, they were valiant in narrow defeat with 10 men at second-placed Uzbekistan and insipid throughout a stultifying 1-1 home draw against bottom-placed North Korea.

Paulo Bento is the latest incumbent to feel this unique, White-hot heat. 

Predecessors Rodolfo Arruabarrena, Edgardo Bauza, Mahdi Ali and others all came up short.What can the former Portugal and South Korea head coach do differently to inspire a contrasting outcome?

“I am confident, because I saw the way that the guys approached the training sessions and their focus,” Bento told reporters on Wednesday at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium. 

“This, for me, in this moment is enough. We need to prove this on the pitch. 

“I don’t hide my feelings and my thoughts, they know [the players] the way that we approached the game against North Korea and how we are doing now, it is different.”

The gravest challenge for the 55-year-old is to plot a course ahead without star attacker Ali Saleh. Injury for the Al-Wasl talisman robs him of the player who cut Qatar to ribbons as a replacement at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium back in September.

An engine room lacking dynamism without suspended Al-Wahda tyro Abdulla Hamad is fuelled by a recall for Al-Ain’s ceaseless AFC Champions League-holder Mohammed Abbas. Sharjah’s versatile Majid Rashid also comes back into the fold.

This month’s Ligue 1-breakthrough for Montpellier forward Junior Ndiaye – Dubai-born son of prolific former Al-Nasr attacker Samba N’Diaye – has been rewarded with a return. The burgeoning teenager’s potential role ensures an intriguing subplot for challenges ahead.

Another naturalised addition in Fleetwood Town utility player Mackenzie Hunt must kick on after he provided an assist on debut at Qatar. Asian football’s rapid improvement leaves question marks about the lasting impact of someone who regularly sat on the bench for Premier League Everton last term, but is yet to net in 14 League Two run-outs this campaign.

Fabio De Lima’s clean bill of health after October’s enforced absence is another welcome boost. His 12 international goals is three more than any other current squad member (Caio Canedo – nine).

It is this lack of lethality up top that will have caused sleepless nights for Bento.

Only two goals have been netted in three-successive winless home qualifiers, across the second and third rounds.

The UAE are also Group A’s joint-second lowest scorers with four strikes in four matches. A cause for concern when just two points separate the UAE in third and North Korea in sixth.

Baniyas loanee Fahad Bader, Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai Club winger Harib Abdalla and club-mate Yahya Al-Ghassani have all yet to net in 2024/25 ADNOC Pro League. Last month’s naturalised-debutant Bruno is experiencing his most-productive start to a domestic campaign with four goals in seven top-flight games, but endured a chastening opening to his international career.

Breakout Asian Cup hero Sultan Adil – with six goals in 11 caps, including five competitive efforts – hasn’t kicked a ball in 2024/25.

This crisis has, however, not proven so severe for Bento to turn back the page. 

Rapprochement with 85-goal record marksman Ali Mabkhout remained off the agenda, despite the 34-year-old’s revitalised sense of vigour at new employers Al-Nasr sparking five strikes in seven league appearances to comfortably sit as 2024/25’s lead Emirati scorer.

It would appear the final chapter for one of this continent’s great international careers will end with zero minute played at last winter’s Asian Cup.

World Cup 2026’s increase to 48 teams has widened opportunities for the UAE. 

2022’s agonising near miss by one-goal in the fourth round to eventual knockout-stage competitors Australia still burns. Too much had been left to do by the third-round’s finale under Bauza in 2018’s cycle.

This edition’s more-forgiving process lavishes further chances in a new-look fourth round – pitting third and fourth-placed finishers against each other – plus dreaded Inter-confederation play-offs, if required.

A ‘Golden Generation’ has now gone for the UAE. Consecutive AFC Player of the Years in the magical Omar Abdulrahman and clutch Ahmed Khalil are fading memories, while Mabkhout is – seemingly – also being consigned to the past.

Bento’s mission is more than just assembling a winning XI on the pitch. It is to inculcatebelief that a less-heralded squad can tread where their garlanded immediate successors could not.

Confidence remains fragile. Wounds from January’s Asian Cup round-of-16 elimination by debutants Tajikistan in a penalty shootout remain fresh.

They were further unpicked by qualifying reversals to Iran and Uzbekistan, strong favourites to wrap up automatic Group A-berths. An inability to defeat unfancied North Korea still stings.

Recent history provides some encouragement, however, that Bento will eventually prove hisworth. 

Scathing criticism garnered by quarter-final failure at 2019 Asian Cup transformed into glowing tributes when he departed as South Korea’s longest-serving manager on the back of an encouraging World Cup 2022, containing group-stage victory over his native Portugal.

Another redemption arc will secure Bento a cherished spot in UAE sporting lore.


Cricket battles to address its sustainability issues

Cricket battles to address its sustainability issues
Updated 14 November 2024
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Cricket battles to address its sustainability issues

Cricket battles to address its sustainability issues

COP29, the 29th UN annual conference on climate change, opened in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 11, providing another opportunity for international collaboration.

Last year’s event confirmed that international action to address climate change was way off track against target, and a focus of COP29 is how finance can be made available to developing countries to enable climate action. Achieving agreement is fraught with difficulty.

Given that there is such a gap between promises and action at national level, it should be little surprise that initiatives at a micro level have been piecemeal. In December 2018, the sports sector and the UN launched the Sports for Climate Action Framework. Its objective is to draw together sports organizations, teams, athletes and fans to raise awareness and develop actions to meet the UN goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

The original signatories to the 2018 initiative numbered 17. Today, there are around 200. The list contains only six cricketing bodies — the England and Wales Cricket Board, Marylebone Cricket Club, Melbourne Cricket Club, Gloucestershire Cricket, Surrey Cricket and the Desert Vipers. The latter is one of six franchises in the UAE’s ILT 20 League and has sustainability at the core of its operations.

What also stands out from the current list is the presence of the national, international and world governing bodies of most other sports. Neither cricket’s governing body, the International Cricket Council, nor 11 of its 12 full-member boards are signatories.

The sports sector generates emissions in various ways, including travel, energy and water use, catering, equipment production, pitch preparation, venue construction and in-stadium activity. Cricket is no exception. Hence the lack of commitment by most of its leading bodies to the Sports for Climate Action Framework is disappointing. It appears to reflect a lack of concern about cricket’s contribution to climate issues. There are few obvious external signs amongst the game’s custodians that a coordinated effort is being orchestrated and encouraged.

In fact, there are strong counterviews. Evidence of these erupted in early 2023 following the announcement that Alinta Energy’s sponsorship of Australian cricket, worth $40m over four years, would end in June 2023. Australia’s men’s captain, Pat Cummins, was accused of influencing the decision because of his climate activism.

Cummins is the public face of Cricket for Climate, an organization working to help local clubs install solar panels. He has insisted his personal stance played no part in either Alinta’s or Cricket Australia’s decision. This did not stop vitriolic personal attacks against him, and he was called a “climate catastrophist clown” and accused of “incoherent far-left activism” on Sky News. The channel went further by suggesting: “Sporting bodies need to understand that it’s one thing to alienate sponsors, but they are also alienating fans.”

This is heady stuff. Cummins has dealt with the criticism with dignity, doubling down on his activism. He and his peers have reminded people of the extreme climate conditions which players endured during the ODI World Cup in India in November 2023. These included exceedingly high temperatures, off-the-scale air quality readings and heightened fatigue levels, each of which had adverse impacts.

In some quarters, the riposte is that the players are handsomely rewarded and should keep quiet about societal issues. This puts me in mind of Milton Friedman, the free-market economist, whose stance was that the business of business is business, allowing no room for social responsibility. Cricket is a creator of emissions and waste for which, arguably, it should take responsibility. It is also one of the most vulnerable sports to extreme climate variations. Setting aside apocalyptic visions of stadiums on fire, floods devasting stadiums beyond recovery and unbearable air quality causing death, there is evidence of adverse effects on the game.

One example is the flooding of grounds by rivers bursting their banks in successive years. Worcester is one example, with relocation under consideration. This is ironic, given estimates that an international cricket arena requires around 60,000 liters of water per day.

Cricket seems to react to disasters rather than having plans to prepare for them. It does not appear to be taking steps to anticipate or accept changing trends in weather patterns or putting strategies in place to cope with them. The ECB, to its credit, launched an Environmental Sustainability Plan in November 2023. This has three priority areas — tackling climate change, managing resources and waste, and protecting the natural environment. Some county cricket clubs have sustainability strategies in place.

Within the ECB’s overall plan is an aim to build a more circular economy to replace buy-use-dispose-buy. This applies to equipment and it is in this context that the Desert Vipers’ initiative is so relevant. Their playing kit for the 2025 ILT20 league is produced by a local UAE company, Palmfit, obviating the need for long distance transport and creating local employment opportunities.

The kit uses recycled materials, reducing the need for new ones and lowering carbon footprint by approximately 50 percent. Water-based inks are used, eliminating some harsh chemicals. The kits are printed-on-demand, so made only when needed.

Whether the Indian franchises will follow suit is unknown, but there have been some initiatives in the Indian Premier League. In 2023, Royal Challengers Bangalore wore jerseys made from recycled stadium waste in a match against Rajasthan Royals. However, even with schemes by other franchises, there is little evidence of a coordinated effort across the league.

Cricket is not only a potential victim of a mercurial climate; it is a contributor to environmental degradation. Despite being resource-heavy, it lags behind other sports in calculating its environmental impact, whilst development of sustainability plans is slow compared with other sports.

The reasons for this are not entirely clear but international leadership seems lacking. A balance needs to be achieved between the requirements of development, growth and environmental preservation.

Cricket’s leaders should not expect direction from COP29. They should generate it.


‘Nothing is impossible’ — jiu-jitsu athlete fights back from coma to compete in Abu Dhabi World Masters

‘Nothing is impossible’ — jiu-jitsu athlete fights back from coma to compete in Abu Dhabi World Masters
Updated 14 November 2024
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‘Nothing is impossible’ — jiu-jitsu athlete fights back from coma to compete in Abu Dhabi World Masters

‘Nothing is impossible’ — jiu-jitsu athlete fights back from coma to compete in Abu Dhabi World Masters
  • The 41-year-old’s journey in the sport almost came to an end 4 years ago

ABU DHABI: Swiss jiu-jitsu athlete Gionathan Campana took to the mats at the 16th Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship on Wednesday, marking an extraordinary comeback from a life-threatening injury that left him in a coma. 

Representing Jiu-Jitsu School Ticino, Campana competed in the Men’s GI/Black/Master 3/85 kg division in the competition, which is currently taking place at Mubadala Arena.

The 41-year-old’s passion for jiu-jitsu started over a decade ago.

“I’ve been practicing martial arts for several years, and around 12 years ago, I started with jiu-jitsu,” he said. “I immediately fell in love with it and continued training, even when I couldn’t find a teacher nearby.”

With no coach available, he trained on his own and eventually earned his brown belt two years ago, followed by his black belt this year.

Four years ago, however, an accident almost ended his sporting career.

“It was a bad injury that put me in a coma,” said Campana.

“When I woke up, I decided that I had to get back in shape and that I wanted to do something great for myself … so I decided to resume my jiu-jitsu training. Above all, I wanted to teach my daughter that nothing is impossible.”

Campana has since returned to competition with a new determination.

“So I am here to participate in my first-ever Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship,” he said. “Here’s to many more years of participation, hopefully.”


After ODI series win, Rizwan to lead Pakistan in first T20I against Australia today

After ODI series win, Rizwan to lead Pakistan in first T20I against Australia today
Updated 14 November 2024
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After ODI series win, Rizwan to lead Pakistan in first T20I against Australia today

After ODI series win, Rizwan to lead Pakistan in first T20I against Australia today
  • Pakistan to play three-match series against Australia on Nov. 14, 16 and 18 in Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart
  • Rizwan’s side defeated Australia 2-1 in three-match series last week to win first series in Australia since 2002

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan will lead his side for the first time against Australia in a T20I format at Brisbane today, Thursday, after steering the green shirts to their first ever ODI series victory against the 2023 world champions since 2022. 

Rizwan will become the 12th person to assume Pakistan’s T20 captaincy when he takes the field in Brisbane for the first T20I. Pakistan’s cricket team, encouraged by stellar performances from fast bowlers Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, beat Australia 2-1 in the three-match series that concluded last week. 

After Thursday’s match, Pakistan will play against Australia in Sydney and Hobart on Nov. 16 and 18 respectively. Pakistani cricketers Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufiyan Moqim and Usman Khan joined the T20I squad in Brisbane on Nov. 11 after undergoing a five-day training camp in the southern port city of Karachi. 

“We are confident after beating Australia in the ODI series but international cricket is always challenging so we aim to do things as better as we can going into this T20I series against Australia,” Rizwan said a day before the match. 

“We have determined the roles of various players in the team and look forward to executing our best plans not just in this series but also in the upcoming white-ball fixtures against Zimbabwe and South Africa.”

The Pakistan captain said he wanted to keep all the players involved in the series motivated. 

“Of course, the conditions have helped the bowlers on this tour so far but we also want to prove our mettle as a batting unit and I look forward to an exciting contest in the three matches,” he said. 

Pakistan last faced Australia in a T20 contest in March 2022 when the two teams played a one-off T20I in Lahore, which Australia won. In Pakistan’s last T20I series in Australia in November 2019, the hosts won 2-0 after the opening match ended in a no result. 

Josh Inglis will lead Australia in the T20I series while Tim David and Nathan Ellis have joined Australia’s T20I squad. Josh Philippe, meanwhile, has replaced the injured Cooper Connolly.

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (captain – wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
 


It’s a quiet Mike Tyson as 58-year-old nears fight with Jake Paul, 31 years his junior

It’s a quiet Mike Tyson as 58-year-old nears fight with Jake Paul, 31 years his junior
Updated 14 November 2024
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It’s a quiet Mike Tyson as 58-year-old nears fight with Jake Paul, 31 years his junior

It’s a quiet Mike Tyson as 58-year-old nears fight with Jake Paul, 31 years his junior
  • The issue of Tyson’s health didn’t come up in a small concert venue about 20 miles from AT&T Stadium
  • Tyson had terse answers for all the questions Wednesday night, two nights before the fight against Paul
  • The fight is the first combat sports event to be streamed on Netflix

IRVING: Mike Tyson wasn’t in the mood for talking in the final news conference before the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion faces YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

Tyson had terse answers for all the questions Wednesday night, two nights before the fight against Paul, who is 31 years younger, at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

The issue of Tyson’s health didn’t come up in a small concert venue about 20 miles from AT&T Stadium. A bout originally scheduled for July 20 was postponed to Friday night after Tyson had to be treated for a stomach ulcer when he fell ill on a flight.

Tyson said in a documentary promoting the fight that he lost 26 pounds while recovering, but Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder with Paul of Most Valuable Promotions, said Tyson had been cleared medically for weeks.

Bidarian also said Tyson was going through the same regular medical checkups of any sanctioned pro fight in Texas.

Several states wouldn’t sanction the bout. Texas agreed to a fight that was eight rounds instead of 10 or 12, with two-minute rounds instead of three, and heavier gloves designed to lessen the power of punches.

“I’ve said everything I had to say,” Tyson said in one of several attempts to get him to say more. “I’m just looking forward to fighting.”

“It’s cute,” Paul said of the terse Tyson. “I fear no man, so I want him to be that old savage Mike.”

Paul couldn’t even get Tyson to respond by wearing what the 27-year-old said was a “diamond-spiked ear cover.” It was Paul’s jab at Tyson over the Hall of Famer infamously biting the ear of Evander Holyfield in a 1997 fight.

Tyson did get briefly riled up when somebody asked twice what he would do if he lost. His last sanctioned bout was in 2005. Tyson fought Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition four years ago.

“I am not going to lose,” Tyson said, his voice rising the second time it was asked. “Did you hear what I said?”

Tyson was 50-6 with 44 knockouts before retiring 19 years ago. Paul is 10-1 with seven knockouts in less than five years as a pro, facing mostly mixed martial artists and journeymen boxers.

The fight is the first combat sports event to be streamed on Netflix. It will be available at no additional cost to the more than 280 million Netflix subscribers globally.

Paul is a minus-200 betting favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. That means the payout for a Paul victory would be about half the amount of any bet.

The co-main event is a rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano for the undisputed super welterweight title.

Taylor won a split decision that many questioned in a slugfest at sold-out Madison Square Garden in 2022 in the first women’s fight to headline at the famous venue.

Taylor and Serrano sat behind Tyson and Paul on the stage, with the 10 fighters from the undercards on either side of Tyson and Paul.