Sharjah Self-Defense take the lead on Day 2 of jiu-jitsu tournament in Sharjah

Sharjah Self-Defense take the lead on Day 2 of jiu-jitsu tournament in Sharjah
Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship concludes on Sunday, Sept. 29. (Supplied)
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Sharjah Self-Defense take the lead on Day 2 of jiu-jitsu tournament in Sharjah

Sharjah Self-Defense take the lead on Day 2 of jiu-jitsu tournament in Sharjah
  • Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship concludes on Sunday night

SHARJAH: Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club surged into the lead on the second day of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship – Round 3 No-Gi, taking place from Sept. 27-29 at Al Bait Metwahid in Sharjah.

Saturday’s competitions featured the U-12 and U-14 divisions, with Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club delivering a dominant performance, as MOD UAE dropped to second place, while Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club was third.

On Sunday the U-16 and Youth categories take to the mat.

Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, secretary-general of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “The Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship is a great platform for young athletes and future jiu-jitsu stars. With each round, we see how children learn important values like challenge, perseverance, and discipline.

“This championship gives them a unique chance to gain life skills, teaching them patience, competition, handling pressure, strategic thinking, and teamwork. At the federation, we believe in the power of sports to shape a strong and aware generation, and this championship plays a key role in building a bright sporting future for the UAE.”

Saeed Ali Al-Ajel, vice president of the UAE Sports for All Federation, said: “We are seeing a great turnout of young athletes in this championship, both citizens and residents, which shows the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s efforts to spread the sport across the country.

“The Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Championship holds a special place in everyone’s hearts. Sports are a powerful way to encourage cultural exchange, and this championship helps teach important values like respect and tolerance to these young athletes, which are just as important as winning.”


Al-Hilal top Saudi Pro League after win over Al-Kholood

Al-Hilal top Saudi Pro League after win over Al-Kholood
Updated 6 sec ago
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Al-Hilal top Saudi Pro League after win over Al-Kholood

Al-Hilal top Saudi Pro League after win over Al-Kholood
  • Reigning champions are the only club with a perfect record after five wins from five matches

RIYADH: Champions Al-Hilal returned to the top of the Saudi Pro League table after beating Al-Kholood 4-2 in Rass on Saturday night.

The visitors surged into a four-goal lead in a devastating 10 -minute period either side of half-time thanks to goals from Khalidou Koulibaly (38), Malcom (43), Ali Al-Bulaihi (45+3) and Renan Lodi (48),

Al-Kholood belatedly rallied to half the deficit with goals from Hammam Al-Hammami (71) and William Troost-Ekong (penalty, 87) which ultimately proved nothing more than consolation efforts.

Al-Hilal now lead the table with 15 points from five matches and are the last team in the Saudi Pro League with a perfect start to the 2024-2025 season.

In the day’s other matches visitors Al-Okhdood beat Al-Fateh 4-2 in Al-Mubarraz, while Al-Orobah managed a narrow 1-0 win over Damac at home.


More than 9,000 athletes entered for this year’s Saudi Games

More than 9,000 athletes entered for this year’s Saudi Games
Updated 25 min 40 sec ago
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More than 9,000 athletes entered for this year’s Saudi Games

More than 9,000 athletes entered for this year’s Saudi Games
  • Elite athletes from various regions will compete in more than 50 sports
  • Women’s volleyball competition on Sunday gets the Games started

RIYADH: The Saudi Games competition, which starts on Sunday, aims to enhance the national sports movement and discover sporting talent, with more than 9,000 male and female athletes participating from across the Kingdom.

Considered Saudi Arabia’s largest sports event, the Games will include elite athletes from various regions of the Kingdom in more than 50 sports.

The women’s volleyball competition will open the third edition of the Games with three matches. Al-Fayhaa will play against Dar Al-Hikma University at 9 a.m. at the Ministry of Sports Hall in the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in Riyadh.

Then Al-Ola play against Jeddah United at 11 a.m. and finally Al-Anqa take on Arm Najd at 1 p.m.

Nine teams are participating in the females’ volleyball competitions, divided into three groups, with the competitions running until Oct. 4.

The competitions are part of efforts to achieve the goals of Vision 2030 in supporting and developing the sports sector.


Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay put the Americans back in control at Presidents Cup

Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay put the Americans back in control at Presidents Cup
Updated 29 September 2024
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Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay put the Americans back in control at Presidents Cup

Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay put the Americans back in control at Presidents Cup
  • Scottie Scheffler delivered big moments late in both of his matches, and Cantlay’s putt from just inside 17 feet in the dark gave the Americans another win, another point
  • International need to win eight of the 12 singles matches Sunday for a tie, and halve another if they want to win for the first time since 1998

MONTREAL: Patrick Cantlay couldn’t have hit the putt — he might not have seen the hole — without lights from a video board and the headlamps from golf carts surrounding the 18th green in the final match of the longest day at the Presidents Cup.

And then he delivered another “Patty Ice” moment that might have been enough to turn the lights out on the International team Saturday.

Scottie Scheffler delivered big moments late in both of his matches, and Cantlay’s putt from just inside 17 feet in the dark gave the Americans another win, another point, moving them one session closer to another Presidents Cup victory.

“Huge putt,” US captain Jim Furyk said. “If you had to hand select someone to hit a big putt on your team, I think Pat would come to a lot of people’s minds.”

They won the fourballs and foursomes sessions by a 3-1 margin. Cantlay and Xander Schauffele won on the 18th over Tom Kim and Si Wood Kim, the high-charged South Korean duo, that gave the Americans an 11-7 lead at Royal Montreal.

“Xander helped me read it,” Cantlay said of his match winner in near darkness. “It was like a cup out with some speed, and a putt like that will make me sleep a little better tonight.”

It was Si Woo Kim who chipped in from deep rough below the 16th green that gave his side hope, and he leaned his cheek into his hands the “Good Night” gesture made famous from Stephen Curry in the Paris Olympics this summer.

That turned out to be an early call.

Tom Kim said he could hear some American players cursing at them, though it wasn’t corroborated and Schauffele said he didn’t know to what the 22-year-old was referring. Most of the matches have been tight all week. The crowd has been loud. It has gotten chippy at times, expected in these team competitions.

What hasn’t changed is the Internationals face a big deficit.

They need to win eight of the 12 singles matches Sunday for a tie, and halve another if they want to win for the first time since 1998 — four years before Tom Kim was born — and only the second time since the Presidents Cup began in 1994.

International captain Mike Weir sat out four players all of Saturday, wanting to ride the teams that helped get his side back into the match with that 5-0 shutout on Friday.

One of them was Jason Day, who will be first out Sunday against Schauffele.

It’s the same deficit from two years ago, and Weir recalls the Internationals — a team facing distractions in 2022 of losing players who defected to Saudi-backed LIV Golf — making the Quail Hollow crowd quiet and the Americans sweat.

“We just have tremendous belief in our guys,” Weir said. “Might feel similar to what it was in Charlotte, but I’m just telling you, maybe there’s an upgrade in belief for our team.”

Tom Kim sounded even more determined, bordering on angry.

“I am so motivated to go out tomorrow ... because we’ve lost so many times, there’s going to be one day where it’s just going to be our day,” he said. “I believe it’s tomorrow.

“If we fall short, we’ll try again. That’s what we are. We’ll keep trying. There’s going to be one time when we’re going to hold the Cup, and it’s going to be sometime soon.”

Scheffler finished off a tight fourballs match with two late birdies in a morning session delayed 90 minutes by fog, and then he gave the Americans their first lead in foursomes with a wedge into a foot on the 14th hole that led to another point.

Scheffler started both matches slowly. Collin Morikawa kept them in the game in fourballs until Scheffler hit a dart from 195 yards to 8 feet for birdie on the 16th, and rolled in a 15-foot putt from off the green on the 17th for the win.

Russell Henley carried him in foursomes, especially after Scheffler missed par putts from 6 feet and 3 feet as they fell 3 down after five holes. But the world’s No. 1 player delivered late with a wedge into a foot on the 14th for their first lead and a 12-foot birdie on the next to take control.

“I have the best player in the world on my team, and we just kind of hung in there,” Henley said.

Adam Scott, playing in his 11th Presidents Cup without ever being on the winning side, carried Taylor Pendrith to a 2-and-1 victory in the afternoon foursomes over Brian Harman and Max Homa, the only International point in foursomes.

Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim won big over Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark in morning fourballs for the lone International victory.

They were all square or leading in all the afternoon matches at one point until the Americans took control, as they often do. Morikawa and Burns dug out of an early hole and beat the Canadian duo of Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes on the 18th hole when when Hughes hit a poor chip and Conners never came close on the 12-foot par putt.

In the anchor match in the morning, Im three times matched birdies against Cantlay and Burns to keep the match from getting out of hand. Cantlay chipped in for eagle on the 12th for a 2-up lead and he twice kept the Internationals from coming back by making putts from 25 feet and 18 feet when they were in tight.

“The guy’s an absolute assassin,” Burns said about Cantlay.


Kane limps off as frustrated Bayern held by Leverkusen

Kane limps off as frustrated Bayern held by Leverkusen
Updated 29 September 2024
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Kane limps off as frustrated Bayern held by Leverkusen

Kane limps off as frustrated Bayern held by Leverkusen
  • England captain Kane, who was largely anonymous in front of goal, hobbled off with a foot injury with four minutes remaining after a collision with Leverkusen’s Amine Adli
  • Bayern had been champions for 11 seasons before Alonso’s Leverkusen turned German football on its head last season

MUNICH: Harry Kane went off injured as Bayern Munich were held 1-1 at home by champions Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Robert Andrich put the visitors ahead after 31 minutes in Munich but Aleksandar Pavlovic pulled leaders Bayern level eight minutes later with an incredible long range shot.

England captain Kane, who was largely anonymous in front of goal, hobbled off with a foot injury with four minutes remaining after a collision with Leverkusen’s Amine Adli.

Coach Vincent Kompany said it was “too early” to know the extent of the injury but he was hopeful Kane would be fit for Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Aston Villa.

“I don’t have the exact information but hopefully it’s just a bit of pain and we’ll get him back this week,” said Kompany.

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl added: “When Harry leaves the field it means something because he’s pretty tough.

“(The incident) doesn’t look good, but we hope he’s made out of strong English wood and nothing’s broken.”

Bayern’s Serge Gnabry hit the woodwork twice in the second half, but Leverkusen held on for a draw.

“We deserved more, definitely,” said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer.

“We were clearly the better team and had the better chances. The goal we conceded was frustrating.”

Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso was happy.

“Against Bayern you need to be disciplined and make sacrifices,” he said, adding “that was the style and manner we needed to play here today.

“We were serious, restricted their chances and I’m happy with the point.”

Bayern had been champions for 11 seasons before Alonso’s Leverkusen turned German football on its head last season, becoming the first side to complete an unbeaten league and cup double.

The hosts were completely dominant early with their best chance a 19th-minute free kick which Michael Olize curled inches over.

Leverkusen took the lead against the run of play however, Andrich smashing in a low shot from a corner after a Pavlovic error.

Despite bossing field position, Bayern’s equalizer came through a stunning shot from well outside the box, Pavlovic making good on his error with a superb curling effort.

The hosts started the second half like they did the first, Gnabry hitting the woodwork twice in a matter of seconds after a classy Kane pass.

In the final minutes, both sides seemed content to hold on for a draw, but while Bayern remain three points clear of Leverkusen, Kane’s late injury will be a worry ahead of a packed fixture schedule.

Earlier Benjamin Sesko scored twice in five minutes as RB Leipzig’s young attack combined superbly to beat Augsburg 4-0 at home.

Sesko struck twice and laid on an assist for fellow 21-year-old Xavi Simons, who himself assisted a goal for 24-year-old Lois Openda.

Augsburg’s best chance of the game came when they had a penalty saved midway through the first half.

Leipzig coach Marco Rose credited his team’s “belief in ourselves,” saying “we were anything but happy” after a three-game winless run.

Last year’s runners-up Stuttgart came back to earth after Sunday’s 5-1 demolition of Borussia Dortmund, needing a stoppage-time Deniz Undav goal to snatch a 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg.

Jonas Wind put the Wolves in front 10 minutes in but the visitors equalized late in the first half, Enzo Millot tapping in a rebound after his penalty was saved.

Stuttgart were on the wrong end of a tough call midway through the second half, Atakan Karazor sent from the park for a second yellow despite looking the victim of a foul.

Wolfsburg hit the lead five minutes later through Mohammed Amoura, who escaped a send off through a VAR review. Undav’s late strike saved his side from a tough defeat.

St. Pauli won their first top-division match since February 2011 with a 3-0 victory at a wasteful and unlucky Freiburg.

A double from Elias Saad and a goal from Dapo Afolayan took St. Pauli to victory, with Freiburg having two goals ruled out for offside.

Tomas Cvancara’s goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time gave Borussia Moenchengladbach a 1-0 home win over Union Berlin, ending the latter’s unbeaten league record.

Heidenheim won 2-0 at 10-man Mainz.


Osasuna dismantle Barca’s perfect Liga start

Osasuna dismantle Barca’s perfect Liga start
Updated 29 September 2024
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Osasuna dismantle Barca’s perfect Liga start

Osasuna dismantle Barca’s perfect Liga start
  • The Catalans won all seven of their opening fixtures but Hansi Flick’s rotated side came badly undone in Pamplona

PAMPLONA, Spain: Osasuna shattered La Liga leaders Barcelona’s perfect start to the season with an emphatic 4-2 victory on Saturday.
The Catalans won all seven of their opening fixtures but Hansi Flick’s rotated side came badly undone in Pamplona as Ante Budimir scored a brace either side of Bryan Zaragoza’s strike.
Pau Victor had given Barca a lifeline to pull them back into the game before Budimir bagged his second from the penalty spot.
Abel Bretones added a sensational fourth from the edge of the box, before Lamine Yamal pulled one back with a fine effort of his own.
Victory would have matched Barcelona’s best ever start to a league campaign with eight consecutive wins, but they were not able to build on their four-point lead on second-place Real Madrid.
The Spanish champions visit Atletico Madrid, third, in a derby clash on Sunday.
“It’s normal there are rotations, there are a lot of games, it’s not an excuse,” Barcelona midfielder Pedri told Movistar.
“In the second half we deserved a bit more but we let in goals when we were at our best.”
Ahead of a Champions League match against Young Boys on Tuesday, Flick shuffled his pack.
The coach handed starts to defenders Gerard Martin and Sergi Dominguez as well as Pablo Torre in midfield and Victor in attack.
The coach rested Spain Euro 2024 starlet Yamal and Brazilian winger Raphinha among other regular picks.
As a result Barcelona failed to ignite in the first half and Osasuna winger Zaragoza took center-stage.
Last season Zaragoza struck twice while playing for Granada in a 2-2 draw against Barca, a performance which helped earn him a move to Bayern Munich.
On loan from the German giants, Zaragoza created the opener for target-man Budimir with a fine cross, which the Croatian nodded home with ease in the 18th minute after escaping the attentions of Dominguez.
Zaragoza finished the second himself 10 minutes later after being sent through on goal, with the winger bypassing goalkeeper Inaki Pena with a fine ball roll and then slotting into the empty net.
Barcelona complained there had been a foul on Victor in the build-up but the referee waved their complaints away.
The leaders created little themselves, with the best opening falling to Ferran Torres. However the Spanish winger miscontrolled on the edge of the box and was quickly swallowed up by the Osasuna defense.

Yamal, Raphinha and Ansu Fati warmed up at half-time, with Barcelona needing to turn to their stars to mount a comeback.
Before Flick had time to send them on, Victor pulled Barcelona back into the game.
Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera gave the ball away with a poor throw, intercepted by Martin, who fed Victor.
The forward took an early shot from distance which Herrera, who slipped as he made it back to his goal, should have kept out but could not.
Flick took off top scorer Robert Lewandowski, largely uninvolved, with 20 minutes remaining and moved Torres into the middle to fill the gap.
However Osasuna almost immediately stretched their lead when 19-year-old center-back Dominguez scythed down Budimir in the area as he went to shoot.
The striker buried the penalty with a low effort hit hard enough to beat Pena although he dived the right way.
Ruben Pena wasted a glorious chance to grab a fourth as he ran in on goal but was caught in two minds whether to pass or shoot, and Eric Garcia charged back to dispossess him as he dawdled.
Bretones, on the other hand, was lethal from the edge of the box when he won the ball back and powered an effort past Barca goalkeeper Pena.
Yamal hit back brilliantly from range and teed up Torres who struck the post, but it was too little, too late.
Osasuna rose to sixth and Zaragoza said his team had been determined to beat the leaders.
“We knew Barca were an incredible team, they had won everything and we knew we had to get stuck into it, and that’s how we went out there,” explained the winger.
“It’s a special game and really nice to play in.”