Shooter Suaar Al-Dosari wins gold in 10-meter air pistol competition at Saudi Games

Shooter Suaar Al-Dosari wins gold in 10-meter air pistol competition at Saudi Games
Shooter Suaar Al-Dosari has won the gold medal in the men’s 10-meter air pistol competition at the 2024 Saudi Games. (Supplied)
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Updated 08 October 2024
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Shooter Suaar Al-Dosari wins gold in 10-meter air pistol competition at Saudi Games

Shooter Suaar Al-Dosari wins gold in 10-meter air pistol competition at Saudi Games
  • Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Musaed, Saudi Shooting Federation’s vice president, awards winners at event

RIYADH: Shooter Suaar Al-Dosari has won the gold medal in the men’s 10-meter air pistol competition at the 2024 Saudi Games.
Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Musaed, the Saudi Shooting Federation’s vice president, awarded the winners at the third edition of the event at Public Security Training City in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Attallah Al-Enazi claimed silver while Fahd Al-Mutairi took bronze.
Sarah Al-Huqbani claimed the gold medal in the women’s competition while Noura Al-Suqairan and Noha Al-Husseini won silver and bronze, respectively.
At the Paralympic weightlifting competition, Mohammed Al-Harbi, president of the Saudi Weightlifting Federation, awarded the medals to the winners.
Adnan Noor Saeed, of Jeddah Disability Club, took the gold medal In the 65 kg weight category, ahead of clubmate Mayasar Al-Alimi (silver) and Talal Al-Balawi, of Madinah Disability Club, who claimed bronze.
Jeddah Disability Club’s Aseel Hawsawi claimed gold in the 97 kg category, with Saeed Hawsawi, of Makkah Disability Club, taking silver and Tariq Balghith, of Jeddah Disability Club, the bronze.


American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years old

American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years old
Updated 07 December 2024
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American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years old

American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years old
  • Vonn’s last competition was in February 2019, when she finished third in a downhill during the world championships in Sweden
  • It’s been 6 years since I last raced so I still have a lot of equipment to test, finding my groove and really getting into racing form”

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colorado: Word on the mountain has it that Lindsey Vonn is still fast through a downhill course, even at 40 years old. Maybe even challenge-for-downhill-wins fast.

On a frigid Friday morning, Vonn darted through the shadows along the speed course at Copper Mountain and through the mist created by the snow makers.

There was no clock at the bottom of the hill to measure just how speedy she was as she makes a comeback to skiing nearly six years removed from her last race. But she certainly looked the part of fast by dropping into a tuck position to become more aerodynamic, and even banging through a few gates on several high-speed runs.

Vonn plans to enter a series of lower-tier FIS downhill and super-G races this weekend at Copper Mountain in an effort to gain the necessary results to lower her ranking so she can possibly enter World Cup races this season under a new wild-card rule.

It could be the first step toward seeing her on the World Cup circuit again, maybe even on the podium.

“I honestly think she will win,” retired ski racer Ted Ligety said in an interview with The Associated Press. “From what I’ve heard, she’s been kicking (butt) and been really fast in training. Some of the women on the World Cup are going to be rudely awakened to have to compete against a Lindsey Vonn again.”

Vonn declined to talk after her practice session Friday. She chatted with several racers on the hill and again inside the lodge, where her dog, Lucy, became the center of attention.

In a post Friday afternoon on Instagram, Vonn wrote: “Happy to be able to take another step this weekend! Technically tomorrow will be my first race but I’m using it as a training opportunity to keep on building. ... It’s been 6 years since I last raced so I still have a lot of equipment to test, finding my groove and really getting into racing form. I am having a lot of fun and want to keep on doing so!”

When she left the sport, Vonn’s 82 World Cup race victories stood as the record for a woman and within reach of the all-time Alpine record of 86 held by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark. The women’s mark held by Vonn was surpassed in January 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin, who now has 99 wins — more than any Alpine ski racer in the history of the sport. Shiffrin is currently sidelined after a crash in a giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont, last weekend. The next World Cup races for the women’s circuit will be held in a week in nearby Beaver Creek, Colorado. There’s no timeframe for Vonn’s return to racing.

Vonn’s last competition was in February 2019, when she finished third in a downhill during the world championships in Sweden. In a lot of ways, the three-time Olympic medalist stepped away still near the top of her game. But the broken arms and legs, concussions and torn knee ligaments took too big a toll and sent her into retirement.

Last April, she had surgery for a partial knee replacement. She felt good enough to give it another go.

Ligety, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, applauds her for her comeback bid.

“It’s beyond my risk appetite, but it will be really fun to watch,” said Ligety, who’s covering the World Cup races in Beaver Creek this weekend for NBC. “She left at the top of her game, obviously, because of her knee injury. She probably felt like she got short-changed in her quest to take down Stenmark in wins, being only four away and her body failed her.

“I can see how that would weigh on you. And then when you all of a sudden feel perfectly healthy again and you’re not that old, I can see giving it some ideas. I understand where she’s coming from and I think she has a good chance (to win races).”

The aura of Vonn hovered around the bottom of the slope Friday. She had several pairs of Head skis all ready to try out. After each run — at least three — Vonn would huddle with her team, take a quick swig of water and head back up the lift.

“She’s still super-fast,” fellow American teammate Keely Cashman said. “She’s been helpful talking to us about whatever we need. We’re excited to have her around.”

What stands out about Vonn to Sophie Goldschmidt, the CEO of US Ski and Snowboard, is the racer’s “strength of mind and attitude,” she said. “To be able to come back time and time again is very impressive.

“We’re delighted that she’s rejoined the team,” Goldschmidt added. “Her achievements speak for themselves. She’s clearly one of the most decorated athletes in the US and had an amazing ski racing career. So for her to feel fit and strong enough to want to give it another go, I think is quite remarkable. I’m excited to see what she might be able to achieve.”


Scottie Scheffler goes on a run of birdies in the Bahamas and leads by 2

Scottie Scheffler goes on a run of birdies in the Bahamas and leads by 2
Updated 07 December 2024
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Scottie Scheffler goes on a run of birdies in the Bahamas and leads by 2

Scottie Scheffler goes on a run of birdies in the Bahamas and leads by 2
  • Scheffler already has eight victories this year and is in position to get another before the end of the year
  • Cameron Young, who opened with a 64 for a two-shot lead, followed with a 75 despite making five birdies

NASSAU, Bahamas: Scottie Scheffler birdied every hole but the par 3s on the front nine at Albany Golf Club on Friday and finished his bogey-free round with an 8-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead in the Hero World Challenge.

Two months off did nothing to slow the world’s No. 1 player. Scheffler already has eight victories this year and is in position to get another before the end of the year.

Scheffler was at 13-under 131, two ahead of Akshay Bhatia (66) and Justin Thomas (67), both of whom had to save par on the 18th hole to stay in range going into the weekend.

Scheffler started with a lob wedge to 2 feet for birdie and never slowed until after he went out in 29 to seize control of the holiday tournament against a 20-man field. Scheffler cooled slightly on the back nine, except it didn’t feel that way to him.

“Front nine, just things were going my way. Back nine, maybe not as much,” Scheffler said. “A couple shots could end up closer to the hole, a couple putts go in, just little things.”

Asked if he felt any frustration he didn’t take it lower — he once shot 59 at the TPC Boston during the FedEx Cup playoffs — Scheffler sounded bemused.

“I think in this game I think a lot of all y’all are looking for perfection out of us,” he said. “Today I shot 8 under on the golf course, not something I hang my head about. A lot of good things out there — clean card, bogey-free, eight birdies. Overall, I think I’m pretty pleased.”

Thomas felt his 67 was stress-free, particularly the way he was driving the ball. The wind laid down again, rare for the Bahamas, though it is expected to pick up on the weekend.

Thomas wasn’t concerned to see Scheffler get off to a hot start, especially with three par 5s on the front nine and a short par 4 that at worst leaves a flip wedge to the green.

“You literally can birdie every hole as soft as the greens are,” Thomas said. “He’s a great player, a great wedge player, and you have a lot of birdie holes to start. I’m honestly surprised he only shot 8 under. It’s a sneaky course because if you fall asleep on some shots, you can get out of position. But if you’re on and focused and really in control of everything — like these last two days with no wind — you can just make so many birdies.”

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley had a 67 and was four shots behind.

No matter how benign the conditions, it wasn’t always easy. Cameron Young, who opened with a 64 for a two-shot lead, followed with a 75 despite making five birdies. That included a double bogey on the final hole when his approach tumbled down the bank into the rocks framing the lake that goes all the way down the 18th hole.

Patrick Cantlay was trying to keep pace playing alongside Scheffler, but he had three bogeys over the final seven holes and fell seven shots behind with a 71.

The tournament, hosted by Tiger Woods, is unofficial but offers world ranking points to all but the bottom three players because of the small field. It’s the weakest field in 25 years, but Scheffler at No. 1 gives it enough cachet.

He is the first player since Woods in 2009 to start and finish a year at No. 1 in the world. And even after a layoff — giving him time to tinker with a new putting stroke — it looks like it might be a while before anyone changes that.


Pakistan women face Saudi Arabia in international friendly match in Doha today

Pakistan women face Saudi Arabia in international friendly match in Doha today
Updated 19 min 17 sec ago
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Pakistan women face Saudi Arabia in international friendly match in Doha today

Pakistan women face Saudi Arabia in international friendly match in Doha today
  • Pakistan women last played international football match against Bangladesh in October 
  • Head Coach Adeel Rizki says all Pakistani players in camp are “injury-free, in good spirits”

KARACHI: The Pakistan women’s national football team will face Saudi Arabia today, Saturday, for a FIFA International Friendly match at the Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, the Pakistan Football Federation said. 

Pakistan completed a three-day training camp under the guidance of Head Coach Adeel Rizki for the only encounter between the two sides. 

Pakistan women were last seen in a friendly international fixture against Bangladesh in October when the two sides met in the SAFF Women’s Championship. Pakistan and Bangladesh drew the match 1-1. 

“All players in the camp are injury-free and in good spirits,” Rizki said ahead of the match on Friday. “Although we only had two training sessions to prepare for this match, the team has shown great commitment and focus.”

He admitted Pakistan were missing some “key players” for Saturday’s fixture but said it allowed the team to test the younger talent. 

“Despite the challenges, we are ready to compete and make Pakistan proud,” Rizki said. 

The match is scheduled to kick off between the two sides at 9:00 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time. 


Leclerc handed 10-place penalty for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Leclerc handed 10-place penalty for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Updated 06 December 2024
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Leclerc handed 10-place penalty for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Leclerc handed 10-place penalty for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
  • The Monegasque topped first practice but was penalized after Ferrari fitted a new battery pack to his car
  • The penalty decision came minutes after the session ended

ABU DHABI: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc topped the first practice session at Yas Marina Circuit ahead of Sunday’s Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but later received a 10-place grid penalty for the race.
The Monegasque driver recorded a time of 1:24.321 with McLaren’s Lando Norris 0.221 seconds adrift. Lewis Hamilton, in his last F1 weekend with Mercedes before his move to Ferrari next season, was third fastest.
The penalty decision came minutes after the session ended and put a dent in Ferrari’s hopes of taking this year’s Constructors’ Championship. They currently lie second in the standings, 21 points behind McLaren, with 44 points up for grabs.
Six teams put rookies in one of their cars for the weekend’s first practice session. They were Ryo Hirakawa (McLaren), Arthur Leclerc (Ferrari), Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin), Ayumu Iwasa (RB) and Luke Browning (Williams).
In the second practice session, Norris led his teammate Oscar Piastri to finish 1-2, with a time of 1:23:517. Nico Hulkenberg came third for Haas.


Joaquin Niemann takes 1-shot lead into final round of PIF Saudi International

Joaquin Niemann takes 1-shot lead into final round of PIF Saudi International
Updated 06 December 2024
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Joaquin Niemann takes 1-shot lead into final round of PIF Saudi International

Joaquin Niemann takes 1-shot lead into final round of PIF Saudi International
  • The Chilean has been model of consistency this week, sandwiching first and third rounds of 65 with 66 on Thursday
  • Focus earlier had been firmly on American Caleb Surratt

RIYADH: Chile’s Joaquin Niemann will take a narrow one-shot lead into Saturday’s final round of the PIF Saudi International after firing a six-under 65 on Friday to move to 17-under-par.
Niemann leads Americans Peter Uihlein (66) — who is heading The International Series’ rankings list and has proved his winning pedigree with two victories already this season — and 20-year-old Caleb Surratt, who smashed the course record at Riyadh Golf Club with a 10-under 61 on Friday.
Behind them lurk a host of world-class talents and proven winners, including Britain’s three-time European Ryder Cup player Tyrrell Hatton (66), who shares joint fourth spot with two more Americans — Jason Kokrak and Logan McAllister — on 15-under.
It is still anyone’s guess who will emerge as Saturday’s winner at the Golf Saudi event, and Niemann said afterwards that he knew he would need to be at the top of his game again to take away the handsome silver trophy.
He said: “I don’t know what score would do it. All I know is that it will have to be lower than the others.”
The Chilean has so far been a model of consistency this week, sandwiching first and third rounds of 65 with a 66 on Thursday. On Friday he needed to stay patient, having to wait 10 holes before he added another birdie to his opening two at the first couple of holes.
His round really caught fire on the par-5 15th with an eagle three, and he finished off in style with a birdie at the last to take the slimmest of leads.
Earlier, the focus had been firmly on American Surratt, who only turned professional at the start of the year but has already shown considerable promise in his first handful of tournaments.
That rich potential was translated into a string of eight birdies and an eagle at the long 12th hole to leave him 16-under-par.
The young prospect from Indian Trail, North Carolina, who has yet to win a professional tournament, could hardly believe his own sizzling form, especially on a course that he had never played until this week.
His score could have been even more impressive but his chip just off the green for birdie at the par-4 18th hit the pin and rolled just a couple of inches away.
Surratt said: “It would mean everything (if I win). I don’t have half the experience a lot of these guys do, so I need to keep my head together and play like it’s with my friends back home.”
Saturday’s final round should be a feast of thrilling golf for the sellout crowd at Riyadh Golf Club.