Is the world of sports ready for the Enhanced Games?

Exclusive Is the world of sports ready for the Enhanced Games?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed, founder and CEO of KBW Ventures and Chairman of the Kingdom’s Sports For All Federation. (Supplied)
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Updated 22 May 2025
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Is the world of sports ready for the Enhanced Games?

Is the world of sports ready for the Enhanced Games?
  • Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed spoke to Arab News about investing in the controversial competition that does away with testing for performance-enhancing substances

In modern parlance, it is what techies would call a “disruptor,” to say the least.

It will take a lot more, however, for sporting fans of earlier generations to get their heads around the concept of the Enhanced Games, which were officially announced on Wednesday and will take place next year in Las Vegas.

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al-Saud, founder and CEO of KBW Ventures and chairman of the Kingdom’s Sports For All Federation, is the region’s first, and to date only, investor in the tournament that allows athletes to use performance-enhancing substances without being subjected to testing.

Prince Khaled — nicknamed the “Tech Prince” for his investments in startups, among many other fields — is bullish about the potential of the Enhanced Games when asked if the sports world is ready for such a controversial step.

“Look, I like to think of myself as a progressive investor, venture capital typically backs very nascent ideas,” he told Arab News.




Aron D’Souza, left, and Christian Angermayer, co-founders of the Enhanced Games. (Supplied)

“You are always looking for the big idea, the society-changing concept. Then, you attempt to predict and really visualize how and where and when that big idea will prove relevant to the wider world.

“As someone who is pretty involved in sports on both personal and business levels, I think there is a segment of the world who would like to push the limits of human potential,” Prince Khaled said.

“How fast? How far? How long? All questions in sport that someone like me is curious about, and very eager to see. I want to see real-world application, and a competitive approach.”

He accepts that this idea, with all the ethical points and counterpoints it evokes, might take a long time to be accepted in mainstream sports.

“Is the world ready? The world wasn’t ready for most fresh concepts. At the most basic level people weren’t even ready for ride-hailing, now it is considered a must for many all over the world, he said.

“So, whether it is transportation or AI or art or biotechnology or in this case, sport and biohacking, the world is usually not ready for things that have not been done before. That doesn’t mean they should never be done.

“Elite athletes who have never been granted the opportunity to experiment with body autonomy and enhancement exploration can now sign up if they so choose,” said Prince Khaled.

“If you want to talk sports in specific, I also think the world wasn’t ready for MMA, but it’s now one of the biggest crowd draws out there.”

The reaction from the sports community at large has, unsurprisingly, been a negative one.




Four-time Olympic Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev. (Supplied)

In February of last year, a joint statement issued by the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency condemning the games was supported by The International Fair Play Committee.

“Well, it is voluntary, and it’s like for like. The Games is for those who choose to enroll and compete with enhancements. It is ethical; the ethics rests in equality, safety and transparency.

“There is a disclosure protocol, and everyone knows that everyone else is applying the same types of enhancements and experimenting with biohacking.

“I don’t think I have to justify investing in what I see as a form of competitive sport,” he added. “As long as everyone involved is aware, then it is fair and transparent.”

Prince Khaled is known to be the Middle East North Africa face of venture capital, with investments across artificial intelligence, biotechnology, agricultural and food technology, as well as in the sports-adjacent sector, robotics and broadcast technologies.

One of his biotechnology bets, Colossal Biosciences, recently made headlines with its reported $10.2 billion valuation.

“I met the co-founder of Enhanced Games (Aron D’Souza) at a private conclave staged by FII (Future Investment Initiative) last year in Riyadh. This was my first exposure to the idea of the Enhanced Games.

“It was a closed-door working group held to discuss democratizing access to healthy aging solutions. Some of the foremost figures were present; from stakeholders from the Saudi Health in All Policies committee, to scientists, to entrepreneurs and investors.”

“I do think the Enhanced Games can play an important role here; how better to analyze the effects of enhancement than on elite athletes? People who are in the best possible shape physically that they can be naturally, and then build on that,” he said.

“When your baseline is elite athlete level, then we can really see what biohacking and these enhancements can do.

“I do think it is ethical, because there is no subjectivity and no varying board rules, and because it is upfront and clear about the idea that everyone is competing with their own approach to enhancement.”

Certainly the games seem to appeal to athletes either coming to the end of their careers or ones for whom Olympic and international success remain out of reach. Established figures, including Australian swimming coach Brett Hawke, have backed the idea.

At the age of 31, four-time Olympic Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev will take part in the Enhanced Games, having received a $1 million prize for breaking the long-standing 50-meter freestyle world record with a time of 20.89 seconds.

“Being the first to break a world record at the Enhanced Games means a lot to me. I’m proud to lead the way,” said the athlete who specialized in sprint and butterfly events, and earned a silver in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championship in South Korea.

However, having not consistently been at the top of the sport, he sees these Games as an opportunity to make up for missed opportunities.

“One year at the Enhanced Games could earn me more than six Olympic cycles combined,” Gkolomeev told Arab News. “I’ve never had this kind of support; doctors, nutritionists, therapists, all working to make me better.”

Prince Khaled accepts that participation will depend entirely on the choices of the individual athletes and their particular circumstances.

“There are athletes who are not going to want to join, and then there are those who will be the early adopters,” he said. “At launch, there is already a record-breaker, who just won a million dollars.

“Is this going to make everyone rush to sign up? No, but this will definitely spark some honest and much-needed discussions about the irregularities between sporting rules and different governing bodies, and the allegations of unfair treatment levied against some athletes over others.”

“Democratizing access to aging solutions is what first interested me in the Games, and then I began to think of the implications on sport.

“I’m sure you know about the politics involved when deciding which athletes were accused of using enhancements, in several instances countries felt their athletes were unfairly targeted.

“At the Enhanced Games, this political maneuvering is completely removed from the equation. I bet if you ask the athletes that felt they were wrongly maligned, they would be pretty quick to agree that politics played a role.”

In its statement last year, the International Fair Play Committee said the Games “represent a potentially catastrophic healthcare risk” to the athletes.

The Enhanced Games’ website meanwhile promises medical vigilance and safe participation for the athletes. Critics will rightly question just where the line is drawn in terms of the use of performance-enhancing substances.

“To my knowledge, there are two cohorts, one is enhanced with their own resources and medical guidance, and one cohort that is officially under the Enhanced Games,” said Prince Khaled.

“For the second cohort, there is a full treatment protocol lined up for athletes.

“They will definitely have better medical guidance and access to the latest in monitoring methodologies and technologies with the Enhanced Games than they have ever had in their professional sporting careers.”

“Everyone knows one of the biggest barriers to elite athletics is cost,” he added. “The Enhanced Games is bringing the best medical and scientific protocols and giving the athletes access to that.

“To bring this conversation full circle, this is something enabled by funding, and in venture capital, funding is, most of the time, allocated to groundbreaking entities and ideas.”

Prince Khaled said he is a “cautious believer in biohacking” which is, simply stated, the optimization of nutrition to enhance energy, cognitive function, and overall health and well-being.

“I think longevity medicine and healthspan and various other biotechnology sectors are burgeoning for a reason.

“KBW Ventures is invested in biotechnology, health tech, medtech, and with the Enhanced Games, I consider it kind of an ultimate biohacking opportunity for elite athletes,” he said.

“I expect that so much valuable scientific data on reversing biological age, and repair and so much more is going to come out of the Enhanced Games,” Prince Khaled added.

“On a separate note, the athletes that participate in the Games have to undergo what is termed health testing, ensuring that they are fit to compete. They also need to disclose everything that they are using to enhance their performance.”

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, the world of athletics was shaken to its core when Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson was stripped of the gold medal he had won with a world record time of 9.79 seconds.

Author Richard Moore’s “The Dirtiest Race in History” remains a seminal read on the events of Sept. 24, 1988. Since then, many other athletes have been banned from participating, or stripped of medals, for similar offences with increasingly less fanfare and shock.

But is the world ready now to consign such considerations to history?

The clock is now ticking toward the first Enhanced Game. It remains a tough, if not almost impossible sell, for a sporting community brought up on the concepts of fair play and the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.

Whether the world is ready for these Games, and how the future will judge these developments, remain open questions.


PSG’s success lies in team ethic, not individual stars, says manager Luis Enrique

PSG’s success lies in team ethic, not individual stars, says manager Luis Enrique
Updated 12 July 2025
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PSG’s success lies in team ethic, not individual stars, says manager Luis Enrique

PSG’s success lies in team ethic, not individual stars, says manager Luis Enrique

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Paris St. Germain manager Luis Enrique emphasized on Friday that the key to his side’s resurgence is a collective team ethic rather than reliance on individual brilliance, as the French and European champions prepare to face Chelsea in Sunday’s Club World Cup final.
The Parisians, buoyed by their historic Champions League triumph a little over a month ago, are chasing their first Club World Cup title.
Luis Enrique has overseen a significant transformation at PSG, replacing departing stars Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe with a dynamic, youthful squad that embodies his total football philosophy.
Speaking at a press conference at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the Spaniard downplayed suggestions that he is the team’s central figure, instead crediting the players’ shared commitment to a common goal.
“I’m not a star... I like the work I do. I enjoy my career, especially during difficult times,” Luis Enrique said. “When things aren’t going well, I feel better. It’s nice when everything works out because the best thing about winning is making the people who follow us happy. I’ve been much better when I’ve been criticized than when I’ve been praised.”
Luis Enrique, who previously guided Barcelona to Champions League glory, hinted that this campaign could be among the finest of his managerial career but stressed that success would only be defined after Sunday’s final.
“Maybe this could be the best season of my coaching career. But there’s still a final to win. When we’ve won it, we’ll talk about it,” he said.
The Spaniard also highlighted the volatile nature of football, citing Manchester City’s recent struggles as a cautionary tale.
“We’ve seen Manchester City, for example. They won everything last year and then they lose 10 games and they’re crushed. Pep Guardiola is still the best coach in the world and they’re killing him. So I prefer criticism over praise because it makes you feel humble, it’s the crude reality.”
Luis Enrique reiterated his vision for a team-first approach, declaring, “We have to be a team with eleven stars, not just one or two. Not even eleven, maybe thirteen, fifteen stars... The real star should be the entire team. That’s what our club stands for. We’ll lose again soon, for sure. We want stars, but in the service of the team.”
PSG’s clash with Chelsea promises to be an enthralling encounter, with both sides vying to add a coveted international trophy to their respective honors. The Parisians will be aiming to cap off a groundbreaking year by lifting the Club World Cup for the first time in their history.


Jannik Sinner mauls Novak Djokovic to reach first Wimbledon final

Jannik Sinner mauls Novak Djokovic to reach first Wimbledon final
Updated 11 July 2025
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Jannik Sinner mauls Novak Djokovic to reach first Wimbledon final

Jannik Sinner mauls Novak Djokovic to reach first Wimbledon final
  • The world number one is through to his fourth successive Grand Slam title match
  • Djokovic, who was apparently not 100 percent fit, must wait for another shot at a record 25th Grand Slam title

LONDON: Jannik Sinner crushed Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinals to set up the latest instalment of his gripping rivalry with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final.

The world number one is through to his fourth successive Grand Slam title match — and his first at the All England Club — after a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 demolition on Center Court on Friday.

The 23-year-old will be desperate to avenge his painful French Open defeat against world number two Alcaraz after squandering three championship points in last month’s epic Roland Garros final.

Sinner and Alcaraz are the undisputed new kings of men’s tennis, claiming the past six majors between them.

Defeat on a baking Center Court means seven-time champion Djokovic, who was apparently not 100 percent fit, must wait for another shot at a record 25th Grand Slam title.

It is the first time he has failed to reach the Wimbledon final since 2017 and he has come up short in his bid to equal Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight Wimbledon titles.

“It’s a tournament I always watched when I was young on the television and I would have never imagined that I can play here, you know in the finals, so it was amazing,” said Sinner.

“From my side, I served very well today, I felt great on court, I was moving really well today.

“We saw in the third set that he was a bit injured. He’s been in a very difficult situation but I tried to stay calm, to play the best tennis I can.”

Italy’s Sinner was still wearing a white protective sleeve after injuring his elbow in a nasty fall against Grigor Dimitrov in his fourth-round match.

Djokovic also came into the contest, watched by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, with questions over his fitness after tumbling to the turf late in his quarter-final victory against Flavio Cobolli.

Top seed Sinner broke Djokovic in the third game, unleashing a barrage of relentlessly accurate groundstrokes to wear the sixth seed down.

The Serb, 38, wilted under the onslaught in the ninth game as Sinner converted his third set point.

Sinner did not let up at the start of the second set, breaking for a 2-0 lead to tighten his grip on the match.

Djokovic was struggling to gain a foothold but held for 3-1 to roars from the crowd, desperate to witness a classic battle.

Chants of “Nole” rang around the stadium as fans tried to lift Djokovic but he was powerless to prevent Sinner opening up a 5-2 lead.

He saved a set point on his own serve but that merely delayed the inevitable as Sinner wrapped up the set with only 69 minutes on the clock.

Djokovic received treatment from the trainer between sets on the upper part of his left leg, apparently on the area he hurt in the match against Cobolli.

He broke for the first time in the match as he suddenly found a new gear, but was pegged back to 3-2 and roared in frustration at the changeover.

Struggling physically, Djokovic was broken again as Sinner sealed victory with his fourth match point.

Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, returned from a doping ban in May, losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz before his collapse in the Roland Garros showpiece.

Now he has chance for revenge against the man who has won the past two Wimbledon titles and is the current top dog on grass.

“It is a huge honor for me to share the court once again with Carlos,” he said. “We try to push ourselves to the limit, he is for sure one of the players I look up to.

“I love watching him, I think you all guys agree on that, what kind of talent he is but hopefully it’s going to be a good match like the last one.”

Sinner trails 8-4 in their head to head meetings, losing the past five matches.

The Italian can take heart from beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon fourth round in 2022, his rival’s last defeat at the All England Club.


National UAE jiu-jitsu team to compete at World Games in Chengdu

National UAE jiu-jitsu team to compete at World Games in Chengdu
Updated 11 July 2025
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National UAE jiu-jitsu team to compete at World Games in Chengdu

National UAE jiu-jitsu team to compete at World Games in Chengdu
  • Six athletes will take part in the competition, which runs from Aug. 7-17

ABU DHABI: The UAE’s national jiu-jitsu team is getting ready for the 2025 World Games, set to take place in Chengdu, China, from Aug. 7-17.

The team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Company, hopes to build on its impressive performance at the previous edition, held in the US in 2022.

Six athletes will represent the national across the various weight categories: Mohammed Al-Suwaidi (69 kg), Mehdi Al-Awlaki (77 kg), Saeed Al-Kubaisi (85 kg), Asmaa Al-Hosani (52 kg), Shamsa Al-Ameri (57 kg), and Shamma Al-Kalbani (63 kg).

Mohamed Salem Al-Dhaheri, vice chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “Taking part in a major international event like the World Games reflects the strong presence the UAE has built in jiu-jitsu. This would not have been possible without the continued support of our visionary leadership, who have created the right environment for our athletes to grow and succeed.

“In the coming days, our athletes will begin an intensive training program that includes local and international camps along with focused technical and physical sessions to ensure they are fully prepared.”

Mohammed Al-Suwaidi, competing in the 69 kg division, said representing the UAE on this stage was a proud moment in his career.

“We are going into this event with full focus and determination. We know the responsibility that comes with wearing the national colors and are ready to give our best. With the support we have and the preparation ahead of us, we are confident we can perform well.”

At the 2022 World Games, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team made history by securing five medals. Faisal Al-Ketbi won two golds, in the 85 kg and open weight divisions, while Al-Suwaidi took silver in the 69 kg category and Al-Kalbani took bronze in the 63 kg and open weight categories.

The 2025 games in Chengdu will bring together around 5,000 athletes from 118 countries, competing in 34 different sports between August 7 and 17.


AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez joins Saudi side Al-Hilal

AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez joins Saudi side Al-Hilal
Updated 11 July 2025
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AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez joins Saudi side Al-Hilal

AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez joins Saudi side Al-Hilal
  • The 27-year-old French defender joins Al-Hilal on a three-year deal

Paris: Saudi club Al-Hilal on Thursday signed AC Milan’s French full-back Theo Hernandez on a three-year contract.
The 27-year-old leaves the Serie A side in a deal worth 25 million euros ($29.2 million), Italian media report.
Hernandez has played 38 times for France with two goals, and figured in the last World Cup, including the defeat by Argentina on penalties in the 2022 final in Qatar.
Moving to the Saudi Pro League a year before the next World Cup could be considered a risk for his chances of getting called up again by coach Didier Deschamps.
But he can take encouragement that Deschamps selected N’Golo Kante for Euro 2024 whilst he was playing for another Saudi club, Al-Ittihad.
Theo is the younger brother of Paris Saint-Germain and France defender Lucas Hernandez.


Swiss move through to Euro 2025 quarterfinals with late Xhemaili goal

Swiss move through to Euro 2025 quarterfinals with late Xhemaili goal
Updated 11 July 2025
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Swiss move through to Euro 2025 quarterfinals with late Xhemaili goal

Swiss move through to Euro 2025 quarterfinals with late Xhemaili goal
  • Switzerland, who needed only a draw to advance based on goal difference, finished second in Group A behind Norway to go through to the knockout round for the first time
  • The desolate Finland players collapsed to the pitch in tears at the final whistle, while the Swiss lingered after the game’s end to pose for pictures

GENEVA: Switzerland’s Riola Xhemaili scored a last-gasp goal to salvage a dramatic 1-1 draw with Finland on Thursday that sent the joyous hosts through to the quarterfinals at Euro 2025, and heartbroken Finland home.

Switzerland, who needed only a draw to advance based on goal difference, finished second in Group A behind Norway to go through to the knockout round for the first time, and will face the winners of Group B, which would be world champions Spain as things stand now.

“I think we set ourselves a goal on the pitch, to write history, to go into the knockout stages, which we’ve never done before,” Swiss captain Lia Walti said.

Finland looked to be heading for the knockout round after Natalia Kuikka scored a penalty in the 79th minute, awarded after Viola Calligaris’s foul on Emma Koivisto. Center-back Kuikka calmly slotted home a low shot as Swiss goalkeeper Livia Peng dived the wrong way.

But, roared on by the home crowd, the Swiss kept up the attack in the breathless dying moments and Xhemaili, a second-half substitute, scored in the 92nd minute when Geraldine Reuteler mis-hit her shot on goal and Xhemaili was there to tap it in, blowing the roof off at Stade de Geneve.

“I really have to say that I didn’t think that we’re going home because I really believed in this team, until the last second, and I knew we were going to score,” Xhemaili said.

“I knew that Geraldine Reuteler, she will hit the target, of course, because she’s one of our best players, so I was like, just stay on the right spot in the right moment and wait until the ball is coming and it did.”

The desolate Finland players collapsed to the pitch in tears at the final whistle, while the Swiss lingered after the game’s end to pose for pictures and their famed manager Pia Sundhage wrapped her assistants in huge hugs.

But for most of the nervy night, the game was far from a classic, with desperation showing in both sides with the stakes sky high.

Switzerland started brightly and put Finnish goalkeeper Anna Koivunen to work early with a couple of chances. But momentum shifted midway through the half to quiet the nervous crowd and Peng made a huge save on the goal-line seconds before the break to preserve the draw.

Intensity picked up over the second half and Sundhage threw virtually every attacker on her bench into the game in search of the equalizer, with the Swiss ending the night with 15 shots to Finland’s six.

“I am going to dance tonight,” a smiling Sundhage told SRF.

Kuikka said Switzerland were the better team on the night.

“They came to the game like they wanted to win and it kind of showed,” she said.