MADINAH, 17 April 2005 — Saudi weightlifter and winner of two gold medals in weightlifting Abdul Lateef Al-Abdul Lateef suffered an injury to his back. He was hurt when he lost balance while trying to lift some weight during practice. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment. His coach Kazem Al-Bahrani issued a statement saying that he is recovering and x-rays have revealed a tear in his back muscles.
Al-Baker to Retire From Weightlifting
MADINAH, 17 April 2005 — Sources close to Saudi weightlifting star Abdul Mohsin Al-Baker revealed that the player is to retire after the end of the first Islamic Solidarity Games. Al-Baker is a winner of three gold medals in the games. He is considered the second best Saudi weightlifter in Saudi Arabia after Ramzi Al-Mahroos. The source added that efforts are being made by people close to Al-Baker to reverse his decision.
Al-Matrood Angry at Poor Attendance
MAKKAH, 17 April 2005 — The president of the Saudi Handball Federation, Muhammad Al-Matrood, expressed his disappointment at the poor attendance during the Islamic games. He said that only 15 percent of crowds filled the handball hall. He urged the Saudi crowd to attend the games to support the Saudi team since the team’s chances of winning the gold medal in this sport is very high.
Tunisian Cagers Suffer a Blow
MADINAH, 17 April 2005 — The Tunisian basketball team will lose the services of Abdul Azeem Wabali who suffered an injury to his hand during quarterfinal competition. The basketball team will face difficult task to sustain their chances in this discipline.
