Saudi Arabia and Qatar to host Asian playoffs for World Cup: AFC
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- Saudi Arabia and Qatar will host the Asian qualifying playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, the...
Arts & Culture
Qatar table tennis says ‘prepared to escalate’ after chaotic vote
Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's table tennis association has warned of possible legal action as it disputes the result of a...
Arts & Culture
Geostrategy
Turkish club send Israeli player to Maccabi Tel Aviv after Gaza controversy
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Turkish first division club Basaksekir on Thursday sent Israeli midfielder Eden Karzev on loan to Maccabi Tel Aviv following...
- The Istanbul side launched disciplinary proceedings against Eden Karzev after the defensive midfielder shared a message about the hostages..
- The probe came the same day Israeli footballer Sagiv Jehezkel was charged with incitement to hatred for displaying a message on the Gaza war.
Arts & Culture
Afif helps Qatar exorcise World Cup demons at Asian Cup
Doha, Qatar - Asian Cup hosts and holders Qatar have been on a mission to banish the painful memory of their...
- Qatar lost all three of their World Cup games on home soil on their way to a first-round exit just over a year ago, the worst record of any host in the competition's history
- But it's been a different story at the Asian Cup -- albeit after only two games against moderate opposition -- and Tintin Marquez's side are the first to reach the knockout rounds
Business
Saudi Arabia unveils 45,000-seat multi-use stadium in Qiddiya City
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Board of Directors of the Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) announced on Monday the launch of...
- Upon opening, the stadium is anticipated to host some of Saudi Arabia’s biggest sports, entertainment, and cultural events.
- It aims to draw visitors from across the globe and revolutionize the traditional stadium experience with its immersive design.
Palestine lose to Iran at Asian Cup as Japan survive scare
Loud cries went up for the Palestinian anthem before the game and the team's players put their arms around each...
- Palestine's first match of the tournament coincided with 100th day of Israel-Hamas war, the grim milestone adding extra significance to an occasion that went beyond football
- Palestinian flags were scattered among the crowd of nearly 28,000 at Education City Stadium, and their goal just before half-time got the biggest cheer of the night
Arts & Culture
Ronaldo effect? Saudi spending spree fuels Asian Cup hopes
Saudi Pro League sides have shelled out to lure big-name players while Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034...
- Mancini left more than a dozen of the World Cup squad out of his Asian Cup roster, although injuries have also played a part.
- Saudi Pro League clubs' spending on players over the summer was topped only by the English Premier League.
Geostrategy
Palestine’s Asian Cup team seeks to ‘put smile’ on their compatriots
Doha, Qatar - The Palestinian team hope to reach the knockout stage of the Asian Cup for the first time to...
- "We as players are part of the Palestinian people and live through the same suffering as the people," captain Battat said on the evening of their opening match.
- Palestine have been at the Asian Cup twice previously, and are yet to win a game, but their coach Makram Daboub said they hope to spring a surprise.
Arts & Culture
Son set to light up Asian Cup as Qatar takes center stage again
The 24 teams spanning Australia to Palestine will battle for regional glory over the next four weeks, culminating in the...
- The 18th edition of the Asian Cup was supposed to have been held last summer in China but was moved to World Cup host Qatar because of China's Covid-19 rules
- Qatar will mostly use stadiums that staged World Cup matches, a notable absentee being Stadium 974, the temporary arena made partly of shipping containers
Qatar under pressure in Asian Cup defence after abrupt Queiroz axing
Queiroz, who coached Iran at the World Cup and was assistant to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, had a four-year...
- Former Real Madrid and Portugal coach Queiroz took over following the departure of Felix Sanchez, but in early December the Portuguese was sacked and replaced by Tintin Marquez
- Marquez is a familiar face to Qatari fans because he coached Al Wakrah in the domestic league and has a long relationship with football in the Gulf state
Business
Sharp-shooting Al-Attiyah takes aim at sixth Dakar title
A 425-strong colorful caravanserai made up of cars, bikes, quads and trucks sets out from Al-Ula on a treacherous 4,900-mile...
- Al-Attiyah took bronze at the 2012 London Olympics, and in September added two medals at Asian Games
- He first mastered the Dakar in 2011 in a Volkswagen, winning the 2015 edition in a Mini
Gaza war overshadows football as Asian Cup looms for Palestine
The Palestinian Football Association had celebrated in June last year when the national team won -- for the third time...
- Qatar hosts the 2023 Asian Cup from January 12 to February 10, and Palestine will play its opening game on January 14 against Iran
- Palestinian team's coach said the team hopes to "qualify for the latter stages of the Asian Cup and show the honorable face of Palestinian football"
Saudi Arabia and Qatar to host Asian playoffs for World Cup: AFC
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- Saudi Arabia and Qatar will host the Asian qualifying playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, the...
Arts & Culture
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Bosnia and Egypt clinch crucial wins in Paralympic sitting volleyball
Since first qualifying for the Paralympics in 2000, Bosnia have never finished outside of the podium and they made a...
Imane Khelif – boxer in gender row and now Olympic champion
A strong athlete, she played football with the boys in her village of Biban Mesbah, but beating them in matches...
Saudi taekwondo star edged out in historic Olympic women’s medal pursuit
Abu Taleb had qualified for the Games by bagging gold at the 2020 Arab Taekwondo Championship and bronze medals at...
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First Palestinian Olympic boxer fights hurdles before history
Beitunia, Palestinian Territories - Every morning Palestinian boxer Waseem Abu Sal checks texts from his Cairo-based coach -- a Gazan who...
- The 20-year-old Waseem Abu Sal will be the first Palestinian boxer to participate in the Olympics after he bagged a wildcard spot
- Abu Sal will take on his first Olympic fight on July 28 after training routine with his remote coach Ahmad Harara who is held back by Israeli travel restrictions
Saudi pushes equal pay at launch of women’s tennis finals
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announced in April that Riyadh would host the next three editions of the tour finals...
- Saudi Arabia has been luring professional tennis players to tournaments since 2019, part of a broader campaign to turn the conservative and formerly closed-off kingdom into a sport
- It has also recruited top footballers including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar into its professional league and hosted marquee heavyweight boxing bouts and Formula One races
From fighting boys to Saudi Olympic history for female taekwondo star
Abha, Saudi Arabia - Saudi taekwondo standout Donia Abu Taleb had an unusual introduction to the sport: for years she trained...
- Donia Abu Taleb has become the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics and is dreaming of bringing home the Gulf kingdom's first gold medal when she competes in Paris
- Abu Taleb has taken advantage of the newfound state backing, bagging gold at the 2020 Arab Taekwondo Championship and bronze medals at the Asian and world championships in 2022