Saudi Arabia can make second round, says former Green Falcons technical director Jan Van Winckel

Jan Van Winckel helped get Saudi Arabia to the tournament in Russia.
Updated 13 June 2018
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Saudi Arabia can make second round, says former Green Falcons technical director Jan Van Winckel

  • Former technical director has high hopes for the Green Falcons in Russia.
  • Saudi Arabia placed in Group A and Van Winckel says its one they can get out of.

MOSCOW: When Saudi Arabia and hosts Russia walk out in the curtain raiser of the World Cup on Thursday at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, Jan Van Winckel, the former technical director of the Saudi Football Federation will be a keen observer. The Belgian firmly believes that the Falcons will be competitive in Russia. 
“I think Saudi Arabia have a good chance of reaching the second round,” Van Winckel told Arab News.
“In the two years that Bert van Marwijk, as coach, and I, as technical director, worked in Saudi Arabia, we succeeded in building a great team that was capable of competing with the best teams in the world. Our victory against Japan in the qualifiers demonstrated this.”
Saudi Arabia will be underdogs in Group A at the World Cup. The Falcons are ranked 67th in the world,  second-lowest at the tournament only behind the hosts Russia in 70th, but Van Winckel does not consider those stats a problem.
“Uruguay are the favorites, and they will likely easily qualify for the second round,” the Belgian said.
“It is amazing what Uruguay achieve with a population of fewer than four million people. In contrast, Russia has a rather weak generation of players, and it will be under a lot of pressure to qualify. I think Saudi Arabia and Egypt are at the same level. While Egypt definitely have the advantage of Mohamed Salah, Saudi Arabia can field a good team full of experienced international players.” 
The Saudi Arabia defense will face international stars, heavyweights like Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. Across all sectors of the field, Pizzi’s team lack international exposure. The Saudi Arabia Football Federation and the General Sports Authority tried to mitigate for that by sending players abroad last January and lining up strong opponents in the final warmup matches, including a a valiant 2-1 defeat at the hands of Germany. 
“A country’s football is developed by the clubs,” Van Winckel explained. “Saudi Arabia has one of the best Asian leagues, and it often competes for the Asian Champions League, as Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli did recently. The maximum of three foreign players in Asian competitions can be a problem for Saudi teams, however. The local Saudi players are paid well, so they tend not to be inclined to play abroad, where they could gain experience that they can later bring back to the country. I think it is a good idea to promote European competition to Saudi players, but I think the focus should be on younger players.”
Van Winckel, however, warned against complacency, saying it was a must for Saudi Arabia to establish itself among the top 35-ranked teams in the world.
“You often notice that at successful moments people will rest on the laurels, that there is too little investment in the future and too little innovative thinking,” said Van Winckel.
“This is the trap of success; to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow. You often see this undulation with national teams.”
Today, Van Winckel works in various roles for Belgian club Beerschot and Sheffield United in England. After Saudi Arabia’s World Cup qualification the relationship between the Saudi Arabia Football Federation and Van Marwijk  soured with disputes over a new contract. The 2010 World Cup finalist left and Van Winckel also exited with him. 
“Although we were successful on all levels, the Saudi Football Federation decided to change the entire technical department following the elections,” Van Winckel said.
“The decision of the Saudi Football Federation to not extend Bert’s contract was in line with the overall changes in the technical department.” 


$2m Saudi Smash opens in Jeddah

Updated 39 min 50 sec ago
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$2m Saudi Smash opens in Jeddah

  • World’s best table tennis players set to battle it out over 11 days
  • Singapore’s Quek Izaac, Sweden’s Filippa Bergand secure first round wins

JEDDAH: Top players from around the world are taking part in the Saudi Smash table tennis event that got underway on Wednesday at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
This is the first World Table Tennis Championship event to be held in the Kingdom and there are big prizes up for grabs over the next 11 days.
The singles events open with a qualifying stage, which run until Friday and will see 64 men and 64 women — several of them Saudis — competing for eight spots in the main draw. They will then join 56 of the world’s top male and female players in the main event, which starts on Saturday.
There is a total prize pot of $2 million on offer, with the winners of the men’s and women’s singles events also picking up $65,000 and 2,000 world ranking points.
Singapore’s Quek Izaac got off to a flying start in the men’s singles on Wednesday, beating the No. 6 qualifying seed Sathiyan Gnanasekaran from India 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11).
Quek reached the last 16 in last year’s Smash in his home country.
In the women’s singles, Sweden’s Filippa Bergand fought back from two games down to defeat India’s Archana Girish Kamath 3-1 (3-11, 3-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9).


Two-time defending champion Alcaraz crashes out in Madrid

Updated 01 May 2024
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Two-time defending champion Alcaraz crashes out in Madrid

  • Rublev, the world number eight from Russia, came through 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, handing the third-ranked Alcaraz his first defeat on Spanish clay in 25 matches
  • Rublev will face either Taylor Fritz of the United States or Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo for a place in the final

MADRID: Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was sent crashing out of the Madrid Open on Wednesday as Andrey Rublev triumphed in their quarter-final clash.
Rublev, the world number eight from Russia, came through 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, handing the third-ranked Alcaraz his first defeat on Spanish clay in 25 matches.
Rublev will face either Taylor Fritz of the United States or Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo for a place in the final.
Alcaraz, who was forced to sit out clay court events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona due to a right arm injury, had been in control in the first set.
However, 26-year-old Rublev battled back with Alcaraz looking increasingly weary as the tie progressed in chilly conditions in the Spanish capital and with the roof closed on the Manolo Santana Stadium.
Rublev carved out breaks in the first and fifth games of the decider and celebrated victory when the 20-year-old two-time major winner dumped a tired return into the net.
The Russian clubbed 30 winners as Alcaraz appeared physically spent following his three-set win over Jan-Lennard Struff on Tuesday in a last 16-tie which stretched to almost three hours.


Chelsea working to understand injury woes, says Pochettino

Updated 01 May 2024
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Chelsea working to understand injury woes, says Pochettino

  • Defenders Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi are the latest additions to the list since Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa
  • “Too many circumstances have happened,” Pochettino said on the eve of Chelsea’s match against his former club, who are in fifth spot in the table

LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea’s medical and coaching staff are trying to work out why the club have been so badly plagued by injuries, with as many as 14 players likely to be missing for Thursday’s visit of Tottenham.
Defenders Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi are the latest additions to the list since Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, in which the Chelsea boss was forced to name five academy graduates aged 20 and under on the bench.
The Blues’ campaign has been badly disrupted by the unavailability of players, including several acquired at huge expense as part of a £1 billion ($1.25 billion) transfer spree over the past two years.
Notable absentees include Wesley Fofana, who has not played all season after undergoing surgery on an ACL injury, and forward Christopher Nkunku, who has been limited to seven Premier League appearances.
Romeo Lavia has played only once for the club while Reece James and Ben Chilwell have also had lengthy spells out of the side, who are in mid-table.
Last week it was confirmed that Enzo Fernandez, signed for a then-British record £105 million in January 2023, will not play again this season following a hernia operation.
“Too many circumstances have happened,” Pochettino said on the eve of Chelsea’s match against his former club, who are in fifth spot in the table.
“It’s difficult to explain with one word or in one sentence. Of course we are working on trying to improve. We have an amazing staff — medical staff, coaching staff. They have experience in managing clubs and being in this business.
“When some circumstances arrive, sometimes it can happen. We need to now, until the end of the season, put all the information on the table and try to be better next season.
“We need to improve in communication, dynamics, strategy. Everything to do with our knowledge to improve and coordinate better.”
Pochettino paid tribute to veteran Brazilian defender Silva, 39, who is leaving the club at the end of the season after a four-year stay.
“He’s an amazing guy and amazing professional,” said Pochettino. “Playing until nearly 40 years old is an amazing career.
“Of course, the players, the fans and club are going to miss him. But he’s happy, he’s so proud of his career here at Chelsea. We wish him the best because he deserves the best.”


Tennis legend Boris Becker discharged from bankruptcy court in England

Updated 01 May 2024
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Tennis legend Boris Becker discharged from bankruptcy court in England

  • Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Nicholas Briggs said it would be “perverse” not to end the case given the efforts Becker made
  • Becker, 57, was deported to Germany two years ago after serving 8 months in a London prison

LONDON: German tennis legend Boris Becker was discharged from bankruptcy court in London after a judge found Wednesday he had done “all that he reasonably could do” to repay creditors tens of millions of pounds.
Becker fell far short of repaying his creditors in full, but Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Nicholas Briggs said it would be “perverse” not to end the case given the efforts Becker made.
“On the spectrum of bankrupts who range from ‘difficult as possible and doing everything to frustrate the trustee’s inquiries’ to ‘co-operative, providing information and delivering up assets’, Mr. Becker clearly falls on the right side of the line,” Briggs wrote.
Becker, 57, was deported to Germany two years ago after serving 8 months in a London prison for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding 2.5 million pounds ($3.1 million) in assets after he was declared bankrupt in 2017.
He had been convicted in a London court on four charges under the Insolvency Act, including removal of property, concealing debt and two counts of failing to disclose estate. He was acquitted of 25 other charges, including nine counts of failing to hand over Grand Slam trophies and his Olympic gold medal to bankruptcy trustees.
He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, but was released early under a fast-track deportation program for foreign nationals.
Becker rose to stardom in 1985 at the age of 17 when he became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon singles title. He went on to become the world No. 1 player, winning two titles at Wimbledon, two at the Australian Open and one at the US Open.
He retired from professional tennis in 1999 and worked as a coach, television commentator, investor and celebrity poker player.
Becker blamed laziness and bad advice for his financial problems that led him to declare bankruptcy after owing creditors nearly 50 million pounds ($62.5 million) over an unpaid loan of more than 3 million pounds ($3.75 million) on his estate in Mallorca, Spain.
Attorney Katie Longstaff said at a High Court hearing last month that the joint trustees did not oppose his effort to end the case but did not support it because he still owed about 42 million pounds ($52.5 million).
Becker’s lawyer, Louis Doyle, said the two sides had reached a settlement that includes a “substantial sum” the tennis great must pay. The agreement “includes the outstanding trophies,” Doyled said, adding Becker “can’t do more than he has done to bring us to this point.”


Cricket World Cup ‘stepping stone’ to building US fanbase for Olympics

Updated 01 May 2024
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Cricket World Cup ‘stepping stone’ to building US fanbase for Olympics

  • New York, Dallas and Florida will be venues for T20 World Cup to be held in June 
  • International Cricket Council says tournament would help sport leave a mark in US

New Delhi: Next month’s T20 World Cup will help build cricket’s profile and popularity in the United States ahead of its appearance at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the sport’s world body said.

The showpiece 20-over event will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States in June with New York, Florida and Dallas as venues.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was confident the tournament would help the sport leave a mark in a land where baseball rules.

“The fact that a World Cup has come to the US — the largest sports market in the world — that in itself has generated a lot of interest,” Chris Tetley, the ICC’s head of events, told reporters in a media roundtable on Tuesday.

“This is a key stepping stone for the promotion of the game toward 2028 and beyond in terms of providing world-class cricket for the massive existing fanbase that the sport already has in the US,” he added.

“We are trying to give them something they haven’t had on their doorstep before and maybe pique the interest of the American sports community by telling them that cricket’s actually an older sport in the US than baseball.”

T20 cricket will feature as one of five new sports at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Cricket’s only previous appearance at an Olympics was in 1900 in Paris, where a team from Great Britain defeated France.

Nassau County’s Eisenhower Park, near New York, has seen a 34,000-seater temporary stadium, with a drop-in cricket pitch, constructed.

It will host the hotly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash on June 9 among its eight scheduled World Cup games.

“We are really happy with the pitch,” said stadium manager Damian Hough.

“Everything that we have done has exceeded expectations. I can’t predict scores, that’s for the batters.

“We hope that we have got a typical T20 pitch where there is good bounce, good pace and value for shots. Obviously you want batters to play shots all around the ground.”

Hough and his team introduced drop-in pitches more than a decade ago at Adelaide Oval, where he is head curator.

But creating the stadium in Nassau County has seen different challenges, including growing the pitch in the sub-tropics of Florida before transporting it 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) north through multiple climatic zones.

Tetley said the stadium would be dismantled after the T20 extravaganza, but the “world-class facilities” would leave a lasting legacy for cricket in the United States.