Al-Mowallad prepares for the pitch after doping ban

Short Url
Updated 11 March 2020
Follow

Al-Mowallad prepares for the pitch after doping ban

  • The prominent player made history when he joined Spanish first division club Levante in 2018

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad and Saudi national team star Fahad Al-Mowallad is targeting a return to playing after being allowed to resume training on Monday following a doping ban.

The 25-year-old received a one-year ban from local and international competitions after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug on March 19, 2019.

His suspension had been set to end in May. But in recent months, Al-Mowallad has traveled to France to start a distinguished physical preparation program in the buildup to his return to football.

The prominent player made history when he joined Spanish first division club Levante in 2018.

Al-Mowallad flew to Dubai from Paris but could not travel to Jeddah because Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended land and sea travel to and from Dubai this week.

After being ferried back to the Kingdom by a special Saudi Airlines flight to King Abdul Aziz International Airport on Tuesday morning, Al-Mowallad said: “Now I just want to get back to playing football.”

Al-Mowallad is expected to join his club in the last two rounds of the season against Al-Nasser and Al-Addallah.


Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship

Updated 16 February 2026
Follow

Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship

Norway’s Magnus Carlsen added ‌another crown to his collection on Sunday by becoming the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess world champion after ​a comeback win over Fabiano Caruana in Germany.
The chess master secured the title with a cautious draw in the fourth and final game, clinching a 2.5–1.5 match victory against his 33-year-old American opponent in Weissenhaus.
Sunday’s turning point came in the thrilling third game, in ‌which Carlsen, ‌35, pulled off a stunning ​win ‌from ⁠a ​seemingly lost ⁠position, swinging the entire contest in his favor.
The world number one only needed a draw in the decisive fourth game, and that’s exactly what he got in an equal endgame, with Caruana missing late opportunities to mount a ⁠comeback.
Carlsen has now won 21 world ‌titles in various formats.

 

The ‌World Championship marked a breakthrough ​collaboration between FIDE and ‌private organizer Freestyle Chess, staging the first ‌officially recognized title in this format.
Carlsen had previously failed to capture the FIDE Fischer Random World Championship, making this victory particularly sweet for the chess great.
In ‌the bronze medal match, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat Germany’s Vincent Keymer, securing ⁠his spot ⁠by drawing from a winning position in the final game.
Both finalists and Abdusattorov have qualified for next year’s championship.
The tournament’s lower placings saw Hans Niemann of the United States take fifth with a 2-0 victory over India’s Arjun Erigaisi, while Armenia’s Levon Aronian won his Armageddon game against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov for seventh place.
In the women’s exhibition match, Kazakhstan’s ​Bibisara Assaubayeva prevailed over ​Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk after their final encounter ended in a draw.