TOKYO: Japan’s inability to contain the COVID-19 pandemic means that plans to hold the Olympics in Tokyo should be reconsidered, health experts wrote in a commentary.
The 2020 Games, already delayed by one year, are due to begin in fewer than 100 days, even as Japan expands quasi-emergency measures to halt a fourth wave of infections.
Japan has exhibited “poor performance” in containing virus transmission, along with limited testing capacity and a slow vaccination rollout, according to the commentary published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday.
“Plans to hold the Olympic and Paralympic games this summer must be reconsidered as a matter of urgency,” wrote lead author Kazuki Shimizu of the London School of Economics.
“Holding Tokyo 2020 for domestic political and economic purposes — ignoring scientific and moral imperatives — is contradictory to Japan’s commitment to global health and human security.”
The commentary adds to a drum beat of doubt among medical professionals that the Olympics can be carried out safely this summer. A survey of more than 1,000 Japanese doctors last month showed that 75% believed it was better to postpone the Games, according to physician referral company Ishinotomo.
Kyoto University professor Hiroshi Nishiura, an adviser to the government’s pandemic response, urged in a magazine commentary this week that authorities postpone the Olympics one year to allow for more time to vaccinate the public.
Japan began its inoculation push in February, later than most major economies. Only 0.9% of the Japanese public have received their first shot so far, compared with 2.5% in South Korea, and 48% in the United Kingdom.
Olympic and government officials have said further postponement of the Games is out of the question.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Thursday the government would do “everything possible” to prevent further contagion ahead of the Games, after a ruling party official said canceling the event remained an option.
Tokyo Olympics must be ‘reconsidered’ due to Japan’s failure to contain pandemic — health experts
https://arab.news/ggre5
Tokyo Olympics must be ‘reconsidered’ due to Japan’s failure to contain pandemic — health experts
- A survey of more than 1,000 Japanese doctors last month showed that 75% believed it was better to postpone the Games
- Japan began its inoculation push in February, later than most major economies
Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans in last-ball thriller to clinch third PSL title
- All-rounder Imad Wasim returns figures of 5/23 to guide Islamabad to victory over Multan by 2 wickets
- United skipper Shadab Khan bags Player of the Tournament award for scoring 305 runs, taking 14 wickets
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad United became the most successful Pakistan Super League franchise on Monday night after clinching their third PSL title, edging out former champions Multan Sultans by two wickets in a last-ball thriller.
The Sultans, batting first, finished at 159/9 from their 20 overs. Skipper Muhammad Rizwan’s side were restricted to the total by clinical allrounder Imad Wasim, who returned figures of 5/23. United skipper Shadab Khan pitched in with figures of 3/32 and spectacular fielding at regular intervals to ensure the Sultans did not post a huge total.
From the Sultans, Usman Khan top-scored with 57 runs from 40 balls while Iftikhar Ahmed remained unbeaten on 32 runs from 20 balls. United chased the target on the final ball of the innings, with Hunain Shah hitting a boundary off the last ball to send the stadium into a frenzy.
“We did it! Champions once again! Huge praise to our boys for holding their nerves in a nail-biter of a finale,” United wrote on social media platform X.
United got off to a solid start in their chase with opener Martin Guptill scoring 50 runs from 32 balls. Colin Munro and Salman Ali Agha scored 17 and 10 runs, respectively, while Khan managed to make only four before he was bowled by Ahmed.
Azam Khan scored 30 runs from 22 before Wasim and Shah held their nerves to ensure the United win off the last ball. For the Sultans, Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 2/19 while Khushdil Shah ended up with 2/21. David Willey, Mohammad Ali and Usama Mir took a single wicket each.
“Believed in staying calm at the crease, focused on tapping and running,” Shah said at the end of the match. “Imad Wasim advised to keep it easy and just make contact. Beyond words right now, just overwhelmed with happiness.”
Wasim bagged the Player of the Match award for his fifer while Khan was given the Player of the Tournament award for scoring 305 runs and taking 14 wickets. The Karachi Kings’ batter Muhammad Irfan Khan was named Emerging Player of the Tournament for scoring 171 runs while Peshawar Zalmi’s Saim Ayub bagged the All-Rounder of the Tournament award for scoring 345 runs and taking eight wickets.
The Sultans’ spinner Mir bagged the Bowler of the Tournament award for his 24 wickets while their batter Usman Khan won the Batter of the Tournament award for scoring 430 runs.
Former champions Peshawar Zalmi won the Spirit of Cricket Award.
Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans in last-ball thriller to clinch third PSL title
- All-rounder Imad Wasim returns figures of 5/23 to guide Islamabad to victory over Multan by two wickets
- United skipper Shadab Khan bags Player of the Tournament award for scoring 305 runs, taking 14 wickets
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad United became the most successful Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise on Monday night after clinching their third PSL title, edging out former champions Multan Sultans by two wickets in a last-ball nail-biting thriller.
The Sultans, batting first, finished at 159/9 from their 20 overs. Skipper Muhammad Rizwan’s side were restricted to the total by clinical all-rounder Imad Wasim, who returned figures of 5/23.
United skipper Shadab Khan pitched in with figures of 3/32 and spectacular fielding at regular intervals to ensure the Sultans did not post a huge total on the scoreboard.
From the Sultans, Usman Khan top-scored with 57 runs from 40 balls while Iftikhar Ahmed remained unbeaten on 32 runs from 20 balls.
United chased the target on the final ball of the innings, with Hunain Shah hitting a boundary off the last ball to send the entire stadium into a frenzy.
“We did it! Champions once again! Huge praise to our boys for holding their nerves in a nail-biter of a finale,” United wrote on social media platform X.
United got off to a solid start in their chase with opener Martin Guptill scoring 50 runs from 32 balls.
Colin Munro and Salman Ali Agha scored 17 and 10 runs, respectively, while Khan managed to make only 4 before he was bowled by Ahmed.
Azam Khan scored 30 runs from 22 before Wasim and Shah held their nerves to ensure United won the trophy off the last ball.
For the Sultans, Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 2/19 while Khushdil Shah ended up with 2/21.
David Willey, Mohammad Ali and Mir took a single wicket each.
“Believed in staying calm at the crease, focused on tapping and running,” Shah said at the end of the match.
“Imad Wasim advised to keep it easy and just make contact. Beyond words right now, just overwhelmed with happiness.”
Wasim bagged the Player of the Match award for his fifer while Khan was given the Player of the Tournament award for scoring 305 runs and taking 14 wickets.
Karachi Kings batter Muhammad Irfan Khan was named Emerging Player of the Tournament for scoring 171 runs while Peshawar Zalmi’s Saim Ayub bagged the All-Rounder of the Tournament award for scoring 345 runs and taking eight wickets.
Sultans spinner Usama Mir bagged the Bowler of the Tournament award for his 24 wickets while Sultans batter Usman Khan won the Batter of the Tournament award for scoring 430 runs.
Former champions Peshawar Zalmi won the Spirit of Cricket Award.
How Turki Alalshikh turned Saudi Arabia into the boxing capital of the world
- British newspaper highlights role of the Saudi Royal Court advisor behind attractions such as ‘Ring of Fire’ and ‘Battle of the Baddest’
LONDON: Saudi Arabia is yet again making headlines in sports and entertainment, and the newest association the kingdom is enjoying is with world-class boxing. Just recently, the London-based Daily Mail’s sports editor Oli Gabb highlighted the topic in a lengthy and detailed piece he wrote on the topic.
The profile highlighted the efforts and achievements led by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), under the leadership of its’ chairman, Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh, who successfully delivered a series of boxing and sporting events. The matches and fights were all part of a mega six month festival, known as the ‘Riyadh Season 2023’.
“Whether you are a fan of the growing boxing scene in Saudi Arabia or not, the investment from the Middle East has forever changed the face of this sport,” Gabb wrote. He added that there is one person behind all of what has been happening on that front.
“Behind the most powerful fights like ‘Battle of the Baddest,’ ‘Day of Reckoning,’ and ‘Ring of Fire’ is Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh,” he wrote
“ He didn’t stop there; he made boxing a force to be reckoned with through promotional shows that emulate Hollywood productions, huge winning bonuses for boxers, and a significant role in overseeing major events in the Kingdom,” Gabb adding that Saudi Arabia managed to achieve what many others failed to due to egos and negotiations getting in the way.
Through his efforts and personal touch, Alalshikh is credited with bringing together stars like Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Francis Ngannou to Saudi Arabia.
“Athletes in the field of boxing have every reason to be proud of the work done by Alalshikh. Boxing is often criticized due to the presence of numerous intermediaries that hinder negotiations. However, when Alalshikh gets involved, matches are quickly settled,” said the article.
As an example, the report said that prior to Alalshikh involvement in boxing, rival promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren ‘did not speak to each other’. But now, they are now seen side by side as organizers and even planning matchups between their fighters.
Hearn and Warren were brought in to work together when each of them participated in the Riyadh Season Joshua vs. Ngannou fight. Alalshikh found a quick way to improve relations between them—through a face-off between their top fighters. He proposed the idea of a “5 vs 5” card that would bring together five fighters from Hearn’s Matchroom team and five fighters from Warren’s Queensberry team to settle the debate about who has the better team.
Prior to Alalshikh involvement in boxing, rival promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren ‘did not speak to each other’. But now, they are now seen side by side
In a joint press conference featuring all three of them, Alalshikh jokingly remarked, “I don’t like peace between them,” and wrote a comment saying, “The ultimate showdown in Riyadh! Matchroom vs. Queensberry, the giants in the boxing world, finally clash in an exciting 5 vs. 5 battle. After years of promoting their own fighters, it’s time for these giants to face off. Prepare yourselves, people of Riyadh, for a night of epic confrontations.”
Additionally, the inaugural season of the Riyadh Season tennis championship took place in December, featuring top players such as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, who emerged as the winner.
The report also highlighted Alalshikh’s organization of the first-ever professional snooker tournament in Saudi Arabia, the World Snooker Masters Championship, which took place earlier this month and renowned player Ronnie O’Sullivan emerge as the winner.
The tournament included the introduction of the Golden Ball and a prize of $500,000. And as no one achieved the required century break to claim the Golden Ball, Alalshikh announced after the final that he would double the prize fund for the Golden Ball in the following year and offered Ronnie the opportunity to open his own snooker academy in Saudi Arabia.
While the report also discusses Alalshikh’s success in bringing events organised by UFC, and WWE before it, to the kingdom, he says the Royal Court advisor’s biggest prominence has been in boxing. This is only due to the high-quality events he organized and the high-level fighters he attracted, but also because of the quality of promotion. The teaser for the “Day of Reckoning” event, which depicted Joshua and Wilder as zombies in a video clip, wowed the audience. The same level of quality was observed in the promotion of Joshua’s “Knockout Chaos” match against Ngannou, where they were portrayed as video game characters.
The report argued that: “A lot of effort and investment have been made in the events of the Riyadh Season, led by Turki Alalshikh, and this demonstrates the seriousness of his approach in making Saudi Arabia the boxing capital of the world. With numerous major matches held in Saudi Arabia, the Saudis have provided significant financial support and shown seriousness and credibility in their dealings. So why wouldn’t boxers prefer to come here?”
The report concluded by saying, “While the debate continues over whether Saudi Arabia is good for boxing, the argument against it diminishes as long as the person leading the campaign delivers the desired results.”
Howzat! Cricket-lovers in Saudi Arabia follow their favorite game with a passion
- Cricket kit is available at sports shops run by expats
- Formation of the SACF, in 2020, has seen the game thrive
RIYADH: Cricket is a hugely popular sport, second only to soccer as the most-watched sport on the globe, and has been played in Saudi Arabia for more than five decades, mainly by expatriate workers from Asian countries.
In the late-1970s, cricket associations were formed that began organizing matches on weekends in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The game also gradually became popular with locals, but enthusiasts were still mostly Asian expatriates who were familiar with the game. Cricket is followed like a religion in South Asian countries.
These South Asian expatriates in the Kingdom supported their favorite game with a passion. However, the formation of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, established in 2020, has seen the game thrive and introduced a cricketing culture across the Kingdom by lining up a series of programs focused on promoting the game among locals and expatriates.
Those playing the game told Arab News that it was not easy to pursue their dream of playing cricket in the beginning as kit such as bats, pads, balls, gloves and helmets were not easily available. Previously players would bring equipment from their home countries, but now several shops provide cricket kits.
“Cricket is a game that requires a wealth of equipment in order to stay safe and reach optimum performance levels. This includes protective gear, cricket-training equipment and cricket-ground equipment,” Abdul Waheed, a star player of the Saudi cricket team that has won two successive ACC Men’s Challenger Cups — the inaugural one last year and this year’s one in Bangkok — told Arab News.
“All the cricket equipment is available in Riyadh with shops in Hai Al-Wizarat, Shumaisi and Manfuha districts. You can just visit the shops and buy it. If some equipment is not available or you want a better-quality brand, they take some time to get it for them from Pakistan and India,” Waheed said.
“At these shops you can get all the good-quality equipment. If you want normal equipment for practice or you want branded quality bats, pads and all the equipment, it’s available. If it is a big order, these shops also offer a discount.
“We the players in the Saudi cricket team also buy equipment from these shops,” he said.
Arab News spoke to some of the shop owners and retailers in Riyadh.
Ikramullah Khan, a shop owner at Sialkot Sports in Hai Al-Wizarat distrcit, one of the oldest outlets providing cricket equipment in Riyadh, told Arab News: “We have been providing cricket equipment for the past 22 years. My father started it and now I run this shop with my brother providing all cricket equipment for hard-ball cricket as well as soft-ball cricket. We sell everything, including trophies.
“Everyone interested in cricket is welcome to our shop and can buy it. We offer all types of equipment, normal as well as branded and high-quality equipment. If a customer wants some brand which is not available in my shop, I take time and provide once the consignment comes from Pakistan, but mostly equipment is available at my shop,” he said.
“If you buy a low-priced bat for soft-ball cricket, the cost ranges between SR90 ($24) to SR240, whereas the cost for a bat to play with the hard-ball ranges from SR350 to SR1,600, which is original-branded such as CA, MB Malik, and Ihsan.”
Khan said: “Like every other business in the market, our business too was badly affected during the pandemic, and even after that as many families left the Kingdom heading back to home. Now things are improving and with cricket popularity growing more than ever after the formation of the Saudi cricket federation, we are very hopeful that our sales will increase as cricket clubs here in Riyadh such as the Riyadh Cricket Association, Riyadh Cricket League and other clubs associated with it, as well as players from clubs in neighboring Al Kharj, Majmaah, Mazahimiyah, they all come to buy equipment from my shop. Sometimes people from as far as Buraidah, Qassim, come to buy equipment.”
Abid Meraj, of AR Sports, another major shop providing equipment at its outlets in different areas in Riyadh, told Arab News: “We welcome our customers to buy cricket-related equipment at our shop in Al-Ghubairah as well as Al-Wizarat.
“People can just visit our shops and buy all types of equipment to play their favorite game with required safety. Protective gears such as gloves, helmets, pads, armguards, are important to play hard-ball cricket, and we provide everything at our shops,” he said.
Khurram Mustafa, a cricket-lover and a Pakistani entrepreneur, in 2021 sought to boost the game in Saudi Arabia by supplying cricket kits to the Saudi Company for Hardware, or SACO, from Pakistan.
However, the initiative faced a setback as the response was not so enthusiastic, primarily attributed to the pandemic and absence of suitable cricket grounds for practice, he said.
Now that the popularity of cricket is growing with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation at the helm, and there is an abiding enthusiasm for cricket in Saudi Arabia, especially among expatriates from Asian nations already familiar with the game, Mustafa is hopeful about resuming the supply of equipment.
Undeterred by the initial challenges, Mustafa remains resolute in his passion for cricket, and eager to facilitate its accessibility not only within SACO but also in sports shops across the Kingdom.
“My unwavering commitment to promoting the sport shows my determination to overcome obstacles and foster a thriving cricket culture in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Amna, Hamda Al-Qubaisi named Yas Heat ambassadors for F1 Academy season
- Emirati sisters will represent Yas Heat across 2024 season following recent drives for team at Abu Dhabi GP 2023
Abu Dhabi: With the new season of F1 Academy underway, Emirati stars Amna and Hamda Al-Qubaisi have been named as official ambassadors for the Yas Heat Racing, following on from their long-standing history of racing at Yas Marina Circuit to represent the UAE’s racing community on the international stage.
The Emirati sisters, beginning their second season in F1 Academy with impressive drives at the season-opening round in Jeddah with their new teams in Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App RB, will serve as the official ambassadors to the Yas Marina Circuit-based team across the seven-round season aligned with Formula 1’s international schedule.
Ali Al-Beshr, executive director of motorsport development said: “It is a proud moment as we announce our new ambassadors of Yas Heat Racing in Amna and Hamda Al-Qubaisi, two inspiring young Emirati talents who are truly making history on the international racing stage.
“Having been witness to the growth of their careers from their early beginnings here at Yas Marina Circuit, I’m delighted to welcome Amna and Hamda back as official ambassadors to the program and for them to represent our team on the global stage across their season. I’m sure they’ll do us proud, and we wish them all the best for the upcoming season.”
The duo joins fellow young Emirati driver, Rashid Al-Dhaheri as official ambassadors to Yas Heat Racing as part of the team’s efforts to inspire and support the next generation of young racing talents in the UAE and beyond.
On their new ambassadorial role, Amna said: “It’s an honor to become an ambassador of Yas Heat Racing, a young driver program that will support young talents here at my home track at Yas Marina Circuit.
“I’ve enjoyed some incredible moments in my racing career with my family here, and I am proud to be a part of the academy in supporting new drivers to continue their development.”
As a returning Yas Heat driver, Hamda said: “It was a unique experience during my time with the team, and it was a privilege to be a part of their debut season on track.
“I’m delighted to come back to the team as an ambassador to the team across the new season and look forward to working with the team and its new drivers in the coming months.”
The Al-Qubaisi siblings have been prominent figures in the racing history of Abu Dhabi and the UAE ever since Amna’s first race victory at the Formula 4 UAE season-opening trophy round at the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2019, with Hamda recently competing with Yas Heat’s F4 team in the Formula 4 UAE season in 2023 before making the step to F1 Academy.
The duo, who raced for Yas Heat as part of the F4 UAE trophy round at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in November, will support the Yas Heat Racing’s growth on a regional and international level, providing their wealth of experience competing on the international stage to the academy’s young drivers in the years to come.
With the 2024 season underway for Amna representing Visa Cash App RB and Hamda with Red Bull Racing, the opening round of action provided a promising start for the sisters in Jeddah. Hamda secured a top-five finish to cap off the first race weekend of the year.
With two and four race wins in 2023, Amna and Hamda will be looking to build on their impressive debut season across the seven-round series over the coming months.