Saudi sprinter and rower to carry Kingdom’s flag at Olympics opening ceremony

Yasmine Al-Dabbagh and Husein Alireza will be Saudi Arabia's flagbearers at the opening ceremony of Tokyo 2020. (Supplied/SAOC)
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Updated 22 July 2021
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Saudi sprinter and rower to carry Kingdom’s flag at Olympics opening ceremony

  • Yasmine Al-Dabbagh and Husein Alireza will be flag bearers on Friday; Karate star Tarek Hamdi given the honor for closing ceremony

RIYADH: Saudi rower Husein Alireza and 100 meter sprinter Yasmine Al-Dabbagh will carry the Kingdom’s flag at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo on Friday.

This is the first time in Olympic Games history that participating nations could nominate a male and a female athlete to carry their flags.

The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee also confirmed on Thursday that Karate star Tarek Hamdi will be the flag bearer during the closing ceremony on Aug. 8.

Saudi Arabia is sending its largest-ever Olympic delegation to the games in Japan. It includes 11 individual athletes plus the country’s under-23 football team. They will compete in nine sports, surpassing the country’s record of six at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Alireza will take to the water on Friday in the heats of the men’s singles sculls event at the newly-built Sea Forest Waterway. Al-Dabbagh will line up in the 100m heats on July 30, the first day of the athletics competitions.

Hamdi is the most decorated athlete in the Saudi delegation, with seven gold medals from various competitions. His quest for Olympic karate glory, in the 75 kilogram category, will begin on Aug. 6.


Dubai Basketball endure home loss in EuroLeague against Virtus Bologna

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Dubai Basketball endure home loss in EuroLeague against Virtus Bologna

  • The club enters the second half of the season with a 10–12 record

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball were beaten 80-72 by Virtus Bologna at Coca-Cola Arena on Thursday in round 22 of the EuroLeague, in a game where key individual performances made the difference.

The hosts remained competitive throughout, despite Virtus holding a slim advantage for most of the night. Dubai found rhythm in phases, particularly during the middle quarters, and stayed within striking distance until the closing minutes.

However, Virtus managed the decisive moments more efficiently and protected their lead late on.

Aleksa Avramovic led Dubai with 17 points, providing energy and shot-making that kept the home side in the game. His scoring run in the second half briefly shifted momentum and forced Virtus to adjust defensively.

Dwayne Bacon also made a strong contribution, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Dubai continued to battle physically on both ends of the floor.

Virtus were anchored by an outstanding performance from Saliou Niang, who recorded 17 points and 17 rebounds.

Dubai Basketball’s upcoming games will be decisive as the club enters the second half of the season with a 10–12 record. In February they face EuroLeague heavyweights Olympiacos and Real Madrid at home.