Golf Saudi signs off on its best year yet 

Golf Saudi is also looking to host 700 try-golf events by 2025, in order to bring golf into the community. (Supplied)
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Updated 20 December 2022

Golf Saudi signs off on its best year yet 

  • Golf Saudi successfully rolled out its first-ever National Golf Week with array of events

RIYADH: In just a 12-month period, Golf Saudi has introduced thousands of Saudis to the game as part of its Mass Participation program. The organization has also launched the world’s first Arab golf industry education pathway in order to discover and develop future leaders within Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing golf scene.

Golf Saudi’s commitment to its National Golf Sustainability Strategy, which comprised a mandate to create social, green and economic agendas within the industry and is also the first of its kind globally, remains unwavering by virtue of the fact that three of its golf clubs have successfully achieved certification by the GEO Foundation for sustainable golf. Golf Saudi has also organized seven events throughout the year, in both men’s and women’s professional golf, with prize money exceeding $10 million and locations including Jeddah, Bangkok and London.  

As part of the 2022 events calendar, Golf Saudi has struck a new relationship with the Asian Tour in the men’s game due to the importance and potential of Asia’s role in world golf and not least due to its position as a global economic powerhouse. The 2022 edition of the Public Investment Fund Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers was the strongest yet, thanks to its place on the Asian Tour, and the diversity of its field was a testament to the strength of the global game. 

This partnership has already been expanded to see the PIF Saudi Open added onto the Asian Development Tour in December 2022, which has unlocked many opportunities for players, sponsors and fans of the game, particularly those based in Saudi Arabia, making the game more inclusive for all eligible professional golfers.  

Arguably, Golf Saudi’s main focus in 2022, not just in terms of events but also in participation, has been women’s golf. That commitment was underlined when the organization took the important decision last month to increase the prize money of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International and match it with the men’s equivalent at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. The $5 million purse will be the third largest on the Ladies European Tour, a significant five-fold increase.  

Majed Al-Sorour, deputy chairman and CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, said: “I look back on 2022 at Golf Saudi with a huge amount of pride. Each year, we are bringing more and more Saudi golfers into the game for the first time and as a result, we are really seeing the strong growth of the game here in the Kingdom.  

“This is particularly true when it comes to women’s golf, and our priority in 2023 remains to raise the profile of women’s golf further and give the players the rewards that they deserve. Showcasing the best female golfers in the world as role models is integral to the game’s growth and increasing participation numbers here in the Kingdom.” 

FASTFACT

As part of the 2022 events calendar, Golf Saudi has struck a new relationship with the Asian Tour in the men’s game due to the importance and potential of Asia’s role in world golf.

Participation for women is not the only element Golf Saudi is focusing on to ensure its own evolution in future years, as it works toward its Vision 2030 objectives. The organization also wants Saudi men and children to have complete access to all its golf facilities. The objective is for Golf Saudi to create a platform that attracts Saudis from around the Kingdom to come and not only witness top-flight sports stars compete but to also give the game a try themselves.  

This cause is led by Golf Saudi’s Mass Participation team, who have worked to ensure members of the Saudi public have the opportunities they need to engage with golf.  

In 2022, Golf Saudi’s Mass Participation program reached more people nationally across all 13 regions within the Kingdom than ever before. This was all with the end goal of attracting over 140 members and having 200 new players actively playing with a registered handicap in 2023. In terms of schools, Golf Saudi continues to work with the aim of having the game added to their curriculums and to have over 135,000 school participants by 2025. Golf Saudi is also looking to host 700 try-golf events by 2025, in order to bring golf into the community in locations such as malls, parks, sporting events and concerts. It is likewise aiming to implement a “Golf in the Workplace” strategy, which will take golf to the offices of major corporations, women’s business groups and into the Saudi workforce. 

This year also saw the creation of Golf Saudi’s first “National Golf Week,” which took place in February, with multiple golf activities and opportunities organized throughout the Kingdom for all generations and playing abilities, as part of Golf Saudi’s Mass Participation program. All Golf Saudi-owned courses and facilities were provided with the equipment needed to engage with new and existing audiences, enabling them to experience exciting activities across a range of locations. Complimentary golf lessons were also provided as well as a school championship for up-and-coming junior stars. Following this success, the Mass Participation team is aiming for over 250,000 people to try golf, via activations in 2023.  

Bouchaib El Jadiani, head of Mass Participation and National Teams at Golf Saudi, said: “We have identified multiple pathways for Saudis to get into golf and gain an ongoing interest in the sport. Our view is that when Saudis play a sport, if they have fun, it is far more likely that they are going to come back, pursue it and potentially become future golfers.” 

From events to participation and sustainability, 2022 has been a stellar year for Golf Saudi, and the aim is to keep this momentum going for years to come. 


West Ham beat Fiorentina to win Europa Conference League

Updated 08 June 2023

West Ham beat Fiorentina to win Europa Conference League

PRAGUE: Jarrod Bowen’s dramatic 90th-minute goal secured West Ham their first major European trophy since 1965 with a 2-1 win over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday.
It is the second European trophy for West Ham after they won the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup 58 years ago with a team including England World Cup heroes Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst.
Bowen picked up a superb through ball from Lucas Paqueta, before sending a low shot past a helpless Pietro Terracciano in the Fiorentina goal.
“I obviously dreamed of scoring but to score the winner in the last minute. It’s what you always say you want to do,” Bowen told BT Sport.
“To do it in front of these fans. I thought I was going to cry. I’m just happy.”
Said Benrahma had opened the scoring for West Ham in Prague as he blasted a penalty past Terracciano on 62 minutes after VAR had caught Cristiano Biraghi handling the ball trying to stop Bowen in the box.
Giacomo Bonaventura levelled five minutes later, beating West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola with a fine, low right-footed effort.
Bonaventura capitalized on a superb header back from Nicolas Gonzalez who had leapt over West Ham full-back Emerson.
The champions’ name will be the second ever on the Conference League trophy following Roma, who won the maiden edition of the competition last year.
West Ham have also clinched a spot in next season’s Europa League with the win, while Fiorentina will miss out on European competition after finishing eighth in the Serie A.
West Ham’s previous major trophy was back in 1980 when they won the FA Cup.
They spent most of the last season battling the prospect of relegation, finishing 14th in the Premier League in the end.
“We had a dream, we haven’t had the best season, myself included, but to give these fans this moment, I’m over the moon,” Bowen said.
“This is the biggest game of my career. The emotion, there was time for one more chance. I’m just so happy.”
The game got off to a slow start, although Michail Antonio tested Terracciano with a low shot on 40 seconds.
Fiorentina dominated possession and looked more organized in a largely uneventful first half.
But they did not came close until injury time when Christian Kouame headed against the post from Gonzalez’s cross.
Fiorentina striker Luka Jovic then tapped the ball across the line on a rebound but his goal was ruled out for offside.
Declan Rice’s 13th-minute shot from outside the box whizzed just past the post in the Hammers’ best chance of the first half.
Rice may have played his last game for the East Londoners as he is being courted by the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
The game changed with the goals as both sides suddenly looked far more lively, earning corners and creating chances.
But Rolando Mandragora sent his shot just wide and Sofyan Amrabat was denied by Areola, while Tomas Soucek’s header was saved by a diving Terracciano.
Before the game, Prague police said they had detained 16 people as Fiorentina fans attacked West Ham supporters in a bar in central Prague. Three people sustained light injuries.


McIlroy: Saudi, PGA Tour deal ‘good for golf’

Updated 07 June 2023

McIlroy: Saudi, PGA Tour deal ‘good for golf’

LOS ANGELES: Rory McIlroy on Wednesday welcomed the PGA Tour’s merger with the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf.

According to the Northern Ireland star, Tuesday’s deal would secure the financial future of the sport.

“I think ultimately, when I try to remove myself from the situation and I look at the bigger picture and I look at 10 years down the line, I think ultimately this is going to be good for the game of professional golf,” McIlroy said.

“It unifies it and it secures its financial future.”

McIlroy was speaking on the eve of this week’s PGA Canadian Open in Toronto in his first comments since Tuesday’s agreement was revealed.

Under the new deal, the PGA Tour and Europe’s DP World Tour said they had signed an agreement with LIV’s Saudi backers that will lead to ‘a new collectively owned, for-profit entity.’

McIlroy is widely reported to have turned down an offer in the region of $400 million to switch to LIV but on Wednesday denied ever receiving a bid for his services.

“I was never offered any money,” McIlroy said. The Northern Irishman, however, said he understood anger from fellow professionals against PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan — but insisted he still had confidence in the under-fire tour chief.

“I’ve dealt with Jay a lot closer than a lot of those guys have,” McIlroy said.

“From where we were a couple of weeks ago to where we are today, I think the future of the PGA Tour looks brighter as a whole, as an entity.”


Lionel Messi: ‘I’ve decided to go to Inter Miami’

Updated 07 June 2023

Lionel Messi: ‘I’ve decided to go to Inter Miami’

BARCELONA: Lionel Messi will sign for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, the player said Wednesday in interviews with Spanish media, choosing the United States as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia.
The Argentine forward, 35, has spent the last two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, playing his final game for the club on Saturday, after moving from Barcelona in 2021, where he spent the majority of his career.
Messi said that he did not want to have to wait for Barcelona to find a formula to be able to sign him given their financial situation — they were unable to keep him before his move to PSG, leading to a tearful departure.
“I was afraid that it would happen again,” Messi told Spanish newspapers Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo.
“I’ve taken the decision that I am going to Miami, I don’t have (the deal) 100 percent sealed or maybe there’s something left to do, but we decided to continue our path there.
“(I decided) to leave Europe, it’s true that I had offers from another European team but I didn’t even think about it because in Europe, my idea was only to go to Barcelona.
“After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it’s time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day to day life more.
“Obviously with the same responsibility and desire to win, and to do things well, but with more calm.”
Messi is a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and is expected to earn the individual accolade once more after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in December 2022.
The football world was eagerly awaiting Messi’s decision after PSG confirmed this week the playmaker, widely considered the best player in the history of football, was departing.
Inter Miami, co-owned by former England international David Beckham and founded in 2018, sacked coach Phil Neville last week with the team bottom of the Eastern Conference — with Argentine Javier Morales taking over on an interim basis.
The romance of a Barcelona return and prospect of eye-watering riches in Saudi Arabia fell by the wayside as Messi opted to join MLS, with sun-soaked Miami a city he has holidayed in on previous occasions.
Some reports say key MLS sponsors including sportswear brand Adidas and Apple TV, who own the league’s domestic broadcasting rights, may be contributing to his deal.


Czech police: Fiorentina fans attack West Ham supporters ahead of Europa Conference League final

Updated 07 June 2023

Czech police: Fiorentina fans attack West Ham supporters ahead of Europa Conference League final

  • Three West Ham fans and one police officer were injured in the incident while 16 people were detained, police said

PRAGUE: Fiorentina fans attacked West Ham supporters in a bar in downtown Prague ahead of the Europa Conference League final, Czech police said on Wednesday.
Three West Ham fans and one police officer were injured in the incident while 16 people were detained, police said.
An investigation was ongoing, and no more details were immediately provided.
Thousands of West Ham and Fiorentina fans have arrived in Prague for the final of the third-tier European competition at Slavia Prague’s Eden Arena.
Both clubs are aiming to end long European trophy droughts.
Organizers prepared two separate fan zones for the fans of both clubs who don’t have tickets for the match.


Germany under-17 national team racially abused on way to winning European title

Updated 07 June 2023

Germany under-17 national team racially abused on way to winning European title

  • General manager Joti Chatzialexiou said racist comments on social media made for “unpleasant circumstances” around the team's run to the European title

FRANKFURT, Germany: Players on the Germany under-17 national team faced racist abuse on social media on their way to winning the European Championship, a team official said Wednesday.
General manager Joti Chatzialexiou said racist comments on social media made for “unpleasant circumstances” around the team’s run to the European title, won on penalties against France on Friday.
“Under particular posts on our social media channels there was a strong accumulation of racist comments. Our boys saw those and that really bothered them,” Chatzialexiou said on the German soccer federation’s website.
“Together they decided, however, not to give any space to these distractions during the course of the tournament, and so they came even closer together as a team. As a team which fully identifies with Germany and with the eagle (badge) on the chest, which lives its shared values and stands for diversity, tolerance, community and integration.”