RIYADH: The first-ever women’s polo tournament in the Kingdom will take place in November at Al-Ittihad Academy Stadiums at the Nofa Equestrian Club Resort, near Riyadh, the Saudi Polo Federation has announced.
A Saudi women’s polo team will compete against Arab and international opposition for the first time at the event. The federation and Al-Hawafir Sports Company, the tournament’s official partner, are working with leading stables in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to help the Saudi players prepare for the tournament.
Fashion shows featuring designers from the participating countries will take place on the sidelines of the tournament, organizers said.
Omar Zaidan, the president of the federation, said it is working to promote women’s sports and raise awareness of polo in line with the federation’s own strategy and that of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
First-ever women’s polo tournament in Saudi Arabia to take place in November
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First-ever women’s polo tournament in Saudi Arabia to take place in November
- A women’s team from the Kingdom will compete against Arab and international opposition for the first time at the event, the Saudi Polo Federation said
- The federation is working with leading stables in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to help the Saudi players prepare for the tournament
Shooter Suaar Al-Dosari wins gold in 10-meter air pistol competition at Saudi Games
- Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Musaed, Saudi Shooting Federation’s vice president, awards winners at event
RIYADH: Shooter Suaar Al-Dosari has won the gold medal in the men’s 10-meter air pistol competition at the 2024 Saudi Games.
Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Musaed, the Saudi Shooting Federation’s vice president, awarded the winners at the third edition of the event at Public Security Training City in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Attallah Al-Enazi claimed silver while Fahd Al-Mutairi took bronze.
Sarah Al-Huqbani claimed the gold medal in the women’s competition while Noura Al-Suqairan and Noha Al-Husseini won silver and bronze, respectively.
At the Paralympic weightlifting competition, Mohammed Al-Harbi, president of the Saudi Weightlifting Federation, awarded the medals to the winners.
Adnan Noor Saeed, of Jeddah Disability Club, took the gold medal In the 65 kg weight category, ahead of clubmate Mayasar Al-Alimi (silver) and Talal Al-Balawi, of Madinah Disability Club, who claimed bronze.
Jeddah Disability Club’s Aseel Hawsawi claimed gold in the 97 kg category, with Saeed Hawsawi, of Makkah Disability Club, taking silver and Tariq Balghith, of Jeddah Disability Club, the bronze.
Al-Nassr retain women’s volleyball title at Saudi Games
- Al-Qadsiah Club take swimming gold in men’s 4x100 medley relay
- Al-Fateh Club’s Patrick Zymek wins gold in 200-meter backstroke event
RIYADH: Al-Nassr women’s volleyball team successfully defended their Saudi Games title on Friday, beating Al-Ula in a one-way final.
Ahlam Al-Omari from the board of the Saudi Volleyball Federation, presented the gold medals to the winners after their three-set (25-10, 25-17, 25-13) victory.
Samira Asghari, from the International Olympic Committee, and Hanan Al-Qahtani, from the Saudi Volleyball Federation, watched the match, which was held at the Ministry of Sports Hall at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in Riyadh.
Al-Ula won silver, while Al-Fayhaa took bronze after defeating Al-Anqa 3-0.
In the swimming pool, Al-Qadsiah Club won gold in the men’s 4x100-meter medley relay, while Al-Hilal Club took silver and Al-Adalah Club bronze.
In the men’s 200-meter backstroke, Al-Fateh Club’s Patrick Zymek won the gold medal, ahead of Al-Qadsiah’s Ali Al-Essa and Abdulmajid Al-Marwani of Al-Khaleej.
Farouk Al-Jidaily of Al-Ahli won gold in the men’s 400-meter freestyle, while Alexander Younis of Aqua Falcon Academy took silver and Mohammed Al-Zaki of Al-Adalah bronze.
Ahmed Al-Qudmani, president of the Saudi Swimming Federation, handed out the swimming medals at an event attended by British Olympic swimming champion and Paris 2024 Olympic silver medal winner Adam Peaty.
In the badminton competition, Muqrin Al-Muqrin, president of the Saudi Badminton Federation, handed out the medals to the winners of the men’s and women’s singles events, which concluded at Boulevard 4.
Khadija Niza, of Al-Ittihad, won gold in the women’s competition, while Aerial Vinoflor of Al-Faisaly took silver and Sin Chengari of Al-Salamiya won bronze.
In the men’s event, Shamil Motamil of Al-Hilal won gold, Adnan Hassan of Al-Nassr took silver and Mahd Sheikh of Al-Riyadh won bronze.
Prince Saud bin Jalawi, governor of Jeddah, crowned the winners of the coastal rowing competition, which ran for two days at Obhur Corniche.
Rakan Ali Reda took gold in the men’s category, ahead of Turki Al-Aref and Moayad Al-Rshidi.
In the women’s event, Haya Al-Mami won gold ahead of Israa Qadri and Yusra Malaika.
The Saudi Games are being held for the third year, with 9,000 athletes representing 200 clubs competing in 52 sports. Gold medal winners also pick up a cash prize of SR1 million ($266,000), silver medal winners SR300,000 and bronze medal winners SR100,000.
Al-Ittihad beat Khaleej to go top of Saudi Pro League
- Angelo Gabriel and Cristiano Ronaldo score as Al-Nassr defeat Al-Wehda 2-0, while Qadsiah overcome Al-Ahli by a single goal
RIYADH: Al-Ittihad leapfrogged Al-Ahli to claim top spot in the Saudi Pro League after a 4-1 win over Al-Khaleej on Friday night, with the reigning champions still to play on Saturday.
The visitors shocked the home crowd by taking a fifth-minute lead thanks to Khaled Narey, which they held until half-time.
But after the break Al-Ittihad rediscovered the form that saw them beat Al-Wehda 7-1 two weeks ago and scored four times in a dominant second half performance.
Karim Benzem kick-started the comeback four minutes after the break and there were further goals from Houssem Amour (56), Steven Bergwijn (68) and Hamed Al-Ghamdi (stoppage time).
The Jeddah club, champions two seasons ago, now sit top of the SPL standings with 12 points from five matches but will drop to second if Al-Hilal — with a perfect record after four matches — get at least a draw against Al-Kholood at home on Saturday night.
Meanwhile Al-Nassr managed to record their second win in a row for the first time this season when they beat Al-Wehda 2-0 in Riyadh. Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring on 41 minutes before Cristiano Ronaldo wrapped up the win with a penalty in the 56th minute. Al-Nassr now sit in third place with 11 points.
In Friday’s other match, a difficult week for Al-Ahli — which saw them suffer a shock exit in the King’s Cup — got worse. They lost 1-0 at the hands of newly promoted Al-Qadsiah, thanks to a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty on 43 minutes, his first SPL goal for the Aramco-owned club.
Saudi football legends celebrate National Day with fans
- The match saw a team representing Al-Owairan face off against a squad led by Nour
- In front of around 2,000 football enthusiasts, the two teams engaged in a fierce contest. Both sides struggled to convert their chances in the first half
Jeddah: On the occasion of Saudi Arabia’s 94th National Day, football legends captivated fans at the Olympic Stadium with an exhibition match in front of hundreds of fans in Jeddah.
Held on Monday, Sept. 23, the thrilling encounter featured renowned Saudi football icons such as Saeed Al-Owairan, who scored one of the greatest goals in FIFA World Cup history, helping Saudi Arabia reach the knockout phase in US 1994; Mohammed Nour, former Al-Ittihad and Saudi international player; Naif Hazazi; Hatim Khaimi; Malek Mouath; Emirati star Omar Abdulrahman, and more.
The match saw a team representing Al-Owairan face off against a squad led by Nour.
In front of around 2,000 football enthusiasts, the two teams engaged in a fierce contest. Both sides struggled to convert their chances in the first half.
However, after the break, Al-Owairan’s team dominated, ultimately winning the friendly match with a score of 6-4.
Anas Serafi, the event organizer, emphasized that the National Day celebration in Saudi Arabia symbolizes unity and national pride. “This is a special day, and we are proud to bring here the stars of Saudi Arabia who made many achievements locally and internationally,” he said. “Around 30 of the most celebrated legends in Saudi football from various teams responded to our call to express their love for their country on the field.”
Saudi national striker Malek Mouath, who helped send the Kingdom to the 2007 Asian Cup final, expressed his excitement about sharing the pitch with some of the sport’s greatest names on such an important day. “This is very exciting, to meet some of my friends again on the football pitch," he said. "It is so nice to see so many Saudi football stars come together to celebrate National Day,” he said.
Organizers and players also took a moment to extend their well-wishes to Saudi national player Fahad Al-Muwallad, who is currently unconscious in intensive care in Riyadh, wishing him a swift recovery.
3rd Saudi Games set to strike gold with record participation and expansive fan zone
- The Games, running from Oct. 3 to 17, will feature a record 52 sports, up from 45 in the inaugural event; overall participation increases by 30 percent
- Mohammed Al-Salem, head of sports management, says: ‘Last year, we had nearly 30 events specifically for women; now we have more than 50’
Riyadh: As anticipation mounts for the third Saudi Games, organizers promised a grander and more inclusive event than ever before. Officials speaking to Arab News behind the scenes said the event will build on the successes of previous years to showcase an impressive array of sports, greater participation, and an innovative fan experience.
This year’s Games, running in Riyadh from Oct. 3 to 17, will feature a record 52 sports, an increase from the 45 featured in the inaugural event. Overall participation will increase by 30 percent, organizers added, reflecting a significant rise in athlete engagement and public interest.
Mohammed Al-Salem, the head of sports management for the Saudi Games, said the increase in participation among women and youths is particularly notable.
“From our side, we are trying to make the best preparations possible,” he said. “So we are in direct communication with all the sports federations, with all the venues, with all the athletes.
“Last year, we had nearly 30 events specifically for women; now we have more than 50 because that directly contributes to the goals of the Games.”
This expansion highlights the commitment of organizers to the principles of inclusivity and gender equality, he added
“We have seen an increase (in youth participation) from last year,” Al-Salem said, adding that the young athletes will compete in 15 sports, compared with only five last year.
The Games experience will also be bigger and better for spectators, with the fan zone, strategically located in the vibrant Boulevard area, promising to be a highlight. Fan zone manager Hanan Al-Zaid said it will feature competitions in four dynamic sports: beach volleyball, 3x3 basketball, skateboarding and wall climbing.
“The Saudi Games have a history of two successful editions,” she said. “So this year we are becoming bigger and better. As you know, it’s now 52 sports and four of them are in the fan zone.”
This approach is part of a broader strategy to make sports more relatable and accessible through an immersive experience for fans that aims to spark interest and foster deeper connection with the sports community.
“We chose the Boulevard to increase the sports awareness,” said Al-Zaid. “We’re meeting the fans where they are. If you’re attending the Boulevard as a normal guest and you see a game, then you develop an interest in the beginning, then you develop a passion. After that you develop a profession, then you choose this as a career.”
Abdullah Al-Azzam, project manager for the Games, emphasized the sheer scale and complexity of organizing such a significant event.
“We’re talking about the largest sports event in the Kingdom,” he said. “So the preparation is up to speed. We’re doing it on a yearly basis. It is a challenge. However, we’re up to the challenge and we have overachieved that challenge by making the third edition right now.”
The increased focus on young athletes demonstrates the commitment of the Games to nurturing emerging talent, he added.
Tickets for the games are now on sale, and Al-Azzam encouraged fans to guarantee their place in the crowd so that they can witness the excitement firsthand.
“We have amazing athletes,” he said. “We have opportunities for everyone. It’s about competing, and trying, and getting on the podium. People will visit so they can enjoy it and watch their family members compete on the field of play.”
