RIYADH: Al-Hilal, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading football clubs, and Saudi Entertainment Ventures, also known as SEVEN, on Monday signed a three-year official partnership agreement.
They said the deal includes mutual commercial and marketing rights designed to benefit guests at SEVEN’s entertainment destinations in the Kingdom and Al-Hilal fans, beginning from the start of the 2023/2024 Saudi Pro League season in August.
SEVEN, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, said the partnership aligns with its aspirations to be an enabler of the next generation of Saudi sporting talent through the services at its venues. Individuals interested in pursuing a career in sport will be able to hone their skills by participating in the numerous activities on offer at SEVEN’s destinations, it added, including skiing, climbing, surfing, bowling, golfing, indoor sky-diving and e-karting.
Abdullah Al-Jarbou, the CEO of Al-Hilal, said the partnership agreement illustrates the ways in which the sports and entertainment sectors are increasingly intertwined in the Kingdom, in keeping with the aims of the Saudi Vision 2030 development and diversification agenda.
“It enables both parties to fulfill their goals to enhance the quality of life for the people of Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Abdullah Al-Dawood, SEVEN’s chairperson, said: “We are redefining the entertainment landscape of the Kingdom with an unrivaled offering of entertainment, which includes education, sports, adventure, events and more. We are committed in supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to enhance the quality of life among all residents.
“This agreement with Al-Hilal, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading football clubs, with a long legacy of championing talent, will support SEVEN’s ambition to unlock sporting talent and reach a wider audience across the Kingdom.”
Over the past six decades, Al-Hilal has won 66 official titles and built a legion of fans in the Kingdom, across the wider Arab world, in Asia and further afield. The club’s achievements include a record 18 Pro League titles, winning the Saudi Founder’s Cup in 2000, qualifying three times for the FIFA Club World Cup, and winning a record eight Asian Football Confederation trophies, including four AFC Champions League titles.
Football club Al-Hilal and Saudi Entertainment Ventures team up to boost sport in Kingdom
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Football club Al-Hilal and Saudi Entertainment Ventures team up to boost sport in Kingdom
- The entertainment company said the partnership reflects its aspirations to be an enabler of the next generation of Saudi sporting talent
- Al-Hilal CEO Abdullah Al-Jarbou said the partnership illustrates how the sports and entertainment sectors are increasingly intertwined
Saudi world champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi crowned winner of Desafio Ruta 40 Rally
- Al-Rajhi’s win marks 4th round of the World Rally-Raid Championship
- ‘It was a long and fierce battle … This victory is well-deserved for me and the team,’ says Al-Rajhi
CORDOBA, Argentina: World champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi has become the first Saudi and third non-Argentinian driver to win in Argentina since 2010 after he was crowned the 2024 Desafio Ruta 40 Rally winner on Friday.
The Saudi driver’s win marks the fourth round of the World Rally-Raid Championship, said in a media statement.
Al-Rajhi and his German co-driver Timo Gottschalk finished first by just 13 seconds. They recorded a total time of 17 hours, 38 minutes, and 21 seconds over six days on rough, technical gravel tracks between June 1-7.
“Winning by just seconds is an incredible feeling. It was a long and fierce battle, and I led skillfully every day. This victory is well-deserved for me and the team,” said Al-Rajhi.
“I am delighted with this win. I thank God for this victory … It’s great to be back in Argentina. Last year, I finished third, and today I won the second edition of the Desafio Ruta 40 Rally,” he added.
Co-driver Gottschalk said: “It wasn’t for the faint-hearted. Yazeed fired another rocket in the final kilometers, overcoming every challenge. It was truly outstanding driving. We are thrilled with this victory and definitely deserve the upcoming summer break.”
The Saudi champion secured victories in two of the five stages, finishing second in the remaining three, accumulating valuable points that placed him second in the W2RC standings after the Argentine rally.
The team’s remarkable performance leaves them just 25 points behind the leader, with the competition remaining open until the final round in Morocco in October.
The rally began with a prologue in Cordoba, where Al-Rajhi secured second place. After that, he dominated the first loop stage. In the second stage, the longest at 724 km, he maintained his overall lead. The third stage, a 451-km loop, saw the team perform brilliantly, keeping their lead.
The fourth stage in La Rioja, covering 676 km, was extremely tough, but Al-Rajhi drove cautiously to avoid any issues, finishing the stage still in the lead.
In the final stage, he faced a thrilling challenge, with only one second separating him from his closest competitor in the provisional standings. Ultimately, Al-Rajhi and Gottschalk won by 40 seconds, securing a brave victory.
Covering a total distance of 3,045 km, including 1,917 km of special stages, the Desafio Ruta 40 Rally is one of the most prestigious and challenging rallies in Latin America.
World No.1 Korda looks to maintain gold streak at Aramco Team Series in London
- A historic start to 2024 for Korda with 6 wins, including Major championship
- Defending champion is set to compete with strong field ahead of bid to retain gold medal at Olympics in August
LONDON: World No.1 Nelly Korda will be heading to London this summer in imperious form, as the history-making golf superstar defends her Aramco Team Series presented by PIF — London title at Centurion Club, from July 3-5.
Korda has been inspiring in 2024, securing six titles, including five consecutive LPGA titles and her first Chevron Championship. Her visit to London will be the only time to catch the American playing in England this year.
Overcoming grueling conditions in 2023, Korda cemented her win at Centurion Club by scoring an impressive 11-under-par, claiming her first title on British soil and besting home favorite Charley Hull in the process.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics set for August, and the Solheim Cup in September, the 2024 schedule is relentless for Korda, but the opportunity to defend her title in London was one that she could not turn down.
“Winning in London last year was definitely one of the highlights of 2023 for me. I played some really solid golf across the weekend, which showed me that my game was in a good place,” she said.
“I am very proud of the hard work I have put in the past year and it is nice to see some of the results paying off. I am always looking to improve and focus on my next event and I am excited to be coming back to the Aramco Team Series in London.”
The defending Olympic gold medalist has ascended the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings this year, now looking untouchable at the top — but despite this success Korda is level-headed, and keen to ensure she can use her profile to inspire more young girls to take up golf.
“It is inspiring to be in a position to have a positive influence on the game.
“Making an impact on the next generation is something that is important to me. I try to inspire young girls and boys to encourage them to pick up a golf club for the first time — and the Aramco Team Series is a big part of that, as I’ve seen firsthand how their initiatives can have such a positive impact on the next generation.”
Already announced for the event are English duo Charley Hull and Georgia Hall, each looking to build on positive outings of their own in 2023 — and this time, overcome Korda on their home soil.
The duo will be part of a field that boasts a host of Olympians and Major winners, with the innovative team event attracting a blend of stars from both the LPGA and Ladies European Tour.
Saudi jiu-jitsu team scoop 5 medals at world championship
- Kingdom’s jiu-jitsu team scoop 5 medals — 2 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s jiu-jitsu team have scooped five medals — two gold, one silver and two bronze — at the World International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Championship in California, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Abdullah Nada and Omar Nada won heavyweight and open-weight gold respectively at the event that ended on Sunday.
In addition, Abdullah Nada won silver in the open-weight division and Omar Nada bronze in the heavyweight division.
Alanoud Al-Tamimi won bronze in the women’s featherweight division.
Bandar Al-Zaid, Saudi Arabia’s consul-general in Los Angeles, was present to support the team.
Head of the delegation, Mubarak Al-Qarni, praised the athletes for their performances.
Saudi boxer Ziyad Al-Maayouf: Pioneering a new era in the sport
- In Ziyad Al-Maayouf, boxing has found not just a competitor, but a pioneer
- “Hopefully very soon we’ll be bringing a belt back to Saudi.”
Riyadh: In the heart of the boxing world, where legends are made and dreams are realized, a new figure is emerging, one that embodies the fusion of tradition and innovation, heritage and progress. Ziyad Al-Maayouf, a Saudi boxer with a vision as expansive as the desert horizon, is not just stepping into the ring; he is stepping into history.
“I’m honestly just looking at it right now. And I’m looking forward to being ringside and just, you know, living the dreams of a Saudi boxer, first. But, you know, just someone who loves the sport, second,” Al-Maayouf said.
His ascent is not merely about personal glory; it is also about rewriting the narrative of boxing itself. “Hopefully very soon we’ll be bringing a belt back to Saudi,” he added, his determination palpable. “I’m not going to stop until I do that.”
For Al-Maayouf, every fight is a testament to the golden era of boxing he finds himself in. “Like I always say, this is what I would like to call the golden era of boxing,” he said, adding that the spirit of the age continues to “inspire young fighters like me to take risks, fight the best.
“The records don’t matter. You know, bring out the real fighter in you and bring out the good fights.”
As Al-Maayouf prepares for his next bout, he carries with him the hopes and dreams of a nation, the aspirations of a global audience, and the unwavering belief that in the squared circle, anything is possible. “We want to see the sport of boxing go back to the top five and maybe even the top one sport of the world.”
In Ziyad Al-Maayouf, boxing has found not just a competitor, but a pioneer — a man whose journey transcends borders, whose dreams inspire generations and whose fists carry the weight of history. As he steps into the ring, he does so not just as a fighter, but as a symbol of what boxing was, what it is, and what it can become.
Usyk-Fury sequel set for Dec. 21 as part of Riyadh Season
- The undefeated Ukrainian won by split decision against Britain’s Fury in the Saudi capital on May 19 in the first unification fight of the four-belt era
RIYADH: Tyson Fury will seek revenge against Oleksandr Usyk on Dec. 21 in Riyadh for the heavyweight boxing title.
Usyk defeated the British boxer on May 19 on points, becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the 21st century.
The chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority Turki Alalshikh said: “The quality of the first fight has left fans globally wanting more so we are delighted to already be able to confirm the rematch as part of Riyadh Season 2024.”
“It is a chance for both fighters to write another chapter in boxing history and deliver what everyone around the world wants to see.”
Fury, who was confident and playful in the ring, landed some big shots against Usyk, including punishing body blows, that allowed the Brit to control the middle part of the fight.
But it was the Ukrainian’s consistancy of effort and barrage of accurate strikes in the ninth that nearly tanked the burly Mancunian.
In the end the judges scored the fight 115-113 and 114-113 for Usyk and 114-113 for Fury in a split decision which the Gypsy King said was biased.
Fury said immediately after the match that he would exercise an automatic rematch clause in his contract.
The Kingdom has engineered a revival of boxing in the past few years as the country seeks to attract global sports fans to Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday, a unique boxing event will be held in Riyadh that will see five boxers from Matchroom take on five from Queensberry in a team format dubbed 5vs5.
Queensberry’s Frank Warren told Arab News Sport even though the fighters were closely matched, his team will be victorious against Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom fighters.
Hearn praised the support for boxing in the Kingdom and said grassroots growth of the sport locally has been “incredible”.
