HANGZHOU, China: Saudi athlete Yousef Masrahi has claimed the Kingdom’s first gold medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou with victory in the 400-meters final on Saturday.
The Asian record holder won with a time of 45.55 seconds, repeating his victory in the 17th Asian Games in Incheon in 2014 when he won Saudi Arabia’s first gold medal in the same race.
Saturday’s victory marks Masrahi’s third medal in Asian Games. He won his first bronze in the 400-meters in Guangzhou in 2010 before winning gold in Incheon in 2014.
“The support of the Saudi audience was a great incentive for me to achieve the gold medal. I thank my parents for their support. I also thank my national coach Hamdan Al-Bishi, who worked hard to prepare me for this edition for over a year,” Masrahi said following his victory.
He also thanked Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee president, and his deputy Prince Fahd bin Jalawi for their support for Saudi sports.
Saudi pole vaulter Hussein Al-Hizam won his first bronze medal in the Asian Games with a jump of 5.65 meters on Saturday.
Al-Hizam said he is confident his Saudi teammates will win more medals in the remaining days of the Games, being held in Hangzhou in China.
Athletes Raed Al-Jedaani and Faisal Al-Subaiei qualified for the finals of the 1,500-meters race. Al-Jedaani finished first in the semifinals with a time of 3:51 minutes, while Al-Subaiei finished fourth with a time of 3:56 minutes.
Hamoud Al-Elwani qualified for the finals of the long jump with a 7.46-meter jump in the first group semifinals.
Injury forced sprinter Nasser Mahmoud to pull out of the 100 meters semifinals. His teammate Abdullah Abkar finished fourth with a time of 10.21 seconds.
In the 10,000 meters, Tareq Al-Omari finished seventh with a time of 28:46 minutes.
In the hammer throw final, Mohammed Al-Dubaisi finished 10th with a throw of 65.95 meters, while his teammate Mohammed Al-Zayer finished 12th with a distance of 62.5 meters.
Basketball:
The Saudi basketball team defeated the UAE 74-67 in the first group and qualified for the second round after finishing second behind Iran in first group. Iran defeated Kazakhstan 86-60. Each group’s first two teams will qualify in addition to the top four teams that rank third.Asian
Athlete Yousef Masrahi claims Saudi Arabia’s 1st gold at 19th Asian Games
https://arab.news/zbush
Athlete Yousef Masrahi claims Saudi Arabia’s 1st gold at 19th Asian Games
- Saudi pole vaulter Hussein Al-Hizam wins first bronze in Asian Games with a jump of 5.65m
- Hamoud Al-Elwani qualifies for long jump finals with 7.46m leap in first group semifinals
Cristiano Ronaldo to stream Riyadh Season Premier Padel P1 finals live on his YouTube channel
- World first for the sport as Premier Padel and Al-Nassr star collaborate to promote players globally
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo will be streaming the finals of the Riyadh Season Premier Padel P1 on his YouTube channel, as a part of his continued backing of the sport’s leading professional tour.
Ronaldo’s channel has over 74 million followers with access available in over 130 countries worldwide.
This initiative marks another significant step in Ronaldo’s commitment to growing the sport following his high-profile appearances during the Riyadh Season Premier Padel P1 tournament.
Coverage starts at 6 p.m. Saudi Arabia time on Monday.
Saudi Arabia makes debut at Asian Winter Games as 9th edition begins
- The event marks a milestone for Saudi Arabia, which is making its debut at the multi-sport competition as it gears up to host the 2029 Games
HARBIN, China: The 9th Asian Winter Games opened on Friday in Harbin, China, with a ceremony led by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The event marks a milestone for Saudi Arabia, which is making its debut at the multi-sport competition as it gears up to host the 2029 Games. The Saudi Winter Sports Federation, originally established in 2019, was restructured in 2022 into two separate governing bodies: the Saudi Ice Sports Federation and the Saudi Snow Sports Federation.
The Kingdom’s delegation at the games is headed by Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Member of the Executive Office of the Olympic Council of Asia.
The event runs until Feb. 18 and will feature around 1,500 athletes from 34 Asian countries. Among the Saudi participants, the Kingdom’s curling team is set to compete in five matches from Feb. 9 to 12 — facing off against teams from Qatar, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand — while three Saudi alpine skiers will compete in the slalom events: Fayik Abdi in the men’s, and Sharifa Al-Sudairi and Farhoud Joud in the women’s.
As the Kingdom continues to expand its sporting ambitions, its participation in the Asian Winter Games “represents another step in its broader vision to develop a competitive winter sports ecosystem on the international stage,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Riyadh set for big UFC Fight Night as Adesanya takes on rising contender Imavov
- Strong card on Feb. 1 at the anb Arena marks the UFC’s first event of the year in the region
RIYADH: The UFC returns here Saturday with a blockbuster middleweight main event featuring former world champion Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya and rising contender Nassourdine “The Sniper” Imavov.
Adesanya, the UFC’s No. 2-ranked middleweight, says he is ready for the fight against Imavov at Riyadh’s anb Arena, which marks the company’s first event in the region this year.
“This fight is for me,” Adesanya said at a press conference on Thursday. “I’m doing this to prove to myself that I’m still in the game and dangerous.”
Commenting on his opponent, Adesanya said: “He’s good and he’s a young guy coming up but it’s my job to send him back down, respectfully.
“There’s nothing that he brings that I haven’t seen, it’s up to him to show me something that I haven’t seen before.”
Imavov, currently ranked No. 5, spoke about the challenge ahead: “I’m very good, I’m fast, I’m accurate and I can’t wait for this fight. I’m preparing a surprise for you on Saturday night.”
He added: “I don’t focus too much on him (Adesanya), I focus on myself and I hope he’s going to be in the best shape so I can beat the best of him.”
Middleweight Shara Magomedov, who takes on Michael “Venom” Page in the co-main event, said about his return to the Kingdom: “I’m happy to show the fans the fight they deserve. Page doesn’t understand what he has in front of him.”
Magomedov added: “He’s not going to be able to hide away from my bullets, I’m here to show him that I’m the greatest fighter in the world.”
Page expressed excitement about fighting in Riyadh: “Saudi Arabia is becoming the hub of combat sports, and I love being here and being so welcomed by you guys, I appreciate every one of the fans for coming to be with us.”
When asked about Magomedov’s self-confidence, Page said: “I do believe he is going to be stubborn enough to believe in himself.”
Page added: There’s certain patterns to what he does, there’s nothing to worry about. I get why other people are wowed by it and I understand his star quality and I appreciate that, but he’s never stood in front of something as confusing as me.”
Heavyweight contender Said Nurmagomedov, who faces Vinicius Oliveira, said: “I feel good, and I feel very relaxed.”
Oliveira said he was looking forward to the bout. “I don’t fear anybody, I’m very excited to be here, and be prepared because the king is coming.”
Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich, who will be in action against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, said: “He’s a very explosive guy, he’s very fast and he’s got a lot of experience, so you have to be ready for anything when it comes to him, and I am ready for all three rounds.”
Rozenstruik said he was confident. “I’m never nervous, I’m very relaxed. I’m bringing all my energy to the Octagon.”
MAIN CARD
Middleweight: Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov
Middleweight: Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page
Heavyweight: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Bantamweight: Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira
Lightweight: Fares Ziam vs. Mike Davis
PRELIMS
Featherweight: Muhammad Naimov vs. Kaan Ofli
Heavyweight: Shamil Gaziev vs. Thomas Petersen
Lightweight: Terrance McKinney vs. Damir Hadzovic
Women’s flyweight: Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
Featherweight: Bogdan Grad vs. Lucas Alexander
Heavyweight: Hamdy Adelwahab vs. Jamal Pogues
‘Pioneering change’ — new report highlights rise of women’s football in Saudi Arabia
- The analysis by NEOM Sport highlights the achievements and milestones of women’s football in the Kingdom to date and looks at its future
NEOM: A new report has been published that shines a light on the current landscape of women’s football in Saudi Arabia, looking at how it has grown so far and examining future opportunities.
The report by NEOM Sport, in partnership with the Asian Football Confederation, reveals how football has grown rapidly among women in the Kingdom, the Middle East and Asia. NEOM is a Presenting Partner of the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League.
Women’s football in Saudi Arabia has become a catalyst for their increased participation in sport on a wider scale, helping to redefine sports culture and societal norms for the future as well as promoting gender equality and healthier lifestyles in alignment with the Saudi Vision 2030.
Aalia Abdulaziz Al-Rasheed, head of women’s football at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation said: “It has been a truly remarkable journey for Saudi women’s football over the last six years since the establishment of a dedicated women’s football department at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.
“Driven by Saudi Vision 2030, we are hugely proud of the transformation across all areas of the game, including the establishment of four national teams, five competitions, 77,000 girls playing in our annual Schools League, six girls’ regional training centers and numerous coaching/refereeing development programs. It is truly something that needs to be seen to be believed.”
Jan Paterson, managing director of NEOM Sport, said: “This report, created in collaboration with our contributors, is our way of truly understanding the landscape — where we are, what obstacles lie ahead and how the future could look.
“But it’s about more than just football. It’s about providing more opportunities for women and demonstrating the far-reaching impact that sport can have on individuals and communities. Alongside the AFC, we aim to play our part in unlocking the full potential of women’s sport by telling the story of how key stakeholders are redefining football and empowering women across the Kingdom.”
With contributions from multiple stakeholders from the women’s game — including SAFF, the Saudi Ministry of Sport, the Saudi Sports for All Federation, the AFC and more — the report examines the strides taken that led to a significant increase in participation in women’s football between 2022-23.
Milestones over the past six years include the launch of the Saudi Women’s Premier League and women’s national team, the appointment of female leaders and achieving an official FIFA world ranking. Other contributing components include developmental pathways at grassroots level, the importance of leadership and coaching, investment in infrastructure and accessibility, and commercialization of the sport. These insights are among many highlighting how women’s football drives tangible strategic efforts that are propelling the sport and communities forward.
“Our mission is simple: We want to inspire and offer new opportunities for girls throughout the country to realize their dreams and showcase their talent and love for the beautiful game,” Al-Rasheed said.
“Our journey has inspired millions along the way, not just in Saudi Arabia but across different parts of the world. We are not doing this alone. We are open to the world and are already in 62 active partnerships with federations to co-develop the women’s game and realize its full potential. Today, 60 international players from 20 nationalities play in our leagues and have joined us on this journey.
“We are living in hugely exciting times and there is so much more to come from Saudi women’s football in the years to come.”
Genesis presents luxury cars to Al-Hilal football stars
- ‘Moving in Elegance’ campaign part of company’s official team sponsorship
- Handover ceremony embodies partnership between Genesis and Saudi Pro League champions
RIYADH: Luxury vehicle brand Genesis Riyadh has presented its latest top-of-the-range cars to Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal.
The handover to the club’s personnel, including players and management, was part of the company’s larger agreement as Al-Hilal’s official car sponsor.
The slogan “Moving in Elegance” reflects the stature of the football club and cements the start of the car company’s activities in Riyadh for 2025.
“This special ceremony between Genesis and Al-Hilal, the leading team in the region, reaffirms a long-term strategic partnership that we and the club cherish. The strong partnership is emphasized by the shared values that unite us, which are excellence and elegance,” said Ahmed Marshidi, chief operating officer at Genesis Al-Wallan.
Last season, Al-Hilal made football history by setting an unparalleled record of 34 consecutive victories across various competitions. This remarkable winning streak, which spanned September 2023 to April 2024, captured global headlines and cemented the club’s place in sporting history.
