Scheffler and McIlroy start side-by-side in Masters showdown
Scheffler and McIlroy start side-by-side in Masters showdown/node/2490871/sport
Scheffler and McIlroy start side-by-side in Masters showdown
Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and world No. 2 Rory McIlroy will play alongside each other for the first two rounds of the Masters golf tournament. Completing the feature trio will be reigning Olympic champion Xander Schauffele at Augusta National. (File/AFP)
Scheffler and McIlroy start side-by-side in Masters showdown
Reigning Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, the world No. 5 seeking his first major title, will complete the feature trio from the field of 89, which includes 20 Masters newcomers
Woods, a five-time Masters winner, is trying to make a record 24th consecutive Masters cut
Updated 10 April 2024
AFP
AUGUSTA: Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, each chasing a milestone Masters victory, will be playing partners in the first two rounds starting Thursday at Augusta National.
Reigning Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, the world No. 5 seeking his first major title, will complete the feature trio from the field of 89, which includes 20 Masters newcomers.
Scheffler, fancied by oddsmakers, could join 15-time major winner Tiger Woods as the only players to win the Masters twice while ranked world No. 1.
The 27-year-old American has seven top-10 finishes in eight starts this year, including wins at The Players Championship and Arnold Palmer Championship.
But Scheffler’s trademark discipline and composure won’t let him ponder the impact of a second green jacket in three seasons.
“I try not to look too far into the future,” he said. “I’m excited about how I’ve been playing to begin this year.
“All I’m trying to do is put myself in contention in the tournament and hopefully finish it off. I really am not looking much past tomorrow. I’m focused on my preparation.”
McIlroy, a four-time major winner from Northern Ireland, knows all too well that a Masters triumph would complete a career grand slam. It’s the 10th time he has tried to finish the feat since winning his most recent majors in 2014.
“I’ve already got most of my prep work done, so it’s just about going out there and being relaxed and being in the right frame of mind,” McIlroy said. “The more I can do that, the more I’ll be able to execute on the golf course.”
McIlroy, a 2022 Masters runner-up to Scheffler, has six top-10 finishes in his past nine starts at Augusta.
Among those confident McIlroy will complete the career grand slam is five-time Masters champion Woods.
“No question, he’ll do it at some point,” Woods said. “Rory is too talented, too good. He’s going to be playing this event for a very long time. He’ll get it done. It’s just a matter of when.
“I think Rory will be a great Masters champion one day and it could be this week. You never know. I just think that the talent he has, the way he plays the game and the golf course fits his eye, it’s just a matter of time.”
It was a motivational boost for McIlroy, whose decade-long major win drought includes 10 top-five finishes and three runner-up efforts, including last year’s US Open.
“It’s flattering. It’s nice to hear, in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game say something like that,” McIlroy said.
“Does that mean it’s going to happen? Obviously not. But he has been around the game long enough to know I at least have the potential to do it. I know I’ve got the potential to do it too. It’s not as if I haven’t been a pretty good player for the last couple decades.
“But yeah, it’s nice to hear it when it comes out of his mouth.”
Woods, a five-time Masters winner, is trying to make a record 24th consecutive Masters cut, surpassing the current mark he shares with Gary Player and Fred Couples.
The 48-year-old American says he still has what it takes to match the record six green jackets won by Jack Nicklaus despite severe leg injuries from a 2021 car crash and ankle surgery last April.
“If everything comes together, I think I can get one more,” Woods said.
Woods admits he aches every day, an ill omen as he struggles to walk 72 holes at Augusta National.
“It’s certainly one of the more hillier walks that we have on tour,” Woods said.
Third-ranked Jon Rahm will try to join Woods, Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only players to win back-to-back Masters titles.
He’s among 13 players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League in the Masters field, having made the jump from the PGA Tour last December.
Among those playing their first Masters are fourth-ranked Wyndham Clark, the reigning US Open champion, and world No. 9 Ludvig Aberg of Sweden. No rookie has won the green jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
South Korea expresses regret after its athletes introduced as North Korea at Olympics opening ceremony
South Korea’s delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 events
North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes
Updated 27 July 2024
Reuters
SEOUL: South Korea expressed regret that its delegation of athletes at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday was introduced as from rival North Korea and has demanded assurances from organizers the mistake will not happen again.
As the boat carrying South Korean athletes passed on the Seine, the announcer introduced them as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” — the official name of North Korea — in French and English.
The announcer used the same introduction when the North Korean delegation passed.
Team North Korea travels along the Seine River in Paris during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics on July 26, 2024. (AP)
South Korea’s vice minister for sports and culture, Jang Mi-ran, who was in Paris, had requested a meeting with International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach, the ministry said in a statement.
“We express regret that the country was introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea were entering,” it said.
South Korea’s National Olympic Committee immediately referred the incident to the Games’ organizers and requested that the error will not be repeated.
South Korea’s delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 events. North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes.
‘Someone wake me up,’ says Habib ahead of Alcaraz clash at Olympics
“I was in shock when I heard,” the Texas-born player told AFP
“Hopefully I can inspire lots of people in Lebanon“
Updated 26 July 2024
AFP
PARIS: When Carlos Alcaraz was winning $3.5 million for lifting the Wimbledon trophy, Hady Habib was more than 5,000km away, collecting a meagre $1,350 at a low-level tournament in Canada.
Two weeks on, the 25-year-old from Lebanon now finds himself taking on the world number three in the first round at the Olympics.
“I was in shock when I heard,” the Texas-born player told AFP.
“Hopefully I can inspire lots of people in Lebanon.”
Habib, ranked a lowly 275 in the world, was only scheduled to play doubles at the Olympics alongside Benjamin Hassan.
However, following a series of injury pullouts, he moved into the singles draw as an alternate.
“The day after that, I’m drawn to be playing Carlos Alcaraz. So this has been an interesting five days for me.”
He added: “I was at the practice courts when I got the email. All happened so fast. Life can just change in an instant. You could say it’s a fairytale.”
Habib’s career has been spent on the second-tier circuit since he turned pro in 2021 after studying at university in Texas.
Now he will be the first man from Lebanon to represent his country in tennis at the Olympic Games.
The whole experience has left him starstruck.
“The first day I arrived, I was walking around a little bit lost just opening a door and going in somewhere.
“When I walked in the gym the first day, I saw Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and I was just, ‘Wow, this has to be a dream. Someone wake me up’.”
SAFF announces second season of Women’s Football Clubs Development Fund Program
Total support fund has increased to SR60m, representing SR10m rise from previous season
70 women’s clubs to receive support across various leagues and tournaments
SAFF has introduced new criteria to ensure continuous growth and professional development of women’s game
Updated 26 July 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has announced season two of the Women’s Football Clubs Development Fund Program.
The announcement is part of the SAFF’s commitment to nurturing and promoting women’s football across the Kingdom.
For the 2024-25 season, the total support fund has increased to SR60 million ($15.99 million), representing a SR10 million rise from the previous season.
Building on the success of the inaugural season, the SAFF said the season’s program will extend its support to 70 women’s football clubs participating in various competitions, including the SAFF Women’s Premier League, SAFF Women’s First Division League, SAFF Women’s Second Division League, SAFF Women’s Cup, SAFF Women’s U17 Tournament and the Women’s Futsal Tournament.
As part of the enhanced program for the new season, SAFF has introduced new criteria to ensure the continuous growth and professional development of women’s football.
The new criteria for women’s football clubs include sponsorship criteria requiring clubs to attract sponsors; scouting criteria mandating the appointment of an official scout by clubs; medical criteria requiring clubs to appoint a doctor and issue medical reports; fan criteria encouraging increased attendance at matches; nutrition criteria requiring clubs to appoint a nutrition specialist; technology criteria mandating the use of GPS to assess player fitness levels, and women’s futsal criteria necessitating the establishment of an organizational structure, the appointment of a head coach, and the appointment of a team manager.
Lamia Bahaian, vice president of the SAFF, said: “We’ve seen incredible progress in women’s football over the past year, and the increased support fund for this season is a clear indication of our commitment to pushing even further. Our aim is to create more opportunities for women in football and build a strong foundation for the sport in Saudi Arabia.”
She continued: “With the expansion of our program, we’re not only increasing the number of participating clubs but also enhancing the quality of the teams participating in our competitions. We’re focused on providing the necessary resources and support to help our players, coaches, and teams thrive. This season promises to be an exciting chapter for women’s football, and we’re eager to see the continued growth and success of our athletes.”
Last season, significant strides were made with the hiring of 18 Saudi coaches, and 91 percent of clubs’ head coaches now hold an A coaching license. Additionally, 24 percent of clubs have coaches with a pro license, highlighting the increasing professionalization within women’s football.
Further achievements include the establishment of U17 teams by 56 percent of clubs, providing a platform for young female footballers to develop their skills.
The SAFF said 87 professional contracts were signed with Saudi players, marking a significant milestone in the development of women’s football in the Kingdom.
First positive doping test at Paris Olympics is Iraqi judoka for anabolic steroids
Sajjad Sehen, a 28-year-old first-time Olympian, tested positive for metandienone and boldenone
Updated 26 July 2024
AP
PARIS: A male judoka from Iraq tested positive for two anabolic steroids at the Paris Olympics, the International Testing Agency said Friday.
Sajjad Sehen, a 28-year-old first-time Olympian, tested positive for metandienone and boldenone in a sample taken in Paris on Tuesday. He was due to compete next Tuesday.
Sehen is provisionally suspended while a disciplinary case is prosecuted, said the ITA, which oversees the games-time anti-doping program for the International Olympic Committee.
“This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity during the Olympic Games,” the agency said.
Sehen was due to compete in the men’s 81 kilogram class, starting Tuesday in the round of 32 against an opponent from Uzbekistan.
Cloudy skies and forecast rains ahead of the sprawling, ambitious opening ceremony
Updated 27 July 2024
Arab News
PARIS: Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
On-and-off showers — the first rain at a Summer Olympics’ opening ceremony in more than 70 years — did not seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river in a showcase of the city’s resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s high-speed rail network.
Likewise, there are dozens of Arab athletes taking part in this year’s Games, you can check out Arab News’ guide to the best male competitors and female athletes representing the Middle East and North Africa.
Widespread travel disruptions triggered by what French officials called coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines as well as the weather had dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony.
Still, crowds crammed the Seine’s banks and bridges and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats down the waterway that got increasingly choppy as the weather worsened.
Undeterred from the festivities, many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas and jackets as the rain intensified, others danced and sang, and some dashed from their seats for shelter.
“I invite everybody: dream with us. Like the Olympic athletes, be inspired with the joy that only sport can give us. Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit of living in peace,” International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach said.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Olympic Games open as a jaw-dropping light show on the Eiffel Tower made up for the rain-soaked start.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane handed the torch to another legend, French Open tennis record-breaker Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard took a boat trip with Americans Serena Williams and Carl Lewis to start the torches final relay.
French sprinter Marie-Jose Perec and French judoka Teddy Riner got the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.
Throughout the Olympics, you can follow all the action from Paris at the designated Arab News Sport section here.
Read about the highlights below (all times BST):
22:30 - That wraps up our live coverage of the opening ceremony of what will no doubt be an exciting Olympic games in Paris.
22:30 - A look at that magnificent Olympic cauldron. It uses light and water to mimic a fire and will remain in the Paris skyline for the next fifteen days.
22:28 - Canadian singer Celine Dion brings the show to a close as she sings on Eiffel Tower.
22:24 - France’s Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner light the Olympic cauldron.
22:19 - Torch-bearers are getting the flame to the destination where it will be for the duration of the games.
22:05 - Paris lights up the Eiffel Tower to welcome the Olympics
21:55 - Zinedine Zidane passes on the Olympic torch to record French Open-champion Rafael Nadal, who has just passed it to fellow tennis royalty Serena Williams. We're not too far away from the all-important moment of its lighting...
20:00 - We've had more images of the Saudi delegation, it's looking very wet in Paris this evening. But spirits remain high!
Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait have also sailed past in the athletes' parade.
18:15 - All smiles on the Saudi Arabia team as they prepare for their appearance at the opening ceremony!
(Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee)
18:00 - We're about 30 minutes from the start of the ceremony, and the crowds are beginning to build on the banks of the River Seine. Not long to go now.
(AP)
(AP/Reuters)
17:30 - One of the highlights of the pre-Games events is the Olympic torch relay. It travels from Greece all around the world before ending its journey at the host city, in this case Paris. Watch a clip of its journey below:
It's the 101st and last day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay! What a journey, from the lighting in Greece to the voyage across the Mediterranean to the journey around France!
17:15 - Despite the rocky start to Friday and the threat of a deluge on the French capital, the opening ceremony organizers are still in a positive mood. Which is probably just as well...
2 hours left until the #OpeningCeremony!
Are you ready celebrate the official beginning of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games ?
-
H-2
Plus que deux petites heures qui nous séparent d'une soirée mémorable pleine de surprises !!!
Prêts à vibrer au rythme des Jeux Olympiques… pic.twitter.com/RXiuv9RMDL
16:45 - Actress Michelle Yeoh has shared a heart-warming message about the Olympic Refugee Team, who will be representing more than 100 million displaced people worldwide.
''I have asked everyone at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics to please show their support for the Refugee Olympic Team. Now, I ask all of you! Please share your heart and support the team.''
16:30 - French President Emmanuel Macron has started welcoming several dozen of heads of state and government at the Elysee presidential palace. Macron’s office said the Elysee reception was “an opportunity for France to deliver a message of peace and tolerance as 10,500 athletes from around the world gather to take part in the world’s biggest event.”
About 100 world leaders, government officials and heads of international organizations are expected to attend the ceremony later on.
(AFP)
16:15 - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that he absolutely condemned the saboteurs who struck France's TGV high-speed train network and hoped for the quick identification of the perpetrators. You can read about the arson attack here.
16:00 - The International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has taken part in the Olympic flame relay as the Opening Ceremony nears.
After carrying the Olympic flame in the Athletes Village, IOC President Thomas Bach passes the flame to Emma Terho, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.#OlympicGames#Paris2024pic.twitter.com/FAwBlcLXCl
15:45 - French TV shows Pharrell Williams carrying the Olympic flame atop the cathedral of Saint-Denis, on the northern outskirts of Paris.
His appearance follows superstar rapper Snoop Dogg being given the honor of carrying the flame earlier on Friday, which you can read more about below. Hopefully, he didn't drop it like it's hot...
(X/@Paris2024)
Camping out for the opening ceremony
People arrived hours before the start of the opening ceremony along the Seine River, seeking the best spot at the viewing areas. Some brought folding chairs, books, sandwiches and water.
Monica Merino, 57, came to Paris from Madrid for the Olympics and said it would be her first time watching the opening ceremony in person.
“We have visited Paris many times, and it is very different now because it is empty of people and full of military and police,” she said. Giannis skirts train troubles
Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, selected as one of his country’s flagbearers, avoided Friday’s train issues altogether.
He left Lille on Thursday, traveling in a convoy of buses alongside players from a few other teams. A team spokesperson said multiple teams chose to travel at the same time for security purposes.
Germany’s men’s team boarded buses bound for the ceremony Friday morning, having never planned to travel by train. The plan was to then to immediately head back to Lille for Saturday’s game against Japan. The Paris Olympics have sold a record 9.7 million tickets — but more are available
After getting off to a rocky start last year, Olympics 2024 organizers said the Paris Games have broken the record for the most number of tickets sold or allocated in the event’s history. And yet, tickets are still available.
Organizers say 9.7 million tickets were sold or allocated for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 8.7 million sold for the former and 1 million for the latter.
For Paris, a total of 10 million tickets were put on sale for the Olympics — meaning that despite the historic popularity of the sporting events and unprecedented scale of this year’s competitions, there will still be many empty seats remaining.
The total ticketing figure will, however, likely rise because tickets are still on sale for some of the 45 sports. Snoop Dogg keeps it lit
The rapper-turned-NBC Olympics correspondent was one of the final Olympic torch bearers before the opening ceremony. He carried the flame in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris.
In an interview before his leg of the relay, Snoop Dogg vowed to be on his “best behavior.”
“I’m going to be on my best athleticism. I’ll be able to breathe slow to walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face, because I realize how prestigious this event is,” he said. Two trains carrying Olympic athletes stopped en route to Paris
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the western Atlantique line were stopped hours before the opening ceremony, rail company SNCF said.
One train was canceled, and authorities hope the other will become operational.
