Kings League MENA drops line-up of superstar team presidents

King’s League MENA unveils team presidents – including Saudi Arabian streaming sensation SHoNgxBoN – in Paris. (Quality Sport Images)
Short Url
Updated 08 June 2025
Follow

Kings League MENA drops line-up of superstar team presidents

  • Region’s biggest content creators join SURJ Sports Investment-backed Kings League MENA as team presidents
  • Tryouts open, giving talented amateur players from across the region an opportunity to join Gerard Pique’s seven-a-side competition

PARIS: Kings League, former Barcelona player Gerard Pique’s revolutionary seven-a-side football competition, is set to debut its new Middle East and North Africa league in Riyadh, in autumn 2025, under a joint venture with SURJ Sports Investment announced last week.

As SXB FC, the team led by Saudi Arabian streaming sensation SHoNgxBoNg, took the field for its second game at the Kings World Cup Clubs 2025 in Paris, the first team presidents of Kings League MENA were unveiled.

At the same time, the application portal for player tryouts was opened for the newest competition in Kings League’s growing global ecosystem. Talented amateur players from across the MENA region have a life-changing opportunity to play in Kings League, as the selection process gets underway.

Kings League MENA is the latest expansion of the rapidly-growing Kings League global competition ecosystem. This covers leagues in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Latin America and Spain, plus two annual international competitions: the Kings World Cup Clubs and the Kings World Cup Nations.

Through this partnership, SURJ is revolutionizing sport in the region — bringing the MENA region its first digitally native, fast-paced, always-on, creator-powered football league, as it continues to drive investment that helps elevate the area’s sporting ecosystem.

In a dramatic video presentation before the start of last night’s Kings World Cup Clubs match between SXB FC and Kunisports (the team led by football legend Sergio “Kun” Aguero), the first Kings League MENA team presidents were announced:

SHoNgxBoNg (27.6 million social media followers) — The Saudi Arabian streamer vies with Drb7h for the title of number one streamer in the Arab world. He is a two-time winner of Best Influencer at the regional Joy Awards and one of the founding figures of the POWR esports team. He is currently taking part in his second Kings League World Cup, after leading the Saudi Arabian national team to the Kings World Cup Clubs in Italy in January 2025.

Drb7h (8.6 million followers) — Drb7h and SHoNgxBoNg are considered the leading streamers in the Arab world. Drb7h is also from Saudi Arabia and is part of the Falcons Esports team. In 2024, he won the Best Streamer award from the Saudi Esports Federation.

Ilyas Elmaliki (3.9 million followers) — Morocco’s biggest streamer, the man from El-Jadida led the national team that rocked the Kings League universe with a sensational run to the semifinals at the Kings World Cup Clubs 2025.

Tarboun (11.2 million followers) — After a long break from streaming, the gaming legend from Egypt is back and has his eyes on glory in Kings League MENA.

Maherco (12 million followers) — The veteran PUBG and Fortnite streamer is representing Jordan. He will aim to make experience count against his young gun rivals.

Fwaz (861,000 followers) — A rising star of streaming from Kuwait and a key member of the TheUltimates.gg esports team.

Absi (9.9 million followers) — Another up-and-coming streamer, representing Jordan’s next generation.

MENA fans can expect big announcements about more team presidents, the participation of iconic football players, and other exciting developments in the build-up to Kings League MENA.

In the coming months, the players selected during the tryouts will be allocated to their Kings League MENA teams at a draft.

Then, at a special presentation in the weeks leading up to kick-off, the team names, kits, and logo designs will be revealed.


\All-star ambassador lineup set for PIF Saudi Ladies International

Updated 7 sec ago
Follow

\All-star ambassador lineup set for PIF Saudi Ladies International

  • Golf Saudi’s elite field assembles as Ladies European Tour and PIF Global Series season kicks off in Riyadh

RIYADH: Golf Saudi’s international ambassador is set to battle it out for a $5 million prize fund at the PIF Saudi Ladies International, held at Riyadh Golf Club from Feb. 11-14.

As a part of the PIF Global Series, the tournament is the season opener of the Ladies European Tour and features a world-class field of elite international talent, headlined by World No. 5 Charley Hull.

The PIF Global Series provides a competitive international platform for the world’s best women golfers to compete alongside emerging talent at premier international venues. This season’s calendar reflects an expanding international presence and high-level competition, with upcoming stops including Las Vegas, London, Korea and Shenzhen.

Ambassadors will once again look to raise the profile of the game and act as an inspiration to local amateurs and newcomers to take up the game, not only with their performances on the course, but also by joining Go Golf clinics and driving range sessions with beginners and emerging talent at every venue.

The strong field will feature:

Charley Hull (England)

A seasoned champion with multiple global titles to her name, the 29-year-old brings a formidable track record to the field. Hull is no stranger to success in the Kingdom, having famously secured the individual title at the Riyadh Series in 2024. Her performance across the PIF Global Series has established her as a perennial fan favorite in the region; she looks to build on that momentum following a stellar run last year, where she secured top-10 finishes in both Riyadh and Houston.

Known for prioritizing fitness, mental wellbeing and work in the gym alongside honing her game, Hull made headlines at the 2025 PIF Saudi Ladies International by revealing she was focused on reducing her 5 km run time to 20 minutes by the year’s end.

“Every time I return to Riyadh, I’m blown away by how much the game has grown,” Hull said. “My preparation for the PIF Saudi Ladies International is about more than just golf; it’s about arriving as an athlete ready to perform on a world-class stage.”

“As a Golf Saudi ambassador, I want the next generation of young girls watching us at Riyadh Golf Club to see that with discipline and the right support, there are no limits. Being part of this journey where we see equal prize money is incredibly inspiring, and I’m proud to help show young girls what’s possible through the game.

“I haven’t yet got my PB down as I tore a ligament in my ankle in August, just as I was getting close to 20 minutes ... I’ve only just started running again but I hope to get to sub 20 this year!”

A proven contender in Saudi Arabia, the four-time LET winner arrives focused on delivering another crown.

Alison Lee (US)

The two-time PIF Global Series individual winner (Sotogrande, 2021, and Riyadh, 2023) and two-time Solheim Cup star returns to Riyadh Golf Club following her comeback at the Aramco Houston Championship, after a maternity break last year. The American also went on to play the final PIF Global Series event of 2025, in Shenzhen, six months after giving birth.

Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand)

A Major champion and one of Thailand’s leading lights, the 26-year-old has established herself as a force on the world stage. Following her victory at the PIF Saudi Ladies International in 2024, the Thai returns to Riyadh Golf Club hungry for more success.

Tavatanakit said: “I feel good going into this week, and I’m super excited to get to Riyadh. This course and tournament have a special place in my heart, and I’m so lucky to count myself as a past champion. This event stands out on the calendar every year due to Golf Saudi’s incredible support of the athletes and of golf in general — we’re all looking forward to getting there for a great week!”

Carlota Ciganda (Spain)

A combined 11-time winner on the LPGA tour and the LET, the seven-time Solheim Cup-capped Spaniard will be looking to go one better than her last PIF Global Series outing in Houston, where she lost out to compatriot Nuria Iturrioz, finishing T2 with fellow Golf Saudi Ambassador Hull.

Marianne Skarpnord (Norway)

The 39-year-old has demonstrated age is no barrier at the top level, competing in 18 LET events in 2025 and with victories spanning all the way back to 2009, the Norwegian golfer will be looking to prove that age is just a number when competing at Riyadh Golf Club.

“Women’s golf has changed massively since I started on the tour in 2005,” Skarpnord said. “Over the last decade, the game has grown enormously, and the standard today is completely different. Golf Saudi has played a massive part in that — they are raising the profile of the women’s game, strengthening the fields and creating opportunities for us that simply didn’t exist before.”

Muni “Lily” He (China)

One of golf’s most popular players, the fan favorite finished T8 at Riyadh Golf Club in the 2025 edition of the PIF Saudi Ladies International, and while showing promise across the LPGA and Ladies European Tour, could 2026 be her breakthrough year?

Danielle Kang (USA)

A Major champion and six-time winner on the LPGA Tour, the American is set to return to the PIF Global Series after finishing in the top 30 of the Aramco Houston Championship in 2025. The 33-year-old is no stranger to adversity, however, overcoming significant back injuries and health issues to continue challenging on the world’s biggest stages.

Olivia Cowan (Germany)

Competing in all five PIF Global Series events in 2025, the ever-present German finished inside the top 20 on three occasions, with a best placed T4 at the PIF London Championship at Centurion Club. She will be hoping to add another stellar performance to kick start her season in Saudi Arabia.

Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (France)

A two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, including a victory at the PIF Global Series — Singapore in 2023, the 25-year-old will be aiming to add to her accolades this year, starting at the PIF Saudi Ladies International.