admin
World number one Jannik Sinner has the chance to complete his Grand Slam haul at the French Open after ticking off a full set of Masters 1000 titles earlier this month, and the withdrawal of
admin
This week’s President’s Cup final at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium is more than a football match.It is an occasion defined by the honour of lifting a trophy that carries immense national significance, presented in the
admin
The UAE snooker team, comprising Mohammed Shehab, Khalid Al Kamali and Abdulrahman Al Shamsi, won gold in the team event at the 4th GCC Games - Doha 2026, following a strong performance in the final
admin
As Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, there was an irony in how Mikel Arteta built the champions — not on the idealism and aesthetic style of play once associated with
admin
With fight night fast approaching, PFL Mena: Pride of Arabia is set to take over Coca-Cola Arena this weekend (May 23-24) for two nights of world-class entertainment, live music, and elite cage action from across
admin
The International Olympic Committee has announced the selection of UAE national show jumping rider Omar Al Marzooqi among a new group of Athlete Role Models for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which will be
admin
UAE shooting team made the nation proud with a dominant performance at the 4th GCC Games in Doha.Ghaya Al Shuhail and Mohammed Al Kaabi won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.Sheikh Juma
admin
Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring against Damac during the Saudi Pro League match in Riyadh. (Reuters) Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al Nassr clinched the Saudi Pro League title with a 4-1 win over Damac on Thursday, ending his long wait for domestic silverware.A trademark free-kick and a close-range finish, both in the final half-hour, sealed the win Al Nassr needed on the last night of the season, with Al Hilal finishing just two points behind.Ronaldo, 41, who was without a major club trophy since winning Serie A with Juventus in 2020, arrived in the oil-rich desert kingdom to great acclaim in 2023, wept as he watched the final minutes from the bench. He adds the Saudi championship to his English, Spanish and Italian titles and five Champions League medals.Al Nassr took a 2-0 lead but were back to 2-1 before Ronaldo's free-kick on 63 minutes evaded the goalkeeper and a forest of legs to find the far corner. He struck again nine minutes from time, receiving a cut-back on the edge of the six-yard box and smashing high into the net.Next up for the all-time leading men's international goalscorer, with 143 goals, is a sixth crack at the World Cup after he was named in Portugal's squad this week.Ronaldo opened the door to a series of big-money Saudi signings when he joined Al Nassr in January 2023 following an unhappy second spell at Manchester United.Neymar and Karim Benzema were among those to follow after Ronaldo inked a two-and-a-half-year deal estimated at 200 million euros, extended for two years in June 2025.The stated aim was to turn the Pro League into one of the world's top five football competitions measured by the quality of players, stadium attendances and commercial success. International interest has been muted, however.In December 2024, Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of the 2034 World Cup, a coup as it pushes to decouple its economy from oil and attract business and tourists, partly via the buzz of sports.With a record 664 million Instagram followers, Ronaldo has been a highly-visible ambassador as Saudi Arabia tries to turn the page on the ultra-conservative image that has defined it for decades.The world's biggest oil exporter and home of Islam has been accused of "sportswashing" -- using sport to deflect human rights criticism -- as it has invested in Formula 1, golf, boxing and tennis alongside football.Some of the more outlandish spending on economic diversification, including sprawling tourist developments and NEOM, a futuristic city in the desert, is being reined in.This month, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund said it was exiting the breakaway LIV Golf tour, after reportedly ploughing more than $5 billion into a venture that split the sport. Expensive football signings have also waned with the stream of big-money transfers slowing to a trickle.Ronaldo was the Pro League's top scorer in his first two seasons, with his career tally now at 973 -- tantalisingly close to the 1,000-goals milestone. His Saudi stint has not always been smooth. In 2024, he was left in floods of tears when Al Nassr lost the King's Cup final to Al Hilal on penalties, denying him his first Saudi title.This season, he disappeared from Al Nassr's line-up for three games in an apparent protest at Benzema's transfer to rival team Al Hilal.Al Hilal and Al Nassr were among the stable of Saudi teams owned by the Public Investment Fund, the country's $900 billion sovereign wealth fund.Before Thursday, Ronaldo's only silverware with Al Nassr was the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. He was also disappointed on Saturday, when Al Nassr lost to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final. Related Story
admin
Bahrain’s Hussain Mohamed Dadalla delivered an impressive performance to top Silver Tour, while Alqaqaa bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani won Amateur class during the 14th and final round of the Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour at the indoor arena of the Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF).The series is organised by the QEF in partnership with Al Shaqab, a member of Qatar Foundation.In the Silver Tour competition, held under Table A rules with one round against the clock over 130cm fences, Hussain guided Elite to victory with a flawless round in 54.56 seconds. Saudi rider Khaled al-Hadi finished second aboard Doremi du Flot Z in 55.50secs, while Qatar’s Faris Saad al-Qahtani secured third place on Gaya des Cours in 57.06secs.In the Amateur class, contested over two phases at 100cm, Alqaqaa rode Bon Suela to victory after producing two clear rounds in 27.24secs. Sultan Abdulaziz al-Sada claimed second place aboard Argelith Squid in 28.34secs, while Iraq’s Mariam Abdulkarim Abed and Qatar’s Moza Hamza al-Kuwari shared third position after both clocked 28.39secs aboard Jumbo and Haneen respectively. Related Story
admin
Unai Emery has now won the Europa League five times after leading Sevilla to the trophy three times and clinching it once with Aston Villa and Villarreal. (Reuters) Unai Emery urged Aston Villa to use their historic Europa League final triumph against Freiburg as the foundation for an "ambitious" new era.Emery's side ended the club's 30-year trophy drought with a stylish 3-0 win in Istanbul on Wednesday. Spectacular first-half goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia put Villa in control before Morgan Rogers netted after the interval to kill off outclassed Freiburg.Villa's first trophy since the 1996 League Cup was also their first major European prize in 44 years. After long spells in the doldrums prior to Emery's arrival to replace the sacked Steven Gerrard in 2022, Villa are back among the elite both in the Premier League and Europe.They have qualified for next season's Champions League and Emery called on his players and the club's hierarchy to match his desire to keep Villa in contention for silverware."I am myself ambitious and of course I need support. The owners, everyone that works in the club. Development is everything," he said. "The players are following us. We are doing it together. But we must try to set this ambition, being clear and realistic. As a team, ambitious and improving. This is our next step."We are getting stronger but we are trying to be demanding. Next year we will play in Champions League and the Premier League is the most difficult in the world. This is the challenge."Emery has now won the Europa League five times after leading Sevilla to the trophy three times and clinching it once with Villarreal. "It's fantastic. Europe gave us a lot. For myself as well. I'm always very grateful for Europe. For every competition but especially the Europa League," the Spaniard said."The support I had with Valencia, with Sevilla, with Villarreal and here at Villa. We played it in a very serious way this year, so focused. Getting this trophy adds experience for us. And those experiences for the players are important. Because we can play next year trying as well to be in contention for trophies."Villa last won a major continental trophy when they stunned Bayern Munich to win the 1982 European Cup. For Emery, following in the footsteps of Tony Barton as Villa's second manager to land a major European trophy, emphasised how far they have come since he arrived in 2022 with the club languishing near the Premier League relegation zone."This final is confirmation of how we are progressing. It is very important," he said. "Of course my dream was to play in Europe and play to win trophies. We played the Conference League semi-final and Champions League quarter-finals. We were very close. This club won the European title in 1982. And again competing for a title in Europe is something which makes sense of everything we are doing."On an unforgettable evening on the banks of the Bosphorus, Emery and his team ensured they will be ranked alongside the 1982 heroes as Villa legends forever. But Emery has no intention of resting on his laurels."We are improving. We are playing finals. We are winning trophies. I think the brand is increasing," he said. "Achieving this makes us so happy and proud. But we are not going to stop."Freiburg's first European final proved to be an anti-climax, leaving the German club still waiting to win their maiden major trophy. Related Story
