LONDON: Saudi Arabian football fans are ready to brave supporting the Green Falcons at next year’s World Cup in Russia, despite widespread fears about hooliganism.
This summer the Russian tourist board opened a World Cup information center in London which the British media reported was to help ease England fans’ fears about hooligans at the 2018 World Cup.
The Russia tourist board denied that this was the reason behind the opening.
Last year’s European Championships, for many, set a worrying precedent.
Russia fans clashed repeatedly with England supporters when the two teams met in the group-stage match in Marseilles. The clashes, which took place both inside and outside the stadium, were blamed on a group of 150 hardcore trained hooligans from Russian gangs who traveled to France just to cause trouble.
“I and other fans have heard a few stories about Russian fans, stories saying they are violent and aggressive,” said Saudi football fan Faisal Ali. “I haven’t come across any Russian fans but we have heard stories about them fighting and taking on other fans. Hopefully it won’t put fans off traveling to support the country but it is the current climate of the world everyone seems weary of everyone else at the moment, it’s just how it is.”
It was the worst violence at an international tournament since the 1998 World Cup, also in France. The worried mood was not helped when Russian MP Igor Lebedev told the thugs after their battle in Marseilles: “Well done lads. Keep it up!”
The deadly display in France is set against a no less worrying backdrop of violence at Russian domestic matches. Neo-Nazi groups regularly turn up to games, the result being that their displays of hate and racism are as much a feature of the 90 minutes as goals and tackles.
That, however, has not put off Saudi Arabia fans keen to cheer on the team’s first appearance at a World Cup for 12 years. While the fans Arab News spoke to were well aware of threat of violence, they claimed they would not miss the opportunity to support their team in Russia.
Abdullah Al-Hudaithi said it was not the first time a World Cup had been scheduled to take place in a country where security fears sometimes dominated discussion.
“We know about Russia fans, we watched the European Championships and saw what happened,” Al-Hudaithi said.
“They have organized groups and we saw the violence and the unprovoked attacks, Russian fans have a bad reputation.
“But the World Cup has taken place in countries that many don’t think are safe before. In South Africa and Brazil there was worry about the threat of robberies.”
Added to that is the hope, and expectation, that Russian authorities will ensure there will be no major trouble while the eyes of the world are focused on the country.
“I expect there will be trouble between England and Russia fans, but not with us,” Al-Hudaithi said.
“We don’t have any Ultras, groups like that, we are well behaved so that’s why I don’t expect any trouble.
“Russian hooligans can be brutal, but inside their own country I expect the authorities to be organized and stop any trouble.”
Indeed, such is the expectation that trouble will not tarnish Saudi fans’ World Cup, the biggest worry ahead of the tournament is the more prosaic problem of getting visas and arranging travel.
“I have a few questions about getting a visa, we cannot get a tourist visa here in Saudi Arabia. That is my biggest worry,” Abdullah Al-Jassim said.
“I and many friends are planning to go to the 2018 World Cup but certainly there must be facilities by the Russian government on visas, safety and facilities.”
This summer the Confederations Cup, the traditional dry run for the World Cup, took place in Russia and passed off without incident.
That according to Alexey Cherepanov, director of Visit Russia UK, is what all fans can expect next summer.
“The news in the UK has presented (the Russian World Cup and opening of our office in London) in very negative terms, in real life it is not as the press has presented it, they have sensationalized it all,” he told Arab News.
“People in Russia welcome football fans and foreigners, we love and respect all people.
“This center in London is unique, it’s a pilot project if it goes well then other Visit Russia offices can open a World Cup office as well.
“In the Middle East we have Visit Russia offices in Dubai, Iran and Kuwait. Fans from KSA can call us and we’d try to help as much as possible.”
Saudi football fans shrug off Russian hooligan fears for 2018 World Cup
Saudi football fans shrug off Russian hooligan fears for 2018 World Cup
Riyadh prepares for 2nd annual Saudi Elite Hockey Championship
- 80 players from 8 teams will battle it out at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex on Jan. 17 and 18
- Najd Falcons were crowned winners of the inaugural event last year, ahead of runners-up Alittihad Club
RIYADH: Final preparations are underway for the second annual Saudi Elite Hockey Championship at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in Riyadh next week.
Eight teams, featuring a total of 80 players, will battle it out on Jan. 17 and 18: defending champions Najd Falcons, last year’s runners-up Alittihad Club, Alshabab Club, Jubail Buraq, Naqi, UTSC, Arab Legends and Hamra Legends.
The event has been organized under the supervision of the Saudi Hockey Federation, which said the championship represents a significant step in the development of hockey, in line with the wider sports renaissance in the Kingdom as part of efforts to enhance quality of life and contribute to the goals of the Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification.
FIA president commends Saudi Arabia’s efforts in organizing Dakar Rally
- Mohammed Ben Sulayem speaks of Kingdom’s commitment to delivering top-notch experience for participants
- Rally resumes on Saturday with 7 stages remaining
Ha’il: The International Automobile Federation’s President Mohammed Ben Sulayem commended the Kingdom’s efforts in organizing the Dakar Rally during his visit to Saudi Arabia’s rally bivouac on Friday.
Ben Sulayem also praised the Kingdom’s commitment to delivering a top-notch experience for participants and highlighted the warm hospitality and generosity that embody the spirit of the Saudi people.
The FIA president highlighted that Saudi Arabia’s success in hosting global sporting events, such as the Dakar Rally, has set a benchmark and become a source of pride. He also acknowledged the hard work and teamwork of all rally participants, noting their role in strengthening the Kingdom’s reputation as a world-class motorsport hub.
The participants have taken a well-deserved rest after enduring several days of tough desert challenges. Meanwhile, support teams have continued their vital work, ensuring vehicles are maintained and ready for the next stages to help competitors perform at their best.
After covering about 2,579 km of special stages, 299 vehicles arrived at the bivouac camp in Ha’il. Vehicles included 118 bikes, 58 cars, two stock vehicles, 45 challengers, 33 SSVs, and 43 trucks.
The rally resumes on Saturday with seven stages remaining. Participants will head to Al-Dawadmi, covering 829 km, including 605 km of timed special stages.
The journey will then take them through a circular stage in Al-Dawadmi, followed by Riyadh, Haradh, and finally Al-Shubayta.
The rally concludes with two final stages in Al-Shubayta on Jan. 16 and 17, marking the end of this year’s Dakar Rally.
Leipzig sign wing back Ridle Baku from Bundesliga rival Wolfsburg
- Leipzig said Friday that the 26-year-old Baku had signed a 2½-year contract to 2027
- “Ridle will give us more options in the future,” Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer said
LEIPZIG, Germany: Leipzig have signed wing back Ridle Baku from Bundesliga rival Wolfsburg after an injury to Benjamin Henrichs.
Leipzig said Friday that the 26-year-old Baku had signed a 2½-year contract to 2027. He will be available for Sunday’s home game against Werder Bremen as the league restarts this weekend after its winter break.
“Ridle will give us more options in the future,” Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer said. “He can play anywhere on the right side, loves to get forward, is a good finisher and tackler, and comfortable in possession too.”
Baku’s contract with Wolfsburg was set to expire at the end of the season. Kicker reported that the clubs had agreed on a transfer fee of under 5 million euros ($5.1 million) for the player.
Baku, who was born in Mainz, made his Bundesliga debut against Leipzig for Mainz in 2018. He joined Wolfsburg in 2020 and established himself as a regular at the Volkswagen-backed club. Altogether he scored 20 goals in 166 appearances for the team.
Baku made his debut for Germany under Joachim Löw in a friendly against the Czech Republic in November 2020, and made three more appearances for the team in World Cup qualifying in 2021, but hasn’t been called up since.
Henrichs ruptured an Achilles tendon in his right foot in Leipzig’s 5-1 loss at Bayern Munich on Dec. 20 before the winter break. The club said he “will remain out of action for a while.”
Leipzig have struggled so far this season, losing all their games in the Champions League and dropping points in seven of their 15 games in the Bundesliga.
After ‘hardest’ preseason, Russian teen Mirra Andreeva eyeing top 10 and silverware
- 17-year-old hotly tipped for a deep run at the Australian Open
DUBAI: Two years ago, a 15-year-old Mirra Andreeva lost the Australian Open junior final to her friend and doubles partner Alina Korneeva.
On the eve of the first Grand Slam of the season, Andreeva returns to the Australian Open ranked 15 in the world on the women’s tour and a popular dark horse tip for the title – or at least a deep run – at Melbourne Park.
The 17-year-old’s rapid ascent in professional tennis includes a semi-final appearance at Roland Garros last June, a maiden title triumph at a WTA 250 event in Romania the following month, and an Olympic silver medal alongside her compatriot Diana Shnaider in women’s doubles at the Paris Games a week later.
Andreeva ended her breakthrough 2024 campaign with a runner-up showing in Ningbo, and looked inconsolable during the trophy ceremony despite her opponent Daria Kasatkina’s best efforts to cheer her up.
“That final was something special,” Andreeva told reporters in Brisbane last week, where she warmed up for the Australian Open by reaching the semifinals.
“Honestly, I got emotional because I led 3-0 in the third set, and I lost 6-4. It's never easy to lose the match when you're almost always the one who is up in the score.
“Of course, I got emotional, as well, because for me it was the chance to win my second title.
“It's a learning experience. I just have to accept it. Now when I look at those videos when I'm crying, I just laugh at myself because I couldn't hold it inside.”
2024 was a steep learning curve for Andreeva and she scaled it in impressive fashion.
It comes as no surprise that many of her peers have picked her as one to watch in 2025, with the likes of world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, and Tunisian star Ons Jabeur, naming Andreeva as the player mostly likely to reach a first major final and crack the top 10 this season.
They are goals Andreeva has in fact set for herself as her ceiling of expectations continues to rise.
“I would say that my number one goal would be to claim the top 10, just to secure myself there and of course, I think as every other player on tour, I would like to win some titles,” Andreeva told Arab News on the sidelines of the World Tennis League (WTL) in Abu Dhabi last month.
“I worked very hard in the preseason and I will continue working hard for it. So I’m just hoping that the hard work will pay off and I’ll do everything possible for this.”
Coached by Spanish former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, who joined her team last year, Andreeva admits her preseason training block was “one of the hardest” she’s ever had, but given her promising start to the year in Brisbane, it is already paying dividends.
“I really had a hard time doing all the fitness sessions. As well on the court, it was hard to push myself to practice. So I kind of fought a lot with myself,” she explains.
“But I had my team close to me and they helped me a lot, of course. I cannot say it was fun, but of course it was very useful. You cannot play tennis without having a preseason. That’s just part of my career, my life, I just have to get over it. I have to accept it, I have no other choice. But it was almost fun,” she added with a laugh.
“Every day you’re getting more and more tired. You’re exercising a lot, you have two fitness sessions then you have a long tennis session. So after that you’re tired, you also cannot find yourself a lot of strength and power to push yourself to have the same intensity and the same power on the court. So it kind of goes a bit down.
“I was sad that my level on the court dropped but they said, ‘It’s normal, you do a lot of fitness, so this week, forget about tennis’. I’m like, ‘But I can’t, I’m playing so bad’.
“But we almost never talk seriously, we always joke around. So none of this was really serious. It was hard, but there was no burnout.”
Indeed Andreeva and Martinez are a lighthearted pair. The Russian teenager credits Martinez, who previously worked with ex-world No.1s Garbine Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova, for bringing lots of positivity to the team.
Andreeva has a unique and creative game that relies heavily on improvisation – something Martinez doesn’t seem to mind.
“I think that she brings more fun. I’ve never really been too serious on court,” said Andreeva of her Spanish coach.
“I always did what I wanted, I didn’t really have a plan for any match, I would just go. She was asking me a couple of weeks ago, ‘Okay, you’re playing a set right now, what’s your plan?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know, I’m just going to go and see, I don’t know, I’m going to decide’. And she’s like, ‘Mirra, but you cannot play like this’. And I’m like, ‘But I always play like this’.
“So she’s like, ‘Okay, you’re right, just go’. And that’s how I think she brings more fun, she brings more positivity 100 percent, because before I also tend to be a bit hard on myself, so she’s also helping me to deal with it and it’s just a bit easier like this.”
During the four-day exhibition WTL in Abu Dhabi, Andreeva was on the same team as Sabalenka, and paired up with the world No.1 in doubles on multiple occasions.
The duo have faced off four times on tour so far (Sabalenka leads the head-to-head 3-1) but had never really interacted much off court before teaming up for the WTL.
“It’s good to be in one team and to share the court with her because you can see what she does differently, why she’s on top, why she’s the best player on tour right now,” said Andreeva of the top-ranked Belarusian.
“Of course it’s a good experience for me to also see if there is something different that she does or no.”
Andreeva is not the only professional tennis player in her family. Her older sister Erika, 20, cracked the top 100 last year and is currently ranked 86 in the world.
The siblings squared off in a WTA tournament for the first time in Wuhan end of last season, with Erika beating Mirra in straight sets in the second round.
“It's the greatest thing in the world to share the court with your sister,” says Mirra.
“Of course I would want it to be in the final or at least closer to the end of the tournament, not in the second round. That match was really hard, especially for me mentally. I think it was hard for both of us but I really struggled, and I think all of us did; our coaches, our parents, everyone.
“So with time and with experience I think we’re going to learn how to deal with all of that. That was the first time and we all knew it was going to be hard.
“But having her around and seeing that she’s improving every day and I just know that she’s working really hard and it’s just nice to see that her hard work is paying off.
“Maybe not all in one time, but day by day she’s dealing with it and she’s improving and I can see her playing great in practices and during the tournament in her matches. When she’s happy, I’m happy.”
Andreeva will begin her Australian Open campaign on Sunday against Czech world No.42 Marie Bouzkova.
Govt. minister says England should play Afghanistan, despite growing calls for boycott amid women’s rights concerns
- The ICC’s policy requires nations granted Test-playing status, which Afghanistan was given in 2017, to support women’s cricket
LONDON: World cricket’s governing body is coming under increasing scrutiny for its stance on Afghanistan’s inclusion in the upcoming Champions Trophy tournament, despite the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights and sports participation.
The International Cricket Council has so far resisted calls to ban Afghanistan’s men’s team or press the Taliban regime to uphold its own rules surrounding the establishment of a women’s cricket team, citing a strategy to influence change through engagement.
The ICC’s policy requires nations granted Test-playing status, which Afghanistan was given in 2017, to support women’s cricket.
However, Afghanistan was accepted as a full member without an already functional women’s cricket program, citing religious and cultural reasons.
Despite efforts by the Afghanistan Cricket Board to establish a women’s team in 2020 “adhering to the traditional Afghan and Islamic values,” the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021 halted progress, with women and girls increasingly banned from sports and public life since.
More than 160 British MPs and peers have recently called for the England and Wales Cricket Board to boycott their match against Afghanistan, set to be played next month in Pakistan, Sky News reported.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to commit to such action, but said: “The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in touch with our international counterparts on this issue. I welcome the England and Wales Cricket Board making strong representations to the International Cricket Council on Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team.”
South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has also supported calls for a boycott, but Cricket South Africa has deferred to the ICC, emphasizing adherence to tournament regulations.
However, British Culture and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy has rejected the idea of a boycott, stating that such actions could penalize athletes and alienate fans.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Nandy said: “I’m instinctively cautious about boycotts in sports. I think they deny sports fans the opportunity that they love, and they can also very much penalize the athletes and the sports people who work very, very hard to reach the top of their game and then they’re denied the opportunities to compete.
“They are not the people that we want to penalize for the appalling actions of the Taliban against women and girls,” she added.
Instead, Nandy pointed to diplomatic measures to bring about change, highlighting past UK efforts to withhold symbolic support at sporting events, such as avoiding dignitary attendance at the Winter Olympics in China.
“When China hosted the Winter Olympics, I was very vocal, many of us were very vocal about making sure that we didn’t send dignitaries to that event, that we didn’t give them the PR coup that they were looking for when they were forcibly incarcerating the Uighurs in Xinjiang,” she said.
The ICC has reiterated its commitment to engaging with Afghanistan to foster inclusivity in cricket.
“The ICC remains closely engaged with the situation in Afghanistan and continues to collaborate with our members,” a spokesperson told Sky News.
“We are committed to leveraging our influence constructively to support the Afghanistan Cricket Board in fostering cricket development and ensuring playing opportunities for both men and women in Afghanistan.
“The ICC has established an Afghanistan Cricket Task Force, chaired by deputy chairman Mr. Imran Khwaja, who will lead the ongoing dialogue on this matter,” they added.
However, the ICC’s approach has drawn sharp criticism from Afghan women’s rights activists.
Khalida Popal, former captain of Afghanistan’s women’s football team, expressed disappointment in the governing bodies’ lack of action.
“The governing bodies have failed to stand by their own policies. There’s clear gender discrimination in sport, and they’ve ignored the women of Afghanistan,” she told Sky News.
England’s match against Afghanistan remains scheduled, and the ICC continues to engage with the ACB. But the Champions Trophy, set to take place next month, has become a focal point for global scrutiny of Afghanistan’s policies and the ICC’s role in upholding its principles.
