DUBAI: If you had told Tunisia’s fans two years ago that they would make it to the 2018 World Cup, even the most optimistic may have raised an eyebrow. A round qualifier against Mauritania was only decided in the 84th minute of the second leg, Saad Bguir’s goal putting the minnows, ranked 104th by FIFA, to the sword. It was certainly indicative of the tumultuous campaign ahead.
That tie was in the early throes of Henryk Kasperczak’s second spell as Tunisia coach but, like the first, it would end with an acrimonious split. Kasperczak guided the Eagles of Carthage to the 1998 World Cup before infamously being sacked mid-tournament after losing group games against England and Colombia.
That should have been a warning but the Polish boss, clearly a glutton for punishment, returned in 2015. This April he was sacked for a second time. The Tunisian Football Federation cited lack of progress, bemusingly describing it as “a unilateral separation.” From the outside it appeared a little unfortunate given Tunisia were leading their World Cup qualifying group, though an African Nations Cup quarter-final defeat to Burkina Faso certainly did not help his cause.
It was Nabil Maaloul who swooped to the Eagles’ aid, taking up the role — like Kasperczak — for the second time. Maaloul’s first tenure lasted just seven months up to September 2013 and, having failed to take Tunisia to the 2014 World Cup, he was determined to make amends.
Still hugely respected in his homeland after winning back-to-back league titles and a CAF Champions League crown with Esperance, the coach immediately won over any potential doubters with a 1-0 victory over North African rivals Egypt in AFCON qualifying in June.
It was an impressive show of unity, and indeed one of Maaloul’s key qualities has been his ability to foster a togetherness in the squad that many thought impossible.
“He has managed to create a bond between players,” Tunisian journalist Souhail Khirma tells Arab News. “Despite being rivals in the local championship, he unites them as brothers fighting for the Tunisian banner. He often refers to the players as his ‘own children’ and it is clear they share a special relationship.”
That unity was notable in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers as Maaloul’s side fought back from 2-0 down away to group rivals DR Congo to snatch a 2-2 draw. The point was vital, eventually proving to be the difference between the nations. The following match saw a 1-0 half-time deficit against Guinea transformed into a 4-1 rout; it was unquestionably Tunisia’s best display of the campaign.
A spot in Russia was confirmed with a nervous 0-0 draw at home to neighbors Libya but it mattered little to the Tunisian fans, who could celebrate a first World Cup appearance since 2006.
No members of that squad are still involved with the national team but the new generation still has an experienced spine. Ali Maaloul has been a defensive stalwart, enjoying a fine 2017 with both Tunisia and club side Al Ahly, while Youssef Msakni — the most capped outfield player of this group — remains a talismanic presence. And while Esperance striker Taha Yassine Khnissi has yet to fully replicate his impressive club form at international level, big things are expected of the Tunisian league’s top scorer.
There is plenty of quality in this Tunisia squad but it could well be the influence of father figure Maaloul that pushes the current crop to shine in Russia. Registering a victory should be the primary aim given Tunisia have failed to do so in the 11 games since their first ever World Cup match, a 3-1 win against Mexico in 1978. Three winless tournaments have come and gone since but Maaloul has inspired a belief that things will be different this time for the Eagles of Carthage.
Tunisia football team forge unbreakable bond
Tunisia football team forge unbreakable bond
Rafael Nadal motivated to ‘create beautiful project’ for tennis in Saudi Arabia
- Spanish legend and STF ambassador believes Kingdom’s sports development and youth engagement is moving in the right direction
JEDDAH: Rafael Nadal said he “would really like” to bring his academy to Saudi Arabia but that nothing is yet set in stone, with conversations still in the early stages between his team and tennis officials in the Kingdom.
The former world No. 1 and 22-time Grand Slam champion spent some time in Jeddah last weekend as part of his role as Saudi Tennis Federation ambassador.
Nadal attended the last two days of the Next Gen ATP Finals at King Abdullah Sports City and took part in a host of community activities, including clinics and meet and greets, as he continues to familiarize himself with the tennis ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.
The Rafa Nadal Academy, based in Nadal’s hometown of Manacor in Mallorca, has been expanding to various locations around the globe, with operations in Mexico, Greece and Hong Kong, as well as two bases in the Middle East in Kuwait and Egypt.
Could Saudi Arabia be next?
“We are in conversation, nothing is done. Of course, it will be a great motivation to bring my people here, to create a beautiful project in that matter, where girls, boys, adults, can go and have a place to enjoy, to feel themselves in their club,” Nadal told Arab News.
“But it’s something that is a little bit green and it’s too soon to talk about it. But I know they are in conversation and let’s see what’s going on in the future. But of course, for me, it’s something I would really like.”
Nadal was announced as a new ambassador for the STF in January 2024, and has since made three visits to the Kingdom, including taking part in the Six Kings Slam showpiece in Riyadh two months ago alongside the likes of Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
The 38-year-old Spaniard has visited the Gulf region many times since he made his Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships debut in 2004 and feels a connection with this part of the world.
“I really like the way that the people here treat us every time we come here. In some way, in Spain we have a lot of similarities back in the history. So I enjoyed it,” said Nadal, reflecting on his two decades of visiting the Middle East.
“I enjoyed playing in this part of the world, I had fun, and in general terms, I feel lucky that I was able to know all these places, countries, and because of tennis I was able to know different cultures all around the world and this one I’m happy to learn more and more.”
Nadal sent fans into a frenzy during his meet-and-greet sessions at the Next Gen ATP Finals last weekend, with queues extending from one end of the fan zone to the other, packed with supporters desperate for a signature from the Spanish legend.
He led a children’s clinic on the clay courts at Racquet Space tennis club and attended the trophy ceremony of the U14 ATF tournament staged at the King Abdullah Sports City tennis courts.
He shared some words of wisdom with Saudi Arabia’s Davis Cup team, a group of junior wheelchair tennis players, and some of the up-and-coming ATP stars competing in the Next Gen Finals tournament.
“I am still learning, of course, this is only my third time here. Every time I come, I am able to know a bit more,” Nadal said of his experiences so far in Saudi Arabia.
“I was able to visit the historic old town in Jeddah this time. And I try to receive all the information, to really know the information from the people who really live here, and from the people who live here and are not Saudis, so it’s important to understand how their lives are here, being from a different part (of the world).
“And the message that I received always is really positive. They are very happy, they are following the opening of the country that has witnessed a huge change in the last seven years.”
Nadal added: “Of course nothing can be done from zero to 100 because the culture and the population cannot absorb all these changes in a short period of time. But I am really happy to see young people playing tennis, practicing the sport, and I think it’s the right move.
“Saudi is a very big country, with 35 million people, a very young population that I think having all these great events here encourages the young population here to practice and do sport and that’s great news. Because a sporting community is a healthy community and I really believe the country is moving in that direction and that’s very positive.”
As a long-time friend of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Riyadh club Al-Nassr two years ago, Nadal is hoping to catch up with the Portuguese star in the Kingdom soon.
“I didn’t speak to Cristiano about that, hopefully next time I will be in Riyadh we can be in touch and meet each other,” Nadal said. “The last couple of times I have been here, we didn’t have the chance. But I am sure that in the future we will be together, at some point.”
Nadal officially retired from professional tennis last month at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga and a docu-series detailing the final season of his career is scheduled for release on Netflix in 2025.
A collaborative production between Netflix and Skydance Sports, the docu-series “will include unprecedented access with Nadal throughout his comeback to competitive play in the 2024 season after sitting out much of 2023 due to injury” the streaming platform announced last week.
Skydance founder and CEO David Ellison is one of the producers of the docu-series and the son of billionaire Larry Ellison, who owns the Indian Wells Masters tennis tournament.
“I think it’s going to be something interesting, that people are going to know more about my personal life, my daily life trying to come back. And of course they’re going to know more about my career, even if it’s very well known around, but to know a little bit more from inside, something that has never been talked about before,” Nadal said of the upcoming project.
“So I’m excited to see the final result, we have been working very hard. I always have been a little bit against doing this stuff but a great team like Skydance team and David Ellison called me and presented to me the project and at the end it was a fast decision and it was a big help of the family, the team, the tournaments, the rest of the players accepting that, and I am sure, and I hope that the people will like it.”
Just one month into his retirement, Nadal admits he is still getting used to life without tennis but he knows he will stay close to the sport, be it through his academy, his foundation, his role as STF ambassador, or any other capacity.
Would he consider coaching another player in future?
“You never say never,” the Spaniard said.
“Today it’s too early to think about this kind of stuff. I just need to organize my life. Now I don’t see myself in any project like this, but I don’t know how life is going to be in one, two, three years.”
Cricket’s imbalanced financial structure continues to favor handful of powerful nations
- The International Cricket Council, under new chair Jay Shah, has opportunity to promote India as a uniter and grower of the game
Last week an article written in 2012 caught my eye. It commented on a 9 percent decline in the number of television viewers watching the Indian Premier League. This led to a recommendation that the IPL should join forces with the International Cricket Council to form a World Cricket League, featuring teams from around the world.
In retrospect, the suggestion appears bizarre. The IPL has since become the powerhouse that has propelled India to dominance in cricket’s global political economy. The recommendation ought to be a warning to those who try to predict the game’s future landscape.
It is clear that India’s dominance shows little sign of waning for the foreseeable future. Au contraire, it is set to grow further with the appointment of Jay Shah as chair of the ICC. Previously, Shah was secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India between October 2019 and December 2024. During that time, he was instrumental in shaping the current ICC financial model. This massively favors India.
Confirmation was revealed at the ICC annual conference in July 2023, with India set to receive almost 40 percent of ICC revenues in the 2024 to 2027 cycle. How much will actually be earned depends upon the broadcasting revenues that will be realized. Initial estimates indicate that the BCCI could earn $230 million out of a total pot of some $600 million annually. This is a significant increase compared with the 2016 to 2023 cycle, in which the BCCI’s share from the ICC’s central revenue pool totaled $405 million.
By way of comparison, the England and Wales Cricket Board is set to receive $41 million annually, 6.89 percent of the total pot, followed by Cricket Australia with $37.53 million, or 6.25 percent. Only one other board, Pakistan’s, is set to receive over $30 million annually, with $34.51 million or 5.75 percent. The other eight full members will receive a total of $189 million, an average of $24 million each. This leaves $67.5 million, around 11 percent of the pot, to be shared between the 96 associate members.
The contribution to national board income is not easy to estimate. First, this is partly because the criteria or “component weightings” used in the model are opaque. They are based on contribution to the global game both on and off the field. This embraces cricket history, performance in both men’s and women’s ICC events over the last 16 years, contribution to the ICC’s commercial revenue and an equal weightage for full members, quoted as 8.3 percent.
It is clear from the figures above that the other criteria amend the equal weighting. India’s claim that it contributes between 70 and 80 percent of the ICC’s revenue is well recognized in its allocation, whereas that for all other full members is below the base weighting.
A second reason is that the ICC’s annual income is based on the estimated earnings for future years. The majority of these derive from sales of media rights. In the 2024 to 2031 cycle, rights for ICC events were sold for $3.2 billion with $3 billion paid by Disney Star for the Indian market. Effectively, these funds bankroll cricket. In this context, the criticality of matches between India and Pakistan becomes apparent, as highlighted in the recent fracas between them over the 2025 Champions Trophy.
A third reason is that the payments are not uniform. New Zealand Cricket’s report and accounts for the year ending July 31, 2024, note that the distribution of monies from the ICC tends to be heavily weighted toward the end of the cycle. The final wash-up payment from the previous cycle, for example, was received around May 2024, placing it in the 2023 to 2024 financial year.
The NZC’s income in 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024, has been NZ$97 million and NZ$98 million, equivalent to around $55 million. If a similar figure is assumed for 2024 to 2025 then the ICC income of between $24 million and $28 million represents half of its revenue stream. In comparison, the England and Wales Cricket Board has an annual income of around $388 million. Therefore, its $41 million from the ICC is 11 percent of its income, a lower dependency than that of New Zealand. However, 75 percent of its revenues is derived from sales of broadcasting rights, emphasizing its fragile financial structure.
India has no such vulnerability. Its 2023 to 2024 income of 7.574 crore rupees — fast approaching $1 billion — dwarfs that of all other ICC members. This represents a massive contribution to the game across all criteria. On the other hand, that amount of power and influence distort other outcomes. One of these is growth amongst associate members. Many of them are ambitious but are hamstrung by a lack of funds. An example is the Netherlands.
Recently, its governing body, the Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond, has seemingly pulled back from its ambition to become an ICC full member, because of a budgetary shortfall. Its team has often caused upsets against full members but, unlike the ICC’s full members, the governing body is not guaranteed a slice of the world revenue. This is contingent on qualification for global events, position on white-ball rankings tables and performance on the ICC’s development scorecard. This pits associate members in direct competition with one another, with financial uncertainty a deterrent to potential sponsors.
There is an opportunity for the ICC, under Shah, to promote India as a uniter and grower of the game. This could involve a greater sharing of broadcasting incomes, allowing its teams to play smaller full members and emerging countries, as well as opening new territories and markets. Shah appears to be putting great store by the Olympics to focus on the latter.
There is little indication, so far, that there is any prospect for associate members to receive additional funding to encourage their development. Perhaps this is deliberate. Power clearly rests with India. When with the BCCI, Shah was a key player in negotiating broadcast rights. He carries those connections into the ICC. The recent merger between Disney and Reliance in India severely reduces competition in the market for broadcast rights.
In the next cycle, further concentration of power can be expected, with small pickings for those outside of the inner circle.
Pakistan reach 88-4 in Test opener against South Africa
- Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan remain unbeaten on 23, 10 respectively
- Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s red-ball struggles continue as he scores only 4
CENTURION: Fast bowler Corbin Bosch made a dream test debut with a wicket on his first ball to provide South Africa a perfect start in the Boxing Day test against Pakistan on Thursday.
Bosch lured Pakistan captain Shan Masood (17) to play a lose drive and had him caught in the slips as Pakistan reached 88-4 at lunch on a seamer friendly SuperSport Park pitch, losing four wickets for 20 runs.
Bosch became the fifth South African bowler after Bert Vogler, Dane Piedt, Hardu Viljoen and Tshepo Moreki to claim a wicket with his first ball in test cricket.
Kamran Ghulam was unbeaten on 23, including a top-edged six over the wicketkeeper’s head against Bosch, and Mohammad Rizwan was not out on 10 at the break.
Masood and opening partner Saim Ayub (14) had thwarted the pace threat of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen in the first hour after captain Temba Bavuma won the toss under overcast conditions and elected to field.
But Bosch’s breakthrough saw Pakistan’s top-order crumble against the pace with Dane Paterson finding edges of Ayub and Babar Azam (4).
Babar, who was dropped for the last two test matches at home against England, has long been struggling in red-ball cricket. His struggles continued as he hit Bosch for a boundary of the first ball he faced before playing loosely to Paterson and getting caught in the slips after just 11 balls.
Left-hander Saud Shakeel (14) struck three fours against Paterson before Bosch had him caught down the leg-side off a sharp short pitch ball after South Africa successfully went for a television review.
Both teams packed their playing XIs with four fast bowlers each and didn’t include a specialist spinner at a venue where pace has dominated over the last six years.
South Africa, which leads the World Test Championship points table, needs a win in one of the two test matches against Pakistan to guarantee a place in next June’s final at Lord’s.
Seventh-place Pakistan included fast bowlers Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas and Aamer Jamal in its team.
Abbas made a comeback to test cricket after more than three years while Naseem returned after missing out the last two home tests against England in October.
Injury-prone Shahzad also missed out three home test matches against England, but got the nod ahead of left-arm pace bowler Mir Hamza.
Bridges outduels Wembanyama, Celtics lose again
- Knicks’ Bridges took the glory with a brilliant 15-point fourth-quarter display that left him with a season-high 41 points and the win
- Dallas Mavericks lost their Slovenian star Luka Doncic with a calf injury in the second quarter of their 105-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves
LOS ANGELES: Mikal Bridges and the New York Knicks edged Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 117-114 in a Christmas Day thriller at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
French star Wembanyama put up 42 points with 18 rebounds and four blocks for the Spurs but Bridges took the glory with a brilliant 15-point fourth-quarter display that left him with a season-high 41 points and the win.
“It was great, man. I think just to feel the excitement from the crowd, my teammates, my coaches, this is who I play for,” Bridges told broadcaster ABC.
“They give me the energy, give me the confidence to go out there and play,” he added.
Wembanyama was just three points short of the Christmas debut scoring record of 45 set by Wilt Chamberlain in his rookie season in 1959.
The 20-year-old, who stands 7-foot-3 (2.21m), was 16-31 on shooting and made six of 16 three-point throws and while Bridges took the applause from the home crowd, he was quick to praise the Frenchman.
“From 40 feet out, from right under the rim, from 15 feet out, he’s just unbelievable, just to see what he’s doing, credit to him and how much work he has put in,” said Bridges.
The 28-year-old Bridges, who was traded from the Brooklyn Nets in July, shot 17-25 from the field and was six for nine on three-point attempts as his team improved to 20-10.
San Antonio were just a point behind with two minutes remaining before Bridges made back-to-back jumpers to open up a five-point lead.
Josh Hart came up big for New York at the death, grabbing two misses to ensure the win and leave the Spurs on a 15-15 record.
Karl-Anthony Towns with 21 points and Jalen Brunson with 20 points and nine assists were crucial for the Knicks in the win.
Jeremy Sochan supported Wembanyama with 21 points for the Spurs.
Defending champions the Boston Celtics (22-8) lost back-to-back games for the first time this season when they were upset at home by the Philadelphia 76ers 118-114.
Injury-prone 76ers star Joel Embiid hurt his ankle in a pregame fall but was able to start and showed his importance with 27 points, nine rebounds and the game clinching free throws at the end to clinch the win for the 11-17 Philadelphia.
Tyres Maxey scored 33 points and made 12 assists with his 13 points in the fourth quarter crucial as Philadelphia, who had led by 16 at the break, recovered from Boston’s third quarter rally.
Jayson Tatum top scored for the Celtics with 32 points and also grabbed 15 rebounds.
It was far from a Merry Christmas for the Dallas Mavericks who lost their Slovenian star Luka Doncic with a calf injury in the second quarter of their 105-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals.
Doncic, who had scored 14 points, limped out of the game and did not return. The Mavericks did manage a brave comeback attempt without him, before falling short.
Anthony Edwards put up 26 points for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves led 57-40 at the half and extended that advantage to 28-points before Dallas, led by Kyrie Irving who made 39 points, started to work their way back into the contest.
It was close at the end but Irving missed a three-point shot that would have given Dallas the lead in the last minute and a two-foot shot from Edwards and a pair of free throws from Julius Randle made sure of the win.
“Kyrie to me is the greatest point guard and so when he gets going, it’s tough to stop him,” said Edwards.
“We got a couple of big stops down the stretch and got some buckets so that helped us,” he added.
The Los Angeles Lakers scored a 115-113 road win over Golden State Warriors.
Lakers big man Anthony Davis didn’t return for Los Angeles against Golden State after spraining his left ankle midway through the first quarter. Davis stepped awkwardly and rolled the ankle while moving through the paint toward the Lakers basket and exited with 4:48 remaining in the quarter.
Sydney-Hobart yacht crews set off on gale-threatened race
- Race crews face rough weather and big waves as they move down Australia’s east coast, then tackle the notorious Bass Strait toward the Tasmanian state capital Hobart
- LawConnect and rival Comanche battled for the lead as crews vied to be first out of the harbor
SYDNEY: Crews of more than 100 yachts set sail Thursday on a “boat-breaking” Sydney-Hobart yacht race, with gale-force winds and high seas forecast for the grueling bluewater classic.
Under blue, mid-summer skies, spectators crowded onto boats and lined the shore of a breezy Sydney Harbor as a starting cannon set the fleet of 104 on a dash to the open ocean.
Race crews face rough weather and big waves as they move down Australia’s east coast, then tackle the notorious Bass Strait toward the Tasmanian state capital Hobart.
Weather is a critical factor in the 628-nautical mile event, first held in 1945.
Six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued in 1998, when a deep depression exploded over the fleet in the Bass Strait.
“We are seeing strong wind warnings developing through the afternoon today and getting up to gale, so about 35 knots,” meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse said in the last briefing hours before the start.
A strong south-westerly change would move across Bass Strait early on Friday morning, potentially bringing showers, lightning, thunder, and waves of up to 4.0 meters (13 feet).
In the first minutes of the race, reigning line honors champion LawConnect and rival Comanche battled for the lead as crews vied to be first out of the harbor.
“These conditions are probably the worst forecast I’ve ever had to go through. The odds of boat damage are obviously very high,” LawConnect skipper Christian Beck said ahead of the race.
But the forecast conditions could favor LawConnect, he said.
“We’ve had a crew that’s been together for six years. We hope our crew is our main strength. The harder it is, the more that comes to our advantage,” Beck said.
LawConnect edged Comanche to win by just 51 seconds last year, and the two 100-foot supermaxis are again expected to battle for line honors.
“It’s going to be a fast and furious first night out there on our way down to Hobart,” said Matt Allen, co-skipper of Comanche, a four-time line honors champion and the race record holder.
“It’s probably going to be boat-breaking sort of conditions,” Allen said ahead of the race. “The really small boats are really going to cop it a few times in this race.”
Fellow skipper James Mayo said strategy would be key for Comanche, which surged over the finish line in one day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds to set a new mark in 2017.
“It’s about keeping the boat in one piece, you know there’s going to be some good rides,” Mayo said.
Two other supermaxis are entered — Wild Thing and Maritimo.
Alive, last year’s overall winner of the Tattersall Cup, which takes into account boat size and other factors, will again be in contention to defend its title.
Other previous overall winners in the fleet include Centennial 7 (formerly Celestial) and Love and War.
