RIYADH: Saudi Football Federation chief Adel Ezzat resigned on Saturday, expressing his intention to run for the presidency of the Asian Football Confederation.
“I presented to (Saudi sports authority chief) Turki Al-Sheikh... my resignation from my position as of today,” Ezzat told a Saudi sports broadcaster.
“I will begin preparing... for elections of the Asian Football Confederation, which will be held next year.”
Ezzat’s deputy Nawaf Al-Timyat has been named the Saudi federation’s interim chief until fresh elections are held.
Ezzat was last week elected as the first president of the South West Asian Football Federation, a new regional bloc of federations comprising 14 nations.
The kingdom has long been a marginal player in football’s ruling classes, unlike its Gulf rival Qatar — set to host the 2022 World Cup — with which it is embroiled in a year-long diplomatic spat.
But the oil-rich kingdom is in the midst of a major push for global influence in football governance.
Saudi football chief quits, eyes Asia’s top job
Saudi football chief quits, eyes Asia’s top job
Fireballs continue dominance as Niemann claims second LIV Golf victory of season in Singapore
- Dramatic comeback extends Fireballs’ winning streak to three consecutive events
- Niemann’s win propels him to top of the Individual Champion points standings
SINGAPORE: Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC extended their winning streak to three consecutive events with a dramatic comeback at LIV Golf Singapore on Sunday, while Joaquin Niemann secured his second individual title of the season with a commanding five-shot victory at Sentosa Golf Club.
The Fireballs’ triumph marks the longest team winning streak since 4Aces GC won four straight during the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series in 2022.
They will now look to match that record at LIV Golf Miami on April 4-6.
“We’re the only ones that can keep the streak alive,” said Fireballs captain Garcia. “Hopefully, we’ll keep it going.”
Niemann, the 26-year-old Chilean and Torque GC captain, delivered the only bogey-free round of the day, shooting a six-under 65 to finish at 17 under par. His dominant performance not only secured his second win in three events but also propelled him to the top of the Individual Champion points standings, putting him in prime position for the LIV Golf exemption into this year’s US Open.
“Today was one of those days,” Niemann said. “Everything went my way.”
The battle for the title was expected to be between Niemann and Dustin Johnson, but the much-anticipated duel never materialized. Johnson, the 4Aces GC captain, struggled with four bogeys in a two-over 73, dropping into a tie for fifth place at nine under.
Instead, defending Singapore champion Brooks Koepka emerged as Niemann’s closest competitor, matching his six-under 65 to finish solo second at 12 under.
“Not really hitting it great,” Koepka said. “But kind of tried to figure out how to finish second because first was obviously out of reach.”
The Fireballs’ victory was particularly impressive considering Garcia battled bronchitis throughout the week, managing only an even-par total. Despite his struggles, his teammates stepped up to erase an eight-shot deficit in the final round.
David Puig led the charge with a five-under 66, finishing solo fourth at 10 under, while Luis Masaveu (68) and Abraham Ancer (69) helped the team to a 10-under aggregate score on Sunday, tying for the lowest of the day.
“This week was a tough week because I’ve been sick all week and haven’t been able to help the team as much as I would have liked to,” Garcia said. “To see the performance that my teammates put in to be able to get this win was pretty impressive.”
Puig, 23, now boasts a record eight LIV Golf team victories, the most of any player, having won four times with Torque GC in 2023 before joining the Fireballs this season.
“I love team golf,” Puig said. “I think I’m a good team player. I like to be surrounded by a good group of guys, and I have them here at the Fireballs. I just have a lot of fun, and I never give up, and I just love it.”
With two wins in the first four events of 2024, Niemann has reasserted himself as the dominant force in LIV Golf, reclaiming the top spot in the season standings from Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm.
“There’s a few things that I can improve, then go down to Miami and have a chance to win,” Niemann said. “I feel like that for me is really exciting to become a better player and try to get better every day.”
With the Fireballs chasing history and Niemann eyeing further success, all eyes will now turn to LIV Golf Miami next month to see if the streak continues.
McLaren’s Lando Norris wins wet and wild Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton finishes 10th
- Norris holds off Verstappen to win rain-hit Australian Grand Prix
MELBOURNE, Australia: McLaren’s Lando Norris has won a chaotic rain-affected Australian Grand Prix, his first at Albert Park, with the Brit just managing to stay ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen following a third safety car late in Sunday’s season-opening Formula 1 race.
Lewis Hamilton had a miserable Ferrari debut. The seven-time champion finished 10th and was annoyed by constant radio messages from his pit team.
Norris started Melbourne’s first wet race since 2010 from pole position. But, while he initially came under increasing pressure from Piastri, who set a series of fastest laps until his papaya team told him to hold position, the Australian spun at the penultimate corner on lap 44 as the rain intensified and dropped down the order. A late race fightback helped Piastri recover to take ninth place — including passing Hamilton on the final lap — and two championship points.
Verstappen finished 0.895 of a second behind Norris after starting from third on the grid, and took advantage of Piastri’s misfortune and the final safety car and tire stops. Mercedes’ George Russell closed out the top-three.
“I knew I had a good pace, but I made one mistake in turn six and he got me in the DRS and the DRS around here is probably like a second or something so that allowed it to keep staying within that second,” said Norris, who scored McLaren’s 12th win in Australia to steal the outright record from Ferrari.
“I know what I’m capable of, I know what I can do, but obviously it’s just round one, so we need to go and do it again next weekend and then continue from there. A long season ahead, we’ve just got to keep our head down and keep pushing.”
Williams endured a mix bag, with Alex Albon securing his best result since Abu Dhabi 2020, and new recruit Carlos Sainz – who won here last year driving for Ferrari – out at the final turn on the opening lap.
Mercedes was thrilled to get two cars in the top five, with Russell onto the podium, his first since winning in Las Vegas last year. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who replaced Hamilton at the silver squad, showed his class with a superb fightback drive from 16th on the grid, following his Q1 exit, to finish fifth.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll also made the best of the chaotic conditions to move up from 13th to sixth, ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, bringing home eight points in what has been a difficult weekend for the green team with its car uncompetitive in dry running.
Ferrari is the most successful constructor at the Australian Grand Prix, with 11 wins since its first in 1987, but it will leave Melbourne disappointed with just five points to show after Charles Leclerc finished eighth and Hamilton 10th.
The Scuderia was seen as a potential championship challenger ahead of the season start and has plenty of work to do ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix next week.
The Melbourne race had a thrilling start with Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar out on the formation lap, and Alpine’s Jack Doohan joined Sainz in crashing out on the opening lap.
There were just 14 finishers, after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso hit the turn eight barriers on lap 34, while Red Bull’s Liam Lawson and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto went into the barriers and out of the race 10 laps from home in the treacherously wet conditions.
New Zealand romp to nine-wicket win in first Pakistan T20
- Pakistan began New Zealand tour in poor fashion, managing only 91 runs after batting first
- New Zealand opener Tim Seifert got Kiwis off to a flying start, scoring fiery 44 off 29 balls
Christchurch, New Zealand: Pakistan slumped to a nine-wicket loss in the first Twenty20 against New Zealand in Christchurch on Sunday after failing to defend a meagre score of 91.
The tourists began the five-match series in disastrous fashion, reduced to 11-4 at the end of the fifth over after towering paceman Kyle Jamieson ran amok with the new ball.
They were eventually dismissed for their lowest score in a T20 on New Zealand soil and the home side had few problems in responding with 92-1 off just 10.1 overs.
Jamieson claimed three of the first four wickets to finish with 3-8 off four overs.
New ball partner Jacob Duffy returned later in the innings to sweep up the tail and, like Jamieson, claimed career-best T20 figures of 4-14 off 3.4 overs.
Pakistan never recovered from their top-order collapse after being sent in on a Hagley Oval pitch offering early life, with only three players reaching double figures.
Newly-installed captain Salman Agha scored 18 and put on 46 for the fifth wicket with top-scorer Khushdil Shah, who struck three sixes in his 32 off 30 balls.
Jahandad Khan scored 17 at a run-a-ball before the innings ended with eight balls still to be bowled.
Pakistan’s previous lowest T20 score in New Zealand was 101 all out in a 95-run loss in Wellington in 2016.
Opener Tim Seifert got New Zealand off to a flying start, with 44 off 29 balls, striking seven fours and one six.
Finn Allen on 29 and Tim Robinson on 18 completed the chase off the first ball of the 11th over.
The second match is in Dunedin on Tuesday.
Al-Hilal win to keep in touch at the top
- The result means that Al-Ittihad, who left it late to defeat Al-Riyadh 2-1 on Thursday, are top with 61 points while Al-Hilal are in second with 57
Al-Hilal won 2-0 at Al-Taawoun on Saturday to cut Al-Ittihad’s lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League back to four points.
Both Hilal and Taawoun had enjoyed success in Asian competitions during the week, and returned home to play out a hard-fought clash in Buraidah. The champions' form in the league may have been patchy of late but they bounced back to return to winning ways with a strong performance.
There were only 12 minutes on the clock when Mohamed Kanno put the defending champions ahead. Salem Al Dawsari swung over a corner from the left which was met by the midfielder who directed his header home.
Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made a number of saves to maintain the champions’ lead though the Riyadh giants had, and missed, plenty of opportunities, but then with a quarter of an hour remaining, Marcos Leonardo added a second to seal the win.
Hamad Al Yami floated over a deep cross for the in-form Brazilian to head home for his 17th league goal of the season, just two behind top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
The result means that Al-Ittihad, who left it late to defeat Al-Riyadh 2-1 on Thursday, are top with 61 points while Al-Hilal are in second with 57.
Al-Ahli also won in Asia in midweek but came home to lose 2-1 at Al-Okhdood to stay in fifth behind Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsiah.
The Jeddah club have been in fine form of late and were full of confidence and took the lead just before the half hour thanks to an own goal from Damion Lowe.
It was all looking good for the Greens until the 95th minute when the hosts equalised through Saleh Al-Abbas. There was still time for it to get worse for Al-Ahli as Godwin Saviour struck to win the game for the relegation-threatened Al-Okhdood
Al Ahli’s shock defeat means that they are in fifth in the table, on 48 points, three behind Al-Qadsiah and Al-Nassr. Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad are, however, out in front.
Sabalenka to face teen Andreeva in Indian Wells final
- The misfiring Keys finally held serve for 5-1 in the second, but minutes later Sabalenka sealed the win
INDIAN WELLS: Aryna Sabalenka avenged her Australian Open loss to Madison Keys, thrashing the American 6-0, 6-1 to book an Indian Wells title showdown with teen sensation Mirra Andreeva.
Red-hot Russian 17-year-old Andreeva showed plenty of poise in a 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 6-3 victory over defending champion Iga Swiatek, ending the second-ranked Pole’s bid to become the first woman to win three titles in the California desert.
“I was hungry,” said Sabalenka, who had made no bones about wanting revenge after Keys denied her bid for a third straight Australian Open title in January.
“That Australian Open match was really heartbroken for me, and I really needed some time to recover after that.
“And if I would lose today again, it would get in my head and I didn’t want that to happen. I was really focused — I was just really hungry to get this win against Madison.”
Keys, who was riding a 16-match winning streak, couldn’t get a foot in the door.
Sabalenka was untroubled by the cold, swirling wind on Stadium Court as she won the first 11 games.
“I think tactically I played really great tennis,” said Sabalenka, adding her strategy was to “just keep her out of the rhythm.”
The misfiring Keys finally held serve for 5-1 in the second, but minutes later Sabalenka sealed the win and lined up a shot at the WTA tour’s newest sensation Andreeva in what 26-year-old Sabalenka quipped would be “kind of like an old mama playing against a kid.”
Andreeva beat Swiatek for the second time in as many tournaments, having stunned the Polish star in the quarter-finals at Dubai last month on the way to becoming the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion.
Swiatek, who hadn’t dropped a set in winning 10 straight Indian Wells matches, looked supremely confident as she dropped just one point in her first three service games.
But it was Andreeva who claimed the first break of the tense first set for a 5-4 lead.
After Swiatek broke back and they reached the tiebreaker, Andreeva seized control, opening with a blistering backhand winner and pocketing the set on her first opportunity as Swiatek sent a backhand wide.
“I felt like I’m gonna go and play the tiebreak like it’s the last tiebreak of my life,” she said. “So I just went for all my shots. My serve was great. I just felt super comfortable and confident,” she said.
Swiatek put her frustrations aside and broke Andreeva to open the second set, breaking her twice more as the Russian’s errors multiplied under pressure from her opponent.
“The second set, it was a bit weird,” Andreeva said. “I just felt like she literally overplayed me, because she was playing pretty deep with good height over the net. It was really hard to do something with these shots.”
The roles reversed again, however, when Andreeva stepped up her attack and broke Swiatek to open the third, and she sealed the win with her third break of the set.
“I just decided to kind of still play the same but maybe go for my shots more, trying to play a little bit more aggressive,” she said.
“I feel also that I was dealing with the nerves and the pressure pretty good, so I just feel proud of myself.”
