Middle East athletes compete at Invictus Games

The Invictus Games were created in 2014 by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who was inspired after he attended a similar event for wounded veterans in the United States a year earlier. (AFP)
Updated 24 October 2018
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Middle East athletes compete at Invictus Games

  • Injured in the line of duty, 23 competitors from Jordan and Iraq are showing their strength this week in Sydney
  • Jordan begins week by picking up a gold medal in women’s one-minute sprint indoor-rowing competition

DUBAI: They are some of the Middle East’s bravest war veterans and, having suffered injury in the line of duty, they are showing their strength and resilience in a different arena: sport, at the fourth Invictus Games this week in Sydney.

Among more than 500 athletes participating in the international adaptive multi-sport event created by the UK’s Prince Harry for wounded, sick and injured service personnel, there are 23 competitors from two Middle Eastern countries: 17 from Jordan and seven from Iraq.

As the competition heats up, Jordanian participants have already topped the league table in some events. On Monday, Amany Akram Khaled Abdel Rahman, 29, won gold in the women’s IR2 one-minute sprint indoor-rowing competition, and second place was awarded to fellow Jordanian competitor, 32-year-old Ulfat Yaseen Ahmad Al-Zwiri. 

Also during Day 3, Amjed Nashat Ali Ayasrah and Jafar Al-Maradat of Jordan competed in the sitting volleyball match against Afghanistan, which it won before losing to the UK.

After having his right leg amputated following an accident on a tour of duty with the Jordan Armed Forces, Al-Maradat found a love of sport again, which helped his health – physically and mentally.

“Playing sports following my injury changed my whole outlook on life,” said the retired serviceman, who competed for the first time. “It has helped me build new friendships and meet other disabled soldiers.”

Al-Maradat hails from the southern city of Karak and commutes for three hours to train with fellow colleagues who are now part of his close inner circle of support. He credits embracing sports and the immense training and preparation for the Games as an integral part of his recovery and building a life after the army, where he served between 1993 and 2014.

“Playing sports has helped in the transformation of my daily routine and has given me a push forward,” he said. 

Ayasrah, from Jerash in northern Jordan, has been an active sergeant in the Gendarmerie Forces since 2009 and had an amputated leg as a result of a gunshot wound. 

He was competing for the second time in sitting volleyball. “Although I am still working, playing sports and representing my country at the Invictus Games made a big change in my life,” he said. “Sports was never in my daily routine, but my previous participation was a great experience.”

Since losing the sight in his left eye after being exposed to chemicals while on duty, fellow Jordanian competitor and former soldier Jehad Bani Omar admitted he found it “hard to cope” at first when his injury led to his retirement from the Jordan Armed Forces.

After a long road to recovery, Omar said he “eventually accepted” his fate and turned his life around after embracing physical activity.

“Sports have revived my self-confidence and renewed my energy levels,” said the retired soldier, who will be competing in athletics (shot put) and defending the gold medal he won in the Games in Orlando in 2016. “I am excited about the Invictus Games and have been preparing for them persistently,” he said. “I appreciate the international event – it shows concern for wounded soldiers.”

Jordanian competitor Nayef Al-Zboon comes from the Mafraq governorate. The landmine survivor, who had his leg amputated, competed for the second time in sitting volleyball and said he always looks forward to training, even on holiday.

“Sports has given me a challenge and something to look forward to,” said the retired serviceman, adding that he sees his participation as a unique opportunity to meet military personnel who share the same experiences.

Female competitor Ulfat Al-Zwiri, a civilian staffer in the Jordan Armed Forces since 2008, developed incomplete paraplegia after a car accident while on duty. “My injury inspired me to challenge myself and not to give up, and I see sports as a source of willpower and determination,” said Al-Zwiri, who is participating in the (100m) wheelchair race and in rowing. “Participating gives me the drive to fulfil my full potential and is also a good opportunity for me to represent my country in the best way I can.” 

She prepared continuously to ensure that she would achieve advanced results and said her previous participation in the Games helped increase her confidence and to meet other military personnel with similar types of injuries from different countries and cultures. 

“I am hopeful that my previous experience in the Games will help me achieve good results in this year’s competition as well,” she said.

Amany Abdel Rahman, a civilian staffer in the Jordan Armed Forces since 2008, has paralysis in her lower body owing to an illness while on duty.

Of her injury, she said: “Life must go on.” She described overturning her life by embracing sport and is participating in the (100m) wheelchair race at the Invictus Games.

“I feel proud to be raising the Jordanian flag and am really looking forward to hearing the national anthem on an international platform,” she said. “I am highly motivated and driven to achieve outstanding results.”

Jamal Damra, a retired serviceman of the Jordan Armed Forces, was shot while on duty, and his right leg was amputated under the knee. “The injury does not mean the end of life as I can still do daily activities,” he said. “Sports gave me the chance to be more involved in my community to boost my own recovery, but also to promote positive social change.” 

Damra trains every day and participated in sitting volleyball and athletics (shot put). His team did well last year and won the gold medal in athletics, but he is “even better prepared this time” and is ready to excel again. He sees his participation as a “unique opportunity to meet military personnel from different countries.” 

Riyad Al-Mazaydeh comes from the southern desert region of Qatranah. He has served in the Jordan Armed Forces since 2005 and is an active sergeant at the Royal Medical Services after he was injured in an accident while on duty in the artillery division. His left leg is amputated above the knee, but that has not stopped him from pursuing a new challenge in athletics. 

“I am now fully fit and will compete in the discus, shot put and rowing,” he said. “Traveling to another country is a great opportunity that will enrich my experience and enable me to meet others who face the same challenges and try to overcome them.”

Their other teammates include Anwar Saidat from Wadi Mousa, in southern Jordan, who has a broken hip and impaired vision in one eye after an accident while on duty; Omar Al-Shboul, a retired first sergeant, who had his right leg amputated after a bomb exploded while he was on duty; Ahmad Al-Barahmeh, who served on the northern border with Syria when a gunshot resulted in a spinal cord injury in 2015, and is representing Jordan in three disciplines: the (100m) wheelchair race, rowing and weightlifting; and Iyad Mestareh, an active warrant officer in the Jordan Armed Forces since 2002 who suffered severe visual impairment after a chemical-infused injury and will now be competing in sitting volleyball, athletics (shot put, discus, long jump) as well as rowing, among other events. 

“Invictus Games Sydney 2018 provides a moment in time for servicemen and women from 18 nations around the world to come together and make lifelong friendships,” Patrick Kidd, the CEO of this year’s Games, told Arab News. “All competitors and their families and friends can expect the warmest of welcomes from the Australian public and visiting supporters throughout the week.”

Events are taking place in Sydney’s Olympic Park, at the same venues that hosted the 2000 Olympics. Prince Harry is visiting Australia for the duration of the Games alongside his new wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. The couple, who have just announced they are expecting their first child, made their first public appearance together at last year’s InvictusGames in Toronto. They opened the Games last Saturday and will return for the closing ceremony on Oct. 27.


UEFA investigates English ref Coote over footage of alleged drug use at Euro 2024

Updated 17 sec ago
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UEFA investigates English ref Coote over footage of alleged drug use at Euro 2024

“A UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to evaluate a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by the referee, Mr. David Coote,” UEFA said
The report said the incident was filmed one day after Coote’s last match duty, the quarterfinal between France and Portugal

NYON: UEFA started another investigation into English match official David Coote on Thursday after a video allegedly showed him using cocaine during the European Championship.
“A UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to evaluate a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by the referee, Mr. David Coote,” UEFA said in a statement.
Coote worked as a video review specialist at Euro 2024, where match officials stayed at a hotel near Frankfurt. He was an assistant supporting the lead VAR official at eight games.
British daily The Sun published a video late Wednesday appearing to show Coote snorting the drug using an American banknote.
The report said the incident was filmed one day after Coote’s last match duty, the quarterfinal between France and Portugal. France won a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.
Coote was suspended on Monday by the English match referees body after a different cellphone video circulated of him making offensive comments with friends about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. That body and the English FA started investigations.
UEFA already withdrew Coote from match duty for national team games this week after the first video was published.
The games he worked at Euro 2024 included host Germany’s 2-0 win over Denmark in the round of 16 that included a controversial penalty award for handball. The lead VAR official at that game, Stuart Attwell, was involved in some of the tournament’s most debated decisions.

Sinner doping case could have been communicated more efficiently, ATP chair says

Updated 35 min 44 sec ago
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Sinner doping case could have been communicated more efficiently, ATP chair says

  • A decision by an independent tribunal to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September
  • The Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to make a final ruling on the case early next year

TURIN: There “could have been better communication” in explaining the rules involved in Jannik Sinner’s doping case, ATP Tour chairman Andrea Gaudenzi acknowledged Thursday.
However, Gaudenzi said at the ATP Finals that anyone hinting that a “double standard” was applied because of top-ranked Sinner’s status is “unfair because the rules have been the same.”
Sinner is playing at home this week for the first time since it was announced before his US Open title that he tested positive for an anabolic steroid in two separate drug tests in March.
The case wasn’t made public until August.
“I learned the day before we all learned,” Gaudenzi said in his first public comments on the case. He spoke in a round-table discussion with international reporters.
“And to be honest, I’m happy about that. I really thank the ITA (International Testing Agency) and our representatives there for intentionally keeping me and our entire team in the dark because that’s how it should be.
“It should be completely independent and that was agreed by the (parties). It was a shock, but obviously comforted by the evidence afterward.”
A decision by an independent tribunal to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in September and the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is expected to make a final ruling on the case early next year.
Sinner’s explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.
WADA is seeking a ban of one to two years for Sinner.
“We are completely external and it’s (an) independent process,” Gaudenzi said. “I generally think has been a fair process. It was really done by the book and by the rules. Maybe there could have been better communication in explaining those rules, and that is something that I would urge every party involved to work better in the next time.”
ATP Finals future will be revealed
Gaudenzi said he plans to announce on Sunday the future host of the ATP Finals. The contract with Turin expires next year and there is an option to move the event to nearby Milan at a bigger arena being built for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.


Saudi goal disallowed in scoreless draw with Australia

Updated 40 min 55 sec ago
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Saudi goal disallowed in scoreless draw with Australia

  • Green Falcons thought they had won in the 93rd minute when Sultan Al-Ghannam rifled home from just inside the box
  • Mitch Duke clashed heads with goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar who came out to clear the ball, but VAR showed the infringement was outside the box

MELBOURNE: Saudi Arabia had a goal disallowed in added time in a scoreless draw with Australia, a result that did neither side any favors in their bid to qualify for World Cup 2026.
Despite several chances in front of a sold out AAMI Park in Melbourne, the breakthrough both teams desperately needed never came.
The Saudis and their new French coach Herve Renard thought they had won in the 93rd minute when Sultan Al-Ghannam rifled home from just inside the box.
But the flag went up, with one of his teammates offside.
“We had some good opportunities but we have to go give our opponent credit. First half we didn’t play very well,” said Socceroos coach Tony Popovic.
“We were not very good with the ball while they were sharp and energetic.
“We improved significantly in the second half, which is good,” he added.
“Overall, it’s a point and we move forward but certainly we can improve.”
The stalemate played into the hands of Group C leaders Japan and opened the door for Bahrain to leapfrog them as Asian qualifying reached the halfway mark.
Australia and the Saudis both have six points, four behind table-toppers Japan who can stretch their lead further when they meet Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday.
Bahrain, on five points, host China later in Riffa and will move into second spot if they win.
Just the top two seal their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America, with third and fourth forced into another round of Asian qualifying.
Australia must now lift themselves for a difficult trip to Bahrain next week, while Saudi Arabia travel to Indonesia.
Popovic made just one change from the team that drew with Japan in Saitama last month with Standard Liege midfielder Aiden O’Neill in for Luke Brattan.
Renard, who was appointed a fortnight ago in place of Roberto Mancini, swung the axe with just four survivors from their last match, a goalless draw with Bahrain.
Both sides started at a frenetic pace and in a big moment on 12 minutes the referee awarded Australia a penalty after Mitch Duke clashed heads with goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar who came out to clear the ball.
But VAR showed the infringement was outside the box.
The first decent effort did not come until the 27th minute when Saudi midfielder Nasser Al-Dawsari whipped in a shot from a tight angle. Goalkeeper Joe Gauci saved at the near post.
Gauci made another crucial stop on the cusp of half-time, charging off his line to pluck the ball off the feet of Feras Albrikan in a one-on-one situation.
Australia had the brighter second half, creating far more chances with Riley McGree and Duke whipping in shots that were blocked.
They had a glorious opportunity with seven minutes left when substitute Brandon Borrello beat the offside trap.
But instead of shooting he opted to pass and the chance was wasted, before the last-minute drama with the disallowed goal.


Maxwell’s power-hitting and Australia pace flatten Pakistan in a rain-shortened T20

Updated 14 November 2024
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Maxwell’s power-hitting and Australia pace flatten Pakistan in a rain-shortened T20

  • Match started after a three-hour delay and was shortened to seven over per side
  • Pakistan made 64-9 in response to Australia’s 93-4, losing five wicket in first 15 balls

BRISBANE: Glenn Maxwell’s robust 43 off 19 balls helped Australia thump Pakistan by 29 runs in a rain-shortened first Twenty20 on Thursday.
After a nearly three-hour delay due to lightning and rain, the match was shortened to seven overs per side.
Maxwell powered Australia to 93-4 and Pakistan reached only 64-9 after slumping to 16-5 inside the first 15 balls.
Nathan Ellis (3-9) and Xavier Bartlett (3-13) ran through the top order before No. 8 batter Abbas Afridi’s unbeaten 20.
“Certainly had a lot of fun out there,” Maxwell said. “We thought we had enough on the board … the bowlers did a great job. There was a few of us who had packed our bags expecting the game to be called off, so it was a mad rush to get ready.”

Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Usman Khan (left), celebrate the dismissal of Australia’s Matt Short during the T20 cricket international between Pakistan and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, on November 14, 2024. (AP)

Maxwell followed scores of 0, 16, 0 in the preceding one-day international series won by Pakistan 2-1 by smacking three sixes and five boundaries. He played some extravagant lap shots to third man against the pace of Haris Rauf (1-21) and Naseem Shah (1-37).
Maxwell fell in the penultimate over when he hooked Abbas Afridi (2-9) to backward square leg but Marcus Stoinis provided a final flourish with an unbeaten 21 off seven balls. Stoinis smashed 20 runs in Shah’s last over with two fours and six.
None of the top six Pakistan batters reached double figures.
Sahibzada Farhan hit Spencer Johnson for two successive boundaries off the first two balls he faced before mistiming a pull shot off the fourth ball and holing out at midwicket.
Mohammad Rizwan, in his first match as the Pakistan skipper, fell to the first ball when he top-edged Bartlett to point. Usman Khan was caught at third man in the same over.
Ellis struck twice in his first over when Babar Azam was caught in the deep and Jake Fraser-McGurk snapped his third catch as Irfan Khan also offered a tame catch at deep midwicket.
Pakistan was 24-6 in the fourth over when Salman Ali Agha scored only 4 in his debut T20, guiding a sharp, short Bartlett delivery to Australia first-time captain Josh Inglis on the run.

Pakistan’s Abbas Afridi bats during the T20 cricket international between Pakistan and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, on November 14, 2024. (AP)

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa clean-bowled Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah off successive balls in the last over to complete the rout.
“It was difficult to keep things normal in a seven-over game,” Rizwan said. “Got to give credit to Maxy, his style worked really well.”

Australia’s Adam Zampa, right, celebrates with teammates after defeating Pakistan during the T20 cricket international between Pakistan and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, on November 14, 2024. (AP)

The second T20 is in Sydney on Saturday, and the last in Hobart on Monday.


ICC Champions Trophy promo confirms Pakistan as host

Updated 14 November 2024
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ICC Champions Trophy promo confirms Pakistan as host

  • The video comes days after the ICC informed Pakistan that India had declined to play in the country
  • Pakistan has said it is not interested in a hybrid hosting model adopted during last year’s Asia Cup

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council’s promotional video for the Champions Trophy 2025 has portrayed Pakistan as the tournament host, with the global governing body for cricket promising a “thrilling competition” in a statement released on Wednesday.
The video comes just days after the ICC informed Pakistan that India had declined to play tournament matches in the country, prompting Pakistani authorities to rule out the hybrid hosting model adopted last year for the Asia Cup, where India played all its matches in Sri Lanka.
Political tensions between the two countries have led the Indian team to avoid traveling to Pakistan since 2008, with both sides only competing in multination tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
The ICC has not directly commented on the situation, though the promotional video clearly showed visuals communicating that the tournament will be arranged in Pakistan.
It promo displayed an unconventional logo, which the ICC said was designed to be “bold, loud, confident, and fun,” saying the visual identity was digital-first while calling it a dynamic, typographic logo.
“The two weeks of thrilling competition the event is renowned for is reflected in the bold and loud edge to the brand,” ICC Chief Commercial Officer Anurag Dahiya said in a statement. “The new elements are accompanied by the distinctive white jackets which nod to the history of the Champions Trophy and its unique, global appeal.”
The men’s Champions Trophy is set to return in 2025 after about eight years, with Pakistan clinching the title in the 2017 final against India.
The tournament was last held in England.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi that are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games scheduled to be held between February 19 and March 9.