JEDDAH: Girls in the city are seeking a license from the General Sport Authority (GSA) to play for what could be called the first Saudi hockey team.
A Jeddah ice sports club was behind the female hockey team, which was united with a male ice-skating team to become the first male and female hockey team in the Kingdom.
The hockey team is led by the professional ice slider duo Sultan Salama and Mohammed Bahamdeen, who started their journey in ice skating 18 years ago when the Ice Land Amusement Center was first opened in Jeddah.
What makes the concept of a Saudi hockey team special is that this game originates and was played in Canada for hundreds of years before other countries modernized it.
The hockey team is still trying to be officially registered by the GSA as they are seeking a license for the title of “The first Saudi hockey team.”
The ladies’ club, which consists of more than 80 players, started training in a group of ski halls under the supervision of Sultan Salama. The sport on ice enjoys a wide global audience and is accepted by many young people, including girls, nowadays.
The males-only team was established in 2003. Having started with 30 members, they won the first local hockey championship in 2004, and in 2010 they took third place in the GCC hockey championship.
Bahamdeen told Arab News: “From 2011 to 2017 we did not have enough support to develop the team, but we made an effort to add more to the concept of the game, and this year we were surprised by the huge number of members, which reached 180.
“One of the biggest struggles is affording a full uniform for each member. It costs over SR2,500 ($666) and some members find it really expensive.”
A championship will be held in January next year at Al-Shallal Theme Park and will include 12 female teams and 12 male. Bahamdeen said: “We receive many invitations to participate in hockey and other ice games in Bahrain and the UAE but we cannot go as we need to get the license from the GSA first, and hopefully we will have it done soon.
“We will make sure we have a well-equipped ice skating rink,” he concluded. “The success we have today came after a long path of struggle, and I look forward to taking our teams to an international level.”
The hockey team includes all ages and the youngest member is a 10-year-old, Tolay Ahmad, who has been skating for two years. She said: “I come to ski here every weekend and I feel so happy to be a member of the female hockey team.”
Albandari, 18, one of the most skilled players on the team, said: ”I have been passionate about skiing since I was eight and now, after establishing the Saudi female hockey team, I believe that there is a chance for me and my team to excel at both regional and global levels.”
Once the team receives their license from the GSA, they will have the chance to participate in tournaments at regional and global levels. Albandari added: “Practicing for such games in a specialized way contributes to the development of players. I have been pleased to be a member of the team and with a group that is keen to train and master the sport.”
“We have been practicing at this sport for a while. We have gained the skills, and with the presence of experts such as captains Salama and Bahamdeen, we will learn more.”
First Saudi female hockey team needs a license to succeed
First Saudi female hockey team needs a license to succeed
- The hockey team includes all ages and the youngest member is a 10-year-old, Tolay Ahmad, who has been skating for two years
- Once the team receives their license from the GSA, they will have the chance to participate in tournaments at regional and global levels
Saudi Arabia ‘categorically rejects’ Israel’s plan to seize Gaza territory
- Israeli authorities on Monday approved plans to take over territory and forcibly displace population
- Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemns Israel’s violations of international law
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has “categorically rejected” plans by Israel to expand its military operations in Gaza and seize control of the territory.
The ministry also “strongly condemned the continued Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law.”
Israeli authorities on Monday approved a new ground operation to take over parts of Gaza, forcibly displace Palestinians into the south of the territory, and control the distribution of humanitarian aid. The Israeli army is calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.
The announcement sparked widespread international condemnation. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said it stood firmly opposed to any attempted expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, and stressed the importance of holding Israel accountable for failures to comply with international resolutions.
The Kingdom continues to have “unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, in line with international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital,” the ministry added.
Saudi project destroys 600 more Houthi landmines and other explosives in Yemen
- The devices, cleared from various parts of the war-torn country in recent months, were safely detonated on Wednesday
- Project Masam has removed nearly 500,000 mines across Yemen since its launch in 2018
RIYADH: Members of the Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance, also known as Project Masam, safely detonated 600 mines, unexploded ordnance and other explosive devices on Wednesday.
The project’s engineers had demined and removed the devices over the past few months from various parts of Yemen, including the town of Beihan and the districts of Usaylan and Ain in Shabwah governorate.
Hussein Al-Aqili, commander of the project’s survey team, said they carried out the destruction operation in the Thahba area of Ain district on Wednesday as part of their ongoing mission to clear mines and other remnants of war in Yemen, and save civilian lives.
The project has cleared nearly 500,000 mines from the country since its work there began in 2018.
Last week, Ousama Algosaibi, the managing director of Masam, warned that the Houthis continue to exploit periods of truce to plant more mines across Yemen.
“We are in a constant race with the Houthi militias; we clear mines from one side while they plant more on the other,” he said during an interview with Al-Ekhbariya TV.
Saudi ambassador meets Bahrain King’s media affairs adviser
Saudi Ambassador to Bahrain Naif bin Bandar Al-Sudairi was received by Nabeel bin Yacoub Al-Hamer, media affairs adviser to the King of Bahrain, in Manama on Wednesday.
The adviser expressed his pride in the solid fraternal relations and deep-rooted historical ties that bind the two countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
He also wished Al-Sudairi continued success in his duties, which will further support and strengthen the fraternal ties, mutual coordination, and close cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in various fields, and particularly in the media.
Saudi commission expands music access for people with disabilities
- Push for accessible arts programming reflects wider goals for social development
MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission has launched a national initiative to expand access to music education for people with disabilities, marking a key step toward their greater inclusion in the Kingdom’s cultural landscape.
Focused on Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar, the program trains instructors to teach students with physical and cognitive disabilities.
It supports the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to elevate quality of life and ensure opportunities for all segments of society.
Music education expert Issa Al-Qarbi praised the initiative as a transformative step in supporting individuals with disabilities.
“Music is a highly effective medium for stimulating brain activity, developing motor and social skills, and enhancing overall psychological well-being,” he said.
The initiative includes adapting teaching methods, specialized curricula and fully accessible learning environments aligned with the requirements of the Mowaamah certification, a program which provides support to increase participation among disabled individuals in the labor market.
In designing the program, the commission partnered with international experts in music on the curricula and programs that align with global best practices.
The existing models were reviewed using the standards set by the National Association for Music Education.
The commission’s goal is to empower students to express themselves through music, boost their self-confidence and enhance their social, cognitive and motor skills.
The students will receive extended training that prepares them for group performances while supporting their artistic, cognitive and social development. Sessions with parents and community members are also being planned to raise awareness and encourage family engagement.
Al-Qarbi said that long-term sustainability and lasting impacts could be ensured by closer partnerships between the education and healthcare sectors.
He praised the initiative as a regional model, opening the door to further research and innovation.
He said that teaching music to individuals with disabilities went beyond technical skills, nurturing essential personal qualities such as patience, discipline and social engagement, which in turn positively influenced many areas of their lives.
Saudi surgeons separate Egyptian child from parasitic twin
- Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah says operation is one of the most delicate carried out by his team
- Procedure takes 8 hours and involves multidisciplinary team of 26 consultants
RIYADH: A medical team from the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program successfully completed a surgical procedure on Wednesday to separate an Egyptian child from a parasitic twin.
The operation on 8-month-old Mohammed Abdulrahman Juma at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh took eight hours and was split into six stages. It involved a multidisciplinary team of 26 consultants, including specialists in anesthesia, neurosurgery, pediatrics and plastic surgery.
A parasitic twin, also known as a vestigial twin, is an identical twin that stopped developing during gestation and is physically attached to a fully developed twin. Because it did not fully develop, it cannot survive on its own and often dies in the womb or during birth.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who heads the surgical team and is an advisor at the royal court and supervisor general of Saudi aid agency KSrelief, said the twins were joined at the back, lower chest, abdomen and pelvis. The parasitic twin lacked a head and essential organs, including a heart and kidneys.
Al-Rabeeah described the operation as one of the most delicate his team has been involved with, and thanked his colleagues for their efficiency and skill during the surgery, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Mohammed and his parents flew to Saudi Arabia in March after King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman issued directives for medics in the Kingdom to help the child.
The operation on Wednesday was the 63rd separation procedure carried out under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which has reviewed 149 cases of patients from 27 countries since its inception in 1990.
