ABU DHABI: Victorious athletes from Saudi Arabia’s Special Olympics team are returning home with a record haul of medals.
With the Games in Abu Dhabi having drawn to a close, the Kingdom’s triumphant sporting heroes were heading back with a bumper collection of 40 gold, silver and bronze medals.
And the star performers are rightly proud of their achievements against competitors from around the world.
Basketball player Maan Alkhidhr, from the city of Sakaka in northwestern Saudi Arabia, won a silver medal with his team and said taking part in the Special Olympics had been the best experience of his life.
“It was amazing,” said Alkhidhr. “I love basketball so much and being in the Games was amazing. The tournament was the best experience for me and something completely new. I got to meet people from all over the world.”
The 25-year-old, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome and a heart condition and given a life expectancy of 12 months, said the Games were “a gift from God.”
Alkhidhr was among the athletes who captured the hearts of everyone on the Saudi team, by cheering on his fellow athletes as they battled for a place on the winners’ podium.
As the Saudi female basketball players scooped gold in the championship final, Alkhidhr described the entire Special Olympics squad as having performed “like soldiers.”
He was one of 50 representatives, including 21 women, from Saudi Arabia who joined more than 7,500 athletes from 190 nations taking part in the Games. It was the first time in the sporting event’s 50-year history that it had been held in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Saudi team’s trophy tally included 18 gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze medals, a record for the Kingdom.
The squad won seven golds, one silver, and three bronzes in athletics; one undefeated gold in women’s unified basketball; one silver in men’s basketball; three golds, three silvers, and four bronzes in bocce; one silver and one bronze in bowling; three golds, one silver, and one bronze in powerlifting; one gold in roller skating; two golds, one silver, and three bronzes in swimming; one gold and one silver in table tennis; and one bronze in triathlon.
Saudi powerlifter Hassan Alhadhariti was thrilled to see months of hard work pay off as he won gold in his weight division.
The 23-year-old lifted an impressive 292.5 kilograms, sealing top spot in his combined squat, bench press and deadlift competition held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
“I am proud of myself because the competition was pretty intense and thank God that I came out on top, as I was determined to win,” said Alhadhariti.
His grueling training schedule before the Games saw him shed 3 kilograms to make the 65 kilograms weight limit for athletes. “I had to work out and jog a lot to lose the weight,” he added.
Alhadhariti was cheered on by his coach, team managers and fellow athletes who filled the powerlifting venue to support their friend. “They all came to support me, and they were patient and really helped me,” he said.
Saudi table tennis player Naif first took up the sport four years ago, and trained for two hours a day, five times a week, in the run-up to the Games. His hard work was rewarded with two medals for his country.
“It was a blast,” said Naif. “The competitions and all my brothers supporting me was the highlight. I was very excited all week. I was just praying to win for my home country.”
He added that the inspirational support of his parents had been crucial in helping him to realize his potential. 
High school student and fellow table tennis player Faris Almateq practices for three hours a day, six days a week, and for months had been driven by the thought of representing the Kingdom in the Special Olympics.
“I wanted to make my parents and my coach proud, as well as my country,” he said. Almateq learnt to play table tennis by watching YouTube videos but now has a coach to help hone his skills.
He added that his greatest source of encouragement was his mother. “She tells me if I lose, that it’s ok and that I can train to become better.”
Dr. Heidi Alaudeen Alaskary, director of diversity and inclusion and partnerships at Saudi Arabia’s General Sports Authority, told Arab News she “couldn’t be prouder” of the performances put in by every athlete on the Saudi Arabian team.
“The team have done simply amazing, they have all done incredible. Of course, they are excited about the medals, but what is even more beautiful is the camaraderie, the friendships, and the support. The boys came to support the girls, the girls came to support the boys. Families are here.
“The positive energy, the excitement…it has been beautiful. Some of our athletes, when they first came, their posture was a bit slumped. At the end of the competition, they were standing tall. Their whole faces have changed. It has been amazing.
“It has been more than I hoped for. I have been working in the area of disabilities for more than 20 years and this has been the best experience of my career.”
Alaskary said she hoped the Games would leave a lasting legacy for the region in terms of disability and inclusion.
“We hope this is not just a fleeting event, that it really has a lasting impact. Our team is already talking about employment programs, how to maximize this showcasing of their abilities, and ways of finding more opportunities for these athletes to go out and show their abilities.
“It is heartwarming. My phone has been flooded with messages, families back home telling me about their kids and people in their families who have disabilities. It’s just opened up the floodgates to share stories and accept everyone,” added Alaskary.
“Some of our athletes are married, have kids, jobs, aspirations, and want to go to university. It is amazing the amount of hope they have.
“So, the hope for the legacy is, that this is not just one of those things to look back on and think it was an amazing time. I would like people to look back and say that was when everything amazing in their life started.”
Alaskary said, like any other country, when it comes to disability and inclusion, Saudi Arabia has its “pockets of excellence” and other areas which need improvements.
“We have some great silos of excellence. But we all have areas where we need to do better. The question is, how do we bridge everything together to provide a service that supports each and every person, while meeting their lifelong needs?”
Special Olympics athletes return to Saudi Arabia with record medals haul
Special Olympics athletes return to Saudi Arabia with record medals haul
- Basketball player Maan Alkhidhr, from the city of Sakaka in northwestern Saudi Arabia, won a silver medal with his team
- “It was amazing,” said Alkhidhr. “I love basketball so much and being in the Games was amazing
Jason Gillespie says he was undermined before quitting as Pakistan coach
- Former Australian fast bowler accuses interim coach Aaqib Javed of working against him
- Gillespie was appointed last April for two years as Pakistan’s coach but quit eight months later
ISLAMABAD: Jason Gillespie says he was undermined before quitting as Pakistan test cricket coach last December and has used a social media post to describe interim head coach Aaqib Javed as a “clown.”
Gillespie was a fast bowler who played 71 tests and 97 one-day internationals for Australia from 1996-2006 before going into coaching.
He was appointed last April for two years as Pakistan’s test coach but quit before a series in South Africa less than eight months later after an unsuccessful start.
He was the second foreigner to leave Pakistan’s program in less than two months after South African Gary Kirsten stepped down as limited-overs coach in October.
Aaqib, Pakistan’s national selector and interim head coach, acknowledged this week after Pakistan’s failure to reach the knockout stage of the Champions Trophy — following losses to New Zealand and India — that the chopping and changing hasn’t helped the national team.
“We have changed nearly 16 coaches and 26 selectors in the last two years or so,” he was quoted as saying at a news conference to announce the latest overhaul of Pakistan’s limited-overs squads. “You put that formula on any team in the world, I think they will also be in the same situation.
“Until you get consistency right from the top down to the bottom, from the chairman down, then your team will not progress.”
Gillespie responded to those comments by posting an Instagram story late Wednesday describing the analysis as “hilarious.”
“Aaqib was clearly undermining Gary and I behind the scenes campaigning to be the coach in all formats,” Gillespie posted. “He is a clown.”
Aaqib, a former Pakistan cricket international, had been acting as interim coach of the limited-overs squads following Kirsten’s departure when he took over the test squad from Gillespie.
Aaqib’s contract initially ran until the Champions Trophy but he is set to continue in the role while the Pakistan Cricket Board searches for a full-time replacement.
2026 World Cup final to have Super Bowl-style show: Infantino
- Infantino: This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world
- The move mirrors the show held during the final of last year’s Copa America in Miami, when Colombian star Shakira performed at half-time at the Hard Rock Stadium
PARIS: The 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey will make history by having a Super Bowl-style half-time show, world football chief Gianni Infantino said Wednesday.
Coldplay band members Chris Martin and Phil Harvey will determine the artists who will perform, FIFA president Infantino said.
“I can confirm the first-ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup final in New York/New Jersey,” Infantino wrote on Instagram.
“This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world.”
Infantino revealed the decision following a meeting of FIFA’s commercial and media partners in Dallas ahead of the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico.
No further information about specific details or duration of the half-time show were revealed by Infantino.
The move mirrors the show held during the final of last year’s Copa America in Miami, when Colombian star Shakira performed at half-time at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Infantino added that FIFA also planned to “take over” New York’s Times Square on the final weekend of the tournament.
Schauffele is ready to return from rib injury with modest expectations
- Bay Hill is loaded again as a signature event, the third time the top three players — Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Schauffele — are in the same field since the Tour Championship last August
- Because it’s a player-hosted event (Palmer), the 72-man field features a 36-hole cut to top 50 and ties
ORLANDO, Florida: Xander Schauffele took his first swing on a PGA Tour course in 57 days and found the middle of the fairway.
And then he took another golf ball from his bag and tossed it into the thick rough. That was the real test.
“If this doesn’t go well,” he recalled telling his caddie, “then I’m going to get in my car and drive back to Jupiter.”
Schauffele gave it a rip and didn’t feel any twinge in his right ribs from an intercostal strain and slight tear in his cartilage that has kept him out of golf for two months. He returns to the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill this week with modest expectations.
He started the year as the top threat to Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player. Schauffele broke through in a big way in 2024 by winning two majors at the PGA Championship and the British Open, going from no majors to halfway to the career Grand Slam.
That lasted all of one week at The Sentry at Kapalua, where he finished in the middle of the pack and then realized that nagging pain was more serious than he thought.
He isn’t sure if the injury stemmed from trying to gain more speed in his swing or something during a workout. He describes it as a perfect storm — it happened right when his trainer left the country to get his visa renewed. He didn’t get any soft tissue therapy, like usual. He figured it was not a big deal, until it became one.
He missed two tournaments at Torrey Pines in his hometown of San Diego. He watched way too much golf on TV to see what he was missing.
And now he has some catching up to do.
Bay Hill is loaded again as a signature event, the third time the top three players — Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Schauffele — are in the same field since the Tour Championship last August.
“I wouldn’t call it like the dream place to come back to, to be completely honest,” Schauffele said. “Everyone knows what Bay Hill gives you — it takes a lot more than it gives — and you have to earn every par or birdie or bogey that you make. It’s a tough place.”
But it’s a dream part of the schedule — Bay Hill, The Players Championship next week and the Masters is right around the corner.
“I would be lying if I said I was in the most comfortable position ever,” Schauffele said. “I’ve been practicing mentally to convince myself that I’m still in some crazy-good form. Trying to use that sort of low expectation with serious focus to try and get the most out of what you’re doing. Just think about all the greats that have had to take some time off and came back and played really well.
“I think Scottie came back and he wasn’t close to winning, but played pretty decent and put himself back in the mix, so I don’t see why I can’t do that.”
Scheffler can appreciate what Schauffele faces this week. He also went two months without playing because of a freak injury when he was trying to cut ravioli with a wine glass and it punctured his right palm.
He has two top 10s in his three starts since returning.
“I think it’s challenging any time you’re coming off an injury,” Scheffler said. “That first time you step back out inside the ropes, it’s different playing competition tournament golf, and there’s definitely challenges to it and it takes a little bit of time to get used to.
“I’m a big routine guy and so being injured and being out of my routine was definitely an unusual thing. Xander’s a guy that’s fairly routine as well, so I’m sure there will be some adjustments, but it’s definitely good to have him back out playing.”
Because it’s a player-hosted event (Palmer), the 72-man field features a 36-hole cut to top 50 and ties. Schauffele has the longest active streak on the PGA Tour at 57 in a row.
In three previous trips to Bay Hill, he has only one round in the 60s.
Schauffele said he relied on plenty of scans to make sure he couldn’t reinjure his ribs, and that shot he took out of the rough was another indication. He played nine holes using only his irons in San Diego. He returned to his South Florida home and played nine holes on a par-3 course with Justin Thomas, 18 holes on his own, and then came to Bay Hill.
“So this is as good as it’s going to get,” he said.
Ex-Wimbledon champion Kvitova falls in Indian Wells first round
- Gracheva, 24, was full of admiration for her 34-year-old opponent, who lifted the trophy at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014
- In men’s action, China’s Bu Yunchaokete defeated American Nishesh Basavareddy 7-5, 6-4 to book a second-round match against Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev
INDIAN WELLS, Californa: Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, on the comeback trail seven months after giving birth to a son, was ousted in the first round at Indian Wells on Wednesday by France’s 70th-ranked Varvara Gracheva.
The Czech, who welcomed son Petr last July, was playing her second tournament since her return from an 18-month maternity leave but remains in search of her first match win.
Wednesday’s match looked a lot like her loss to Jodie Burrage in Austin last week, with Kvitova unable to close it out after pocketing the first set.
Gracheva, 24, was full of admiration for her 34-year-old opponent, who lifted the trophy at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014.
“If you let me step back a little bit, I really want to congratulate her,” Gracheva said. “Because she had a child quite recently, and I’m so happy that she now has the role of a mother and a tennis player, which is very demanding. It’s very inspiring for sports, athletes, women — it’s just amazing.”
All 32 men’s and women’s seeds have first round byes in this combined ATP Masters and WTA 1000 tournament, the first leg of the US hard court “Sunshine Double” that will conclude in Miami.
Gracheva lined up a second-round meeting with ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva, the 17-year-old Russian who ousted three Grand Slam winners on the way to becoming the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion in Dubai last month.
Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, who returned from a 15-month break last year after giving birth to daughter Shai in 2023, headlines the night session taking on Colombian Camila Osorio.
Japan’s Osaka, who won her first WTA title at Indian Wells in 2018, hasn’t played since the Australian Open, where she retired from her third-round match with an abdominal strain.
In other early matches, French veteran Caroline Garcia beat US wild card Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-4 to line up a second-round meeting with second-seeded defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Poland’s Swiatek, who also lifted the trophy in the California desert in 2022, is vying to become the only woman besides Martina Navratilova in 1990-91 to win back-to-back Indian Wells titles, and the first woman to win more than two.
In men’s action, China’s Bu Yunchaokete defeated American Nishesh Basavareddy 7-5, 6-4 to book a second-round match against Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz the past two years.
Alcaraz is seeded second as he chases a rare three-peat. Germany’s Alexander Zverev is the top seed in a men’s field that is missing world No. 1 Jannik Sinner as he serves a three-month drugs ban but that includes Serbian star Novak Djokovic — chasing a record sixth title.
Japanese veteran Kei Nishikori, who revealed during the Australian Open that he almost quit tennis last year after lengthy battles with injury, defeated Spain’s Jaume Munar 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7/3) to line up a second-round match against 18th-seeded Ugo Humbert of France.
Nishikori was treated for a leg injury in the third set and then soldiered through cramp to close out the victory.
“It was not easy,” Nishikori said. “In the third set I was cramping pretty badly, but somehow I came back and won, so a very good match.”
In other men’s first-round action, Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild saved a pair of match points on the way to a 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8/6) victory over France’s Alexandre Muller.
Slot hails ‘lucky’ Liverpool after Elliott goal sinks PSG
PARIS: Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted his team had been extremely fortunate in their 1-0 win away to Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League last 16 first leg on Wednesday as he heaped praise on goal-scoring hero Harvey Elliott.
“If we had a draw over here we would have already been the lucky one. That is clear for everyone,” Slot accepted after his side withstood a pummelling from the hosts in Paris.
PSG dominated the first leg of the heavyweight last-16 tie, but Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was in inspired form and the visitors snatched an unlikely victory to take back to Anfield for the return as substitute Elliott scored in the 87th minute.
“They were the much better team today, especially in the first half,” Slot said of PSG, who had a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia goal disallowed for a tight offside in the 20th minute and had 28 attempts in total.
“They had three or four open chances in the first half, and it was almost a miracle that it was 0-0 then.
“But we were already in the game three, four or five times, I felt like we could hurt them in transitions, but we didn’t, but we waited until the last moment and then we hurt them.”
Elliott, 21, was sent on for Mohamed Salah late on after the Egyptian had failed to make any impact on proceedings. He then scored with his first touch after being set up by Darwin Nunez.
“It was a big moment for him. I can understand that he is sometimes frustrated about the playing time he gets,” Slot said of Elliott, who has nevertheless now scored in three straight Champions League games.
“He has to do it with limited playing time but he just keeps on going. I have to give him big compliments for that.
“It wasn’t only Harvey but also the one who assisted him, Darwin Nunez, who came from a difficult two games, but was absolutely there again tonight because from the moment he came on we were more of a threat than before.”
Before Elliott’s remarkable strike, Liverpool looked set to finish a game without scoring for just the fourth time all season after they were pushed back by their opponents all evening.
“We were not under-par, it was purely the quality of Paris Saint-Germain and the way they have played this whole season,” the Liverpool coach added.
“Luis Enrique made an incredible team here. It was an unbelievable challenge for us to get away with a result and we know it will be a hard one in a week.”
Slot’s opposite number admitted the result was a sore one to take as PSG’s run of 10 straight wins in all competitions was brought to a halt.
“We were far superior to Liverpool in terms of how we played, and chances created,” Luis Enrique said.
“Against the best team in their league and in Europe, we put in a complete performance, defended well, took risks, and clearly deserved another result, but that is football.
“It is often unfair and we just have to accept it.”
Asked if he still believed his team could reach the quarter-finals going into next Tuesday’s return leg, he added: “Without any doubt. We are a team with absolutely nothing to lose.
“Today we deserved much more. Their best player was the goalkeeper, which indicates how the game went.”
