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AS IT HAPPENED: Anthony Joshua beats Andy Ruiz Jr. in Clash on the Dunes, Saudi Arabia

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Anthony Joshua wins the Clash on the Dunes with a points decision over Andy Ruiz Jr. in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. (Matchroom Boxing)
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Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua at the weigh in on Friday in Riyadh. (AN Photo/Ziyad Alarfaj)
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Zuhayr Al-Qahtani of Saudi Arabia in action at the Clash on the Dunes bout in Diriyah. (AN Photo/Ziyad Alafarj)
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Zuhayr Al-Qahtani of Saudi Arabia in action at the Clash on the Dunes bout in Diriyah. (AN Photo/Ziyad Alafarj)
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Zuhayr Al-Qahtani of Saudi Arabia in action at the Clash on the Dunes bout in Diriyah. (AN Photo/Ziyad Alafarj)
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Zuhayr Al-Qahtani of Saudi Arabia in action at the Clash on the Dunes bout in Diriyah. (AN Photo/Basheer Alzain Saleh)
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Updated 15 September 2021
DANIEL FOUNTAIN
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AS IT HAPPENED: Anthony Joshua beats Andy Ruiz Jr. in Clash on the Dunes, Saudi Arabia

  • Full coverage of huge night of boxing - including undercard
  • World heavyweight championship being held in Diriyah, Riyadh
Updated 15 September 2021
DANIEL FOUNTAIN

RIYADH: On a rainy night in Diriyah, Anthony Joshua regained his world heavyweight titles after a unanimous points decision from the judges over Andy Ruiz Jr. An epic night of boxing in Saudi Arabia comes to an end.

You can relive all of the action with the Arab News coverage from the day below. (All times KSA)

01:40 - Joshua's mantra of "stay hungry, stay humble" on full display in his gracious post-fight speech.

01:30 - Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman watching on during the historic fight in Diriyah...

01:05 - IT'S OVER - ANTHONY JOSHUA WINS BACK HIS HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BELTS AFTER BEATING ANDY RUIZ JR. ON POINTS IN THE CLASH ON THE DUNES.

00:50 - FIGHT ACTION: It's a niggly eighth round and something has riled Joshua, Ruiz is making a real nuisance of himself and probably aware that he is behind, is coming out fighting.

00:45 - FIGHT ACTION: It is a tense affair, Joshua perhaps just edging it, but Ruiz has come out with renewed belief in the fifth round. He will believe he can hang on in there and frustrate Joshua...

00:40 - Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in attendance here in Diriyah for the mega fight.

00:30 - FIGHT ACTION: Rough opening rounds for Ruiz as he tries to find his feet, Joshua lands some good punches. But he's still tentative as we end Round 3...

00:15 - FIGHT ACTION: Here we go, we're ready to go and we're fighting for the heavyweight championship - 

22:15 - CELEBRITY SPOT / FIGHT ACTION: A big roar goes up in the arena as Usher - who performed last night in Riyadh - arrives for the big fight. He's just in time to see Dillian Whyte steal his heavyweight contest on points against Poland's Mariusz Wach, in a bruising, absorbing affair...

21:30 - Absolutely no guesses who these guys are supporting. The fans, both Saudi and international, are starting to stream in now and the atmosphere is definitely starting to build up...

21:00 - FIGHT ACTION: It's another short bout as the power of Filip Hrgovic from Croatia is too much for Eric Molina, who suffers a third-round knockout and the Croatian superstar marches on!

20:45 - The victorious Saudi boxer Zuhayr Al-Qahtani had a special message for Arab News following his WBC Middle East title win...

20:30 - The fans are filing in, despite the weather, the atmosphere is building up inside and outside the Diriyah Arena.

20:20 - FIGHT ACTION: Well, that was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it stoppage in the first televised fight of the night - Mahammadrasul Majidov of Azerbaijan lands a killer blow on the UK's Tom "Not So" Little and it's all over in the second round!

19:45 - FIGHT ACTION: He's done it! Saudi Arabia's Zuhayr Al-Qahtani dominates in his WBC Middle East title bout with Omar Dusary of Kuwait, who stood his ground through the eight rounds, but was visibly a beaten man by the end. The man from Jeddah takes the plaudits and is being interviewed by Sky Sports in the middle of the ring following his win...

19:00 - Check out this fantastic illustration for Arab News created by the Sporting Press especially for the Clash on the Dunes event...

18:30 - FIGHT ACTION: And the first action of the night is complete! Boxing out of the UAE, Majid Al-Naqbi gets a stoppage in the third round as he overpowers his Georgian rival Ilia Beruashvili in his lightweight contest to move 4-0 in his career. We are officially under way...

17:50 - In case you missed it earlier, Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone is in the Kingdom and he was loving the weigh-in on Friday - he was particularly delighted with Ruiz Jr.'s choice of song for his entrance...

17:20 - There is plenty of boxing action for tonight's card - here is a run down of all the bouts we have to look forward to tonight before the main event...

16:45 - Fans attending the fight might be in for a chilly evening, as the heavens opened briefly earlier and the wind has been picking up...

16:00 - The very impressive Diriyah Arena was put together in less than a month, you can read about it here...

15:15 - There is also a considerable undercard for the Clash on the Dunes event - including Saudi Arabia's own Zuhayr Al-Qahtani who is facing Omar Dusary from Kuwait for the WBC Middle East title, and Arab News caught up with him ahead of his big night...

14:30 - The fans of Joshua were in good voice at the weigh-in, with thousands of British fans in the Kingdom to support their hero, while a vocal crowd of Mexicans and Americans were cheering for Ruiz. The atmosphere in the Diriyah Arena should be electric tonight...

14:15 - It’s not just the boxing world taking an interest in this fight in Saudi Arabia - Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho (known to be a big fan of Anthony Joshua) was asked who he thought would win tonight’s bout ...

13:45 - The boxing world held its breath on Friday night as the two heavyweight rivals faced off at Friday's weigh-in at Al-Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh. See a full gallery from the showdown here...

13: 30 - The excitement is starting to build as we inch closer to the bell going in the Clash on the Dunes later tonight. You can read all this week's build-up to the huge fight in our dedicated Spotlight, highlights of which are below:

Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz Jr. weigh in for Clash on the Dunes bout in Diriyah

Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua focused on world heavyweight glory as they showcase skills at Riyadh public workout

Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua tour Diriyah stadium ahead of Saudi clash

Topics: boxing Clash on the Dunes Anthony Joshua Andy Ruiz Jr. Saudi Arabia Diriyah DIRIYAH SEASON

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Saudi striker Saleh Al-Shehri out of remainder of Gulf Cup after injury in first match

Updated 42 sec ago
Arab News
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Saudi striker Saleh Al-Shehri out of remainder of Gulf Cup after injury in first match

  • Loss of the player, a standout performer recently, after picking up a muscle injury in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat by Bahrain is a significant blow
Updated 42 sec ago
Arab News

KUWAIT CITY: Saudi national team striker Saleh Al-Shehri has been ruled out of the remainder of the 26th Gulf Cup after sustaining a muscle injury during the Green Falcons’ opening match against Bahrain on Sunday.

Head coach Herve Renard made the decision to send Al-Shehri home from the team’s training camp after medical reports confirmed the injury will require treatment and rehabilitation.

Saudi Arabia suffered a 3-2 defeat in the match against Bahrain. The loss of Al-Shehri, a key player and standout performer for the team in recent months, will be a significant blow for the squad as they attempt to get their Gulf Cup campaign back on track against Yemen at Jaber Stadium in Kuwait on Wednesday.

During a training session on Monday evening, Renard divided the squad into two groups, with the players who started on Sunday focusing on recovery exercises in the gym while the remainder of the squad trained on the pitch at Al-Nassr Club Stadium.

Topics: football soccer Saudi Arabia Gulf Cup 26th Gulf Cup

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Moves afoot for Saudi cricketers to host Sri Lanka’s stars

Updated 23 December 2024
Rashid Hassan
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Moves afoot for Saudi cricketers to host Sri Lanka’s stars

  • ‘We plan to bring our cricketers for a friendly match with Saudi team,’ Sri Lanka envoy says
Updated 23 December 2024
Rashid Hassan

RIYADH: With the popularity of cricket in Saudi Arabia growing by leaps and bounds, do not be surprized if you see Sri Lankan cricketers playing with the Saudi team in the near future.

The Sri Lankan ambassador in Riyadh, Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad, in an interview with Arab News on the 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, said: “We have very cordial relations and, importantly, have taken initiatives to further elevate our bilateral ties in all areas of mutual interest, one of them is cricket.

“We are in touch with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation. So we will work with them in the future, to organize bilateral matches, cricket matches between the two sides, the Sri Lankan team and the Saudi team,” the envoy told Arab News.

“We are planning to have the kind of bilateral ties in which the cricket team can visit. So we are working on that. We have initiated some talks. I met SACF Chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud,” Ajwad said.

The SACF chairman has also visited Sri Lanka for cooperation in cricket, he added.

“We will bring our cricket stars here, to start some kind of a friendly match. Maybe we can work on that to mark the occasion as we are celebrating 50 years of our diplomatic ties,” the ambassador said.

"All these projects are in our plan. Of course, we are having a list of items to celebrate this milestone in our bilateral relations,” he added.

Sri Lankan cricket star and former captain Kumar Sangakkara was in NEOM as part of the second season of the NEOM and Rajasthan Royals’ cricket program, he said.

Cricketing legends Rahul Dravid and Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara with the Tabuk Tigers during Neom Cricket Program. (Supplied/SACF)

“He was in NEOM. So in the future we will interact like this, bringing Sri Lankan cricketers to the Kingdom,” he added.

Indian cricket star and former captain Rahul Dravid, who is head coach of the Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals, also attended the NEOM cricket program.

The Red Sea city of Jeddah last month hosted the TATA IPL mega auction at the Abadi Al-Johar Arena that attracted a galaxy of international cricket stars and the celebrity owners of the IPL franchises.

The SACF described the TATA IPL mega auction as “a historic sporting achievement in Jeddah.”

On X, the IPL posted: “TATA IPL partners got to experience ‘TATAIPLAuction’ in Jeddah like never before,” describing the event as “a historic moment in the TATA IPL Auction.”

Pakistani cricketing legends including Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar also visited the Kingdom in the recent past and held meetings with the SACF chairman to discuss the development of cricket and ways to cooperate.

Topics: Cricket Saudi Arabia Sri Lanka Saudi cricket federation Cricket Saudi Sri Lanka cricket

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Game Changers Falcons crowned champions of World Tennis League season 3

Updated 23 December 2024
Arab News
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Game Changers Falcons crowned champions of World Tennis League season 3

  • Game Changers Falcons beat TSL Hawks 20-16
  • Coach John-Laffnie de Jager lauds team’s spirit
Updated 23 December 2024
Arab News

ABU DHABI: Game Changers Falcons clinched the World Tennis League season three title with a hard-fought 20-16 victory over the TSL Hawks at the Etihad Arena on Sunday.

Despite losing the first two sets — women’s doubles and singles — Game Changers Falcons staged a remarkable comeback, dominating the men’s doubles and singles to claim the title.

In a rematch of the season opener, Game Changers Falcons’ Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia began strongly, breaking the opening serve of the match against the TSL Hawks’ Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva.

Despite their stellar performances in the league stage, Sabalenka and Andreeva looked unsettled early on. However, they mounted an impressive comeback as they recovered from a 0-5 deficit to level the score at 5-5.

Rybakina and Garcia then managed to break serve again to regain the lead, but a series of unforced errors allowed their opponents to force a tie-break.

In the tie-break, Sabalenka and Andreeva found themselves trailing once again but displayed remarkable composure to turn the tables and clinch the women’s doubles set 7-6.

Teenage sensation Andreeva carried her remarkable form into the women’s singles against Rybakina. She broke Rybakina’s second and third serves to gain the upper hand and comfortably close out the set 6-2, extending the TSL Hawks’ overall lead to 13-8 in the match.

In the men’s doubles, Game Changers Falcons’ Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov dominated the entire set against the TSL Hawks’ Sumit Nagal and Jordan Thompson. They broke Nagal’s serve twice to maintain the lead and sealed the set 6-2. This win narrowed the overall game tally to 14-15, setting the stage for a thrilling men’s singles.

Rublev held his opening serve to level the overall game tally at 15-15 before winning three consecutive games to take an 18-15 lead. While Nagal managed to pull a game back, Rublev closed the men’s singles set 6-1 to help his team clinch the title 20-16.

“I’ve done team events for a while, and I’ve been very fortunate over the years to have really good people on the team,” Game Changers Falcons coach and captain, John-Laffnie de Jager, said at the post-match press conference.

“They get along well, they’re professional, they show up and at the end of the day, they perform. First time when we played against the Hawks, we were behind, we came back from that point to win it and the same happened tonight.

“So, the format is great, because you are never out and always have a chance to win it. It was an awesome campaign for us, and everybody enjoyed it.”

Game Changers Falcons’ Garcia said: “In tennis it’s not very often you have an opportunity to play in a team setup, and I really enjoyed it. I had a great time knowing a bit more about everyone in the team and looking forward for more fun next year.”

Topics: World Tennis League season 3

Australian tennis star Purcell provisionally suspended for doping

Updated 23 December 2024
AFP
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Australian tennis star Purcell provisionally suspended for doping

  • Tennis Australia stressed that the breach related to a prohibited method, rather than a prohibited substance
Updated 23 December 2024
AFP

SYDNEY: Two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell has taken a voluntary suspension for breaking anti-doping rules, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said Monday.
The Australian, who is ranked 12th in the world for doubles, admitted to a breach of the regulations relating to the use of a “prohibited method” and had “requested to enter into a provisional suspension on December 10.”
No other details were divulged.
“Time served under provisional suspension will be credited against any future sanction,” the ITIA said, with the ban coming into effect on December 12.
Under the suspension, the 26-year-old is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorized by any of the sport’s governing bodies or national associations.
It means he will currently not be able to play in the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in January.
Purcell won the 2022 Wimbledon doubles title alongside fellow Australian Matt Ebden and the US Open crown this year, partnered by Jordan Thompson.
Tennis Australia stressed that the breach related to a prohibited method, rather than a prohibited substance.
“The International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed the breach relates to the use of a prohibited method, rather than the presence of a prohibited substance,” it said in a statement carried by Australian media.
“As the matter is currently under investigation, it is inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
The ITIA is the same organization that charged top-ranked Jannik Sinner and world number two Iga Swiatek over breaches of its anti-doping program.
Italy’s Sinner was exonerated after twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March.
He is currently awaiting the outcome of a World Anti-Doping Agency appeal against the decision.
Swiatek tested positive for a banned heart medication in August.
But the ITIA accepted that the violation was not intentional and the Polish star escaped with a one-month sanction.
Both are expected to play at the Australian Open, which starts on January 12.

Salah happy wherever career ends after inspiring Liverpool rout

Updated 23 December 2024
AFP
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Salah happy wherever career ends after inspiring Liverpool rout

Updated 23 December 2024
AFP
LONDON: Mohamed Salah dropped another hint that his future could lie away from Liverpool as the Egypt star said he would be happy “wherever I am going to end my career” after starring in Sunday’s 6-3 demolition of Tottenham.
Salah scored twice and provided two assists in the goal-spree in north London as Liverpool moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The 32-year-old is the first Premier League player to bag at least 10 goals and 10 assists before Christmas, while his brace also took him into fourth place on Liverpool’s all-time list of scorers with 229 in all competitions.
Salah’s immense value to Arne Slot’s team is clear, but Liverpool have been unable to persuade the forward to sign a new contract as speculation mounts about his future.
With Salah’s current deal expiring at the end of this season, he will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club from January.
Having already made several comments earlier this season about this potentially being his last campaign with Liverpool, Salah once again made a cryptic reference to his future.
“It’s great to achieve that at such a big club, but the most important thing is that we won the game. Wherever I am going to end my career I am happy about it,” Salah told Sky Sports.
Salah added that there was “no update” on his contract situation, but Slot will surely be desperate to extend his talisman’s seven-year stay on Merseyside after he took his goal tally to 18 in all competitions this term.
With Salah to the fore, Liverpool have won 21 of their 25 games in all competitions since Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp as manager.
“I didn’t think about it before the game but I’m glad I have done it, something that makes me proud, I’ll keep working hard,” Salah said of reaching double figures in goals and assists this season.
Salah was less happy with Liverpool’s defending against Tottenham, adding: “We were quite good in front but I think we need to improve defensively as a team.
“Conceding three goals is quite hard. It’s quite good the result and hopefully we just keep going.”

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