Saudi golfers Othman Almulla, Faisal Salhab tee-up at next week’s Saudi International

Faisal Salhab and Othman Almulla are two of the three Saudis competing in next week’s Saudi International. (Supplied)
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Updated 28 January 2021
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Saudi golfers Othman Almulla, Faisal Salhab tee-up at next week’s Saudi International

  • Both men will once again come head-to-head with the biggest names in world golf

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s leading golfers have arrived in King Abdullah Economic City ahead of what they hope will be a history-making appearance at next week’s Saudi International.

The Kingdom’s first and only professional golfer Othman Almulla and rising amateur star Faisal Salhab teed-up on their opening practice rounds at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club ahead of the third annual hosting of Saudi Arabia’s flagship European Tour event, which is powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.

This will be Almulla’s third and Salhab’s second time playing in the $3.5 million tournament, where they will once again come head-to-head with the biggest names in world golf, including defending champion Graeme McDowell, 2020 Masters champion and the winner of the debut 2019 Saudi International Dustin Johnson, and big-hitting US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau.

Add to that a field packed with no less than ten Race to Dubai crowns, 22 Major championship wins, more than 900 international victories and 29 Ryder Cup players with 90 appearances between them, and it is safe to say the locals certainly do have their work cut out for them.

However, both players are once again relishing the opportunity to test themselves against the best, and — alongside fellow amateur Saud Al-Sharif — will be hoping to become the first Saudis to make the cut when the action gets underway next Thursday.

Almulla, 34, said: “I’m super excited for the third edition of the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. To see the growth of the game in the last three years and to see a world-class event being hosted again in Saudi Arabia with a superstar field is just amazing.

“It’s a great time for golf in the Kingdom and for Saudi golfers, and for myself and my friends Faisal and Saud it’s another opportunity to put ourselves in a great arena playing against the best players in the world and learning from
those experiences.”

Next week’s tournament is widely considered to be the most prestigious regular event on the European Tour in 2021, making it the best chance for golfers to earn all-important Olympic Golf Ranking points prior to the cutoff in June 2021.

Both the current gold and silver medallists, Britain’s Justin Rose, and Swede Henrik Stenson, are playing in the event.

The field is packed with huge names, including Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Patrick Reed, Ernie Els, Kevin Na, Ian Poulter, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner, Tyrrell Hatton.

But Salhab, 24, remains unfazed: “Playing in events like this and against players of this stature are the reason you play golf in the first place. For an event of this level to be held in our own backyard here in Saudi Arabia is something so special, and I can’t wait to get out there playing again.”

He added: “My game feels good and hopefully I can take what I learned playing in last year’s event into this one.”

The Saudi International starts on Feb. 4 and runs until Feb. 7, with all the action broadcast live on KSA Sports.


Pakistan win toss, bowl in 2nd ODI against Australia

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Pakistan win toss, bowl in 2nd ODI against Australia

  • The hosts lead 1-0 after a tense two-wicket win in Melbourne on Monday
  • Pakistan named unchanged side with fast bowler Naseem Shah declared fit

ADELAIDE: Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and opted to bowl in the second of a three-game one-day series against Australia in Adelaide on Friday.

The hosts lead 1-0 after a tense two-wicket win in Melbourne on Monday.

Pakistan named an unchanged side with fast bowler Naseem Shah declared fit after leaving the field during the first match, apparently with cramp.

Australia made one change with veteran Josh Hazlewood returning in place of Sean Abbott to join his long-time pace partners Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.

Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short again open the batting in the absence of Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head and will be keen to make their mark after falling cheaply in the opening match.

Teams

Australia: Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (capt), Kamran Ghulam, Agha Salman, Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain


Galatasaray down Spurs to go top in Europa League

Updated 07 November 2024
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Galatasaray down Spurs to go top in Europa League

  • The Turkish champions have 10 points from four games and have all but secured qualification for at least the knock-out play-off round, while
  • Spurs sit in fifth place after losing their 100-percent record

PARIS: Victor Osimhen scored twice as Galatasaray inflicted a first Europa League defeat of the season on Tottenham to move top of the table with a 3-2 victory in Istanbul on Thursday.
The Turkish champions have 10 points from four games and have all but secured qualification for at least the knock-out play-off round, while Spurs sit in fifth place after losing their 100-percent record.
Galatasaray took an early lead when Yunus Akgun smashed a sensational long-range volley into the top corner in the sixth minute.
But the visitors hit back just 12 minutes later as teenage striker Will Lankshear marked just his second first-team appearance with a goal by tapping in Brennan Johnson’s pass across goal.
Galatasaray took control before half-time, though, as Osimhen scored twice in the space of eight minutes.
The Nigerian star fired them back in front just after the half-hour mark, before cleverly volleying Dries Mertens’ cross past Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
Osimhen has now scored six goals in eight appearances for Galatasaray since joining on loan from Napoli.
The home side passed up several opportunities to put the game out of sight for their opponents, but Spurs’ hopes of a comeback were hit when Lankshear was sent off for two yellow-card offenses in quick succession in the second half.
Dominic Solanke pulled one back in the 69th minute, shortly after being brought on by Ange Postecoglou, but Galatasaray held on with relative comfort.
Eintracht Frankfurt are second in the standings, behind Galatasaray on goals scored, after Omar Marmoush’s 13th goal of the season clinched a 1-0 win against Slavia Prague.
The Egyptian clipped a superb free-kick in off the crossbar shortly after the break.
Athletic Bilbao are in third, separated from Eintracht also by goals scored, after coming from behind to grab a 2-1 success at Ludogorets.
Inaki Williams and Nico Serrano both scored in a two-minute burst from the Basque club.
Roma’s disappointing form this season continued as Kevin Mac Allister’s goal 13 minutes from time secured Union Saint-Gilloise their second point of the competition with a 1-1 draw in Belgium.


French minister criticizes PSG fans’ ‘Free Palestine’ banner; club to escape UEFA sanctions

Updated 07 November 2024
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French minister criticizes PSG fans’ ‘Free Palestine’ banner; club to escape UEFA sanctions

  • European soccer’s governing body UEFA said the club would not face sanctions
  • Retailleau, asked if he would seek sanctions against PSG, told Sud Radio: “I am not ruling out anything. I will demand explanations from PSG“

PARIS: French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Thursday criticized the unfurling of a giant “Free Palestine” banner at a Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) soccer match, saying it was “unacceptable.”
However, European soccer’s governing body UEFA said the club would not face sanctions.
Retailleau, asked if he would seek sanctions against PSG, told Sud Radio: “I am not ruling out anything. I will demand explanations from PSG.”
The French federation (FFF) president, Philippe Diallo, was summoned for a meeting at 0900 GMT at the interior ministry on Friday, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, adding it had not yet confirmed its attendance.
The FFF has no power over European club competitions.
French TV channel BFM said PSG director general Victoriano Melero was also summoned. PSG did not respond to a request for comment.
Fans from PSG’s hard-line Auteuil Kop group displayed a huge “Free Palestine” banner before their Champions League game against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, eight days before France play Israel in Paris in a Nations League game.
“In no way was this tifo (banner) intended to convey a message of hatred — quite the contrary,” the group, Collectif Ultras Paris, said in a statement.
“The message that accompanied it is explicit and is a call for peace between peoples,” the group said, adding that the banner was made outside the stadium.
Their action took place as Israel pressed on with a military offensive in Gaza that has killed about 43,400 Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023, according to Gaza health ministry figures.
The conflict broke out after Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people.
PSG said after the game they had not been made aware of any plans to display such a message.
“Paris St. Germain recall that the Parc des Princes is — and must remain — a place of communion around a common passion for soccer and firmly opposes any message of a political nature in its stadium,” the club said in a statement.
Minister Retailleau said: “Of course the club president is responsible. I want to know how this tarpaulin arrived, how it was deployed.”
A UEFA spokesperson said that PSG would not face disciplinary proceedings as it only bans political messages deemed insulting or provocative.
Last year, the Scottish club Celtic were fined 17,500 euros ($18,907) for fans’ waving Palestinian flags at a Champions League match.
Questions have been raised about security surrounding the France v Israel Nations League game next Thursday in a country that has the largest Jewish community in Europe as well as its biggest population of Muslims.


Krejcikova beats Gauff to earn last semifinal spot at WTA Finals. Swiatek eliminated despite win

Updated 08 November 2024
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Krejcikova beats Gauff to earn last semifinal spot at WTA Finals. Swiatek eliminated despite win

  • Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic beat American Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4
  • Swiatek had kept her hopes alive by beating Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-0

RIYADH: Barbora Krejcikova grabbed the last semifinal spot at the WTA Finals with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Coco Gauff on Thursday, a result that eliminated second-ranked Iga Swiatek from the season-ending tournament.
Krejcikova completes a last-four lineup that already included top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, Zheng Qinwen and Gauff.
“Well, I was definitely super excited to be here, to come here, to qualify to play against the best ones,” Krejcikova said. “I don’t really know where everything started to come together. Before the tournament, I had a couple of days where we hit lightly and already during those hits, I felt quite good. And I think definitely for me, it’s a big thing that it’s the last tournament of the season.”


Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champion, won the Orange Group and will face Zheng in Friday’s semifinals, while Gauff will take on Purple Group winner Sabalenka.
Swiatek earlier routed alternate Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-0 in less than an hour, but she needed Krejcikova to lose to third-ranked Gauff in order to advance from the Orange Group. Krejcikova, Gauff and Swiatek all finished at 2-1, and Swiatek was eliminated because she has a worse percentage of sets won.
Kasatkina replaced American Jessica Pegula, who withdrew from the tournament on Wednesday because of a left knee injury.
“I’m professional enough to always give 100 percent no matter what the stakes are,” Swiatek said.


Fleetwood goes low to lead Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Updated 07 November 2024
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Fleetwood goes low to lead Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

  • The golf tournament is the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs
  • ‘I didn’t feel like I swung it perfectly early on and I actually felt like I started playing better as the round got to the back nine,’ Fleetwood said

ABU DHABI: English golfer Tommy Fleetwood carded course record-equalling 10 under par 62 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The Championship is the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs and penultimate event of the 2024 Race to Dubai.
Fleetwood, already a two-time winner of this tournament after claiming back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2018, carded eight birdies and an eagle on a low-scoring day at Yas Links to finish one stroke ahead of former Ryder Cup teammate Thorbjorn Olesen and America’s Johannes Veerman.
The 33-year-old, a seven-time DP World Tour winner, was four under after only three holes with a birdie, eagle, birdie start, and he made six further gains as he signed for a bogey-free round, rolling in a final birdie at the last to take the outright lead.
“Just happy to have got off to a great start. I didn’t feel like I swung it perfectly early on and I actually felt like I started playing better as the round got to the back nine,” Fleetwood said.
The wind picked up a little bit, the Englishman said, but overall it was fairly calm. “I think the course, fairways, are playing fast,” he said.
Fleetwood also has an eye on a second Race to Dubai title because he started the week in fifth place on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
A strong performance in Abu Dhabi would give him an outside chance of catching current rankings leader Rory McIlroy at next week’s DP World Tour Championship.
Denmark’s Olesen is seeking a second Rolex Series victory this week to follow from his 2018 Italian Open success. He won his eighth DP World Tour title earlier this year in the UAE, landing the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in January.
Olesen said: “With the conditions of the greens, if you putted really well, you can make a lot of putts. I’m very happy with that. There’s not that much breeze out there, so it definitely feels hot. I think maybe I’m a bit more used to it now after being out here for a couple of years.”
Moreover, Veerman, who won his maiden title at the 2021 D+D REAL Czech Masters, earned his place in the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs after finishing T8, T14 and T14 in his previous three starts. He carded eight birdies and an eagle to join Olesen on nine under par.
Veerman said: “It went just about as good as I would have hoped, maybe even better. I got off to a really fast start. The conditions on this course are pure so you’re never going to have a bad lie.”
Four-time Rolex Series winner Tyrrell Hatton shares fourth on eight under with fellow Englishmen Laurie Canter and Paul Waring and Italy’s Francesco Laporta.
McIlroy carded a five under par 67 to finish the day in a share of 18th place. The Northern Irishman will win the Race to Dubai for a sixth time if he finishes more than 2,000 ranking points ahead of his nearest challenger after this event.
“It’s nice to be paired with Thriston (Lawrence) and Rasmus (Hojgaard) because you can sort of keep an eye on what they are doing, as well. It’s been a really good year, very, very consistent,” he said.