How Saudi Arabia made its Olympic dreams a reality 

Saudi fans cheers their team on against Vietnam during a men's football qualifying match for the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Dammam. (AFP/File Photo)
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Updated 25 March 2021
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How Saudi Arabia made its Olympic dreams a reality 

  • With the Tokyo Games fast approaching, the Kingdom has put athletics, participation and sporting prowess high on the agenda 
  • Saudi athletes did not compete in the Olympics until 1972 and achieved medal success for the first time in 2000 

DUBAI: When historian Pierre de Coubertin looked to the distant past for sporting inspiration, he could never have imagined he would go on to be remembered as the father of the modern Olympic Games.

The Frenchman was a student of the ancient games, which took their name from the Panhellenic religious sanctuary of Olympia in western Greece, where they were originally held between the 8th century BC and the 4th century AD.

In 1894, Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and, just two years later, the first modern Olympics were held in Athens in recognition of their historical origins.

Since then, the Summer Games have taken place every four years, save for those canceled by the world wars, just as they did in ancient Greece, with the introduction of the Winter Games in 1924, the Paralympics in 1948 and the Youth Olympics in 2010.

But when those first official games took place in 1896, modern Saudi Arabia’s foundation as an independent nation state was still 36 years away.




A picture taken on March 13, 2019 shows an aircraft by Abu Dhabi's Etihad carrier decorated to celebrate the upcoming Special Olympics World Games during the Saudi International Airshow at Thumamah Airport in the capital Riyadh. (AFP/File Photo)

The Kingdom joined the UN at its inception in 1945, but its engagement in general sporting development was slower off the starting blocks. Olympic participation, for long, remained a distant dream.

As football’s global popularity swept the Kingdom in the first half of the 20th century, many other Olympic sports, such as track and field, fencing and equestrianism, would take a little longer to catch on, officially at least, in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation was established in 1956 and immediately became a member of FIFA. By that time, several clubs were already in existence. Al-Ittihad of Jeddah, for instance, was established in 1927, five years before independence, while city neighbors Al-Ahli came 10 years later.

The trio of Riyadh clubs, Al-Shabab, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, were founded in 1947, 1955 and 1957 respectively.

By contrast, the Saudi National Olympic Committee (NOC) was not established until 1965, and Saudi athletes did not compete until the Munich Games of 1972.

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Since then, the Kingdom has sent athletes to 11 of the 12 Summer Games, the only exception being Moscow 1980, when Saudi Arabia joined a US-led boycott of the USSR in response to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan six months earlier.

Remarkably, considering their impressive achievements in the 1980s, 1990s and beyond, generation after generation of Saudi footballers had, until recently, failed to qualify for the Olympics.

After three AFC Asian Cup triumphs in 1984, 1988 and 1996, and five World Cup appearances in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2018, that record was put straight when the Saudi under-23s team qualified to compete at the Tokyo Games, due to take place this summer but postponed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Saudi Olympic medal success finally came in the Kingdom’s seventh games at Sydney 2000 when Hadi Soua’an Al-Somaily won silver in the 110-meter hurdles and Khaled Al-Eid claimed bronze in the individual show jumping event.




Prince Abdullah Al Saud of Saudi Arabia on Davos competes in the second Individual Show Jumping qualifier of the 2012 London Olympics at the Equestrian venue in Greenwich Park, London on August 5, 2012. (AFP/File Photo)

“Since the beginning of the modern Olympic movement in 1896, respect, excellence and friendship have been talked about mainly,” Prince Fahd bin Jalawi Al-Saud, vice president of the Saudi Olympic Committee, told Arab News in December.

“That is what has been happening for the last 124 years and that is what we can see in any Olympic event, either at the Olympic Games or any other event related to it.”

It was not until 2012 that a Saudi athlete set foot on the podium again, with equestrians Ramzy Al-Duhaim, Abdullah Al-Saud, Abdullah Sharbatly and Kamal Bahamdan winning bronze in the show jumping team event.

Perhaps more significantly, London 2012 were the first senior games to include female Saudi athletes — a change many felt had been a long time coming.




Prince Abdullah Al Saud of Saudi Arabia on Davos competes in the second Individual Show Jumping qualifier of the 2012 London Olympics at the Equestrian venue in Greenwich Park, London on August 5, 2012. (AFP/File Photo)

Changes in the Olympic charter meant that every participating nation must include at least one female competitor. At the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore, 18-year-old Dalma Rushdi Malhas had won bronze for Saudi Arabia in the individual show jumping event. Her podium finish was the Kingdom’s only victory at the competition.

Two years later in London, it was the turn of athlete Sarah Attar in the 800 meters and judo competitor Wojdan Shaherkani in the above 78kg event to make history as the first Saudi female athletes at the senior Olympics.

While there had been a genuine desire from the Saudi side to take female athletes to London, there was still an impulse within the NOC not to cause offense at a time when a still conservative Kingdom had not yet seen the cultural and societal changes of the late 2010s and early 2020s.

There were even last-minute concerns that Shaherkani would pull out if she was not allowed to wear her hijab during competition. But, having pushed the Saudi NOC to introduce women into the games, the IOC relented.

There would be no medals for either competitor, but a longstanding taboo had been broken.

“Any change will face some resistance. What we do in the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Sport for all Federation is all about diversity and inclusion,” Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, who became the Kingdom’s first sports minister in early 2020, told Arab News late last year, while discussing women’s participation in sport.

“Things are changing in a positive way and we have to make sure that it changes in the right way with the right momentum.”

In the 2016 Olympic Games, Saudi Arabia took seven male and four female competitors to Rio.

Attar returned for her second games, but this time in the women’s marathon rather than the 800-meter dash. She was joined by Kariman Abuljadayel, who took part in the first heat of the women’s 100 meters, but did not progress further.




The Saudi team (from L) Prince Abdullah al Saud, Kamal Bahamdan, Ramzy Al Duhami and Abdullah Waleed Sharbatly (bronze) celebrate with their bronze medals on the podium of the team Show Jumping event of the 2012 London Olympics. (AFP/File Photo)

On the men’s side, Abdullah Abkar Mohammed ran in the 100-meter race, while long-distance runners Tariq Ahmed Al-Amri and Mukhlid Mahil Al-Otaibi took part in the 5,000 meters.

Sultan Al-Dawoodi competed in the discus, Atallah Al-Anazi in shooting and Sulaiman Hamad in judo.

Doubling the number of female athletes from the London Games, Joud Fahmy and Lubna Al-Omair took part respectively in judo and fencing.

Sadly, there would not be a single Saudi medal in Rio. But the days when simply taking part was seen as a minor triumph in itself are coming to an end.

Since the Kingdom launched its ambitious Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy away from oil, Saudi Arabia has made several bids to host international sports tournaments and has eased social restrictions on participation and spectating.

With more and more male and female sports federations being established on an almost monthly basis, and genuine financial backing coming from the country’s authorities, the time is surely not far when more Saudi athletes will qualify for the Olympics.

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Twitter: @AliKhaled_


Tottenham hire Brentford’s Thomas Frank as new manager

Updated 12 June 2025
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Tottenham hire Brentford’s Thomas Frank as new manager

  • Thomas Frank agreed a three-year contract with Tottenham and becomes the north London club’s fourth permanent boss since June 2021

LONDON: Tottenham hired Brentford’s Thomas Frank as their new manager on Thursday as the Dane replaced the sacked Ange Postecoglou.
Frank agreed a three-year contract with Tottenham and becomes the north London club’s fourth permanent boss since June 2021.
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Thomas Frank as our new head coach on a contract that runs until 2028,” a Tottenham statement said.
“In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game.
“He has a proven track record in player and squad development and we look forward to him leading the team as we prepare for the season ahead.”
Tottenham set their sights on Frank after chairman Daniel Levy axed Postecoglou last week, just 16 days after he won the Europa League final against Manchester United to end the club’s 17-year trophy drought.
Frank is the 14th permanent manager of Levy’s 24-year tenure.
Levy made an official approach to Brentford earlier this week, with the deal concluded after Tottenham agreed to allow the Dane to hire his Bees assistant coach Justin Cochrane.
Frank’s Brentford contract was set to run until 2027, with a reported release clause of about £10 million ($13.6 million).
The 51-year-old led Brentford back to the top flight in 2021 after an absence of 74 years and has established the west London club in the Premier League.
Now he will be tasked with lifting Tottenham back among the Premier League’s elite.
Tottenham will play in the Champions League next season thanks to their Europa League success in Bilbao, where they beat Manchester United 1-0.
Tottenham’s first European trophy for 41 years delivered on Postecoglou’s boast that he always wins silverware in his second season.
However, the Australian paid the price for a miserable Premier League season as Tottenham finished 17th after losing 22 of their 38 games.


Wimbledon singles champions to receive record $4 million in prize money

Updated 12 June 2025
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Wimbledon singles champions to receive record $4 million in prize money

  • Doubles prize money has also increased by 4.4 percent, mixed doubles by 4.3 percent
  • Top players called for significant improvements in prize money at the four Grand Slams

LONDON: Wimbledon has increased its prize money for this year’s championships to $72.59 million (£53.5 million), a 7 percent increase on 2024 and double what they offered a decade ago, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said on Thursday.

The singles champions will receive £3million ($4.07 million) each, the highest across all Grand Slams and a 11.1 percent increase on the prize money Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova took home last year.

Singles players who exit the first round will receive 66,000 pounds, a 10 percent increase on last year. Doubles prize money has also increased by 4.4 percent, mixed doubles by 4.3 percent and the wheelchair and quad wheelchair events by 5.6 percent.

The increase also comes after the world’s top players called for significant improvements in prize money at the four Grand Slams as a way to ensure a more equitable distribution of revenue.

“We have listened to the players, we have engaged with the players,” AELTC chair Deborah Jevans said.

“But the focus on just the prize money at the four events, the Grand Slams, does not get to the heart of what the challenge is with tennis.

“The challenge with tennis is the fact that the players don’t have an off-season which they want, they have increasing injuries that they’re speaking about.”

Jevans added that Wimbledon is willing to engage and talk with the tours to try and find solutions but there has not been any proposal as to how the tour is able to change its structure.

Final at 4 p.m.

The AELTC also said the doubles finals on the weekend would start at 1 p.m. local time and the singles finals at 4 p.m.

Such a change could potentially change playing conditions — like having the roof closed and the lights switched on — if the match runs long and well into the night.

The French Open final this month where Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner lasted five hours and 29 minutes, but AELTC chief executive Sally Bolton said the change in timing would ensure an “improved experience” for all.

“Whether that’s the doubles finalists having greater certainty over their schedule, whether it’s the fans having the opportunity to experience a day which builds to the crescendo of the singles finals or ensuring that we have our champions crowned in front of the widest possible audience,” she said.

No line judges

This year’s championships also marks a break with an age old tradition where line judges will be replaced for the first time with the electronic line calling system that is in place at tournaments worldwide.

Bolton said “the time is right to move on,” adding that many line judges would return in different roles as match assistants, with two assigned per court.

“They’re extra eyes and ears, the assistant to the chair umpire... We’ve got about 80 of those across the Championships.

“They’ll also provide one of the parts of our resilience in the event that the electronic line calling system goes down at any point in time.”


Rediscovering the cradle of cricket

Updated 12 June 2025
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Rediscovering the cradle of cricket

  • Despite a lack of comprehensive match records until 1771, it is clear Hambledon’s heyday was from the mid-1760s to the late 1780s

LONDON: Last Sunday I visited Broadhalfpenny Down, Hambledon, Hampshire, in the south of England. The attraction was twofold. First, the cricket ground is regarded as the “cradle of cricket.” Second, the Invalids Cricket Club was playing there against Broadhalfpenny Brigands CC.

Seven weeks ago, I featured the history of the Invalids CC after watching a match between them and the Royal Household CC played in the shadows of Windsor Castle. More insights into Invalids CC history emerged during my visit to Hambledon, but it is the place of Broadhalfpenny Down in cricket’s development that demands first focus.

The ground sits atop a hill that is surrounded by verdant countryside and has outstanding, if windswept, views. Almost no buildings are visible, the most noticeable one being the appropriately named Bat and Ball Inn across the road. It was to this inn, then called the Hut, that Richard Nyren became the landlord in 1762, moving from neighbouring Sussex, about 28 miles (44.8 kilometers) distant. He was an accomplished and respected left-handed all-round cricketer, in an era when underarm bowling and two stumps were the norm. It is astonishing that this windy hilltop, which doubled as the village’s sheep common, was about to assume a lofty place in cricket’s historical development.

Evidence suggests that a Hambledon team existed circa 1750, achieving prominence in 1756 by defeating Dartford, a major team in Kent. Then, its patron was Squire Thomas Land, who withdrew his involvement in 1764.

Nyren’s arrival coincided with the setting up of a gentlemen’s social club at the inn. It is unclear whether this was Nyren’s idea or that of the Rev. Charles Powlett, who had been transferred from London to a church about 18 miles from Hambledon. There, he sought an outlet for his indulgence to gamble on cricket.

More than 150 members were recruited to the club, paying a handsome annual membership fee, equivalent to two months’ wages for a laborer. It comprised members of parliament, aristocracy, army and navy officers, unsurprising given that Hambledon is 15 miles from naval bases in Portsmouth. Although many of these gentlemen are thought to have lived relatively locally, travel to the ground would have been time consuming on horseback or horse-drawn carriage. By all accounts, hedonism was the attraction.

The wealthy members attracted the best players, locally and farther afield. In turn, these attracted top opposition, spectators and gamblers, since cricket and betting went hand in hand.  London was a day’s ride away. Small marquees were hired out to the better-heeled spectators, while the inn provided food and refreshment. Nyren, referred to as the “general”, was at the center of the activity, both on and off the field, acting as a link between players and patrons. He was also the linchpin of the club, acting as captain, secretary, groundsman and landlord of the inn.

Despite a lack of comprehensive match records until 1771, it is clear that Hambledon’s heyday was between the mid-1760s and the late 1780s. Incredibly, 20,000 spectators were reported to have watched them play a Surrey side at Guildford in 1769. In June 1777, they took on an All England side at Sevenoaks and won by an innings. England scored 166 runs and 69 to Hambledon's 403, a huge score in those days. There is lack of clarity whether the team should be called Hambledon or Hampshire. The club was a social entity, an organiser of matches and either term could be used according to the opposition and/or the composition of the Hambledon team.    

During these years, Nyren was regarded as a sage, whose views on laws and precedent in cricket were regularly sought. Famously, in 1771, an opposition player attempted to use a bat wider than the wicket. Objections by Hambledon players led to a resolution that effected a change in the laws of cricket, formally recognised in the 1774 code, limiting a bat’s width to four and one quarter inches (10.79 cm). A metal gauge was produced to help judgment.

Nyren also appeared to be very much a “one-club man”. This bucked the trend of the time, when skilled players were given by the stronger team to the weaker team to balance the odds for gambling. In 1782 the Bat and Ball Inn was requisitioned by the military and an alternative ground was provided closer to the village. It proved to be unsuitable and another ground, Ridge Meadow, was obtained. Since then, it has been the home of Hambledon CC.

The move in 1783-1784 suited Nyren, who had become landlord of the George Inn in the village. By then, he and other players who formed the backbone of the team were aging, Nyren retiring from cricket in 1784.

At the same time, the support of several rich patrons was shifting to London. In particular, the Earl of Winchilsea, Hambledon’s president, commissioned Thomas Lord to find and build a new ground for the White Conduit Club, of which he was a leading light. A suitable site was found in Marylebone and cricket’s centre of power was about to shift away from Hambledon to the Marylebone Cricket Club, formed in 1787.

Between 1791 and 1796, Hambledon declined sharply, membership falling from 52 to 16. Not only were members drawn to London, so were players. When no one turned up for the annual general meeting in 1796, the club’s former power had ebbed away, along with Nyren, who died in 1797 in east London. Broadhalfpenny Down lay fallow throughout the 19th century. Thereafter, cricket returned in piecemeal fashion.

In September 1908, a three-day match was held between a Hambledon XI and an All England XI, at which a memorial stone was unveiled to commemorate the site’s importance.

In 1925, the ground was acquired by Winchester College, where H.S. Altham, president of the MCC, was a master. The college played Hambledon to celebrate the ground’s restoration for hosting cricket. ​On New Year’s Day, 1929, a charity cricket match was played between The Hampshire Eskimos and none other than The Invalids. The match was played in bitterly cold conditions. Low scores ensued, The Invalids scoring 89 all out and the Eskimos replying with 78. Afterwards, the Bat and Ball provided welcome respite.

Since 1959, the ground has been home to the Broadhalfpenny Brigands CC, formed by a group of Royal Navy officers, who managed the ground and its facilities.

In 1992, the owners, Winchester College, granted a lease on the condition that an independent trust be established to secure the ground’s long-term future. This was achieved in 1996 and includes local, county and national cricket bodies. Funding was obtained for a new pavilion which opened in 2000. A new crowd-funding initiative was launched in 2025.

Broadhalfpenny Down and Hambledon occupy a special place, not just in English cricket history but in transforming aspects of the laws of the game. It is remarkable that a village of about 750 people holds this position.

Even today, Hambledon CC fields four adult league teams and has a flourishing junior section. The original ground and inn ooze history and continuity. Reverence to their importance within the game was encapsulated when the New Zealand captain, Kane Williamson, visited after winning the World Test Championship at nearby Southampton in June 2021. We may safely assume that Nyren would have approved.


Lebanon’s Abdallah Ondash confident on ONE Championship mission

Updated 12 June 2025
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Lebanon’s Abdallah Ondash confident on ONE Championship mission

  • Muay Thai star takes on Singdomthong Nokjeanladkrabang at ONE Friday Fights 112 at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium

DUBAI: Lebanese Muay Thai star Abdallah Ondash is putting the final touches to preparations for the biggest matchup of his career.

The young Lebanese athlete features in the main event of global martial arts organization ONE Championship’s ONE Friday Fights 112 on June 13 inside Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Stadium. 

Ondash is no stranger to the iconic venue. He made a remarkable debut in the weekly fight series on Aug. 4, 2023, coming from behind to knock out his opponent with one second to go on the clock. The highlight-reel finish amazed fans worldwide who tune in every week as rising talents in the world of martial arts vie for a big contract and a place on ONE Championship’s international roster.   

Ondash is oozing confidence ahead of his next mission, and said: “I want to focus and take my time (during the fight). Hopefully, I will win this fight. I don’t like talking much about fights; I let my performance in the ring do the talking.”

The 23-year-old Lebanese fighter has an impressive resume. Since turning professional in 2017, Ondash has amassed an overall professional record of 21-2, and picked up national, regional, and global accolades.

But the rising star knows he has a tough test on Friday as he takes on Thai opponent Singdomthong Nokjeanladkrabang in a 57.6 kg contest.

The 28-year-old holds a 6-1 record at ONE Friday Fights. The two fighters are evenly matched in their height, weight, and reach, but the Thai is far more experienced, with 84 career wins and accolades that include the World Muaythai Council’s Featherweight Muay Thai world title and IFMA World Championship.

Ondash has nothing but respect for his opponent, and said: “He (has) won six out of seven and lost one fight by the smallest of margins. He is a good fighter and has won lots of accolades.”

With two grueling training sessions per day for five weeks, Ondash has been focusing his efforts on improving his conditioning, cardio and fitness to keep up with an experienced fighter known for his slick movement and endurance.

However, Ondash owns the skill set, courage, and in-ring intelligence to claim what could be a pivotal win in his career.

He secured his third knockout victory at the expense of Thailand’s Petlampun in his most recent fight, bouncing back from a lone majority decision defeat he endured at the hands of Chokpreecha last July. 

Ondash knows that victory against an established star will take him closer to the dream of winning a $100,000 contract with ONE Championship.

He said: “(Following my defeat) I won the next fight by knockout. So, if I had won that fight, even if by decision, I could have gotten the contract. But I am just focusing on my next fight. I want to win.”

ONE Friday Fights 112 begins at 3:30 p.m. KSA on Friday, June 13, and will be broadcast live via beIN SPORTS.


Backups bring down the house, Pacers take 2-1 NBA Finals lead with 116-107 Game 3 victory

Updated 12 June 2025
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Backups bring down the house, Pacers take 2-1 NBA Finals lead with 116-107 Game 3 victory

  • Thanks to 27 points from Mathurin and the kind of pyrotechnics the Pacers have grown to adore from reserve point guard McConnell, Indiana have the advantage in the best-of-seven series

INDIANAPOLIS: Backup guards Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell helped Indiana’s bench break out with 49 points as the Pacers topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 on Wednesday to claim a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Thanks to 27 points from Mathurin and the kind of pyrotechnics the Pacers have grown to adore from reserve point guard McConnell, Indiana have the advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Tyrese Haliburton provided heroics with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds while Pascal Siakam added 21 points for the Pacers, who haven’t lost back-to-back games since December.

Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points. Chet Holmgren compiled 20 points and 10 rebounds but shot 0-for-6 from 3-point range.

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday in Indianapolis.

The Thunder trailed 110-102 with three minutes to go, but Alex Caruso tried to keep the Pacers from a premature celebration with a steal and breakaway into the open court. Two steps into the paint, Aaron Nesmith closed and forcefully brought both arms down on Caruso to prevent the shot attempt and take him to the floor. Following a review, no flagrant foul was called.

Caruso made both free throws and Indiana’s Myles Turner subsequently lost the ball out of bounds. However, Turner, who missed eight of his first 10 shots, came up with two blocks of Holmgren on the same possession to keep the lead at six.

Indiana got another stop, and Siakam lit up the stadium for good with an easy basket that gave the Pacers a 112-104 lead with 69 seconds left.

McConnell was seemingly everywhere, and he came up with massive defensive plays all game.

He ripped off Caruso’s bullet inbounds pass with two hands at point-blank range under the basket and pumped in a layup to tie the game at 95 early in the fourth quarter.

Mathurin cashed a trey off a McConnell assist, putting the Pacers up 98-96.

Haliburton entered for the first time in the fourth quarter, took a handoff at the top of the key, stopped, squared and splashed his fourth 3-pointer of the game for a 101-98 lead with 6:42 remaining.

Indiana’s Aaron Nembhard made a 12-foot jumper from the left elbow and the Pacers got it back after a missed 3-point attempt, taking a touchdown lead (107-100) on Obi Toppin’s two-hand dunk off of a miss with 4:23 to go.

Nesmith caught a skip pass on the right wing and drained a trey on Indiana’s next possession for an eight-point lead.

McConnell hit a running right-handed layup between two clutch buckets by Mathurin as the Pacers stayed close, down 93-91, with 10 minutes to play.

Oklahoma City had surged ahead for its biggest lead of the second half — 89-84 — to end of the third. Williams hit a long 3-pointer came after an and-1 baseline dunk by Holmgren, who moved through the swiping hands of McConnell to finish.

Williams played a lot of the game with the ball in his hands as the Pacers worked to keep Gilgeous-Alexander in check.

McConnell leads NBA reserves in assists per game in playoffs (4.1).