In face of COVID, Arabs rally social media at Tokyo Olympics

Ali Khaled 01 | Arab World saw largest number of women competing
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Updated 14 August 2021
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In face of COVID, Arabs rally social media at Tokyo Olympics

Despite the delays and restrictions of COVID-19, and even conflict and turmoil in some countries, the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics succeeded in bringing Arabs together to cheer on their athletes.

A total of 18 Arab countries sent athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which were delayed until August 2021 because of the pandemic. Despite the absence of the usual live audiences to cheer them on, athletes found comfort in the support they received from fans and national leaders through social media, said Arab News sports editor, Ali Mohamed Khaled.

Khaled reported that the competing countries won a total of 18 medals: 5 gold, 5 silver and 8 bronze. Among the winners were Arab women, who represented 14 of the 18 nations as flagbearers along with their male counterparts.

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“It was very significant. One of the things that helped showcase how we have moved forward in this kind of thing, the Olympic Committee for the first time allowed at the opening ceremony two flagbearers, one male and one female,” Khaled said.

“In the past there was always an issue on who would take it (the flag). And this time, they were able to nominate and most of them had a female flagbearer that gave them visibility for the rest of the world. It is probably the most number of female athletes from Arab countries that we’ve had. Saudi Arabia had two (women).”

The Arab countries competing in the Olympics, according to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Committee, were Algeria (44 athletes), Bahrain (32), Egypt (133), Iraq (4), Jordan (14), Lebanon (8), Libya (4), Morocco (50), Oman (4), Palestine (5), Qatar (16), Saudi Arabia (29), Somalia (2), South Sudan (2)/Sudan (5), Syria (6), Tunisia (63), UAE (5), Yemen (5).

The modern Olympics have taken place since 1896 in Athens, Greece, and the first Arab country to compete was Egypt in 1912 at Stockholm. The first Arab female athlete to compete was Moroccan runner Nawal El Moutawakel, who won the gold medal in the women’s 400 meters hurdles race at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics.

 
Arab women flagbearers in the Japanese capital during the opening ceremony included Saudi track sprinter Yasmine Al-Dabbagh, Lebanese shooter Ray Bassil, Egyptian two-time taekwondo Olympic medalist Hedaya Malak, Tunisian fencer Ines Boubakri, Moroccan boxer Oumaima Bel Habib, Jordan’s Asian Games taekwondo champion Julyana Al-Sadeq, Qatari rower Tala Abujbara, 15-year-old Bahraini swimmer Noor Yusuf Abdulla, Algerian swimmer Amel Melih, 12-year-old table tennis player Hend Zaza of Syria, Sudanese rower Esraa Khogali, Yemeni shooter Yasameen Al-Raimi, 17-year-old Kuwaiti swimmer Lara Dashti, 17-year-old Palestinian swimmer Dania Nour, and Iraqi shooter Fatimah Al-Kaabi.


And despite conflict and a one-year delay in the Olympic games, athletes came from 206 nations — including from Arab countries, Muslim countries and the Middle East region — to compete, with audiences banned from attending and Olympians restricted to minimal contact outside of the actual game competitions.

 

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“The disruption of COVID, it worked two ways. First of all, the major disruptions like everyone was expecting to compete last year. And to postpone by a year it does really, really damage athletes’ programs,” Khaled said.

“Although in some cases some athletes who weren’t going last year ended up getting the chance this year so that was a positive for them. But it really did disrupt. Instead of the four-year cycle, which athletes train to religiously, it ended up being a five-year cycle. That was one aspect.”

But this is where social media stepped in, Khaled said during an appearance on The Ray Hanania Radio Show on Wednesday Aug. 11, 2021, broadcast on the US Arab Radio Network in Detroit and Washington DC.

 

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“Not having the fans, not having the noise and inspiration, that impacted the athletes for sure. It is less encouragement and also it affected how we viewed it on television,” Khaled said.

“It was really interesting that a lot of the passion and the excitement was transferred to social media. A lot of people were posting their views and congratulations, like world leaders, like the Egyptian president who congratulated on Twitter, he congratulated his athletes. In Saudi, people were congratulating Tareg Hamedi. So there was a lot of excitement on social media because people were posting videos of themselves and their families celebrating because in the stadium there was none of that.”

Saudi Arabia sent its biggest contingent to date to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“Saudi Arabia had the largest-ever delegation of 33 athletes. It was 11 individuals, and 22 from the squad that played in the football tournaments,” Khaled said.

“. . . It’s actually nine different sports for Saudis, which is a record. The previous record was six in Athens in 2004. So in every sense I think Saudi Arabia has expanded and backed a lot of its athletes. And you could see that also across like with lots of other Arab countries in a really difficult time when it is not easy to actually train and fund programs. There were quite a few medals in the end as well.”

Tareg Ali Hamedi won a silver medal in the men’s karate, beating more veteran opponents, Khaled said.

Khaled said there were three moments that excited him and fans throughout the Arab world.

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“I would go for three who were really inspirational. I have already mentioned them. Ahmed Hafnaoui, the Tunisian 18-year-old swimmer. I think he was quite inspirational and absolutely an incredible performance to win gold. But also like inspired, and raised the spirits in his own words, he raised the spirits of a country that was going through a tough time, politically going through a tough time,” Khaled said.

“I think I mentioned Feryal Abdel Aziz, the Egyptian karate player who also won gold. I expect her legacy to be quite big in Egypt. I think a lot of people will follow her example. And I think in Saudi, the final one is Tareg Hamedi, Saudi’s only medal in the Olympics. He put on an unbelievable show, you know, and it was a shame that he lost in the circumstances that he lost through a penalty. But again it will inspire a whole new generation of kids to look at him and think, you know what, competing is incredible, and the Olympics a lot of the time is about competing, but it is also about if you win, the knock-on effect, the positivity that it sends back to the sporting industry in your country is huge.”

Overall, the negative impact of COVID restrictions and cynicism about the Olympics spending was overcome by the excitement of seeing Olympians from each country strive to achieve.

“I think sometimes people get cynical about the Olympics, you know about spending and all that. But then when you see the joy that these athletes get when they actually win, it is all worthwhile,” Khaled said.

“I would say one thing, competing, it is about competing, but more and more we would like to see Arabs also win, not just compete, we would like them to be better and win medals.”

 
The Ray Hanania Show is produced by Arab News at ArabNews.com on the US Arab Radio Network on WNZK AM 690 in Greater Detroit and WDMV AM 700 in Greater Washington DC, and streamed live on Facebook.com/ArabNews.


Canelo Alvarez to face Terence Crawford in Riyadh Season Las Vegas showdown

Updated 10 June 2025
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Canelo Alvarez to face Terence Crawford in Riyadh Season Las Vegas showdown

  • Fight between 2 of boxing’s biggest generational athletes will be streamed on Netflix
  • They will compete for the unified Super Middleweight championship on Sept. 13

LONDON: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will face off against Terence Crawford on Sept. 13 in Las Vegas, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation, and Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, have announced.

The highly anticipated fight between two of boxing’s biggest generational athletes will be streamed on Netflix for more than 300 million subscribers on the platform.

White, Alashikh and Saudi events firm Sela will collaborate to promote the event, which is part of Riyadh Season.

The showdown will be promoted through a promotional tour with stops in Riyadh on June 20, New York City on June 22 and Las Vegas on June 27.

The venue for the fight in Las Vegas, scheduled for September, will be announced at a later date. The boxers will compete for the unified Super Middleweight championship.

Alalshikh said on Tuesday: “Canelo and Crawford, two legends of boxing, will finally compete against each other in the fight of the century.”

Dana White described the anticipated fight in Las Vegas as historic. He added: “Turki wants to make the biggest fights that the fans want to see in boxing and this is right up my alley ... it’s literally a once in a lifetime fight.”

Mexican star Canelo is ready to prove he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. “I’m super happy to be making history again and this time on a Riyadh Season card that will be broadcast on Netflix,” he said.

Crawford, the undefeated American superstar, is confident that his record speaks for itself. “I am the best fighter in the world and no matter the opponent or weight class, I have always come out on top,” he said.

“On Sept. 13, my hand will be raised once again as the world watches greatness,” Crawford told fans.


Baseball United and Tokyo Broadcasting System launch reality show to find Japan’s next baseball stars

Updated 10 June 2025
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Baseball United and Tokyo Broadcasting System launch reality show to find Japan’s next baseball stars

  • The national competition, ‘Tryout: Plan D,’ will give hopeful players a chance to compete professionally in the Dubai league

DUBAI: A partnership between Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, and leading Japanese broadcaster Tokyo Broadcast System will give young baseball players a shot at becoming professional stars.

The reality show, “Tryout: Plan D,” will feature hundreds of hopefuls competing for two roster spots on the Mid East Falcons, one of Baseball United’s founding franchises. The winners will play for the Falcons during the inaugural season in Dubai, which begins on Nov. 14.

Participants will compete in several stages of the competition, starting in July and ending in November. Ultimately, one pitcher and one batter will be selected after a series of intense challenges measuring skill, mental toughness, physical fitness and passion for the game.

The partnership will be anchored by TBS’s long running and widely respected show, バース・デイ(“Birthday”), a documentary series that has chronicled the triumphs and struggles of athletes across Japan for the last 20 years.

Airing on Friday nights, it explores its subjects’ personal transformations and emotional journeys. “Tryout” will bring to life a compelling mix of reality television, human interest and competitive action, while providing real opportunities for Japanese baseball prospects.

“Japan is one of the greatest baseball nations in the world,” said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Baseball United.

“Baseball is engrained into the culture, history and future of this country. And we know there are a lot of talented players that just need an opportunity to showcase their ability. ‘Tryout’ is more than just a competition — it’s a celebration of culture, a catalyst of opportunity and a testament (to) resilience. We are honored to collaborate with TBS and the legendary ‘Birthday’ team to bring this vision to life.”

Tryout will begin airing on TBS in July, with behind-the-scenes content and exclusive footage shared across Baseball United’s global channels. The two winners will be officially introduced as members of the Mid East Falcons before the team’s game against the Karachi Monarchs on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

“Our program バース・デイ has always sought to showcase the untold stories behind athletic greatness,” said show producer Hidemitsu Takahashi.

“Partnering with Baseball United allows us to elevate that mission by offering young Japanese players the opportunity of a lifetime — to transform their lives through sport, and to do so on a truly international platform. We can’t wait to have our two winners take the field in Dubai.”

Baseball United was co-founded by Shaikh, John Miedreich, and MLB Hall of Famers Barry Larkin and Mariano Rivera in November 2022. Its ownership group now includes 20 MLB legends, including Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre and stars Felix Hernandez, Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Ronald Acuna Jr., Robinson Chirinos, and Matt Barnes. The league currently has four franchises, the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons, who will all compete in the league’s first season from Nov. 14-Dec. 14. All games will be played at Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai.


SHE RUNS 2025: UAE’s largest women’s fitness event set for return

Updated 10 June 2025
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SHE RUNS 2025: UAE’s largest women’s fitness event set for return

  • Previously known as the Women’s Run, it will take place at Expo City on Nov. 2

DUBAI: The UAE’s most iconic women’s fitness event is making a comeback under a new identity titled SHE RUNS.

Reimagined to reflect the spirit of a new generation, the event will take place on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, at Expo City Dubai, celebrating inclusion, strength, and the collective power of women.

Formerly known as the Women’s Run, this 12th edition marks more than a name change, it signals a transformative movement toward wellbeing, leadership, and community connection, according to the organizers.

Participants of all ages and fitness levels — whether running, jogging or walking — can join across multiple race categories, including 1 km, 3 km, 5 km and 10km.

Dedicated tracks for young girls, Emirati women, and People of Determination reflect the event’s commitment to diversity and intergenerational participation.

“In embracing inclusivity, SHE RUNS does not just count miles, it counts moments. Each step is a testament to the power of community driving change,” said Dr. Harmeek Singh, founder and CEO of Plan b Group, the event’s organizing partner.

This year’s edition runs under the banner “For Voices. For Connection. For Change.” This is in alignment with the UAE’s Year of the Community.

Backed by the Dubai Sports Council and integrated into the Dubai Fitness Challenge 30x30, SHE RUNS is also a strategic partner of the Dubai Active Show, further anchoring its role as a national movement in health and wellness.

“SHE RUNS reflects the very essence of what the Dubai Fitness Challenge is about; empowering individuals through movement and bringing communities together in the spirit of wellbeing,” said a spokesperson from the Dubai Sports Council.

Also returning for 2025 is the high-energy SHE RUNS Power Hour, a pre-race activation featuring motivational talks, dynamic group warmups, and outreach programs for schools, universities and corporate teams.


Madrid to host grand prix as Formula One announces 2026 calendar

Updated 10 June 2025
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Madrid to host grand prix as Formula One announces 2026 calendar

  • Spain will host two Formula One grands prix in 2026, with the new race in Madrid joining Barcelona, after organizers on Tuesday announced the calendar for a season

HONG KONG: Spain will host two Formula One grands prix in 2026, with the new race in Madrid joining Barcelona, after organizers on Tuesday announced the calendar for a season that could bring big changes on the grid.
The 2026 campaign will open for the second successive season in Australia at Melbourne’s Albert Park street circuit on March 6-8.
The race in the Spanish capital Madrid is on September 11-13 and will bring the curtain down on the European segment of the season.
The new Madrid circuit will have both street and non-street sectors.
The 24-weekend campaign will again conclude in Abu Dhabi, on December 4-6.
Montreal in Canada will now follow Miami in May to cut down on traveling for the teams.
The 2026 season promises to look radically different with Cadillac becoming the 11th team on the grid and sweeping new regulations on aerodynamics and power units.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, said: “Next year’s FIA Formula One World Championship marks a significant new chapter for our sport.
“A new race, new teams, and the arrival of new manufacturers, all ushering in a fresh era of innovation and competition.”

Formula One 2026 calendar:
March 6-8: Melbourne, Australia
March 13-15: Shanghai, China
March 27-29: Suzuka, Japan
April 10-12: Sakhir, Bahrain
April 17-19: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
May 1-3: Miami, United States
May 22-24: Montreal, Canada
June 5-7: Monaco
June 12-14: Barcelona, Spain
June 26-28: Spielberg, Austria
July 3-5: Silverstone, Great Britain
July 17-19: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
July 24-26: Budapest, Hungary
August 21-23: Zandvoort, Netherlands
Sept 4-6: Monza, Italy
Sept 11-13: Madrid, Spain
Sept 25-27: Baku, Azerbaijan
Oct 9-11 Singapore
Oct 23-25 Austin, United States
Oct 30-Nov 1: Mexico City, Mexico
Nov 6-8 Sao Paulo, Brazil
Nov 19-21 Las Vegas, United States
Nov 27-29 Lusail, Qatar
Dec 4-6: Abu Dhabi, UAE


Italy struggle but give sacked Spalletti winning send-off against Moldova

Updated 10 June 2025
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Italy struggle but give sacked Spalletti winning send-off against Moldova

  • Italy’s first threat came when defender Luca Ranieri, making his international debut, hit the crossbar with a header, and they found the breakthrough five minutes before the break

ITALY: Sacked Italy manager Luciano Spalletti bowed out with a victory after his side labored to an uninspired 2-0 home win over Moldova in their World Cup qualification match on Monday thanks to goals from Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso.
Spalletti announced his own dismissal on Sunday following Italy’s 3-0 loss in Norway in their opening group game on Friday, but took charge for one final time where again the performance showed why a change of leadership was required.
Norway, who won 1-0 in Estonia with Erling Haaland netting the winner, top Group I on 12 points from four games, with Israel on six points after three matches while Italy are third with three points from their two games.
“I asked the guys to let me go out with a victory,” Spalletti told Sky Sport shortly before kickoff.
While his players duly obliged, it was perhaps a fitting end to Spalletti’s time on the bench as another lacklustre showing failed to light up a far from full Stadio Citta del Tricolore.
With Italy’s slow, predictable build-up play failing to break through the visitors’ rearguard, the hosts were given an early wake-up call when Ion Nicolaescu found the net only for his goal to be ruled out for offside.
Italy’s first threat came when defender Luca Ranieri, making his international debut, hit the crossbar with a header, and they found the breakthrough five minutes before the break.
A headed clearance fell to Raspadori in the box who struck first time into the bottom corner but Moldova almost levelled before halftime when Oleg Reabciuk’s shot from distance was parried away by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Artur Ionita’s follow-up effort went wide of the far post and Daniel Dumbravanu’s header from a corner was cleared off the line by Federico Dimarco as Italy hung onto their lead.
Italy doubled their lead five minutes into the second half when substitute Riccardo Orsolini sent a low cross into the area which Davide Frattesi knocked on to Cambiaso who fired past keeper Cristian Avram.
The two-goal cushion failed to inspire Italy. Frattesi was sent through on goal from a ball over the top by Alessandro Bastoni but he sent his shot straight at the keeper and Moldova continued to create chances of their own.
“We struggled again tonight,” Spalletti told Rai Sport.
“When you are the coach of the national team you cannot have alibis because he chooses the players and if they don’t do well he can change them.”
Spalletti’s name was booed by large sections of the crowd when read out before kickoff, and the game failed to improve the mood, and Italian fans will hope for better when a replacement, rumored to be Claudio Ranieri, is installed.