Saudi Arabia embraces its first-ever female basketball generation

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The Jeddah Swish Basketball Academy has organized its first ever female Saudi Basketball Tournament with the Saudi Basketball Federation in Jeddah and Riyadh. (Supplied)
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Abrar Alghamri, one of the best Swish basketball female team players. (Supplied)
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Dareen Sabban, a Saudi basketball player in Swish team. (Supplied)
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Updated 16 February 2022
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Saudi Arabia embraces its first-ever female basketball generation

  • They have great potential, just need fine-tuning, says CEO of the Jeddah Swish Basketball Academy

JEDDAH: With basketball in hand, Saudi basketball player Mohanned Shobain has successfully scored many hoops in life and on the court.

Shobain is the CEO of the Jeddah Swish Basketball Academy and one of the first Saudi coaches to train Saudi female basketball players. He is also a licensed coach from FIBA (International Basketball Federation), and is currently in the second year of pursuing his FIBA Europe Coaching Certificate, which will enable him to coach anywhere in the world.
A Saudi Premier League champion, Shobain said: “I am the only Saudi and one of the two people selected from Asia to take this course. I am so thankful that I’ve been picked along with another Japanese coach because only NBA coaches take this course. It’s a very, very powerful license.”
For Shobain, basketball is more than just a sport.
“It’s a passion, and I feel like I can influence a lot of people to change the way they think, their mind toward the sport itself. It is not just a hobby, but it’s a lifestyle, and  we can learn a lot from being inside the court such as dealing with people during the game, communication, leadership, sportsmanship, and anger management among others. It has taught me a lot of life lessons.”




Abrar Alghamri, one of the best Swish basketball female team players. (Supplied)

After Shobain completed his master’s degree from Cleveland State University in 2016, he wanted to help the Saudi community through sports. “I saw there was a lot of demand in basketball as both male and female were hungry to learn,” he said, adding, “and, the programs that we had were exactly what they needed.”
In 2017, Shobain opened the doors to the Jeddah Swish Basketball Academy for budding basketball players both male and female. The academy played a pivotal role for Saudi female basketball players and coaches as it offered them both training programs and opportunities to grow.
The teams from the Swish academy have participated in national and international tournaments. “We have taken the girls’ team to Romania, Bucharest to play a three-on-three World Cup qualification tournament in 2019. We also took our boys team to Dubai once in 2018, and we’ve hosted the Saudi Kingdom Cup here in Jeddah in 2021,” he said proudly.




 Dareen Sabban, a Saudi basketball player in Swish team. (Supplied)

Shobain feels the new generation of Saudi female basketball has great potential, they just “need fine-tuning.”
“I do see that there’s a lot of skill, a lot of good talent, a lot of good potential. They just need the right training, the right equipment, and opportunity, such as this opportunity of playing in the Saudi Basketball Tournament to develop their game, gain experience, and influence others to love and start playing basketball.”

They just need the right training, the right equipment, and opportunity to develop their game, gain experience, and influence others to love and start playing basketball.

Mohanned Shobain, CEO of the Jeddah Swish Basketball Academy

The Jeddah Swish Basketball Academy has organized its first ever female Saudi Basketball Tournament with the Saudi Basketball Federation in Jeddah and Riyadh, which started on Jan. 22 and will finish on March 3.
During this summer, Shobain will take the girl’s basketball team to Europe for a basketball camp to further develop their skills. “The aim of this basketball camp is to get them ready for next year’s female Saudi Basketball Tournament,” said Shobain, who has previously assisted in coaching the Cleveland State basketball female team.




Coach Mohannad Shobain: a Saudi premier league champion and is a FIBA licensed coach, the CEO of Swish Academy in Jeddah. (Supplied)

Saudi Arabia is embracing its first-ever female basketball generation.
“The performance is not expected to be of any comparison to WNBA level, but still, it’s just incredible to see these girls do what they do since they don’t have existing face-to-face role models here that they can talk to and see when it comes to female sports,” he said.
Dareen Sabban, 28, has been playing basketball since she was 17. She now wants to become a certified basketball player, recently joining one of Swish’s coaching programs. “I played with my university team at the first women’s basketball tournament at Al-Johara for an event that was organized by the Ministry of Health and the General Sports Authority in 2021, and we won first place,” said Sabban, who was also part of the Swish girls’ basketball team that went to Romania.
Sabban wishes to represent Saudi Arabia in basketball internationally and bring laurels to her country by winning championships and setting an example for future generations to take up the sport professionally. “Currently, I’m playing with my Swish team at the female Saudi Basketball Tournament and we have qualified for the semifinals,” she said.
Abrar Alghamri, 33, is another member of the Swish team and has been playing basketball since she was 10.
She told Arab News that basketball had taught her how to be patient, how to keep putting in efforts until you succeed and are satisfied with your performance. “It taught me sportsmanship, and how to deal with failures and successes. I realized that while I’m playing basketball, I’m learning about life as much as I’m learning about the game,” she said.


Saudi fighters shine as PFL MENA Championship delivers spectacular action in Riyadh

Updated 10 sec ago
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Saudi fighters shine as PFL MENA Championship delivers spectacular action in Riyadh

  • Hattan Alsaif, Abdullah Al-Qahtani wow the crowd on electrifying night

RIYADH: The Saudi duo of MMA fighters, Hattan Alsaif and Abdullah Al-Qahtani, shone at the PFL MENA Championship on an electrifying night in Riyadh.

The PFL (Professional Fighters League) delivered an evening of spectacular MMA action which showcased local and international talent while solidifying Saudi Arabia’s place on the global MMA stage.

The event featured a mix of thrilling showcase bouts and championship matches, leaving fans captivated by the high-level competition.

Costello van Steenis began the night with an impressive first-round knockout victory over Joao Dantas, landing a head kick at just 48 seconds. The win improved his career record to 16-3 and marked his fourth career knockout, maintaining his strong form of four victories in his last five fights.

Asael Adjoudj impressed in the featherweight division, securing a third-round guillotine choke submission against Jose Perez. The victory extended his remarkable winning streak to nine, bringing his career record to 9-1. Adjoudj remains undefeated since his professional debut loss, highlighting his rapid rise in the division.

Gabriel Braga bounced back from his PFL playoff semifinal loss with a unanimous decision win over Jeremy Kennedy. With his career record now at 15-2, Braga demonstrated resilience and technical skill, reaffirming his status as a top featherweight contender.

Slim Trabelsi continued his undefeated run with a hard-fought split-decision victory in a clash of unbeaten heavyweights against Englishman Abraham Bably. Utilizing his powerful striking and determination, Trabelsi improved his record to 8-0, showcasing his potential to rise further in the division.

On the Saudi front, Hattan Alsaif delivered a highlight-reel moment with a stunning knockout win over Lilia Osmani, further establishing herself as a fighter to watch.

The night’s crowning achievements came with two championship bouts. Abdullah Al-Qahtani secured the PFL MENA Featherweight Championship in front of his hometown crowd with a dominant first-round TKO against Marouane Bellagouit. The 26-year-old Riyadh native improved his record to 10-2, adding his fourth career knockout and earning his place as a hometown hero.

Egypt’s Omar El Dafrawy claimed the PFL MENA Welterweight Championship with a second-round TKO over Mohammad Alaqraa. The victory not only extended El Dafrawy’s winning streak to seven but also avenged a previous loss to Alaqraa. Now boasting a 13-6 record with eight knockouts, El Dafrawy demonstrated his growth and determination, cementing his status as a dominant force in the division.

The PFL MENA Championship in Riyadh was a landmark event for MMA in Saudi Arabia, showcasing the region’s growing talent and passion for the sport. With electrifying performances and enthusiastic support from local fans, the event marked another milestone in Saudi Arabia’s journey as a key player in the global MMA landscape.


Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund takes a stake in Audi’s future F1 team

The deal was announced deal announced at the Qatar Grand Prix which takes place this weekend. (AFP)
Updated 47 min 54 sec ago
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Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund takes a stake in Audi’s future F1 team

  • the Qatar Investment Authority will be “a long-term investor and partner” in the Audi F1 team

LUSAIL, Qatar: The sovereign wealth fund of Qatar is acquiring a “significant minority stake” in what will become Audi’s works Formula 1 team from 2026, in a deal announced Friday at the Qatar Grand Prix.
A joint statement said the Qatar Investment Authority will be “a long-term investor and partner” and provide “a substantial capital injection” that will help the team expand its infrastructure.
The team is currently competing as Sauber and will be rebranded as the Audi works outfit for 2026 after it reached agreement for a full takeover earlier this year.
“This additional capital will accelerate the team’s growth and is yet another milestone on our long-term strategy,” Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner said in the joint statement.
Qatar is already an investor in the Volkswagen Group, of which Audi is a part.
“QIA believes that Formula 1 is a sport with significant untapped investment potential,” QIA chief executive Mohammed Saif Al-Sowaidi said.
“The increasing commercialization of professional sports as an entertainment offering globally, and the increasingly global popularity of Formula 1, has made for an exciting opportunity for our first major motorsports investment.”
Sauber is changing both of its drivers for 2025, when Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto arrive to replace Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
It is the only team yet to score a point this season. Bottas placed 13th and Zhou 19th in Friday’s qualifying for the Saturday sprint race, which was the first competitive session since the agreement was announced.


GT World Challenge title to go down to the wire in Jeddah finale

Updated 29 November 2024
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GT World Challenge title to go down to the wire in Jeddah finale

  • The 6 Hours of Jeddah race marks the final race of the GTWC season with Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari battling it out for the title

JEDDAH: Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed topped Friday’s Free Practice in the GT World Challenge finale at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with Jules Gounon leading the way in a two-hour session that began in daylight and ended with the sun setting over the Red Sea. 

The 6 Hours of Jeddah race marks the final race of the GTWC season with Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari battling it out for the title.

Gounon was the first driver to break the two-minute barrier, posting a 1m 59.839s at the halfway mark. He subsequently shaved a further three hundredths of this to end Free Practice with a 1m 59.804s. 

Matteo Cairoli came within touching distance of Gounon’s benchmark with a 1m 59.894s during the final 30 minutes. In doing so, the Iron Lynx Lamborghini jumped ahead of Maro Engel, whose time of 2m 00.093s demonstrated that the Mercedes Team Mann-Filter entry is fully up to speed following its testing accident on Thursday.

Gold Cup title favorite Sainteloc Racing placed fourth overall with Gilles Magnus at the wheel of the Audi. The Rutronik Racing Porsche continued the strong pace it demonstrated on Thursday by placing fifth overall and leading the Bronze Cup thanks to Loek Hartog.

The Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG was sixth, followed by the title-chasing AF Corse Francorchamps Motors Ferrari.

Sainteloc Racing also paced the Silver Cup with its #26 Audi. Kobe Pauwels posted a 2m 00.494s to place 19th overall. A total of 47 cars were on-track during Free Practice following the withdrawal of the Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin, which crashed during Thursday’s Bronze Test. 

In contrast with Thursday’s sessions, Free Practice brought almost no on-track incidents. A number of cars brushed the wall as they tested the limits of the high-speed Jeddah circuit, but there were no stoppages during the two-hour run.

However, there was more bad news for the Walkenhorst squad, which suffered a serious fire in one of its Aston Martins. No one was harmed in the incident, though the car’s continued participation in the event is unclear.  


Norris boosts McLaren title hopes with sprint pole

Updated 29 November 2024
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Norris boosts McLaren title hopes with sprint pole

  • Norris clocked a best time in one minute and 21.012 seconds to outpace Russell, the winner in Nevada, by just 0.063 seconds at the end of a closely-fought session
  • Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren was third

DOHA: Lando Norris lifted the spirits of his title-chasing McLaren team on Friday when he powered to pole position ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell in qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix.
After a disappointing outing in Las Vegas, where his drivers’ title hopes ended as Max Verstappen clinched his fourth championship with Red Bull, the British driver was back on top form under the lights at the Lusail International Circuit.
Norris clocked a best time in one minute and 21.012 seconds to outpace Russell, the winner in Nevada, by just 0.063 seconds at the end of a closely-fought session. Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren was third.
“It’s tough,” said Norris of his laps and the speed of the track.
“It is so quick around here. It feels like the quickest of the year and in the final sector you feel like you are just hanging on.
“I want to win and I want to win every session as a driver. Our target tomorrow is a one-two so we maximize the points for our constructors’ but we know Mercedes and Ferrari will be quick.”
The Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc qualified fourth and fifth ahead of Verstappen and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes, an outcome that was not enough to buoy hopes that the Italian team can stop McLaren claiming their first constructors’ title in 26 years.
Pierre Gasly took an impressive eighth for Alpine ahead of Nico Hulkenberg of Haas and RB’s Liam Lawson.
McLaren hold a 24 points lead in the teams’ title race with 608 to Ferrari on 584.
With two Grands Prix remaining, including one sprint, McLaren can clinch the title with a dominant weekend ahead of Ferrari in both the sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.
In cooling conditions with temperatures of 19 (air) and 22 (track) falling as darkness descended, Kevin Magnussen set the early benchmark time for Haas in 1:23.750 before the ‘big boys’ joined the fray, Sainz soon going top.
Norris then gave notice of his intentions with a lap in 1:22.785, but it was not enough as speeds increased with the drop in temperature and Ferrari took advantage with Leclerc and Sainz on top.
With three minutes remaining in SQ1, Norris bounced back in 1:22.021, a time Russell equalled exactly with the same lap time. Piastri, last year’s winner, went fourth, six-tenths off his team-mate’s best time.
Norris trimmed his time to 1:21.356 in the final seconds to finish four-tenths clear of Sainz, six-tenths ahead of Russell and Verstappen with Hamilton fifth.
But it was another painful session for Sergio Perez of Red Bull who exited in Q1 along with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Zhou Guanyu of Sauber and Williams’ Franco Colapinto.
As prescribed, all of the cars ran on medium compound tires and nearly all of them were under investigation by the stewards for driving too slowly, at times, in SQ1 as they ‘backed up’ to seek a ‘tow’.
The SQ2 segment began with Verstappen on top before Leclerc took over in 1:22.130 and then Piastri in 1:22.050, the leading teams all very clothed matched.
With two minutes to go, Norris was back in control in 1:22.231 ahead of Russell and Piastri with Verstappen fourth until Hamilton knocked him down to fifth ahead of the two Ferraris.
Out this time went two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Williams’ Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas of Sauber, Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin and Magnussen.
The top ten shootout began with Leclerc in a hurry to clock 1:21.706, as they all switched to softs, Norris lapping in 1:21.012 for top spot with Piastri a tenth down in second. McLaren looked imperious.


Defending champions MI Emirates to play Dubai Capitals in DP World ILT20 season opener

Season 3 of the DP World ILT20 will kick off on Jan. 11. (CREIMAS / ILT20)
Updated 29 November 2024
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Defending champions MI Emirates to play Dubai Capitals in DP World ILT20 season opener

  • “We are set for a bigger and better edition” says CEO David White ahead of Jan. 11 start

DUBAI: Season three of the DP World International League T20 will begin with a blockbuster clash between defending champions MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium in a rematch of last season’s final. The first ball will be delivered at 6:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, Jan. 11.

The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will launch their campaign with a home game against season one finalists the Desert Vipers on Jan.12 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi. In the evening game on the same day, season one champions Gulf Giants will face the Sharjah Warriorz at the DIS. The first match of the season at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium will be a clash between Sharjah Warriorz and Dubai Capitals on Friday, Jan. 17.

DP World ILT20 CEO David White said: “We are set for a bigger and better edition of the DP World International League T20 as we unveil the schedule for season three. Our six teams have gathered a line-up of world-class T20 stars besides the best of the UAE talent who will combine to provide rich entertainment to cricket fans during the 34-match tournament.”

Fifteen tournament matches will be played at DIS, Zayed Cricket Stadium will host 11, while the Sharjah Cricket Stadium will host eight. Evening games will begin at 6:30 local time on weekdays and at 6:00 on the weekends. On the double-header weekends, the afternoon games will be played at 2:00.

The month-long tournament will conclude at DIS on Sunday, Feb. 9.

The six DP World ILT20 franchises have retained cricket superstars including Andre Russell (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Sunil Narine (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Alex Hales (Desert Vipers), Sherfane Rutherford (Desert Vipers), David Warner (Dubai Capitals), Rovman Powell (Dubai Capitals), Chris Jordan (Gulf Giants), Shimron Hetmyer (Gulf Giants), Akeal Hossein (MI Emirates), Nicholas Pooran (MI Emirates), Adil Rashid (Sharjah Warriorz) and Johnson Charles (Sharjah Warriorz).

Additionally, Jason Roy (Sharjah Warriorz), Fakhar Zaman (Desert Vipers), Shai Hope (Dubai Capitals), Lockie Ferguson (Desert Vipers), Roston Chase (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Matthew Wade (Sharjah Warriorz), Ibrahim Zadran (Gulf Giants) and Romario Shepherd (MI Emirates) will make their DP World ILT20 debuts this season.

Additional UAE players will be selected next week.

“The DP World ILT20’s glittering trophy is one of the most sought-after prizes in the cricket calendar and we expect a fierce battle between the global superstars who will be giving it their all for their respective franchise,” White said.

“In the coming days we will be launching tickets with special offers for both the diehards and fans while encouraging families to come in numbers especially during the weekends at our fan carnivals at the stadiums in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

“The weather across the UAE will be ideal for cricket for both afternoon and night games. For fans and tourists that are set to visit the country, the DP World ILT20 is surely an experience they cannot afford to miss,” he added.