MANCHESTER: Marcus Rashford scored for a fourth consecutive game as Manchester United eased to a 3-0 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League on Tuesday to cement its place in the top four.
Casemiro and Luke Shaw had already netted for United before Rashford added the third on his return to the team after being dropped against Wolverhampton for oversleeping and missing a meeting.
Rashford came off the bench to score the winner against Wolves and was on target again against Bournemouth in a result that had a routine feel, something which has been missing at Old Trafford in recent times but which is returning as manager Erik ten Hag shifts the mentality of the club.
United was not at its free-flowing best — Casemiro’s goal was the only shot on target in the first half — but did not need to be against an opponent that never looked threatening.
United is in fourth place and tied on points with third-place Newcastle. It was a fourth home league win in a row without conceding for the first time since 2017, a sign of United’s rediscovered resilience.
Ten Hag has certainly altered the mood around the club but the back four came straight from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign as Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were both restored at center half while Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Shaw were the full backs.
Lisandro Martinez, available again after Argentina’s World Cup victory, was limited to an 88th-minute introduction after parading his winner’s medal before kickoff.
United’s breakthrough came from a set piece after Rashford drew a foul from Adam Smith on the left. Christian Eriksen floated in a ball that Casemiro met at the near post to guide home on the volley.
Donny van de Beek did not finish the first half because he was sent hobbling from the field by a poor challenge from Marcos Senesi.
Alejandro Garnacho was sent on to replace him, and had an assist just four minutes into the second half as United took advantage of the lots of space left by the Bournemouth defense.
Shaw carried the ball from his own half, shifted it to the right, and then arrived to apply the finish as Garnacho rolled the ball back into the box.
Anthony Martial headed straight down the tunnel with a potential injury when he was replaced in the 69th minute, but United kept pushing and Garnacho bent a shot against the outside of the post.
A third goal seemed inevitable and duly arrived in the 86th minute when Bruno Fernandes’ lay-off set up Rashford to sidefoot into an empty net.
United ended the night only one point behind Manchester City, which visits Chelsea on Thursday before coming to Old Trafford on Jan. 14.
Man United beats Bournemouth 3-0, Rashford scores again
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Man United beats Bournemouth 3-0, Rashford scores again
- United is in fourth place and tied on points with third-place Newcastle
How a fighter pilot’s mental techniques helped tiny Bodø/Glimt reach the Europa League semifinals
“It is a fairy tale, almost a miracle,” Mannsverk told AP
OSLO: How did an unheralded Norwegian team from a tiny town north of the Arctic Circle become one of the fairytale stories of European soccer?
For Bodø/Glimt, the transformation has been underpinned by a fighter pilot who developed mental techniques for his squadron before bombing missions in Libya.
Bjørn Mannsverk discovered a group of players exuding negative energy and prone to “a collective mental breakdown” when he was asked in early 2017 to join the backroom staff of a team that had just been relegated to Norway’s second tier.
His task as “mental coach” at Bodø/Glimt? To make players talk openly about their feelings, lower stress levels, change their attitudes and routines about things like preparation and nutrition, and remove the stigma around mental training.
Winning or losing no longer mattered. It was all about following a philosophy and culture established by Mannsverk, a former Royal Norwegian air force squadron leader whose military duties took him to Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks and to Libya for a NATO-led intervention in 2011.
The results have been extraordinary.
After securing an immediate return to Norway’s top division, the team — based more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north of Oslo in a fishing town, Bodø, with a population of around 55,000 — have captured four of the country’s last five league titles. It started in 2020 with a first in the history of a club founded in 1916.
Bodø/Glimt have also had some big results in Europe in recent seasons — a 6-1 thrashing of Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the Conference League 2021 stands out — and this year they have become the first Norwegian club to reach the semifinals of a major European competition.
The first leg against Tottenham in the Europa League takes place in London on Thursday. It’s Bodø/Glimt’s biggest ever match.
“It is a fairy tale, almost a miracle,” Mannsverk told AP in a video interview. “How can you actually come from (Norway’s) second division in 2017 to playing a Champions League playoff and teams like Arsenal five years later?
“But I think it’s possible ... if you have the right mentality and you work hard over time.”
An active air force pilot for more than 20 years, Mannsverk and others in his squadron were the subjects of a mental training project in 2010 where the focus was on meditation and “every day repeating boring stuff, but with 100 percent attention.”
It meant that when he was in Libya the following year, he had the mental capacity to handle the dangerous missions he was asked to perform. His squadron’s mantra — “train as you intend to fight” — worked.
“Even though I got strong feelings when my first bombs hit the target and it was in infernal flames and fragments and everything,” he said, “it was like, ‘My training said that it’s OK, this is happening, recognize that, but know I have to return and do my job.’”
With Bodø until recently having a NATO air base, it was simply a happy coincidence that Bodø/Glimt’s leadership came across members of the squadron at the same time as they were seeking a “silver bullet” — as Mannsverk put it — to improve the team’s mental conditioning.
A project was born and fully embraced by manager Kjetil Knutsen following his appointment in 2018.
Bodø/Glimt have never looked back.
Mannsverk’s fingerprints are all over the team’s behavior, though he acknowledges there has been such a buy-in by the players that they now take decisions by themselves.
Like having a rotating cast of eight captains to share leadership duties. Like when the players gather into a circle — Mannsverk calls it the “Bodø/Glimt Ring” — after conceding a goal to discuss what happened and maintain solidarity. Like the players having no specific targets, apart from being the best version of themselves.
Inge Henning Andersen, Bodø/Glimt’s chairman, told the AP that midfielder Ulrik Saltnes considered retiring because he used to suffer from stress-related stomach issues that flared up around matches. Saltnes opened up about his problems to Mannsverk and “finally found a way out of it,” Andersen said.
The team play at an intensity that far exceeds its rivals, which players attribute to Mannsverk.
“I don’t think it would be possible to play like that without Bjørn and the mental work we do,” Saltnes once told the BBC.
This season’s Europa League campaign is giving Bodø/Glimt widespread attention, notably for its location. The team’s Aspmyra stadium — with a capacity of less than 9,000 — is one of the most northernly in world soccer at 67 degrees latitude. Tourists have long come to the town on the tip of Norway’s west coast because it is a good spot to see the northern lights.
Bodø, named the European Capital of Culture in 2024, has less than an hour of sunlight during its shortest days, meaning players take supplements to combat a lack of sunlight. It can be bitterly cold and windy in the long winters, making for tough trips for opponents from other countries.
On paper, Tottenham, one of the world’s richest clubs, start as a huge favorite against Bodø/Glimt. The crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday will be bigger than Bodø’s population.
Yet the English club are having one of their worst seasons in a generation and currently lies in 16th place in the 20-team Premier League. It gives Bodø/Glimt a realistic shot at an upset, like they produced when getting past Italian team Lazio in the quarterfinals.
Another chance, then, for the club to write another amazing chapter in their remarkable journey.
“We like to tell our story,” Mannsverk said. “The philosophy is a good thing. We know it’s difficult in football, where there’s so much money involved, to give a coach or a team the time. And it takes time to change and drill in the mentality.
“This was not done overnight ... but I’m totally convinced that it will work more or less all over.”
Saudi Esports Federation, PUBG MOBILE unite to forge new era for Kingdom’s esports scene
- Partnership creates unprecedented opportunities for Saudi players, fueling record participation
- Champion of PUBG MOBILE National Championship KSA will be sent to $3m PUBG MOBILE World Cup
Riyadh: The Saudi Esports Federation, the national body of esports in the Kingdom, and PUBG MOBILE, one of the world’s most popular mobile games, announced the signing of a landmark memorandum of understanding, marking a pivotal moment in the development of the Kingdom’s esports ecosystem.
The strategic alliance aligns PUBG MOBILE’s local community with the SEF’s national esports development objectives, and is expected to create unprecedented opportunities for Saudi players.
It integrates the PUBG MOBILE National Championship into the SEF’s Saudi eLeague, making it the main PUBG MOBILE competition within the national circuit. This alignment strengthens the SEF’s grassroots-to-pro structure and embeds PMNC as a core component of Saudi Arabia’s official esports calendar.
The MoU has already yielded record-breaking results, further streamlining the pathway from amateur to professional for aspiring Saudi players.
In addition to PMNC’s role, the partnership encompasses broader development through the SEF Academy and university leagues — ensuring a structured and sustainable talent pipeline for PUBG MOBILE players in Saudi Arabia.
And as a direct consequence of the collaboration, the champion of PMNC KSA, held within SEL, will now earn a coveted spot to compete at the prestigious PUBG MOBILE World Cup, held as part of the Esports World Cup later this year.
The PMWC boasts a staggering $3 million prize pool, solidifying its position as one of the most sought-after global PUBG MOBILE tournaments, with the opportunity representing a monumental step for Saudi players by offering them a chance to showcase their skills on the world stage and to compete for a life-changing prize.
“Through strategic collaborations with leading titles such as PUBG MOBILE, we are expanding opportunities for our players, building sustainable pathways to international competition, and accelerating the development of a dynamic and thriving esports ecosystem,” said Prince Faisal Bin Bandar, president of the federation.
“We are proud to see Saudi talent rise to the global stage and look forward to inspiring future generations to pursue esports excellence,” he added.
Vincent Wang, head of PUBG MOBILE Publishing, Tencent Games, said that PUBG MOBILE “is deeply committed to fostering the growth of esports in Saudi Arabia, and this MoU with the Saudi Esports Federation is a testament to that commitment.
“We are thrilled to provide the Kingdom’s players a clear pathway to the global stage, starting with the PMNC KSA champion’s journey to the PUBG MOBILE World Cup. We believe this partnership will unlock the immense potential of Saudi esports and inspire a new generation of champions,” he added.
The impact of the partnership is already clear, with PMNC KSA witnessing record-breaking player registrations, surpassing all previous PUBG MOBILE tournaments in the Kingdom.
“By embedding PUBG MOBILE into our structured leagues and talent development programs, we are enabling players to compete at a professional standard from an early stage,” said Meshal Al-Qabbani, executive director of esports at the Saudi Esports Federation. “We look forward to witnessing a new wave of Saudi talent rise through the ranks and achieve international success through this historic collaboration.”
The surge in players highlights the growing enthusiasm for PUBG MOBILE esports in Saudi Arabia, as well as the strength of the collaboration between PUBG MOBILE and the SEF.
The MoU announcement coincides with the culmination of PMNC KSA, where the champion will be crowned, awarded $26,000 and have their ticket to the PMWC metaphorically punched.
Time to be positive about the Pakistan Super League, says Sameen Rana
- Co-owner and COO of the Lahore Qalandars spoke to Arab News about the decade-old league and the challenges of biking a team
DUBAI: Viewed from several perspectives, it is a real achievement that the Pakistan Super League has reached its 10th year intact. It has survived COVID-19, regular changes in leadership at both Pakistan Cricket Board and political level, on-going unrest, spot-fixing, the rise of competing leagues, security issues and a seeming indifference to it outside of Pakistan.
The original contract between the PCB/PSL and the franchises contained a clause to review their value after 10 years. This now a bone of contention. It was revealed as such during an interview conducted by Arab News with Sameen Rana, co-owner and chief operating officer of the Lahore Qalandars. In a wide-ranging discussion, the motivation for the initial purchase was highlighted, followed by the challenges of building a team and an identity, concluding with a consideration of future prospects.
Rana was clear that the original motivation was “love of the country because the business model did not make sense. It was not something that was going to make money. At time of set up, the Indian Premier League was excluding Pakistani players — for us it was very much a national cause, and we wanted to do it for the country.”
It is apparent from comments made by owners of the other four original franchises that this was a common motivation. Together, the original five paid $93 million for 10 years, in a range of $5 million to $25 million.
Having made their investments, the owners were faced with building a squad of players, coaches and support staff. Rana admitted that this was a challenge. The first year was played in the UAE and, from a personal view he did not like it “as it was not the Pakistani tournament, playing in empty stadiums with small crowds who were brought in via the networks of the franchises.” However, there were “logistical benefits for the overseas players and it also meant that it allowed domestic players to play at a time when international cricket was not being played in Pakistan.”
In 2017, the PSL was played again in the UAE, but the final was played in Lahore. This was a highlight for Rana, seeing the stadium in Lahore jam-packed. The owners “had invested for the country, for the cause, and that that only became live when played in Pakistan.” Yet, that euphoria was tempered by the realities of running a cricket franchise. Rana openly emphasized that he, his brothers and others involved were businesspeople, new to cricket.
“We had no background in cricket at all. This meant we had to learn on the job. Looking back at the first year of the draft, we were unlucky in terms of the emerging category, because we had the last pick. This meant that we could not pick the players whom we wanted and the squad was not up to scratch.”
Lahore Qalandars struggled in the early years, being eliminated in the group stages. Rana revealed that they “felt disadvantaged in building a competitive squad because the more successful franchises were able to retain up to 16 players.” This meant that the top players were unavailable to the Qalandars. A different strategy was needed to build a core squad.
Rana said: “All we were hearing from various players and cricket stakeholders was that there is no talent. So, we decided to challenge that by going into the streets of Pakistan, initiating a player development program, supported by a lot of personal resources, providing player salaries, facilities for development and sending them abroad to play and learn. In this way, we have found new talent and provided the youth of Pakistan with an opportunity to make their career and to achieve their dreams through a fast-track program.”
The strategy worked to such good effect that the Qalandars finished runners-up in 2020 and champions in both 2022 and 2023. Now, there are new challenges to face, as the PSL prepares for its second decade. Disquiet has been expressed publicly by Ali Tareen of the Multan Sultans, suggesting that “the PSL’s marketing has declined, and the excitement around the tournament has also diminished compared to previous years.”
Rana disagrees with any suggestion that the PSL has lost its momentum. He takes the view that, whilst there are challenges to be faced and overcome, the PSL has been a force for good. “Ten years ago, there was no Lahore Qalandars, there was no PSL, there were no opportunities for the younger players to earn financially or to showcase their talent. There were no foreign players coming, there was no competitiveness. We were only dependent on the domestic T20 tournament, which few people watch. So, we have come a long way.”
However, he highlights a key challenge which is being faced. This is the new contract with the PSL. It seems that what the PSL has put on the table is renewal at either the current price, plus 25 percent, or the current price plus a new valuation of each team. At present, the new valuation is not available. Rana’s concern is that this potential hike in fee fails to recognize the part which franchises have played in building the brands.
He argues that “if you have worked hard to do this for the betterment of the PSL, then you are ending up paying more money as a fee, rather than getting credit for the work done. If Lahore Qalandars had not undertaken a player development program, then our valuation would be lower. This contradiction is a fundamental problem in the contract and against the objective of any contract, because it is encouraging the investor to do nothing.”
Franchises have revealed that it has taken years to overcome losses and not all of them have yet done so. A public statement from the owner of the Karachi Kings, Salman Iqbal, suggested that “if teams are still not generating profits in the current environment, the problem likely lies with their own operational models rather than the league itself.”
What must be galling for the franchise owners is that during 10 years of building loyal fanbases, enhancing commercial strategies and honing marketing strategies, the body which has consistently made money is the PSL and, by extension, the PCB.
A detailed financial analysis is beyond the scope of this column but such an analysis would reveal that the PSL has bankrolled the PCB for years. Only the return of international cricket to Pakistan, which has generated ICC and ACC revenues, has changed the balance. It is understandable that the franchise owners might feel under appreciated. The PSL was born in exile, nurtured amid political chaos, and sustained by franchise owners who have lost money. They invested for Pakistan. The PSL survived and gave creditability to Pakistan’s cricketing reputation.
Rana requests that “everybody remains positive and not create a culture of negativity, which can only damage Pakistan. The PSL has the future of players attached to it, plus a range of economic activity, so that should not be destroyed.”
In that context, it might be assumed that now is the time for the PCB to recognize the debt they owe to franchise owners, rather than run the risk of alienating them.
It is fair to say that the PCB/PSL stands at a crossroads. The return of international cricket provides an opportunity for the PCB to see the contribution which the franchises have made to that outcome. The love which they have displayed for the country through their PSL investment amounts to an act of faith. Whether that faith will be reciprocated in the negotiations to come or whether the PCB will seek, or be forced, to lever increased value for the rights to franchise is a matter now being played out. Once again, the PSL’s future is under pressure and Rana has pinpointed the central issue.
Winners of Saudi Coastal Rowing Championships crowned
- Darin Beach contest featured 46 male and female competitors in nine different categories
- Event aimed to promote the sport and discover athletes with championship caliber
JUBAIL: Mu’ayyad Al-Rashidi won the men’s singles and Haya Al-Mami won the women’s singles at the Saudi Coastal Rowing Championships at Darin Beach in Jubail, which ended on Tuesday.
The event, organized by the Saudi Rowing Federation, attracted 46 male and female competitors, competing in nine different categories.
The two days of action were aimed at promoting the sport and discovering athletes with championship caliber.
In other results, Israa Qadri and Turki Al-Arif took first place in the mixed doubles.
Rad’an Al-Dosari triumphed in the under 23 youth singles, while Abdullah Al-Mami won the under 19 junior singles title.
Al-Jazi Al-Ibrahim took first place in the under 19 girls’ singles and Shams Abu Al-Ainain won the under 17 girls’ singles.
Ahmed Al-Qahtani and Dhari Al-Enezi snatched victory in the under 17 junior doubles.
Ali Husain Alireza, chairman of the board of the Saudi Rowing Federation, and Dha’ar bin Shuja’a Al-Mutairi, director-general of support services at the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, attended the event.
Alireza praised the outstanding technical level of the championship and congratulated the winners on their achievements.
He said that the championship represented an important step in promoting rowing, expanding the base of practitioners in the Kingdom and contributing to the discovery of promising champions.
Saudi Arabia beat hosts by 7 wickets to top table at Malaysia Quadrangular
- Final on Friday is against Malaysia, who finished second in the standings
KUALA LUMPUR: Saudi Arabia will face Malaysia in the final of the Malaysia Quadrangular in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, May 2, after beating the hosts by seven wickets.
Openers Faisal Khan and Abdul Waheed set up the victory in posting an opening stand of 100 in just nine overs.
Earlier in the week Saudi Arabia had repeated their victories over Thailand and Singapore in the second round of the tournament to set up a match against Malaysia that would decide first and second in the league table.
Saudi Arabia had recovered from 90 for four against Thailand thanks to a partnership of 80 in 5.2 overs from Waji Ul-Hassan and Manan Ali. Ul-Hassan then became the third Saudi Arabian to take five wickets in T20I cricket with five for nine as the Kingdom won by 39 runs.
Against Singapore, three wickets apiece for Ishtiaq Ahmed and Zain Ul-Abidin, restricted the opponents to 112 for seven. Although Khan suffered his second duck in two matches, Waheed made 42 from 28 deliveries, with Saudi Arabia winning by seven wickets inside 15 overs.
The Saudi team had won four matches out of five to stand on eight points, just one point behind Malaysia, who had a no-result against Singapore because of rain.
Hence, the winner of the second encounter between the two teams would determine the group winner. Malaysia had chased down Saudi Arabia’s score in their previous match, so the Saudis chose to bowl first.
Virandeep Singh had carried Malaysia to victory with four wickets and a brilliant unbeaten 93 in the previous match, so it was an important breakthrough when Ul-Hassan dismissed him, caught behind for 21 from 21 balls.
Syed Aziz reached his 50 from 38 balls on the way to 67 from 49 balls but Malaysia only made 160 for six, despite Sharvin Muniady hitting the last two balls of the innings for six.
Saudi Arabia’s opening partnership was likely to be key as Khan and Waheed had often provided an exciting launch pad for the innings.
Khan played out two dot balls and then was away with a six over mid-wicket, racing to 30 from 12 balls out of the 50-run partnership in 3.3 overs. He made 50 inside the first six overs, needing only 20 balls to reach the landmark, hitting six sixes and three fours.
Saudi Arabia’s score stood on 80 for no wicket after six overs. Then Singh was introduced in the attack and the field spread out, allowing singles to be easily taken as the openers changed gear. Khan did hit another six before 100 was posted in just nine overs.
He was dismissed for 66 from 32 balls and his partnership with Waheed was exactly 100 in 9.1 overs when he was caught by Singh, off the bowling of Pavandeep Singh. In the tournament he maintained a strike rate close to 200 and hit a total of 14 sixes.
Pavandeep claimed a second wicket, but the required rate was down to five runs an over. Waheed completed his 50 from 39 balls with five fours and had played a fine supporting role to the explosive Khan.
He was third out with 27 runs needed, captain Ul-Hassan guiding his side to victory with an unbeaten 22 from 18 balls, and Saudi Arabia winning by seven wickets with 2.1 overs to spare.
The two sides will meet again in the final on May 2, while Singapore will play Thailand in the third-place playoff.
