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Bahrain triumphs in Gulf Esports League, secures spot in Saudi Arabia’s Esports World Championship

The 29-year-old Ahmed began his career in 2010 after winning a Tekken tournament in Kuwait. He was acclaimed as the best Tekken player in the Middle East in 2012. (Supplied)
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Updated 29 June 2024
Arab News Japan
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Bahrain triumphs in Gulf Esports League, secures spot in Saudi Arabia’s Esports World Championship

Updated 29 June 2024
Arab News Japan

Bahrain’s national esports team has emerged victorious in the inaugural Gulf Esports League, securing a spot in the upcoming Esports World Championship to be held in Riyadh from July 4 to Aug. 25.

Sayed Hashem Ahmed, known as Tekken Master, clinched the Tekken 8 title in a thrilling competition held in the Saudi capital on June 27-28.

This achievement highlights Bahrain's commitment to the development of esports in the country.

 

The Esports World Championship boasts a prize pool of more than $60 million. 

The 29-year-old Ahmed began his career in 2010 after winning a Tekken tournament in Kuwait. He was acclaimed as the best Tekken player in the Middle East in 2012.

In April, he competed in the Japanese gaming festival Evolution Championship Series 2024, securing seventh spot in the Tekken 8 tournament out of more than 1,200 entrants.

Topics: Bahrian Gulf Esports League Saudi Arabia

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James Anderson set to mentor England’s quicks after Test exit

Updated 11 sec ago
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James Anderson set to mentor England’s quicks after Test exit

Updated 11 sec ago
LONDON: England great James Anderson will join the team’s backroom staff as a fast-bowling mentor when he retires from Test cricket following next week’s series opener against the West Indies at Lord’s.
The 41-year-old is the first seamer and only third bowler to have taken 700 Test wickets after spinners Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Anderson, however, has decided to end his Test career after England made it clear they wanted to move on ahead of the 2025/26 Ashes.
But England managing director Rob Key told reporters on Monday: “After the Lord’s Test, Jimmy will continue in our set-up, and he’ll help a bit more as a mentor.”
Key added: “He has got so much to offer English cricket. We don’t want to see that go.
“When we asked him, he was keen. He is going to have a lot of options. English cricket would be very lucky if he chooses to stay in the game.”
Anderson is currently playing for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship at Southport, but his first-class future remains uncertain.
“What he does with Lancashire will probably work out after the Lord’s Test,” said Key.
England have included three uncapped players in their squad for the first two matches of a three-Test series against the West Indies, with Jamie Smith selected to keep wicket ahead of both Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.
The 23-year-old Smith averages over 50 in the County Championship this season and celebrated his Test call-up by making exactly 100 for Surrey against Essex on Sunday.
He usually plays as a specialist batsman for Surrey with Foakes keeping wicket for the reigning county champions.
“Sometimes you’re selecting people for what they’re going to be as well, and where you think they can progress to,” said Key.
“It’s very much the start for Jamie Smith. We feel he’s going to be a fantastic international cricketer.”
Key, asked how Smith would cope with the demands of keeping wicket for 90 overs a day in a Test match when he is not a regular behind the stumps, said he had consulted several former England wicketkeepers in Chris Read, James Foster and Alec Stewart — Smith’s boss at Surrey.
“Some of the guys have been the best keepers in the country... We use them a lot really and we trust a lot of their opinions,” Key explained.
Key added Bairstow, 34, “needs to get back to what he was a couple of years ago,” when the Yorkshireman hit six Test centuries in 2022.
Bairstow, however, has struggled lately after nearly a year out of the game following a horrifying leg break in a freak accident on a golf course.
“Generally his form, in all formats, has just been going slightly in the wrong direction,” said 45-year-old former England batsman Key.
“It’s an arduous task being a keeper and you want someone who can back up series after series. We weren’t convinced that Jonny would be able to do that, especially at the stage of his career that he’s at.”
Key was speaking for the first time since defending champions England’s defeat by India in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup.
England won just one of their four matches against fellow Test sides during a tournament in the Caribbean and the United States following a woeful defense of their 50-over World Cup title in India last year.
Those reverses have called into question the positions of England white-ball captain Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott.
But Key said he would take his time regarding their future ahead of England’s next white-ball series against Australia in September.
“I’m not going to rush anything on that,” he said.
“At times I thought we showed how good we were and at times we were inconsistent. We’ll let the dust settle on the World Cup and then move forward from there.”

Aryna Sabalenka withdraws from Wimbledon with a shoulder injury

Updated 01 July 2024
AP
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Aryna Sabalenka withdraws from Wimbledon with a shoulder injury

  • A little more than a week ago, Sabalenka stopped playing during the first set of her quarterfinal at the Berlin Ladies Open, citing pain in her shoulder
Updated 01 July 2024
AP

WIMBLEDON, England: Third-seeded Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from Wimbledon on Monday because of an injured shoulder.
The two-time Australian Open champion was supposed to play Emina Bektas of the United States in the first round on Day 1 at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
Sabalenka, a semifinalist at the All England Club each of the last two times she appeared there, was replaced in the draw on Monday by Erika Andreeva, who lost in qualifying last week.
A little more than a week ago, Sabalenka stopped playing during the first set of her quarterfinal at the Berlin Ladies Open, citing pain in her shoulder.
She said she had a muscle injury that she called “very frustrating.”
“The most annoying thing is that I can do anything. I can practice; I can hit my groundstrokes. I’m struggling with serving. That’s really annoying. You don’t feel like you’re injured,” Sabalenka said. “If you give me some weights, I’m going to go lift some weights. But if you tell me to serve, I’m going to go through pain. We did an MRI, we did everything. We did a lot of rehab, a lot of treatments and everything.”
Sabalenka said on Saturday there was a chance she would need to pull out of Wimbledon, “But I still have my hopes. As someone who been fighting through a lot of different pains in the past months, I still have my hopes.”

Topics: Aryna Sabalenka tennis Wimbledon

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Mexico eliminated from Copa America as Ecuador earns spot in quarterfinals after 0-0 draw

Updated 01 July 2024
AP
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Mexico eliminated from Copa America as Ecuador earns spot in quarterfinals after 0-0 draw

  • Mexico was initially awarded a penalty kick by referee Mario Alberto Escobar Toca, but a VAR review rescinded the penalty
Updated 01 July 2024
AP

GLENDALE, Arizona: Mexico was eliminated from the Copa America after a 0-0 draw against Ecuador, which advanced to the quarterfinals Sunday night after avoiding a penalty in stoppage time thanks to a VAR review.
Mexico was initially awarded a penalty kick by referee Mario Alberto Escobar Toca when Ecuador’s Felix Torres took down Mexican forward Guillermo Martinez in the penalty box. VAR rescinded the penalty because Torres touched the ball and Mexico was awarded a corner kick, sending in a chorus of boos raining down from the Mexican fans at State Farm Stadium.
“I don’t like to talk about our referee. It is what it is and I believe we have more possibilities now that we have VAR,” Mexico coach Jaime Lozano said. “After an early exit, I don’t want to talk about the referee.”
Ecuador weathered a second-half push by Mexico in front of 62,656 mostly pro-Mexico fans to finish second in Group B behind Venezuela. Ecuador and Mexico finished level on four points from three games but Ecuador advanced thanks to a better goal differential and will face Group A winner Argentina in the quarterfinals Thursday in Houston.
“Playing against Argentina in our experience is a very tough team because they have the world’s best players, they play in the best leagues at a high level,” Ecuador coach Felix Sanchez said through an interpreter. “They are very versatile, have been playing together for a long time with the same coach and they still have a lot of ambition.”
Mexico failed to get out of the group stage for the fourth time in its last five Copa America appearances, which could put Lozano’s job in jeopardy.
El Tri was eliminated in the first round of the World Cup for the first time since 1978 in Qatar two years ago and lost to the United States in CONCACAF Nations League final in March.
Mexico had one goal on 57 shots in three Copa America games.
“There were many players who had never played in a tournament like this, which is directly below the World Cup,” Lozano said. “Other players (who played) in the Cup didn’t have the results of other games. But I believe the team has grown in many aspects. The decision is not up to me.”
Mexico needed a win to advance after losing 1-0 to Venezuela on a penalty kick in the 57th minute and beating Jamaica 1-0 in the tournament opener.
Ecuador, ahead 4-1 in goal differential, only needed a draw to reach the quarterfinals following a 3-1 win over Jamaica and a 2-1 loss to group leader Venezuela.
Mexico had a slight advantage in possession the first half (54 percent) and took seven shots, but continued its struggles with efficiency.
El Tri didn’t have a shot on goal and its best scoring chance came in the final minutes of the half, when Santiago Gimenez sent a header over the crossbar.
Ecuador had the best chance of the half in the 19th minute, when Kendry Paez’s shot to the near post on free kick forced Julio Gonzalez to make a save.
“We’ve discussed when there was a pass backward, we should try to move ahead but they were trying to press with two or three players,” Sánchez said. We created two or three counter attacks, but in futbol today you have to be good in every phase.”
Mexico began ramping up the pressure early in the second half, creating more scoring opportunities.
El Tri and its fans were irate when Toca didn’t call a foul after Torres took down Gerardo Arteaga in the penalty box, but the non-call was upheld on VAR. Gimenez sent another header over the crossbar on the ensuing corner kick.
Julián Quiñones had Mexico’s best chance a few minutes later, rifling a shot from just inside the box that Alexander Domínguez sprawled out to knock away. Gimenez’s shot on the rebound hit the outside of the goal.
Mexico continued to pressure Ecuador and thought it had a potential tournament-saving penalty shot, only to have it taken away.

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Euro 2024: After shaky group stage, Netherlands still favored against Romania in round of 16

Updated 01 July 2024
AP
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Euro 2024: After shaky group stage, Netherlands still favored against Romania in round of 16

  • The Netherlands have traditionally dominated this fixture but the Dutch also hadn’t lost to Austria since 1990 until last week
Updated 01 July 2024
AP

MUNICH: Romania plays the Netherlands on Tuesday in the round of 16 at the European Championship. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) in Munich. The Netherlands have traditionally dominated this fixture but the Dutch also hadn’t lost to Austria since 1990 — until last week. Romania topped its group while a disappointing Netherlands team progressed as one of the four best third-place teams. Despite the problems, the Netherlands will be favored to overcome Romania, potentially giving Ronald Koeman’s team another shot at Austria in the quarterfinals. Here’s what to know about the match:
Match facts
— Romania finished top of its group thanks mainly to a 3-0 win against Ukraine in Munich in their opening fixture. They then lost 2-0 against Belgium and drew 1-1 against Slovakia as all four teams in the section finished with four points – a European Championship first.
— The Netherlands started its Euro 2024 campaign with a 2-1 comeback win over Poland, but then drew 0-0 against France before losing a thrilling match 3-2 to Austria. That saw Austria top the group and relegated the Dutch to third, below France.
— The winner will advance to face Austria or Turkiye in the quarterfinals on Saturday. That could see a quick rematch between the Netherlands and Austria in Berlin.
— This is only Romania’s second time in the knockout stage of the European Championship. It reached the quarterfinals in 2000.
— The Netherlands won the tournament in 1988.
Team news
— Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman has reported no injury concerns.
— Romania winger Nicuşor Bancu is suspended and will likely be replaced by Deian Sorescu.
By the numbers
— The Netherlands have won 10 of the 14 matches between the two teams, scoring 29 goals in the process to Romania’s three.
— Romania’s solitary win was in October 2007, in qualifying for the following year’s European Championship.
— The Netherlands’ loss to Austria was only their second defeat in seven matches this year, having won four of those.
— Romania’s win over Ukraine in their opener was only its second ever at the Euros, after beating England in the group stage in 2000.
— Romania has lost both penalty shootouts it has been involved in at major tournaments. The Dutch have lost six out of eight.
What they’re saying
“I understand the Dutch fans are disappointed after the Austria game. All I can say is that we will do everything we can against Romania to change that. I still believe completely in our team.” — Netherlands midfielder Jerdy Schouten.
“We are really happy and proud to be first in our group to qualify. The joy that we brought to all Romanians is one of the proudest moments of my life. It’s been a long and hard road because it didn’t start one or two months ago, but instead two years ago.” — Romania defender Radu Drăguşin.
“I am not afraid of anything at this point. I am doing what I love, and I do it with enthusiasm and passion. Why should I be afraid?” — Romania goalkeeper Florin Niță.

Topics: Euros 2024 Netherlands Romania

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DaC-to-DaC wins — Antonio makes it three in a row with Portland double

Updated 01 July 2024
Arab News
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DaC-to-DaC wins — Antonio makes it three in a row with Portland double

Updated 01 July 2024
Arab News

PORTLAND: In a thrilling weekend, Antonio Felix da Costa delivered a spectacular double victory for TAG Heuer Porsche in Portland and marked his third consecutive win in front of enthusiastic fans at the Hankook Portland E-Prix.

His triumph came amid high on-track drama which once again highlighted masterful race management by da Costa and TAG Heuer Porsche. The third-in-a-row win means da Costa equals his own 2019 record for the longest win streak in Formula E.

Round 14 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship saw a defining moment of the season when current standings leader Nick Cassidy of Jaguar TCS Racing failed to score points for the second consecutive race. As a result, Mitch Evans and Pascal Wehrlein are now neck-and-neck in second place, setting the stage for an intense showdown at the upcoming London finale.

Joining da Costa on the podium was Robin Frijns, who celebrated his 100th Formula E race with back-to-back podium finishes for Envision Racing. Mitch Evans, representing Jaguar TCS Racing, claimed third. The race was rife with pivotal moments, including Pascal Wehrlein dramatically losing his front wing early on. Despite this setback Wehrlein finished fourth, keeping his championship hopes alive.

Less fortunate were NEOM McLaren and Mahindra Racing, who both experienced a series of retirements due to errors, punctures and on-track collisions.

Jean-Eric Vergne, who started on pole, secured a solid fifth-place finish for DS PENSKE while ABT CUPRA’s Nico Muller delivered an impressive sixth place.

Norman Nato finished seventh for Andretti, followed by Maximilian Guenther for Maserati MSG Racing in eighth. Sebastien Buemi claimed ninth for Envision Racing, despite a penalty, ahead of reigning World Champion Jake Dennis who rounded out the top ten for Andretti Formula E. 

As the championship heads to London, the battle for the top spot is more intense than ever, promising fans a thrilling conclusion to the season. The Hankook London E-Prix double-header season finale will take place on July 20-21.

António Felix da Costa, No. 13, Tag Heuer Porsche Formula E, said: “This is crazy. I’m happy, I’m emotional, I’m angry, I’m everything. I’m just glad that I’m getting to ride this wave right now — I know it doesn’t last forever. I’ve been on it before, I’ve been out of it before, so I’m just going to try and keep doing things right. I’m going to enjoy this moment. A lot of people in this world live by the motto of never giving up but I think we’re going to a completely new degree of that if I’m honest!”

Robin Frijns, No. 4, Envision Racing, said: “Today was a good way to bounce back, definitely. We had a tough one, and I have to say the team did a mega job. We prepared well for this race, and we delivered, so I’m really happy with P2. Unfortunately, we just missed out on the win — it was closer than yesterday, but having a double podium, I’ll take it. This season has been a struggle, I wanted to bounce back, I knew I could do it and I knew the team could do it, so here I am.”

 

Mitch Evans, No. 9, Jaguar TCS Racing, said: “It’s nice after what happened yesterday, I’m finding it hard to get over it, I think it was still a ludicrous decision. It was hard to take so it’s nice to come back and get something today. We didn’t optimize qualifying on my side and the starting position wasn’t optimal for the second race, but it was a really hard-fought race. To get myself to the front I again had to do my attack quite late just because of the way the race was playing out, and I had to consume a lot of energy to make those overtakes with the high targets. I was a sitting duck at the end, but it gave me track position so good points. Obviously I would have loved to win, but after the Safety Car things really sped up, and third was the best we could do.

“Obviously it’s unfortunate what happened to Nyck [de Vries] but I came into this weekend just wanting to do my thing and see what happened. We’ll go into London close to Pascal [Wehrlein] and it’s going to be tight between us. Antonio [Felix da Costa] must be close as well, he’s won every race — at least it feels like it — in the past half a season. It’s going to be a big fight between us and Porsche, for sure.”

2024 Hankook Portland E-Prix attended by local stars

Sung Kang, the renowned actor and car enthusiast best known for his role in the ‘Fast and Furious’ series, returned to the Portland International Raceway for Round 14 of the double-header weekend.

Kang was thrilled to reunite with driver Lucas di Grassi at the ABT Garage, rekindling their camaraderie from the 2024 Tokyo E-Prix. Adding to the excitement, Kang also reconnected with his friend and influencer Emilia Hartford, who brought her vibrant energy to Portland just as she did to Tokyo earlier in the season. 

Meanwhile, the presence of three-time W Series champion and Andretti Global INDY NXT driver Jamie Chadwick was notable, as she supported fellow Andretti Global drivers and served as a driver analyst for the broadcast team.

Chadwick delivered an electrifying performance, driving the GEN3 Formula E car for the first time and reaching speeds of over 150 km/h. She also took racing legend and Andretti Global team owner Michael Andretti on a hot lap in a Porsche Taycan.

Additionally, Portland Thorns football players Morgan Weaver and Olivia Moultrie enjoyed meet-and-greets with drivers and tours of the Andretti garage. Earlier in the week, Portland Timbers footballers James Pantemis and Evander da Silva Ferreira toured the paddock, sat in the GEN3 car, and met with drivers Sacha Fenestraz and Sergio Sette Camara from the Nissan Formula E Team and ERT Formula E Team respectively.

Topics: Portland E-Prix

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