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Team Abu Dhabi switch drivers to rest Comparato in Vietnam

Team Abu Dhabi switch drivers to rest Comparato in Vietnam
Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al-Qemzi. (Supplied)
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Updated 29 March 2024
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Team Abu Dhabi switch drivers to rest Comparato in Vietnam

Team Abu Dhabi switch drivers to rest Comparato in Vietnam
  • UAE’s Rashed Al-Qemzi steps in for young Italian as Stark gives Victory pole position

QUY NHON: Emirati driver Rashed Al-Qemzi will replace Alberto Comparato in the Team Abu Dhabi line-up for the rest of the inaugural Grand Prix of Bình Định-Vietnam race weekend.

The young Italian crashed at the start of the second qualifying session for Sunday’s second round of the UIM F1H2O World Championship, with his boat badly damaged after it barrel-rolled.

Comparato was uninjured but shaken by the accident, and Team Abu Dhabi manager Guido Cappellini took the decision to rest him. Al-Qemzi will now drive the team’s spare boat in Saturday morning’s sprint races ahead of the following day’s Grand Prix on Thi Nai Bay.

Al-Qemzi, who secured his fourth UIM F2 World Championship title last season, is no stranger to the F1H2O series. Sunday will see his 11th race start, with Victory Team’s Erik Stark in pole position.

Stark edged out reigning world champion Jonas Andersson in the six-boat qualifying shootout, while Sharjah Team’s first round winner in Indonesia, Rusty Wyatt, went through in fourth.

Al-Qemzi will be aiming to fight back from 10th place on Sunday after missing out on the final qualifying phase. His cousin, Rashed, will step in to join him as he did last season in Sardinia and Sharjah. 

Before his crash, Comparato underlined his potential when he recovered from engine failure on the first lap of free practice to set the third fastest lap time.

Cappellini, a 10-time world champion, has no doubt that veteran Al-Qemzi and Comparato will be a powerful combination as the championship progresses.

“Of course, I have enough experience to be able to help Alberto settle into the team,” he said. “But Thani is also very good from that point of view. In fact, Thani is the best team-mate Alberto could ever have, and together they’re working in one direction to give their best for the team.”

Cappellini, who has guided Team Abu Dhabi to 17 world championship titles since taking charge in 2015, also welcomed the addition of another destination for the series.

“Vietnam is the second race in Asia and this is another new venue, which is very good for the team, and for Formula One in general,” he said.


Howzat! Saudi cricket league expands to build national side

Howzat! Saudi cricket league expands to build national side
Updated 16 min 17 sec ago
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Howzat! Saudi cricket league expands to build national side

Howzat! Saudi cricket league expands to build national side

RIYADH: With the popularity of cricket growing in Saudi Arabia, the sport’s league is expanding with the aim of establishing a professional league system and building a formidable national side that can qualify for the World Cup, not just win regional tournaments.

The sport has undoubtedly flourished with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation lining up a series of programs, gaining sponsorships and strong patronage. The Saudi team won the ACC Men’s Challenger Cup this year and the inaugural one last year in Bangkok.

The Challenger Cup is the first staging post in the Asian Cricket Council’s restructured three-tier pathway toward its top tournament — the Asia Cup.

The Saudi cricket team will now play the ACC Men’s Premier Cup, a tournament that provides a qualification pathway toward the next Asia Cup.

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Kabir Khan, technical director for the Saudi cricket league system, said: “Our biggest cricket league is the National Cricket Championship (NCC), in which all clubs associated with the SACF participate. We are now going to restructure the tournament to build a formidable side that can qualify for the world cup.” 

In the opening NCC in 2021, cricket teams across Saudi Arabia battled it out to be crowned National Cricket Champions. The Saudi Sports for All Federation and the SACF joined forces to launch the Kingdom’s largest-ever cricket tournament with the participation of 369 teams and 15 cricket associations.

In the second NCC last year, more than 400 teams participated, and now a total of about 500 teams will play the new format of the biggest cricket championship in the Kingdom, Khan said.

“Previously, leagues were being played with each region having their own champions, but now top teams from all regions will qualify for the grand finale and the top four teams will play the semi-final, two will qualify to the final, and ultimately one is to be crowned as the winner of the NCC,” he told Arab News.

“First there will be inter-club matches where all 500 teams will participate that have about 15,000 registered players. Then it will be followed by inter-associations matches and finally inter-region matches,” Khan said.

According to the SACF, the cricket associations affiliated with the federation include: Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) and Jeddah Cricket Association (JCA) in Jeddah, Riyadh Cricket Association (RCA) and Riyadh Cricket League (RCL) in Riyadh, Eastern Province Cricket Association (EPCA) and Eastern Region Cricket Association (ERCA) in Dammam, Jubail Cricket Association (JCA) in Jubail, Al-Qassim Cricket League (AQCL) and Al-Qassim Super League (AQSL) in Al-Qassim, Jazan Premier Cricket League (JPCL) and Jazan Region Cricket Association (JRCA) in Jazan, Madinah Munawwarah Cricket Association (MMCA) in Madinah, Aseer Cricket League (ACL) in Abha and Najran Cricket Association (NCA) in Najran. All of them have dozens of club teams playing under their banner, and each association has 20 players registered with them.

Khan told Arab News that there are six regions — Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah, Madinah and Yanbu — each having 20 players with them.

“Thus a tournament beginning with 15,000 players will reach 120 players at the final stage — inter-region matches, this includes the playing 11 and the extra players for replacement, through step-by-step filtration based on points table,” he said.

“RCA, RCL, WPCA and EPCA are the biggest leagues in terms of club membership. However, we do not have a ranking system for the domestic league.”

Khan said: “At the basic level, cemented or concrete pitches are available where cricket is played. There are more than 100 cricket grounds across the Kingdom. In Riyadh itself there are about 25 grounds. These are all sandy grounds. Only Yanbu has a grass cricket ground. As we aim to restructure the system, we will change the cement pitches to a turf pitch.”

Turf cricket pitches are the traditional choice, and revered for their natural playing characteristics.

Khan, who is also the head coach of the Saudi cricket team, said that the SACF’s target was to make the Kingdom a world-class cricketing destination in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

The SACF was established in 2020 with 12 associations, and had registered more than 6,000 players in its first year.

Rahat Ali Chaudhry, team manager at the federation, told Arab News: “The matches are mostly T20 and 40 overs played round the year. The 40-overs matches are mostly played in Riyadh and Dammam, the rest of the associations mostly play the T20 format.”

Due to the searing heat during the summer, there is a two-month break for players in Riyadh in June and July, he said.

Saudi Arabia is currently placed 31 in the ICC T20 ranking and is seeking an ODI ranking.


Dubai’s historic Euroleague Basketball winners now head to Berlin

Dubai’s historic Euroleague Basketball winners now head to Berlin
Updated 29 March 2024
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Dubai’s historic Euroleague Basketball winners now head to Berlin

Dubai’s historic Euroleague Basketball winners now head to Berlin
  • Adidas Next Generation Tournament Qualifier took place for the first time at Coca-Cola Arena from March 22-24
  • Ratiopharm Ulm emerged victorious to secure a spot at the 2024 ANGT finals in Berlin from May 24-26

DUBAI: The Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament made history in Dubai as the first such contest at the Coca-Cola Arena from March 22 to 24, and now Berlin beckons for the winners in May.

The event marked a significant milestone in Dubai’s basketball scene, featuring eight teams representing over 25 nationalities, with Dubai contributing nine, including the local heroes Falcons Academy.

Ratiopharm Ulm clinched victory over Zalgiris Kaunas 89-84 in the final to secure a spot in the final four in Berlin from May 24 to 26, while Adidas Next Generation Team finished third. Ratiopharm Ulm’s Noah Essengue was awarded the title of Most-Valued Player.

Ratiopharm Ulm have won the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Qualifier in Dubai. (SUPPLIED)

The tournament in Dubai — hosted by Falcons Academy — marked the first time a qualifier has been hosted in the Middle East, and outside of continental Europe. This has highlighted Dubai’s growing involvement in the global basketball sports arena.

The tournament featured a three-point shootout and slam-dunk contest and was sponsored by DMCC, La Gazzetta dela Sport, Phoenix Capital, Nirvana Tourism, MARCA, and the longstanding partnership with adidas spanning over a decade.

The tournament also received significant support from the Dubai Sports Council, the UAE Basketball Association, Dubai Holding and the Coca-Cola Arena.

 


Hawks hold off Celtics in NBA overtime thriller

Hawks hold off Celtics in NBA overtime thriller
Updated 29 March 2024
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Hawks hold off Celtics in NBA overtime thriller

Hawks hold off Celtics in NBA overtime thriller
  • Murray scored all 11 of the Hawks points in overtime, posting a career-high of 44 to help the Hawks maintain their push for an Eastern Conference play-in berth
  • Zion Williamson scored 28 points and CJ McCollum added 25 to lead the Pelicans to a 107-100 victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks

LOS ANGELES: Dejounte Murray drilled the go-ahead jump shot in the final second of overtime to lift the Atlanta Hawks to a 123-122 victory over Boston Thursday, their second win over the NBA-best Celtics in four days.

Murray scored all 11 of the Hawks points in overtime, posting a career-high of 44 to help the Hawks maintain their push for an Eastern Conference play-in berth.

The Celtics, with a league-best record of 57-16, are already assured of top seed in the East, but they’ve dropped two games this week in Atlanta, where the Hawks erased a 30-point deficit to triumph on Monday.

The rematch was a tense back-and-forth battle that featured 41 lead changes — neither team leading by more than eight points.

Boston star Jaylen Brown’s pull-up jumper put the Celtics up 122-121 with 6.6 seconds left in overtime.

Murray responded with his basket over Jrue Holiday.

“That’s the best team in the league — we competed,” Murray said of a Hawks team coming off a 120-106 victory over Portland on Wednesday. “We didn’t use being tired, a back-to-back, as an excuse.

“We came out and competed, and these are games I want to be a part of.”

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 24 points and De’Andre Hunter added 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who won their fourth straight game.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 31 points and 13 rebounds but missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in the final second of regulation.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 20 points and Brown finished with 18.

But the hustling Hawks out-rebounded the Celtics 53-43 and had 28 second-chance points to Boston’s 11.

“We’re fighting for a play-in/playoff spot,” Murray said of the Hawks team currently holding down 10th place — and the final play-in spot. “We all showed up.”

In New Orleans, Zion Williamson scored 28 points and CJ McCollum added 25 to lead the Pelicans to a 107-100 victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jonas Valanciunas notched his 32nd double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo scored 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Milwaukee, but the Bucks dropped their second straight, unable to bounce back after a stunning overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

The Pelicans led by as many as 18 in the first half but the Bucks had cut the deficit to five with 3:27 left to play.

New Orleans kept attacking and closed it out from the foul line, Williamson making five free throws in the waning minutes.

“Z’s been amazing, night-in, night-out,” said Pelicans coach Willie Green. “He’s putting the team on his shoulders.”

The Pelicans pulled off the victory despite a poor shooting night. They made just 36 of their 91 attempts from the floor and just eight of 32 from three-point range.

“That was a gutsy win on our home floor,” Green said. “It was a good defensive performance by us. We played with force from start to finish.

“Even when we didn’t hit shots we still continued to make winning plays.”


Ohtani wins in Dodgers home debut, Rangers open Major League Baseball title defense with victory

Ohtani wins in Dodgers home debut, Rangers open Major League Baseball title defense with victory
Updated 29 March 2024
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Ohtani wins in Dodgers home debut, Rangers open Major League Baseball title defense with victory

Ohtani wins in Dodgers home debut, Rangers open Major League Baseball title defense with victory
  • Dodgers manager Dave Roberts liked what he saw from the leadoff trio of Betts, Ohtani and Freeman
  • Juan Soto made a spectacular New York Yankees debut, throwing out Houston’s Mauricio Dubon for the second out of the ninth inning to deny Astros a tying run

LOS ANGELES: Japanese star Shohei Ohtani made a triumphant Los Angeles Dodgers home debut on Thursday, getting help from fellow Most Valuable Player teammates in a 7-1 rout of St. Louis.

Leadoff hitter Mookie Betts bashed a solo home run in the third inning and scored three times, Freddie Freeman homered and drove in three runs and Ohtani went 2-for-3 and scored on Freeman’s homer in the third to spark the Dodgers.

“I was the only guy who couldn’t hit a homer, but overall I thought I had a pretty good game,” Ohtani said. “Overall, I had quality at-bats.”

Tyler Glasnow struck out five while allowing only one run on two hits over six innings to earn the victory for Los Angeles, whose fans cheered Ohtani in his first home game since signing a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers following six years with the Los Angeles Angels.

“I’m very grateful... being able to be received by the Dodger fans,” Ohtani said. “Obviously, I’ve been here before, as a visiting player, so it was a little intimidating. But I’m very grateful for the fans — and there are a lot of them.”

Ohtani is part of a Major League Baseball investigation looking into alleged illegal gambling activity by his former translator, but controversy took a back seat to success as the US national pastime enjoyed the start of another campaign.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts liked what he saw from the leadoff trio of Betts, Ohtani and Freeman — all former MVPs producing a furious top of the batting lineup for his club.

“Mookie does what Mookie does, still swinging a hot bat and Shohei put on a nice show,” Roberts said. “I think in any discussion you can argue that they’re the best hitters in baseball.

“We’re fortunate to have three of ‘em at the top of the order. Certainly a first word that comes to mind is ‘daunting’ for me.”

Corbin Burnes struck out 11 batters, a record for any pitcher in his Baltimore debut, to spark the Orioles to an 11-3 home rout of the Los Angeles Angels.

Angels slugger Mike Trout smashed the first home run of the MLB season in the first inning off Burnes, who retired every other hitter he faced.

Burnes had the second-most strikeouts in an opener in the club’s 70-year history, the most since Dave McNally’s 13 in 1970.

The Orioles held a moment of silence for six workers killed when the Francis Scott Key Bridge — less than 10 miles from Camden Yards ballpark — collapsed on Tuesday after a support was struck by a cargo ship.

A flag was also lowered in the ceremony, which came before a sellout crowd of 45,000 fans that included new team owner David Rubenstein.

Juan Soto made a spectacular New York Yankees debut, throwing out Houston’s Mauricio Dubon from right field for the second out of the ninth inning to deny the Astros a tying run and a preserve a 5-4 victory for the visiting Yankees.

Soto also ignited New York’s rally from a 4-0 deficit with a run-scoring single in the fifth, his first hit in Yankees pinstripes.

The World Series champion Texas Rangers celebrated last season’s success with fans, displaying the Commissioner’s Trophy before the game.

The evening was capped by a bases-loaded run-scoring single from catcher Jonah Heim in the 10th inning that sealed a 4-3 victory for Texas over the Chicago Cubs.

San Diego’s Yu Darvish struck out seven and scattered five hits over five innings but it was Japanese countryman Yuki Matsui who got the win with 1 2/3 innings of no-hit relief in the Padres 6-4 home win over San Francisco.

Cincinnati’s Nick Martini smashed a three-run homer and a two-run homer while Frankie Montas struck out four and scattered four hits over six scoreless innings as the Reds ripped visiting Washington 8-2.

Opening Day festivities in Miami included a ceremonial first pitch from Brazilian footballer Neymar before the Marlins’ home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Twelve innings later, Jared Triolo’s flare single scored Ke’Bryan Hayes for what proved to be the winning run in the Pirates’ 6-5 victory extra-innings victory.


Thailand’s Pajaree storms to top of crowded LPGA leaderboard in Arizona

Thailand’s Pajaree storms to top of crowded LPGA leaderboard in Arizona
Updated 29 March 2024
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Thailand’s Pajaree storms to top of crowded LPGA leaderboard in Arizona

Thailand’s Pajaree storms to top of crowded LPGA leaderboard in Arizona
  • Pajaree: It was a great day out there. I actually was in the zone
  • Vu, who withdrew from two tournaments on the LPGA’s recent Asian swing with back trouble, was delighted to find herself in contention

LOS ANGELES: Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn birdied her last five holes in a 9-under par 63 on Thursday to break free atop a log-jammed leaderboard after the first round of the LPGA Ford Championship in Gilbert, Arizona.

With five players in the clubhouse on 8-under, Pajaree rolled in a birdie putt at her final hole, the ninth to seize a one-shot lead over world No. 2 Lilia Vu of the US, Spaniards Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz, Germany’s Isi Gabsa and Australian Gabriela Ruffels.

“It was a great day out there,” said Pajaree, who claimed the most recent of her two LPGA titles at last year’s LPGA Match-Play. “I actually was in the zone. I didn’t realize that I holed my fifth birdie in a row on the ninth green. But it was a great day.”

Pajaree, who matched her career low round on the LPGA tour, said she knew she had the makings of a good round after her third birdie of the day at the 18th.

“Bogey-free, came out with three-under par going into the back nine. I played some really good shots today,” she said. “Hit a lot of good drivers off the tee and gave me a lot of benefit just going into the green with short irons.

“I was able to just hit some good long irons in as well, so that helped,” she added.

Vu, who withdrew from two tournaments on the LPGA’s recent Asian swing with back trouble, was delighted to find herself in contention.

“Today, honestly, my only goal was to hit the ball solid,” she said. “It’s been rough the past couple weeks with how my body is doing and just struggling with a back injury.

“But I’m almost 100 percent, so it was really fun to play without pain today and focus on where I wanted to hit the ball instead of bracing for pain.”

Vu had nine birdies with one bogey, joining the group on eight under with a birdie at the 18th.

“I was really excited to pull off shots that I saw in my head,” Vu said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to hit a shot that I see, so I think it was super fun to be like, OK, I can hit a nice little draw here. Ends up maybe like 10, 15 feet, and go and try and make it.”

Ciganda and Gabsa both had eight birdies without a bogey, while Ruffels and Munoz each had an eagle on the way to 64 at the Seville Golf and Country Club.

French star Celine Boutier, who won the LPGA’s most recent event in Arizona when she won at Superstition Mountain last year, was two off the lead on 65, where she was joined by South Korean Kim Hyo-joo.

Another 11 players were a further stroke back on 66. That group included American Nelly Korda, who supplanted Vu as No. 1 in the world with her victory in the Seri Pak Championship on Sunday — Korda’s second victory in as many starts this season.