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Dubai Basketball end historic first season with knockout in Belgrade

Dubai Basketball end historic first season with knockout in Belgrade
A historic first ABA League season for Dubai Basketball ended in a knockout in Belgrade. (SUPPLIED)
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Updated 03 June 2025

Dubai Basketball end historic first season with knockout in Belgrade

Dubai Basketball end historic first season with knockout in Belgrade
  • Despite a 114-97 defeat to Partizan, the season has been one of major milestones for the team

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball ended their inaugural ABA League season after a 114-97 defeat in the final leg of the semifinal against Serbian powerhouse Partizan.

The team officially set out on their journey in the Adriatic League in September, competing against some of the most prolific sides in Europe. From beating reigning champions Red Star in their opening game to being one of the only teams in the league to beat Partizan twice at their home court, the 2024-25 season was packed with milestones.

The third and final game of the semifinals took place on Sunday night at Belgrade Arena, the home of Partizan, with Dubai determined to capitalize on squaring the series in the previous game.

Dubai opened the game with intensity, taking an early lead as Davis Bertans, Klemen Prepelic, and Nate Mason each sank three-pointers within the first four minutes. By the end of the first quarter, Dubai had stormed ahead with a commanding nine-point lead.

However, the momentum began to shift in the second quarter. With the backing of a packed home crowd, Partizan tightened their defence and gradually closed the gap, reducing Dubai’s lead to just a single point by the end of the third quarter.

As the game progressed into the third and fourth quarters, Partizan demonstrated why they are seven-time ABA League champions. Although they surged ahead, Dubai refused to go down without a fight, repeatedly equalising the score and keeping the contest wide open.

In the final quarter, Partizan pulled away, scoring an impressive 28 points that widened the gap to 17 and ultimately secured their place in the finals. Dubai, however, walked away with their heads held high, having challenged one of Europe’s top basketball teams to the very end.

Reflecting on the season, Dubai Basketball’s head coach, Jurica Golemac, said: “We must be satisfied. This was our first season, with 13 new players in total. We were fortunate to have selected not only top-quality athletes but also exceptional people who made this journey smoother.

“Throughout the season, we played good basketball. We claimed major wins — including victories over some of the league’s giants — and today, we pushed Partizan into a serious battle for a place in the finals. Plans for the future are already underway. In fact, they’ve been in motion throughout the season. Analysis, planning — it all continues.

“As they say, the off-season begins tomorrow, and so does our preparation for what comes next.”


Big prize money on offer for local-bred juveniles at King Khalid Racecourse this weekend

Big prize money on offer for local-bred juveniles at King Khalid Racecourse this weekend
Updated 27 August 2025

Big prize money on offer for local-bred juveniles at King Khalid Racecourse this weekend

Big prize money on offer for local-bred juveniles at King Khalid Racecourse this weekend
  • The $133,00 JCSA Contributions for local-bred horses takes place in Taif on Friday
  • Sami Al-Harabi and the Red Stable also have big claims on Saturday’s concluding Alshfa Cup over 2000m with Boltaway (GB)

TAIF: A combined SR1,000,000 ($266,000) is on offer over two races for two-year-olds at King Khalid Racecourse this weekend as the Jockey Club of Ƶ Contributions for locally bred animals sold at auction in 2024 take centre stage.

The sixth and seventh 1,400-metre races on Friday each carry a purse of $133,000. The latter, for colts and geldings, features a field of 13 runners, with the idea being to give horses sold at the November JCSA Yearling sale the chance to earn prizemoney.

Among the 13 is the newcomer Alsultan Seven who goes to post under champion jockey Adel Al-Fouraidi for trainer Abdullah Al-Nahhabi, with Fahad Saad and the powerful Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz represented by the twice-raced Moa’arekhom.

An even bigger field of 16 has been declared for the filles’ event with Al-Fouraidi again in action aboard the Ahmed Al-Shaia-trained Basmat Almuhamadih, who was sixth on her debut earlier this month, while Alexis Moreno teams up with trainer Gaith Al-Ghaith and the once-raced Taghneik.

Arabian runners take charge in the final two events on Friday and plenty of high-class form is on offer in the concluding Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup Prep Arabian Horses Open.

Bint Ghaliat Al Khalediah is top-rated for Al-Fouraidi and trainer Mousa Al-Masoudi, who also saddles Tariq Al-Mansour’s mount Maysour Al Khalediah, after the pair were first and second on Aug, 16.

Also in the line-up for the in-form Thamer Al-Daihani and owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Al-Malek Al-Sabah is the French-bred Sir Amer, who was third to the Al-Khalediah pair last time out, but was also a respectable seventh in the G1 Obaiyah Arabian Classic on Saudi Cup night.

Valuable prize money is on offer on both days of action with the SR150,000 Fillies and Mare Cup Local Bred Horses Open taking place on Saturday and features Al-Fouraidi’s mount Bint Farhh.

Trained by Sami Al-Harabi for the Red Stable, the seven-year-old mare is clear on ratings and was the winner of the Mishrif bin Motlaq bin Shanaan Cup in Riyadh last January.

Al-Harabi and the Red Stable also have big claims on Saturday’s concluding Alshfa Cup over 2000m with Boltaway (GB) who was last seen winning in Riyadh for Jimmy Jerkins, and clashes with the Al-Fouraidi-ridden Tuwaiq Cup third Mr Trinket (IRE).


6 talking points ahead of the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League kick-off

6 talking points ahead of the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League kick-off
Updated 27 August 2025

6 talking points ahead of the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League kick-off

6 talking points ahead of the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League kick-off
  • With Jorge Jesus at Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad looking for two in a row and Al-Hilal aiming to bounce back, it promises to be an exciting season

LONDON: It’s that time of year again — the start of the new Saudi Pro League season. As 18 teams prepare amid fears, hopes and dreams, Arab News looks at six questions waiting to be answered in the 2025-26 campaign.

What will the Jorge Jesus effect be?

In a stunning move, just weeks after Jorge Jesus left Al-Hilal following a disappointing season — though this is always relative with the Blues — he turned up at Al-Nassr.

The Riyadh Derby is always a passionate affair but this adds extra spice.

The Portuguese veteran knows how to win the league and Al-Nassr needed someone who could bring its talents together.

Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman are players at their peak, or just about, and Inigo Martinez joins the middle of the defense from Barcelona. With such an experienced coach at the helm, this could be Al-Nassr’s year. The signs — the Super Cup performance, especially beating Al-Ittihad with ten men — suggest the Yellows have a new resilience.

Can Al-Ittihad go again?

Al-Ittihad were deserved champions but they know that winning the title is one thing, and defending it is another. The last five times the Tigers did this, they failed to stay at the top of the pile.

The Jeddah giants are still being linked with top stars and reports of their interest in Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes have refused to go away. 

If coach Laurent Blanc can keep his team together then they could go again — though, unlike last season, the extra demands in Asia may take their toll, especially on some of the older stars. Karim Benzema’s fitness could be key though Moussa Diaby was one of the league’s best players last season.

Can Al-Ahli step up after Asian Champions League success?

Finishing fifth may have been a disappointment but there was the small matter of becoming champions of Asia in May.

Now the challenge is the domestic front. On the face of it, Al-Ahli has what it takes here, too. Ivan Toney took a little time to settle before he started banging in the goals. Riyad Mahrez looks good. The addition of 25-year-old French midfielder Enzo Millot may not have made massive international headlines, but he could be just the sort of player the team needs. 

Can Al-Hilal bounce back?

The Blues usually do. They lost their way a little last season, though it should be remembered that they finished second and reached the last four of the Champions League.

This is a club that has winning and trophies in its DNA. New coach Simone Inzaghi has already impressed at the FIFA Club World Cup with that win over Manchester City, and the arrival of Darwin Nunez is interesting. The forward comes from Liverpool with something to prove and that could spell danger for SPL defenses, especially if Salem Al-Dawsari stays fit.

Can any other teams disrupt the big boys?

Al-Qadsiah impressed when they finished fourth in their first season after promotion, and the club was unlucky to miss out on Asia. The loss of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his 17 goals to Marseille may hurt but fans have the big-money signing of Mateo Retegui — Serie A’s top scorer last season — as a major consolation.

Then there is Neom SC, newly promoted and ambitious, with a solid-looking squad and former PSG coach Christophe Galtier in place. And then there is Al-Kholood, who finished ninth last time and, now owned by a US investment company, looking to climb the table.

Can Ronaldo make it three in a row?

The 40-year-old’s goal in the Saudi Super Cup broke records — it took him to a century for four separate clubs, something never achieved before.

Since his arrival in Riyadh he has not been able to stop scoring; even though he arrived in the middle of 2022-23, he finished the season as the league’s fifth-highest scorer.

No surprise, then, that he topped the standings in his first full season and repeated his feat the next year. To do so for a third campaign in a row would truly be something special. It would also take him that step closer to the 1,000-goal mark. 


Ben Sulayem and Paraguayan president mark historic milestone for South American motorsport

Ben Sulayem and Paraguayan president mark historic milestone for South American motorsport
Updated 27 August 2025

Ben Sulayem and Paraguayan president mark historic milestone for South American motorsport

Ben Sulayem and Paraguayan president mark historic milestone for South American motorsport
  • Delegates from more than 30 countries in the Americas assembled for flagship congress in Asuncion

DUBAI : The president of Paraguay, Santiago Pena, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, opened the FIA American Congress 2025 in Asuncion, a milestone for South American motorsport.

The congress is a flagship event on the FIA calendar, bringing together delegates from 33 countries across the Americas. The FIA is the global governing body for motorsport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide.

Ben Sulayem said: “The American Congress is the embodiment of what the FIA stands for, a globally connected federation, leading the way in motorsport and mobility. We are elevating and innovating across our sectors and bringing together a passionate community to share knowledge and ideas.

“Here in Paraguay, and across the Americas, mobility and motorsport are evolving rapidly. Major infrastructure projects are connecting regions and boosting trade, and this week marks a historic milestone for South American motorsport with the Rally del Paraguay joining the FIA WRC calendar for the very first time.   

“I want to extend my sincere thanks to the president of the Republic of Paraguay, Mr. Santiago Pena, for joining us on this special occasion, our hosts the Touring y Automovil Club Paraguayo, and the city of Asuncion for their warm hospitality.”

Pena said: “We are no longer the best hidden treasure of the continent, but a giant that is re-emerging with full force: people proud of their roots, its heroic history and convinced of its inevitable future of greatness.

“Over the next few days, you will be able to experience the legendary hospitality of Paraguay, a country full of caring people.”

Spanning three days and hosted by the Touring y Automovil Club Paraguayo, the congress is focused on key themes including road safety and education, innovation in mobility and automotive technology, and the continued growth of motorsport in the region.

The congress precedes the inaugural FIA WRC Rally del Paraguay, to be attended by Pena and Ben Sulayem, in Itapua from Aug. 28-31.

 


Ben Sulayem and Paraguayan president mark historic milestone for South American motorsport

Ben Sulayem and Paraguayan president mark historic milestone for South American motorsport
Updated 27 August 2025

Ben Sulayem and Paraguayan president mark historic milestone for South American motorsport

Ben Sulayem and Paraguayan president mark historic milestone for South American motorsport
  • Delegates from more than 30 countries in the Americas assembled for flagship congress in Asuncion

DUBAI : The president of Paraguay, Santiago Pena, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, opened the FIA American Congress 2025 in Asuncion, a milestone for South American motorsport.

The congress is a flagship event on the FIA calendar, bringing together delegates from 33 countries across the Americas. The FIA is the global governing body for motorsport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide.

Ben Sulayem said: “The American Congress is the embodiment of what the FIA stands for, a globally connected federation, leading the way in motorsport and mobility. We are elevating and innovating across our sectors and bringing together a passionate community to share knowledge and ideas.

“Here in Paraguay, and across the Americas, mobility and motorsport are evolving rapidly. Major infrastructure projects are connecting regions and boosting trade, and this week marks a historic milestone for South American motorsport with the Rally del Paraguay joining the FIA WRC calendar for the very first time.   

“I want to extend my sincere thanks to the president of the Republic of Paraguay, Mr. Santiago Pena, for joining us on this special occasion, our hosts the Touring y Automovil Club Paraguayo, and the city of Asuncion for their warm hospitality.”

Pena said: “We are no longer the best hidden treasure of the continent, but a giant that is re-emerging with full force: people proud of their roots, its heroic history and convinced of its inevitable future of greatness.

“Over the next few days, you will be able to experience the legendary hospitality of Paraguay, a country full of caring people.”

Spanning three days and hosted by the Touring y Automovil Club Paraguayo, the congress is focused on key themes including road safety and education, innovation in mobility and automotive technology, and the continued growth of motorsport in the region.

The congress precedes the inaugural FIA WRC Rally del Paraguay, to be attended by Pena and Ben Sulayem, in Itapua from Aug. 28-31.

 


Masters updates qualifying criteria to add six national opens

Masters updates qualifying criteria to add six national opens
Updated 27 August 2025

Masters updates qualifying criteria to add six national opens

Masters updates qualifying criteria to add six national opens
  • Masters invitations will be issued to winners of the Scottish Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, Hong Kong Open, Australian Open and South African Open
  • Fred Ridley: We, along with The R&A, have a shared commitment to the global game and are proud to work together

WASHINGTON: Augusta National announced changes to qualifying methods for the Masters on Tuesday, adding the winners of six worldwide national opens while dropping US PGA Tour fall tournament winners.

The immediate change follows the style of the Royal & Ancient (R&A) British Open qualifying series, which began in 2013, and gives the Masters its own qualifying series to ensure strong global pathways into the Masters from various tours.

Masters invitations will be issued to winners of the Scottish Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, Hong Kong Open, Australian Open and South African Open.

“The Masters Tournament has long recognized the significance of having international representation among its invitees,” Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said.

“We, along with The R&A, have a shared commitment to the global game and are proud to work together. Today’s announcement strengthens our organizations’ collective vision of rewarding top talent around the world who rise to the top of historic national open championships.

“We hope this formal recognition shines a bright light on these players and the events they will represent at the Masters and The Open, beginning next year.”

The PGA Tour’s eight events played after the Tour Championship serve as a final opportunity for players to claim playing rights for the next year, but a tweak in qualifying language will mean winners of those events no longer claim berths in the Masters.

Starting later this year, players can begin to qualify for the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale at 15 events in 13 nations. Final details about the series will be unveiled next month.

“We share the same goal as Augusta National to offer places in both The Open and the Masters to players competing in national opens and by doing so to help to showcase and strengthen our sport in those regions,” R&A chief executive Mark Darbon said.

“This creates an outstanding opportunity for players in all parts of the world to qualify and we firmly believe this will continue to enrich the quality of the fields in both major championships.”

Next year’s 90th Masters will be contested April 9-12 at Augusta National.