Category: Games

Al-Riyadi Beirut, the Lebanese basketball champion, achieved a second victory in the 33rd Dubai International Tournament over the Moroccan Salé Association (88-72), in the match that took place between them this evening at Al-Nasr Club Stadium in the first group.

The Riyadi players controlled the match from the beginning, and decided it to be in their favor, despite the Moroccan team’s attempt to come back in the third half.

The Libran “Al-Ahly Tripoli” team achieved its second victory in the second group over the Lebanese “Homenetmen Beirut” team (93-71). The Libyan team is coached by Lebanese Fouad Abu Chakra.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The Lebanese national football team players unanimously stress the need for a comeback as they take on their Chinese counterparts at Al-Thumama Mondial Stadium in Doha, Qatar, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in the first match of the second round of Group A stage in the 18th edition of the Asian Cup football competition hosted by Qatar until the 10th of February.

Lebanon delivered a decent performance in the opening match against Qatar (0-3) at Lusail Stadium last Friday. However, they lacked effectiveness in finishing attacks, particularly in the second half.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Caretaker Minister of Youth and Sports, George Kallas, is set to embark on an official visit to the Qatari capital, Doha, to attend the opening ceremony of the AFC Asian Cup for football and the match between the Lebanese and Qatari national teams scheduled for Friday afternoon. Minister Kallas will also participate in “Expo Doha” and meet with members of the Lebanese community, welcoming the visiting Lebanese national team at Lebanon’s dedicated pavilion.

The official Lebanese delegation includes the Director-General of the Ministry of Economy and Trade, Mohammad Abu Haidar, and the Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Louis Lahoud.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The national Lebanese football team is gearing up for a strong presence at the upcoming AFC Asian Cup, hosted by Qatar until February 10th.

The team is set to kick off its campaign in the tournament tomorrow at 6:00 pm Beirut time, facing the host nation and defending champions of the 2019 edition in the UAE, at the iconic Lusail Stadium. This marks Lebanon’s second time participating in the tournament’s opening match, the first being against Iran at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut during Lebanon’s hosting of the finals. Unfortunately, that inaugural encounter concluded with the Lebanese team losing 0-4.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Manama, Under the patronage of Her Highness Shaikha Noora bint Hamad bin Al Khalifa, Captain of Al Fursan Team, Team Bahrain Victorious won the best horse condition organised by Bahrain Royal Equestrian And Endurance Federation (BREEF) in the second championship of the new season 2023/2024, for the local race of 120 km.

The award reflects the keenness of Her Highness to support the development of Bahraini endurance sports, which continues to achieve success on an international level.

Mohammed Khalid Al Ruwaie, a member of Team Bahrain Victorious, won first place with the horse Esther Hippolyte after finishing the race in good condition.

Ghalib Al Alawi, BREEF Assistant Secretary-General, and Tawfiq Al Salehi, Director of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s Media Office and Information Centre, and Chairman of the Public Relations and Media at BREEF, presented the award to the winning team.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Baghdad, The delegation of the Saudi Al-Ittihad Club, led by French star Karim Benzema, arrived today, Saturday, in Erbil Governorate in preparation for its match with its host, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Air Force) , in the AFC Champions League.

The Air Force football team had arrived in Erbil earlier, in preparation for its match with the Saudi Al-Ittihad team next Monday, at Franso Hariri Stadium, in the fourth round of the group stage of the AFC Champions League.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Arlington, Adolis García took a few steps while watching the ball before tossing his bat aside after another big swing this postseason. This one won an extended Game 1 of the World Series for the Texas Rangers.

Once his drive cleared the right-field wall in the bottom of the 11th, two innings after Corey Seager’s tying two-run homer, García thrust his right arm high into the air as he started a trot around the bases that ended with him being mobbed at home plate — and a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks to start this surprise World Series of wild-card teams Friday night.

Miguel Castro entered to face García with one out, and the Cuban slugger known as El Bombi drove a 3-1 sinker the other way into the second row of seats beyond a leaping Corbin Carroll. It was García’s second RBI of the game, setting a record for most in one postseason with 22.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Manama, His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Supreme Council for Youth and Sport First Deputy Chairman, General Sports Authority Chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee President, patronised and attended the Egyptian Basketball Super Cup between champions and cup winners, Al-Ahly, and runners-up, Al-Zamalek, held today at the Khalifa Sports City Hall.

Sports leaders, diplomatic corps, the delegations of the two clubs and representatives of the Bahraini and Egyptian basketball associations attended the match which ended 64-60 in favour of Al-Ahly Club.

HH Shaikh Khalid expressed delight over the kingdom’s hosting of the Egyptian Basketball Super Cup for the first time, reflecting the solid fraternal relations between the two countries.

His Highness lauded the outstanding success of the event, citing the massive attendance of spectators and distinguished media coverage, thanks to the two clubs’ reputation and popularity in Egypt and the Arab world.

HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad stressed the importance of holding more joint sporting events to enhance rapprochement among the two countries’ youth, wishing both teams continued success.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

South Korea’s Mun Hye-gyeong struck gold in the women’s singles event in soft tennis at the Asian Games on Saturday, bringing the country its first soft tennis title in China.

Mun defeated Noa Takahashi of Japan 4-0 (4-2, 4-2, 4-0, 4-0) at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Tennis Centre in Hangzhou, Yonhap reported.

Before Mun’s breakthrough, South Korea previously won bronze medals in the men’s and women’s team events, mixed doubles and men’s singles.

In soft tennis, the first player to claim four games is the match winner, with each game requiring four points for a win.

Mun barely broke a sweat against Takahashi, needing just 13 minutes to win her required four games.

Mun had earlier won bronze medals in the women’s team and the mixed doubles events in Hangzhou. The 26-year-old is the first South Korean women’s singles champion in soft tennis since 2014.

Soft tennis joined the Asian Games in 1994, and Mun’s lone gold represents South Korea’s lowest gold medal total at a single Asiad.

Mun, who won two silver medals in 2018, said she felt the pressure of having to deliver South Korea its first soft tennis gold on the last day of competition.

“I am still a bit numb now,” Mun said. “Five years ago, I remember crying so much because I came so close to winning gold medals. I thought I’d cry some tears of joy if I ever win a gold medal here, but it hasn’t hit me yet.”

Takahashi came into the singles final looking for her third gold in Hangzhou, after winning the mixed doubles and the women’s titles. In 2018, Takahashi gobbled up gold medals in the women’s singles and the women’s team events.

As for her easier-than-expected win, Mun said, “She’s really good at serves and so I had to be sharp with my returns. And I could also see she was running on fumes.”

Mun, who comes from a soft tennis-playing family, said this was her final Asian Games match.

“I’ve been fortunate to have competed at two editions of the Asian Games, and I have no regrets,” she said. “I will now get ready for the world championships next year and finish my career on a strong note.”

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Kumluca Middle Bronze Age Shipwreck, believed to be one of the world’s oldest known shipwrecks, has been yielding significant finds for underwater archaeology.

A team of 40 experts, led by professor Hakan Oniz, is conducting underwater excavations off the Antalya coast of Trkiye. Using advanced technology and robots, they have recovered 30 copper ingots, amphoras and personal belongings of sailors from the ship.

Underwater archaeologists, equipped with air tubes, painstakingly retrieved artifacts from a shipwreck that sank 3,600 years ago at a depth of approximately 50 meters (164 feet).

Some items take a month to extract, utilizing small tools and vacuum devices.

The finds, particularly the copper ingots representing the currency of the time, highlight Turkey’s rich cultural heritage, including its role in early history, epic tales, maritime trade and shipbuilding.

‘This ship, which was probably loaded with copper from mines in Cyprus, sank during a storm on its way to the island of Crete,’ Oniz told Anadolu.

‘This happened approximately 3,550 to 3,600 years ago. In this context, the Kumluca Middle Bronze Age Shipwreck still holds the title of the world’s oldest trade shipwreck,” Oniz added.

All recovered items undergo a salt removal process at the Antalya Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory. The ongoing work in one of the world’s oldest shipwrecks, at great depths, underscores Trkiye’s prominence in the field of underwater archaeology.

Source: Anadolu Agency