Sporting world

    In a highly anticipated comeback after a six-year absence, French world champion Teddy Riner returned to claim his eleventh medal at the 2023 Judo World Championships in Doha, solidifying his position as one of the greatest judokas in history.   Teddy Riner's victory in the men's over 100 kg category came after he defeated Inal Tasoev in a seven-minute round. The audience reacted with much excitement to Riner's win, who won Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016. Most seating in the Ali bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena on the seventh day of the championship was sold out.   The mixed team competitions are scheduled to begin tomorrow, Sunday, May 14th. Each team consists of three men and three women from different weight categories who will compete in a series of matches, with each member facing an opponent from another country.   Khalid bin Hamad Al Attiyah, who serves as both the President of Qatar Karate, Judo, and Taekwondo Federation and the Vice President and General Director of th

Qatar has been approved as a full member at the Annual Meeting of World Rugby Council, which was held virtually on 11 May.  Nepal and Turkey are the other two nations which have been approved as full members. Each of the three national unions have ascended to that status having previously been associate members.  World Rugby’s supreme decision-making body approved the recommendations of the Executive Board and Regional Committee, to accept their moves to full membership, after Nepal, Qatar and Turkey each met the necessary governance criteria.  Although the total membership of the international federation remains at 132, its make-up has been changed by the promotion of the three unions and now comprises 114 full members and 18 associate members.  The move demonstrates the continued strategic focus on the expansion of rugby’s reach across the globe, driven by a surge of interest in women’s rugby, and the development of rugby sevens in emerging nations. Qatar and Turkey’s promotion to fu

  AFC  Asian Cup Qatar 2023 TM  logo revealed   The Asian Football Confederation ( AFC ) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the upcoming  AFC  Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ have launched today the Official Logo of the competition. The logo was revealed to audiences at the Final Draw at the Katara Opera House in Doha, Qatar on 11 May.   The newly launched logo combines the silhouette of the famous  AFC  Asian Cup™ trophy with unique cultural elements that embody the competition’s spirit. The lines of the trophy draw inspiration from the feathers of the majestic falcon, a bird with historical significance to the nation of Qatar, and the petals of Asia’s indigenous lotus flower. The two native symbols are united by one trait: their ability to rise above, as the lotus flower floats above water and the falcon soars in the sky.   The top of the logo is adorned with the iconic maroon, or  ennabi,  Qatar’s national color. The typography is inspired by Arabic calligraphy, paying homage to the

  The 4th  AFC  Coach Education Conference officially drew to an end on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where over 100 coach tutors and Technical Directors from all over Asia convened to discuss the latest developments and best practices in coach education.  With the theme of “Educating Tomorrow’s Coaches”, the event was marked by insightful lectures, workshops, interactive dialogues – all aimed towards achieving the collective goal of making football the number one sport on the Continent and ensuring the success of Asian teams at all levels on the biggest stages in the world. Inaugurated by the  AFC  General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John, the Conference proved to be an excellent platform for coaches to not only exchange ideas with their peers, but also provided an opportunity to raise awareness on the challenges faced in their respective Member Associations (MAs). With the welfare of the future generations of footballers and coaches forming the central theme of the three-day l

  SAMF TO HOST SAUDI TOYOTA CHAMPIONSHIP ANNUAL PRIZE GIVING AWARDS’ CEREMONY ON SATURDAY IN RIYADH   RIYADH (SAUDI ARABIA): The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) holds its annual prize giving ceremony for each of its national motor sporting championships on Saturday (May 13 th ).   Running under the chairmanship of H.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, the President of the SAMF, the federation organised six Saudi Toyota Championships in 2022, with competitors set to receive awards in rallying, autocross, drift, time attack, drag and hill climb racing.   Attendees at the prize giving will include H.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, senior officials of the SAMF, officials from title sponsor Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) Motors and strategic sponsor Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB), members of the Ministry of Sport, Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committees, social media influencers and representatives from partners of success.   Officials at the

  SAMF ANNOUNCES TABUK-NEOM ROUND OF THE SAUDI TOYOTA RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP   Three-day desert event is based in Tabuk for first time and runs from May 18 th -20 th   RIYADH (SAUDI ARABIA): The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) has announced initial details of the Tabuk-Neom Rally, the second round of the 2023 Saudi Toyota Rally Championship, which takes place on May 18 th -20 th .   Running under the chairmanship of H.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, the President of the SAMF, the event will run over three days, with a traditional Qualifying stage and two demanding desert stages. This is the first time a rally has ever run out of the city of Tabuk.   The event is open to cars complying to FIA regulations and bikes running under the auspices of the FIM. In addition, there will be a National event running at the rear of the field.   Administration and scrutineering checks will take place at the service park at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Tabuk, in the

  QATAR’S NASSER SALEH AL-ATTIYAH LEADS INTERNATIONAL JORDAN RALLY ENTRY   AMMAN (JORDAN): Twenty-five crews and competitors from seven nations grace the entry list for the Jordan Rally, round three of the 2023 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), which takes place on May 18 th -20 th .     Multiple regional champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah heads the field in his Volkswagen Polo GTI R5. He faces competition from Oman’s Abdullah Al-Rawahi in a  Š koda Fabia R5, 16 crews competing in a variety of Mitsubishis and Subarus in the MERC2 category and seven local teams running at the rear of the field.   Al-Attiyah again teams up with Andorra-based co-driver Mathieu Baumel, as the Qatari chases a record-breaking 16 th  win in the Hashemite Kingdom and his partner aims for personal win number eight.   Al-Rawahi and local co-driver Ata Al-Hmoud will offer the closest realistic challenge on an event where 15-time Rally of Lebanon winner Roger Feghali heads the impressive line-up of MERC2 co

  AMMAN (JORDAN): Jordan Motorsport has announced details of the forthcoming Jordan Rally, round three of the 2023 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), which takes place on May 18 th -20 th .     One of the most famous motorsport events in the Middle East and three-times a round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), the Jordan Rally is one of the most challenging events in the region and the 2023 event will be no exception. Officials have again laid on 12 special stages and 205.22km competitive kilometres in a total route of 588.88km.   After the pre-event press conference and ceremonial start on Thursday, May 18 th , attention switches to the competitive action in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas of the Hashemite Kingdom over the weekend.   Friday’s (May 19 th ) three timed tests will be used in the morning and the afternoon and are centred around the Jordan Valley area to the north of the Dead Sea. As was the case in 2022, action gets underway with a run through the 9.

  Canada’s Christa Deguchi and Switzerland’s Nils Stump win gold at Judo World Championships – Doha 2023 Doha, 9 May 2023  - Swiss athlete Nils Stump was crowned the men's under 73 kg gold medalist on the third day of the Judo World Championships - Doha 2023, while Canadian athlete Christa Deguchi won the women's under 57 kg gold medal. The competitions were intense for both men and women on the third day, as 55 athletes competed in the men's under 73 kg category, starting from the preliminary rounds and reaching the finals, where Stump defeated Italian athlete Manuel Lombardo to win the gold medal, with Lombardo receiving the silver medal. Uzbek athlete Muradjon Yuldashev and former world champion, Japanese athlete Soichi Hashimoto, both won bronze medals. In the women's under 57 kg category, 50 athletes competed from the preliminary rounds to the finals, where Canadian athlete Christa Deguchi defeated Japanese athlete Haruka Funakobo to win the gold medal. Mongolian a