Saudi Arabia to host AFC U-17 Championship
This edition of the tournament introduces a new format, with the top eight teams earning qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which Qatar will host from November 5 to 27, 2025. The upcoming World Cup will make history as the first to feature 48 teams.
The draw, held last January, placed host nation Saudi Arabia at the top of Group 1 alongside Uzbekistan, Thailand, and China. Group 2 consists of Japan, Australia, Vietnam, and the UAE, while Group 3 features South Korea, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Indonesia. Group 4 includes Iran, Tajikistan, Oman, and North Korea.
Saudi Football Federation President Yasser bin Hassan Al-Misehal welcomed the participating teams, expressing his hopes for a competitive tournament that reflects the strength of Asian football.
Al-Misehal emphasized that Saudi Arabia's hosting of the AFC U-17 Championship is part of its broader commitment to staging major sporting events. He credited the Kingdom's leadership for its support of the sports sector, particularly football, and praised the Ministry of Sports for its efforts in ensuring the success of such prestigious tournaments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab Times
24 minutes ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait Airways targets competitive edge among Gulf region airlines
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 11: In a board meeting marked by full attendance, Chairman Abdulmohsen Al‑Faqan reaffirmed Kuwait Airways' strategic ambitions to position the national carrier among the most competitive airlines in the region. Speaking to the press on Monday, he emphasized the board's determination to enhance operational activity, bolster revenues, and elevate the airline's reputation. Al‑Faqan announced a recently secured delivery schedule: an Airbus A321neo set to arrive later this month, followed by two Airbus A330‑900neo aircraft before year-end. These additions are part of a broader strategic plan already yielding visible improvements in both service and financial performance. Addressing internal oversight, he noted the airline's cooperation with the Audit Bureau in resolving financial violations—reducing the number under investigation from 16 to seven—and said all legal remedies are being pursued diligently. The airline continues to modernize, updating passenger services and technological infrastructure and expanding partnerships with domestic companies. These efforts align with Kuwait Vision 2035, which aims to strengthen tourism and the economy. Al‑Faqan highlighted some of the airline's performance highlights from 2024: Received its first A330‑900neo 'Boubyan' Ranked worldwide #1 for in-flight meal quality (Money Market report) Ranked 3rd in punctuality in the Middle East & Africa region, with a 91.13% on-time departure rate (Cirium, June 2024) Placed 20th globally and 5th in the Middle East among 109 airlines (Air Help) The airline also forged strategic partnerships in 2024:
Kuwait Times
5 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait opens doors to GCC foreign residents
All foreigners in Gulf states eligible for tourist visa on arrival KUWAIT: Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah issued a decision on Sunday allowing all foreigners residing in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to enter Kuwait by obtaining a tourist visa on arrival at all entry points. The decision was published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm on Sunday and is effective immediately. Under a recently issued decision, a tourist visa is valid for 90 days. According to the decision, GCC foreign residents must have a residency permit in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain valid for at least six months. The decision also abolishes regulations issued in 2008 and which allowed only certain categories of GCC residents like doctors, engineers, judges, executives and others to avail of the tourist visa on arrival. Around 25 million foreigners residing in the five GCC member states can benefit from the Kuwaiti visa on arrival. Nationals of most countries in Europe, North America, some Latin American countries and leading Asian nations like China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and others have been allowed to obtain tourist visas on arrival for many years. Over the past 15 months, Kuwait has eased restrictions on visas to foreigners in a bid to open up for visitors. It has eased restrictions on family visas allowing expats working in Kuwait to bring their close relatives like spouses, children, parents and others to visit them for a maximum of one month. It has also made it easier for hotels to sponsor visitors and for companies to obtain business visas for their foreign partners.
Kuwait Times
14 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Pawol becomes first woman to umpire in Major League Baseball
ATLANTA: Umpire Jen Pawol #95 waves to the crowd after a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on August 9, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. – AFP WASHINGTON: Jen Pawol made history by becoming the first woman to umpire in a regular-season Major League Baseball game on Saturday - and she says she is aware of the 'magnitude' of the moment. The 48-year-old, who worked in more than 1,200 minor league games before getting the call-up this week, achieved the milestone at Truist Park in Atlanta in the first game of a double-header between the Braves and the Miami Marlins. 'I'm aware of the gravity. I'm aware of the magnitude,' said Pawol, who worked at first base. Pawol, whose cap from the historic outing will be donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame, will be calling balls and strikes behind home plate in Sunday's contest between the clubs. 'Just incredible. The dream came true. The dream actually came true today,' Pawol said following the game. 'And I'm still living in it.' The historic moment for Pawol came when Atlanta starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep threw the opening pitch. She later inspected Waldrep's hands for foreign substances as part of her game duties. 'Once I started umpiring, I was like, 'This is for me,'' Pawol recalled before the game. 'I can't explain it. It's just in my DNA. 'This is a viable career, to become a professional umpire, for men and women, girls and boys. I'm able to make a living doing it and I'm passionate about it. I just work harder every day and get better before tomorrow.' In the game, Drake Baldwin singled in two runs and Michael Harris smashed a three-run home run in the seventh inning to lead the Braves over Miami, 7-1. 'Long, hard journey' Pawol began working as an umpire in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2016 and last year became the first woman umpire in a pre-season spring training game since Ria Cortesio in 2007 before making her historic breakthrough in a regular-season game. 'It has been a long, hard journey to the top here,' Pawol said. 'I'm just extremely focused on getting my calls right and I'm so grateful to all those along the way who have helped me become a better umpire every day.' MLB's addition of a female umpire comes 28 years after Violet Palmer became the first woman to referee an NBA game in October 1997. Shannon Eastin was the NFL's first female on-field official, hired as a replacement when regular officials were locked out in a contract dispute in September 2012. Three years later, Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first full-time female on-field official and last year, two women worked on the officiating crew of the same game for the first time. Stephanie Frappart of France was the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match when she worked a group stage match in 2022. — AFP
