Team Abu Dhabi complete domestic cricket triple crown with D50 victory
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Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAM take top honours at UAE Muay Thai Youth Open Championship
The UAE Muay Thai Youth Open Championship concluded with great success after three days of competition at the Dubai World Trade Centre, featuring 422 fighters representing 49 clubs from within the UAE and abroad. Organised by the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation, the event reaffirmed the federation's commitment to developing the sport and providing a competitive platform for young athletes ahead of the IFMA Youth World Championships to be hosted in Abu Dhabi next month. The finals featured 109 bouts across two rings, with age groups ranging from 10 to 17 years, all under the supervision of 30 referees. In the overall team standings, UAM secured first place with a total of 17 medals (15 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze). Al Khaleej Club followed in second place with 15 medals (5 gold, 9 silver, 1 bronze), while Adma Academy came third with 13 medals (5 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze). The final day of the championship was attended by Sorayut Chasombat, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the UAE, Mustafa Jabbar Alak, President of the Iraqi Muay Thai Federation, Ali Khoury, Board Member of the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation, and Ahmed Al Janahi, Head of Events at Dubai Sports Council. 'We extend our deepest gratitude to the UAE's wise leadership for their unwavering support of Muay Thai, helping the sport grow and flourish across the nation. This championship demonstrated the technical and organisational readiness of our athletes and officials as we gear up to host the IFMA Youth World Championships in Abu Dhabi from September 10–19," said Abdullah Saeed Al Neyadi, President of the Asian and Arab Muay Thai Federations and Chairman of the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation. "We congratulate the winners and commend all participants for their commitment, skills, and spirit. The championship proved to be a vital platform for young talents to gain competitive experience, showcasing the strength of our grassroots development and the promising future of Muay Thai in the UAE. We are proud of the regional and international participation, which further reflects the strength of the sport's foundation and the great engagement with our federation's programs and events throughout the season.' Established in May 2017, the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation is the official governing body for Muay Thai and kickboxing in the UAE. The federation plays a pioneering role in promoting the sport, fostering awareness and cultural understanding, and enabling the UAE to excel on both regional and global stages.
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Why Gill may not be able to dislodge Sharma for a spot in India's Asia Cup team
With an embarrassment of riches at their disposal, Indian selectors face a huge dilemma for the Asia Cup team selection. The Ajit Agarkar-led Indian selection committee has plenty to ponder on as they get ready to announce the team for the continental showpiece on Tuesday. The Asia Cup will be held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from September 9 to 28, with India being placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Oman and the UAE. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka will vie for the top two spots in the Super Four stage from Group B. India have made remarkable progress since Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the two heavyweights, retired following the team's 2024 Twenty20 World Cup triumph in the West Indies. Coach Gautam Gambhir has added exciting youngsters to the team, such as Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, who have delivered match-winning performances for the team over the past 12 months. Sharma's opening partnership with Sanju Samson, the hugely experienced wicketkeeper-batter, has also proved decisive in big moments. So, the Indian selectors now face a big headache with Test skipper Shubman Gill and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, both prolific scorers in the Indian Premier League (IPL), hoping to return to the T20 team. But Aakash Chopra, a former Indian Test opener, believes it's not going to be easy for Gill and Jaiswal to get into India's Asia Cup squad despite their superb form in the recent Test series against England. "The depth of talent is so immense that even if you are a Test captain (Shubman Gill) and have shattered a lot of records, you are not a certainty in a different format," Chopra told ANI, referring to Gill's 754 runs in the five-Test series against England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. While Gill was the highest scorer in the series with four hundreds, Jaiswal made 411 runs with two hundreds. Both are also proven T20 players, but one of them has played a T20 International since July 2024. During this period, India have played 12 matches, winning 10 of them with Sharma and Samson opening the innings in all these games. So it's against this backdrop that the selectors must decide if they want to bring back Gill and Jaiswal, two prolific T20 openers, into the team for the Asia Cup. "This is going to be a tough selection. We have won 17 out of the last 20 T20 matches we played," Chopra said. In such scenarios, the temptation to bring back the big stars is often irresistible for selectors. Gill and Jaiswal, after all, are two supreme young shot-makers who have proven their talent across the three formats. But the left-handed Sharma, who has scored 535 runs in 17 T20Is at an astonishing strike rate of 193.84, fits perfectly into the team's new philosophy of playing a fearless and ultra-aggressive brand of cricket. It's with this style of cricket that India won three back-to-back series against Bangladesh, South Africa and England, with Sharma launching some of the most stunning attacks ever seen in T20Is. Even Gill, arguably the most gifted Indian batter, may find it hard to dislodge his Punjab teammate at the Indian top-order for the Asia Cup.
Khaleej Times
8 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
These young Emirati chess players set sights on Grandmaster title
The UAE could soon have its youngest-ever chess Grandmasters, as students as young as 11 years old start dominating in competitive chess while setting their sights on the game's ultimate prize, becoming a grandmaster. "I started playing with my family at home. What began as a fun game turned into something much bigger when I realised I could compete and win for the UAE," Alia Fahed AlHarazi, 12, told Khaleej Times. Four rising stars — Alia, 12-year-old Mariam Khalifa AlQubaisi (UAE Under-14 Champion), and 11-year-olds Abdulla AlBusaeedi and Khalid Sharif AlAlawi (both UAE medalists) — train under Abu Dhabi Chess Club & Mind Games. Still in school, these students train two to three times a week while making great improvements in their ratings and earning regular tournament victories. They are making all the right moves on the board while getting good grades in school. "My mom introduced me to chess, and it started as a hobby after school, but with time, it became a daily routine and my main ambition. I became UAE champion, and now I want to become a grandmaster.' Mariam told Khaleej Times The young Emiratis are currently competing in an international chess festival in Abu Dhabi, where they are expected to gain experience to reach their goals. The 31st Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival, running until August 24, features 3,000 players from 82 countries with a Dh500,000 prize fund—making it one of the world's largest chess festivals. Their ambitions are built on the Emirati chess legacy. The UAE's chess journey began in 1976, producing the first Grandmaster, Taleb Moussa, in 2004, followed by Salem Saleh, who reached a peak rating of 2690, which put him in the top 50 chess players list. "I want to be like Salem Saleh, who became a grandmaster and is now playing in master tournaments. With training, I hope I can be like him,' Abdulla AlBusaeedi told Khaleej Times. For these young players, the impact of chess extends beyond the competitive world of tournaments. "I always think before I do anything now, this is because of chess and how I think before every move, now I have to use it even in school", Khalid AlAlawi told Khaleej Times. It is their local chess club that hosts training sessions and pushes them to compete internationally. "The chess club feels like a second home; this is where I find my friends and I have fun.' Said Alalawi Their focus is now centred on the current festival, where they're testing skills against international talent. "I want to test myself against strong players and gain experience. Winning would be amazing, and I'm sure I would be able to win against one of these rated players in the upcoming rounds," said Alya Alia's ambition is "to become the second Emirati woman grandmaster and to inspire more girls in the UAE to take up chess." Early this year, 15-year-old Rouda Essa Alserkal became the first Emirati and Gulf player to earn the Woman Grandmaster title. Rouda's achievement has inspired all young Emirati chess players who are currently competing at the Abu Dhabi Chess Festival.
