Latest news with #Quintet
Al Etihad
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
New team grappling event Quintet comes to UAE
30 July 2025 00:38 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)A bold new chapter in combat sports is unfolding in the Middle East with the announcement that the pioneering Japanese martial arts promotion Quintet will be making its regional debut in event, titled Quintet 5, is scheduled to take place on October 23, marking the first time this unique team-based grappling format will be showcased in the Gulf, and outside of Japan and United States in its short announcement was made during a news conference at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, held as part of the UAE's Showdown Week – a premier sporting initiative that regularly draws top-tier mixed martial arts (MMA) talent and organisations from around the on the occasion were Kazushi Sakuraba, the Quintet founder and one of MMA pioneers from Japan, and Tarek Suleiman, a seasoned martial artist who will be spearheading the brand's expansion across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as regional a veteran of Pride Fighting Championships and widely considered one of the most influential grapplers in MMA history, spoke passionately about the decision to bring his promotion to the UAE. 'For Japanese martial artists, Abu Dhabi is a name we've always held in high regard,' he said.'We watched from afar how the UAE embraced jiu-jitsu and elevated it into something bigger than just a sport – a cultural and national movement. To launch Quintet here is not only symbolic, but meaningful. The people understand the art. The government supports it. And the athletes here live it.'Quintet is distinct from traditional MMA or Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) competitions. First launched in 2018, the promotion is known for its 'winner-stays-on' format, in which five-member teams compete in elimination-style grappling individual bout ends either in a submission or a draw – there are no judges and no points system. If a competitor wins by submission, they remain on the mat to face the next opponent from the opposing team. If the match ends in a draw, both competitors are eliminated. The format encourages tactical team decisions, creative grappling, and cohesive strategy – all while staying rooted in the respect-driven philosophy of martial arts.'This isn't just a one-off. We're here to build something lasting,' said Suleiman, who himself has competed under the Quintet rule set. 'The UAE has become a global destination for combat sports, and now it will be the home for team-based grappling in the region. Through Quintet, we aim to provide athletes with a new platform – one that prioritises cooperation, strategy, and team pride.'The event also drew the attention of major international MMA figures, including Ali Al Qaisi, widely regarded as the Arab world's top featherweight, and Marc Goddard, one of the sport's most respected referees. Their presence underscored the increasing convergence between mainstream MMA and submission-only grappling formats.A busy two weeks of MMA in the UAE has seen the IMMAF Youth World Championships, a dual UAE Warriors card, the UFC Fight Night being held while the World Grappling Championship is upcoming in Al Ain from August 5 will feature teams from across the Middle East and North Africa, with organisers confirming that both regional standouts and international athletes will participate. According to Suleiman, the Dubai event is part of a wider strategy aimed at developing a sustainable league system and athlete pipeline tailored to the region's unique combat sports culture. This initiative aligns with broader ambitions by UAE sporting authorities to nurture homegrown talent and elevate martial arts as a pillar of national fitness, discipline, and international recognition. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Gulf Today
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Quintet set to make Middle East debut with team-based grappling event in Dubai
Japanese martial arts promotion Quintet has announced its official entry into the Middle East market, with its inaugural regional event, Quintet 5, is set to take place in Dubai on October 23, 2025. The announcement came during a press conference held at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, as part of Fight Week — a major sporting initiative featuring international MMA events hosted in the UAE capital. The event was led by Kazushi Sakuraba, Quintet's legendary founder and one of the most iconic figures in Japanese MMA history, alongside Tarek Suleiman, Quintet's regional partner and veteran martial artist. Yanagisawa, General Manager of Quintet Japan, also attended the announcement. The event drew wide regional and international media coverage and was attended by prominent figures from the MMA community, including Ali Al Qaisi, one of the Arab world's most accomplished featherweights, and internationally renowned referee Marc Goddard. Known for its distinctive five-on-five team grappling format, Quintet eliminates points and judges entirely — matches end in submission or draw. The format blends tactical team strategy with traditional martial arts spirit and has already gained significant traction in Japan and the United States. 'For Japanese martial artists, Abu Dhabi is a name we've always held in high regard,' said Sakuraba, who was met with applause as he addressed the crowd. 'We watched from afar how the UAE embraced jiu-jitsu and elevated it into something bigger than just a sport — a cultural and national movement. To launch Quintet here is not only symbolic, but meaningful. The people understand the art. The government supports it. And the athletes here live it.' Suleiman, a former Quintet competitor himself, emphasized the vision behind this move. 'This isn't just a one-off. We're here to build something lasting,' he said. 'The UAE has become a global destination for combat sports, and now it will be the home for team-based grappling in the region. Through Quintet, we aim to provide athletes with a new platform — one that prioritizes cooperation, strategy, and team pride.' Quintet 5 in Dubai marks the start of a broader roadmap to establish a sustainable grappling ecosystem in the Middle East. Teams from across the MENA region are expected to participate in the October event, as organizers work toward building a long-term league and talent pipeline that aligns with the region's growing combat sports ambitions.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mark Casse-Trained Quintet Seek Classic Glory In Woodbine Oaks
Mark Casse-Trained Quintet Seek Classic Glory In Woodbine Oaks originally appeared on Paulick Report. Twelve fillies, including five Mark Casse trainees, will vie for top prize in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Stella Artois, one of four stakes on Sunday's 10-race card at Woodbine. Inaugurated in 1956, the filly classic, for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies carrying 121 pounds over 1 ⅛ miles on the main track, will go postward at 5:20 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast live, along with the Plate Trial, on Sportsnet One from 4:30-5:30 p.m. ET. The winning connections will receive $300,000. Sunday's card also features the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key race ahead of The King's Plate (Aug. 16), the $200,000 Canadian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T), and the $175,000 bet365 Connaught Cup (G2T).Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will send out the quintet of Ella It Is, No Time, Shifty, War Signal, and It Is, 2-2-0 from eight starts ($86,298 in purse earnings), will make her fifth career stakes appearance when she goes postward on Sunday. The daughter of Point of Entry out of the Silent Name (JPN) mare Our Ella finished second in both the Victorian Queen and South Ocean last year, and was seventh, albeit just 3 ½ lengths behind the winner, in the 2024 running of the Princess Elizabeth It Is debuted last July and finished seventh but rebounded with a smart two-length score in a 6 ½-furlong main track race, also at the Toronto oval, that was originally scheduled for the bay, who notched a sharp 3 ¾-length win at 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine main track on June 1, heads into the Oaks off a seventh in the Selene Stakes (G3) on June 28.'She has shown she can run well,' said Casse. 'She has to step up her game now. This will be a test for her. She is really only one of my fillies in this race who can settle.'René and Darlene Hunderup (Heste Sport Inc.) bred and own Ella It Is. Working out of their home base, Norse Ridge Farms, in King, Ontario, northeast of Woodbine, the couple has enjoyed great success over the years as breeders and owners of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Parris is the groom. No Time, a daughter of Not This Time out of the Red Ransom mare Count to Three, arrives at the Oaks off a fourth in the Selene (G3).One race prior, on June 1 at Woodbine, the dark bay ran unfettered on the lead as the 5-2 choice in a 1 1/16-mile main track race and crossed the wire four lengths clear of her nearest rival in 1:44.24.'I think No Time is a sleeper,' said Casse, of the filly who has amassed $105,473 in purse earnings. 'I think she has a very good pedigree – both her and Shifty have very nice pedigrees. She is not easy to ride. She is another one that if she is happy, she is going to be tough. Johnny Velazquez is going to ride her for us.'Steadied sharply in her career bow last August when she was eighth, No Time won next time out in a 1 1/16-mile turf race on September brings a record of 2-0-1 from seven starts into her fourth stakes (fourth, elevated to third, in the Cup & Saucer, eighth in the Mazarine (G3), both last year) by James Everatt, Janeane Everatt, and Arika Everatt-Meeuse, No Time was a $250,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling Parris is the groom. Shifty, owned by D.J. Stable LLC, debuted on the E.P. Taylor on July 4, 2024, and showed late energy to finish fifth in a field of seven after breaking seven career starts, she sports a 2-0-2 mark ($152,037 in purse earnings), highlighted by an impressive 3 ¼-length win in the 2024 Catch A Glimpse Stakes. Sent off at 11-1, the bay filly drew off with authority to secure her first stakes winning her 3-year-old debut on May 11, Shifty was third in the seven-furlong Fury Stakes, for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada, on June 7.'Shifty is probably the most talented [of the group],' said Casse. 'She has her quirks. If she can settle and get into a good rhythm, she will be tough. She's very talented.'By Medaglia d'Oro out of the Elusive Quality mare Elusive Luci, Shifty was bred by Anderson Farm Ontario Inc. and sold for $350,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky sale. Bred and owned by Gary Barber, War Signal is 2-0-1 from six starts, accompanied by $98,527 in purse earnings. Fourth in her debut last May, she finished third in the Shady Well Stakes on November broke her maiden in her third start, a dominant 4 ¼-length victory at one mile and 70 yards over the Woodbine main track on December Signal made it two straight winner's circle trips when she posted a 2 ¼-length victory in her 3-year-old debut. Sent on her way as the 6-5 choice, she covered 1 mile and 70 yards over the Gulfstream all-weather surface in 1: bay was seventh in the seven-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes on May 1 at Woodbine and sixth, just two lengths behind the winner Mansetti, when she took on the boys in the 1 1/16-mile Marine Stakes (G3) on June 28.'She ran well in the Marine,' said Casse. 'It was against colts, and I thought she hung in there. She is a horse who I would have said this winter was our best chance to win the Oaks. She disappointed me a little bit in the Ruling Angel, but her race in the Marine was pretty good. She is another one who likes to be up close to the lead.' After a fifth in the Star Shoot Stakes on April 26 to start her sophomore season, Winterberry was back on the winning track courtesy of a strong showing in the had a winning debut last August, a 5 ½-length victory at 6 ½ furlongs over the Woodbine main track. Next time out, she was sixth in the G1 Summer, at 1 mile on the E.P. Taylor dark bay rebounded with a three-quarter length score in the seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes on October 13 and closed out her rookie campaign with a fifth in the six-furlong Shady Well Stakes on November a daughter of Frosted out of the Bellamy Road mare Dreams Are Free, brings a record of 3-0-0 from six starts into the Oaks.'She is interesting in that we thought all along that she was a sprinter,' said Casse, of the filly with $168,030 in purse earnings. 'But she has really matured. She was scratched twice before she ever ran because of her antics. I talked to Patrick (jockey, Husbands) the other day after he worked her, and he told me that she is a different horse. I know that he is excited about her running.'Winterberry may keep going. She is coming into the Oaks better than ever. I am still not 100 percent sure she can get the mile and an eighth, but she is very talented.'Bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc., Winterberry was a $210,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland Association September Yearling 'Billy' Forde is the groom. Casse has won the Oaks on four occasions, one shy of the record held by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Jim Day.'With all our fillies, the question is the mile and an eighth,' said Casse, whose latest victory in the race came in 2023 with Elysian Field. 'It's going to be how they settle early. If any of them settle, they are going to run well – they are going to be tough.'Every rider is going to do their own thing. I am not giving any instructions. I think the break is going to be very important, and how each rider can get their horse to settle going into the first turn.'Aristella, last year's Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner, stakes placed Crystal Visions, maiden D'aurum, Innisfree Isle, who broke her maiden last time out, multiple stakes placed Nata Trouble, R Canadian Apple, third in her debut, and Reveler's Row, a first-time out winner, round out the field. The Woodbine Oaks is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, which continues at the Toronto oval with the 1 1/16-mile, $250,000 Bison City Stakes on August 9 and concludes with the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine inner turf on September 6. First post for Sunday is 1:05 p.m. The wagering menu for the Woodbine Oaks includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, and $1 Swinger. Fans can wager on all the action through and There will be free Woodbine Oaks programs for the first 500 guests on Sunday (one per person). War Signal – Sofia Vives – Mark Casse Nata Trouble – David Moran – Willie Armata Ella It Is – Jose Campos – Mark Casse Innisfree Isle – Fraser Aebly – Catherine Day Phillips Shifty – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse R Canadian Apple – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mike De Paulo Reveler's Row – Pietro Moran – Katerina Vassilieva No Time – John Velazquez – Mark Casse Crystal Visions – Ryan Munger – Stuart Simon Aristella – Rafael Hernandez – Rachel Halden Winterberry – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse D'aurum – Daisuke Fukumoto – Kevin Attard This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
LBCI
11-06-2025
- Business
- LBCI
No aid without reforms: Lebanon faces donor ultimatum
Report by Yazbek Wehbe, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi Following the ceasefire announced on November 28, Lebanon received promises, particularly from France, of an international donor conference in Paris to fund the reconstruction of damage caused by the Israeli aggression. The conference was initially scheduled for June but has been postponed. The delay is attributed to the demands from Western countries and Gulf states for Lebanon to demonstrate tangible actions rather than just verbal commitments. Donors are insisting on Lebanon's progress in disarming militias and centralizing arms under state control, clarifying the interpretation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 in the area between southern and northern Litani and accelerating the implementation of necessary reforms. In response, Lebanon invited representatives from donor countries, international organizations, funds, and the ambassadors of the Quintet to a conference aimed at gauging their willingness to contribute to reconstruction and understanding their conditions. Of the estimated $11 billion reconstruction cost, the Lebanese government requested $1 billion for urgent rebuilding and infrastructure rehabilitation, stressing a new approach centered on integrity. The World Bank representative repeatedly emphasized the importance of transparency but did not specify a timeline for the release of the first $250 million loan installment. Lebanon is aware of the political and reform conditions it must meet. The question remains whether the time to fulfill these requirements has come. Meanwhile, the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) pledged to focus on integrity and reduce bureaucracy. France committed $75 million at the conference, while Arab funds expressed interest and promised to study the project. Although Lebanon views the international conditions as relatively strict, it remains the party seeking Western support and must accelerate its efforts to meet those demands to avoid being left waiting on the sidelines. This comes at a time when aid flows are bypassing Lebanon and heading toward Syria, which has quickly met the conditions and secured assistance.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scala introduces AI-driven restaurant automation solution
Scala has launched an AI-driven restaurant automation solution designed to revolutionise the quick service restaurant (QSR) sector. The solution, known as Scala Quintet, aims to enhance speed of service, order accuracy, back-of-house operations and sales conversion through an integrated platform of digital solutions. The Quintet platform is the result of Scala's expertise in visual display, AI optimisation and user experience design. It offers restaurant operators and managers complete control over digital menu boards, allowing for the creation, scheduling and real-time updates of content. This includes the management of product descriptions, category tags and limited-time offers to improve the customer experience and drive sales. The Scala Quintet solution comprises five key components that work together to automate and streamline restaurant operations. Street-facing digital displays are designed to capture the attention of passers-by and encourage restaurant visits with dynamic content that can be updated through the Quintet system. Indoor and outdoor digital menu boards at ordering counters and drive-throughs features clear, engaging content that can be updated in real time. Self-order kiosks integrate with Quintet's kitchen system and update orders in real time for customers and staff. Orders pop up on kitchen screens instantly, and progress is shown on menu boards. Kitchen displays give staff control over preparation steps, enabling efficient task distribution with designated zones. Digital displays for customer order pick-up enhance accuracy and service speed. Scala chairman Chris Riegel added: "Scala Quintet pairs the Scala heritage of using visual displays to convert sales for our customers with our ordering workflow and self-service capabilities to automate and enhance the efficiency of restaurant operations and drive greater profitability.' "Scala introduces AI-driven restaurant automation solution" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
