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Oban Duncan hoping for Didier Drogba inspiration in quest for E1 Jeddah GP success

Oban Duncan hoping for Didier Drogba inspiration in quest for E1 Jeddah GP success
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Obdan Duncan of Team Drogba is the youngest participant at the E1 Jeddah GP. (Supplied)
Oban Duncan hoping for Didier Drogba inspiration in quest for E1 Jeddah GP success
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Obdan Duncan of Team Drogba is the youngest participant at the E1 Jeddah GP. (Supplied)
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Updated 25 January 2025

Oban Duncan hoping for Didier Drogba inspiration in quest for E1 Jeddah GP success

Oban Duncan hoping for Didier Drogba inspiration in quest for E1 Jeddah GP success
  • Team Drogba female pilot, 19, from Loch Lomond in Scotland, is the youngest competitor in the UIM E1 World Championship

JEDDAH: A teenage all-electric speedboat pilot from the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond hopes the wise words of Chelsea legend Didier Drogba can inspire her to success at the E1 Jeddah GP on Saturday.

Oban Duncan from Balloch, who celebrated her 19th birthday on Jan. 14, is the female pilot for Team Drogba, one of the celebrity-owned teams in the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, a competition entering its second season.

The current Champions of the Water are Team Brady — owned by NFL legend Tom Brady — but, backed by the former Champions League-winning striker, Duncan believes a triumph in Jeddah would be the perfect platform for Team Drogba this campaign.

Speaking beside the sun-kissed coastal waters of the Red Sea in temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius while her hometown of Balloch in Loch Lomond braces for a huge storm called Storm Eowyn this weekend, Duncan said: “I think a win in Jeddah would definitely put us in good form for this season. Testing for us has gone really well the past couple of days.

“I think absolutely everyone I’ve spoken to thinks Didier is amazing and he is an amazing team owner. I couldn’t have picked a better team. He’s so invested in the team and wants us to do well, which is great, and even when he can’t make events, he always tries to call or text just to say, ‘hope everything goes well.’ He’s so committed to us doing well but understands when it doesn’t go quite the way we want as well.

“We had a really tough race in Venice last year and it was really tough for me personally, and he sort of took me to one side at the race and was like, ‘look, we’ve all had tough races. You’ve shown that you’re a good pilot and we can get through this as a team. We know that you can do it.’ And it really meant a lot coming from him, from all his background and extensive knowledge of being a sportsman to understand that, yes, it’s one race and we still have a whole season ahead of us. He’s really great. He’s such a lovely guy. Last year for my birthday he gave us signed footballs and stuff, which was really nice. And Gabrielle, his partner, is amazing as well. She’s sort of taken me under her wing, which is so nice.”

Duncan is by far the youngest pilot in the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, which also has teams owned by the likes of Will Smith, Rafael Nadal, Steve Aoki and the just-announced Team AlUla championed by Lebron James competing. Championing equality in sport, each team has a male pilot and a female pilot in the all-electric RaceBirds — with Duncan’s Kuwaiti teammate Yousef Al-Abdulrazzaq at Team Drogba more than double her age at 44. But do not be deceived about Duncan’s experience; she began competitive boating in Scotland from the age of eight.

Duncan said: “My mum and dad have had boats and jet skis since I was little, so I grew up around them. I just found out I loved it. I must have spent thousands of hours on Loch Lomond going round and round in circles trying to learn as much as I can learn. It’s home water for me, it works.

“About a year and a half ago now, I was contacted by E1 to test drive the boat. They needed a female pilot to try it and see their opinions on it. So, I went out for a day to test in Italy, and then we had a couple more test days with E1. From there, Team Drogba contacted me to be a pilot and it’s just grown massively from there. There are much worse jobs out there than this! It still doesn’t feel real. It’s amazing.”

She added: “For E1 to have equal male and female pilots, it’s definitely made a huge difference. I think season one has shown that there isn’t a huge difference between male and female pilots and that we can all compete against each other and just be as good as each other. It’s completely mixed, which is great. I think it should 100 percent encourage more women to get into it. There’s also work being done trying to bring women into engineering as well, in terms of motorsport engineering, and I’ve seen great success with that.”

This season’s opener in Jeddah comes under the theme “Race for Change.” Following the Jeddah event, the E1 season is held at six different marine locations across the globe, including Doha, Monaco, Lake Como and Miami.

Presented in partnership between E1, the Saudi Ministry of Sport, and the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation, qualifying for the E1 Jeddah GP took place on Friday, with the main race on Saturday. The UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF is the world’s only all-electric raceboat championship. It transcends traditional racing and champions a vision of revolutionizing marine transportation, with the introduction of charging points at race venues marking a shift toward greener marine practices.

Duncan said: “We came to Jeddah last year and sort of fell in love with the place. We absolutely love it. It’s a beautiful race. The course is really challenging but great at the same time. We had a couple of days off where we got to go out on boats, which is not what you’d expect us to do! We went for a swim around and just enjoyed the peace and quiet because although it’s the hustle and bustle of a city, it’s a beautiful city and a gorgeous sea at the same time.”

She added: “We’re based in Loch Lomond, but it feels like we’re never there. But when we’re home, it’s just nice to have a break and enjoy the fresh air, the cold weather. I love to be home when we’re at home, but I couldn’t fault the travel. We’d never get to see places like Jeddah otherwise.”

But while Jeddah is home this weekend and Loch Lomond will always be home, perhaps the place by the water with the deepest place in Oban Duncan’s heart is the Scottish west coast town after which she is named.

She said: “My mum and dad like Iona and all of those sorts of names and then were like, ‘Oban 
 love that.’ They actually got their wedding rings from the jewelery shop in Oban. They really love the place so we try and go as often as we can to see it and take it in, because it is a beautiful place. We just love the place.

“People from Scotland think my name is so different, which is great, and people that aren’t from Scotland don’t initially get it — and then once you explain it, they do, which is amazing. I think I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have an unusual name. I think it sort of makes me who I am.”


National UAE jiu-jitsu team to compete at World Games in Chengdu

National UAE jiu-jitsu team to compete at World Games in Chengdu
Updated 11 July 2025

National UAE jiu-jitsu team to compete at World Games in Chengdu

National UAE jiu-jitsu team to compete at World Games in Chengdu
  • Six athletes will take part in the competition, which runs from Aug. 7-17

ABU DHABI: The UAE’s national jiu-jitsu team is getting ready for the 2025 World Games, set to take place in Chengdu, China, from Aug. 7-17.

The team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Company, hopes to build on its impressive performance at the previous edition, held in the US in 2022.

Six athletes will represent the national across the various weight categories: Mohammed Al-Suwaidi (69 kg), Mehdi Al-Awlaki (77 kg), Saeed Al-Kubaisi (85 kg), Asmaa Al-Hosani (52 kg), Shamsa Al-Ameri (57 kg), and Shamma Al-Kalbani (63 kg).

Mohamed Salem Al-Dhaheri, vice chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “Taking part in a major international event like the World Games reflects the strong presence the UAE has built in jiu-jitsu. This would not have been possible without the continued support of our visionary leadership, who have created the right environment for our athletes to grow and succeed.

“In the coming days, our athletes will begin an intensive training program that includes local and international camps along with focused technical and physical sessions to ensure they are fully prepared.”

Mohammed Al-Suwaidi, competing in the 69 kg division, said representing the UAE on this stage was a proud moment in his career.

“We are going into this event with full focus and determination. We know the responsibility that comes with wearing the national colors and are ready to give our best. With the support we have and the preparation ahead of us, we are confident we can perform well.”

At the 2022 World Games, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team made history by securing five medals. Faisal Al-Ketbi won two golds, in the 85 kg and open weight divisions, while Al-Suwaidi took silver in the 69 kg category and Al-Kalbani took bronze in the 63 kg and open weight categories.

The 2025 games in Chengdu will bring together around 5,000 athletes from 118 countries, competing in 34 different sports between August 7 and 17.


AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez joins Saudi side Al-Hilal

AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez joins Saudi side Al-Hilal
Updated 11 July 2025

AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez joins Saudi side Al-Hilal

AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez joins Saudi side Al-Hilal
  • The 27-year-old French defender joins Al-Hilal on a three-year deal

Paris: Saudi club Al-Hilal on Thursday signed AC Milan’s French full-back Theo Hernandez on a three-year contract.
The 27-year-old leaves the Serie A side in a deal worth 25 million euros ($29.2 million), Italian media report.
Hernandez has played 38 times for France with two goals, and figured in the last World Cup, including the defeat by Argentina on penalties in the 2022 final in Qatar.
Moving to the Saudi Pro League a year before the next World Cup could be considered a risk for his chances of getting called up again by coach Didier Deschamps.
But he can take encouragement that Deschamps selected N’Golo Kante for Euro 2024 whilst he was playing for another Saudi club, Al-Ittihad.
Theo is the younger brother of Paris Saint-Germain and France defender Lucas Hernandez.


Swiss move through to Euro 2025 quarterfinals with late Xhemaili goal

Swiss move through to Euro 2025 quarterfinals with late Xhemaili goal
Updated 11 July 2025

Swiss move through to Euro 2025 quarterfinals with late Xhemaili goal

Swiss move through to Euro 2025 quarterfinals with late Xhemaili goal
  • Switzerland, who needed only a draw to advance based on goal difference, finished second in Group A behind Norway to go through to the knockout round for the first time
  • The desolate Finland players collapsed to the pitch in tears at the final whistle, while the Swiss lingered after the game’s end to pose for pictures

GENEVA: Switzerland’s Riola Xhemaili scored a last-gasp goal to salvage a dramatic 1-1 draw with Finland on Thursday that sent the joyous hosts through to the quarterfinals at Euro 2025, and heartbroken Finland home.

Switzerland, who needed only a draw to advance based on goal difference, finished second in Group A behind Norway to go through to the knockout round for the first time, and will face the winners of Group B, which would be world champions Spain as things stand now.

“I think we set ourselves a goal on the pitch, to write history, to go into the knockout stages, which we’ve never done before,” Swiss captain Lia Walti said.

Finland looked to be heading for the knockout round after Natalia Kuikka scored a penalty in the 79th minute, awarded after Viola Calligaris’s foul on Emma Koivisto. Center-back Kuikka calmly slotted home a low shot as Swiss goalkeeper Livia Peng dived the wrong way.

But, roared on by the home crowd, the Swiss kept up the attack in the breathless dying moments and Xhemaili, a second-half substitute, scored in the 92nd minute when Geraldine Reuteler mis-hit her shot on goal and Xhemaili was there to tap it in, blowing the roof off at Stade de Geneve.

“I really have to say that I didn’t think that we’re going home because I really believed in this team, until the last second, and I knew we were going to score,” Xhemaili said.

“I knew that Geraldine Reuteler, she will hit the target, of course, because she’s one of our best players, so I was like, just stay on the right spot in the right moment and wait until the ball is coming and it did.”

The desolate Finland players collapsed to the pitch in tears at the final whistle, while the Swiss lingered after the game’s end to pose for pictures and their famed manager Pia Sundhage wrapped her assistants in huge hugs.

But for most of the nervy night, the game was far from a classic, with desperation showing in both sides with the stakes sky high.

Switzerland started brightly and put Finnish goalkeeper Anna Koivunen to work early with a couple of chances. But momentum shifted midway through the half to quiet the nervous crowd and Peng made a huge save on the goal-line seconds before the break to preserve the draw.

Intensity picked up over the second half and Sundhage threw virtually every attacker on her bench into the game in search of the equalizer, with the Swiss ending the night with 15 shots to Finland’s six.

“I am going to dance tonight,” a smiling Sundhage told SRF.

Kuikka said Switzerland were the better team on the night.

“They came to the game like they wanted to win and it kind of showed,” she said.


Healy wins hilly 6th stage, Van der Poel takes yellow jersey from Pogacar at Tour de France

Healy wins hilly 6th stage, Van der Poel takes yellow jersey from Pogacar at Tour de France
Updated 11 July 2025

Healy wins hilly 6th stage, Van der Poel takes yellow jersey from Pogacar at Tour de France

Healy wins hilly 6th stage, Van der Poel takes yellow jersey from Pogacar at Tour de France
  • The 24-year-old Healy had won a stage on the Giro d’Italia before, but this was his first victory at cycling’s showcase race
  • The Slovenian star accelerated at the end of the stage but could not quite do enough to stop the yellow jersey going to the 30-year-old Dutchman Van der Poel, who is not considered a race contender

VIRE NORMANDIE, France: Irish rider Ben Healy won a hilly sixth stage of the Tour de France after a long solo breakaway on Thursday and Mathieu van der Poel took back the yellow jersey from defending champion Tadej Pogacar by one second.

The 24-year-old Healy had won a stage on the Giro d’Italia before, but this was his first victory at cycling’s showcase race.

“A stage win in the Tour is just unbelievable, it’s what I’ve worked for,” he said. “I grew up watching the Tour and wishing one day I could just be there. Participating in the Tour is already an achievement and to win a stage is just so so amazing.”

American rider Quinn Simmons finished 2 minutes, 44 seconds behind Healy in second place and Australian Michael Storer was 2:51 back in third spot.

Van der Poel finished eighth, and Pogacar was a little further back in ninth.

Stage 6 took riders over 201.5 kilometers (125 miles) from Bayeux to Vire Normandie, featuring six minor climbs before a sharp uphill finish with a 10 percent gradient.

The Slovenian star accelerated at the end of the stage but could not quite do enough to stop the yellow jersey going to the 30-year-old Dutchman Van der Poel, who is not considered a race contender.

“I would have loved to have a bit more than one second but I’m happy to have it again,” said Van der Poel, who struggled with the heat. “I’ll try my best to recover as good as possible and then we’ll see tomorrow, but first I’m going to enjoy the yellow jersey. I will probably only have it for one day.”

Two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard finished 10th, just behind Pogacar, and is fifth overall.

The route favored allrounders and an experienced-looking eight-rider breakaway, including Stage 2 winner Van der Poel and Giro d’Italia champion Simon Yates, pulled away from the yellow jersey group around three-time Tour winner Pogacar.

Riding through rolling countryside they opened up a four-minute lead with 40 kilometers to go, which is when Healy decided to go for the stage win and pulled away from his rivals, who could not follow.

“Today’s stage really suited me, I had circled this day from the start,” Healy said. “I knew I needed to get away from the group, I think I timed it well and I caught them by surprise a little bit. Then I knew what I had to do: just put my head down.”

Friday’s stage is also hilly

Stage 7 is 197 kilometers long, starting from the port city of Saint-Malo and finishing with a climb up MĂ»r-de-Bretagne in Britanny’s picturesque CĂŽtes-d’Armor department.

“When you see how Tadej is riding,” Van der Poel said, “if he attacks tomorrow, or Jonas as well, it will be very difficult not only for me but for the whole bunch to follow on this climb.”


Wenger defends Club World Cup amid Klopp criticism

Wenger defends Club World Cup amid Klopp criticism
Updated 11 July 2025

Wenger defends Club World Cup amid Klopp criticism

Wenger defends Club World Cup amid Klopp criticism
  • Wenger: Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I don’t share Jurgen Klopp’s view at all. I feel that a Club World Cup, a REAL Club World Cup was needed
  • Wenger also pointed to the unexpectedly high attendance figures as evidence of the competition’s success

NEW YORK: Arsene Wenger has dismissed Jurgen Klopp’s criticism of FIFA’s revamped 32-team Club World Cup, calling the tournament a “fantastic competition” and emphasizing the support it has received from participating teams, players, and managers.

Klopp, the former Liverpool manager, described the expanded summer competition as “the worst idea ever invented” in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt two weeks ago. Wenger, now FIFA’s chief of Global Football Development, countered these remarks on Thursday during a FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) briefing in New York.

“Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I don’t share Jurgen Klopp’s view at all,” Wenger told reporters. “I feel that a Club World Cup, a REAL Club World Cup was needed. If you make an inquiry today with all the clubs who were here at this competition, I’m basically sure that we have 100 percent of answers of people who want to do this again. So that’s basically the best answer.”

Wenger also pointed to the unexpectedly high attendance figures as evidence of the competition’s success. “The decisive question is, do the fans like it? Attendance projections were low, but in reality, they were much higher. The answer is there,” he added.

The tournament has provided FIFA with a testing ground ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place across North America. Wenger acknowledged that the summer heat in the US posed challenges but said FIFA has learned valuable lessons to address these issues.

“The heat in some games was a problem,” Wenger admitted. “We tried to combat that with cooling breaks and watering the pitches during breaks. We learned a lot on that front.”

He singled out Orlando as one of the venues where pitch conditions proved difficult, though he praised the quality of natural grass pitches overall. Philadelphia’s surface, he said, would serve as a benchmark for future competitions in the US.

Looking ahead, Wenger said FIFA is considering using covered stadiums in cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Houston to host early matches in next year’s tournaments. He also revealed that FIFA analysts have studied the impact of heat on player performance, finding that temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) affect high-speed running and sprints more than overall distances covered.

“Certainly next year, there will be more roofed stadiums as we have to follow the TV schedule. We are learning to be better equipped to deal with these conditions,” Wenger said.

The inaugural 32-team Club World Cup concludes on Sunday, with Paris St. Germain taking on Chelsea in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.