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TAIF: Saudi driver Faisal Al-Qabbani secured first place in the second round of the Saudi Toyota Championship Hill Climb that concluded on Saturday in Aqabat Al Muhammadiyah, Al Shafa.

Al-Qabbani overall clocked the fastest time of 1 minute, 43.116 seconds, meanwhile Maamoun Al-Qabbani came in second with a time of 1 minute, 43.962 seconds, said a media statement.

Jean Lahoud claimed third place with a time of 1 minute, 45.681 seconds.

The event was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport, and organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), in collaboration with official partner Jameel Motorsport and the Saudi Motorsport Marshals Club.

The second round was marked by a high standard of organization and notable participation, reflecting the rapid progress of motorsport in the Kingdom and the growing stature of the championship across the regional motorsport landscape.

Mohammed Madani, Executive Vice President for Strategic Management and Business Development at the SAMF, expressed his satisfaction with the successful conclusion of the second round. He conveyed his pride in the outstanding level of organization and the spirit of competition, both of which reflect the ongoing development of motorsport in the Kingdom.

“This championship reflects the commitment of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation to advancing motorsport and providing high-quality competitive platforms that support the discovery and development of young Saudi talent. It also reflects the Federation’s vision to build a sustainable and professional motorsport ecosystem,” Madani said.

In Class 1, Faisal Al-Qabbani also took first place with his leading time of 1:43.116, ahead of Maamoun Al-Qabbani in second, and Mahmoud Abed in third.

In Class 2a, Jean Lahoud topped the leaderboard with a time of 1:45.681, followed by Ahmed Al-Qaidi in second and Ahmed Bajunaid in third. Meanwhile, Class 2b was won by Rabih Al-Aawar with a time of 1:50.820, with Abdullah Al-Qabbani and Mohammed Al-Sharyan securing second and third respectively.

In Class 3a, Ibrahim Al-Shouraida led with a time of 1:52.508, followed by Sultan Hamdi and Hazem Al-Dabbagh in second and third. Class 3b saw Hamza Bakhashab take first place with a time of 1:58.785, ahead of Riyadh Batal in second and Abdullah Khoja in third.

In Class 4a, Abdullah Al-Khuriji secured the top spot with a time of 1:59.538, followed by Hisham Al-Badea and Bandar Al-Sulami. In Class 4b, Ali Al-Khadhair took first with a time of 2:04.960, while Abi Wael Zafar and Khaled Baghdadi placed second and third respectively.

In Class 5a, Abdulaziz Al-Fadhili claimed first place with a time of 2:09.574, followed by female driver Enas Abtini in second and Mohammed Abdelghaffar in third. Class 5b was won by Hatem Al-Hazmi, who clocked a time of 2:10.043, ahead of Mohammed Habbal and Saeed Al-Ghamdi in second and third positions.

As for the additional competition categories, Abdulaziz Al-Rumaih won Category 2 SS with a time of 1:52.767. In Category 2 SC, Saeed Al-Mouri came first with a time of 1:54.291, followed by Abdullah Al-Omari in second and Talal Al-Asimi in third.

It is worth noting that the third and final round of the Saudi Toyota Championship Hill Climb will take place from 7 to 9 August.

The final round is expected to play a pivotal role in further embedding motorsport culture within the Kingdom and inspiring the next generation of Saudi talent to pursue a future in this thrilling sport.

DHAKA: Pakistan captain Salman Agha is confident his new-look side is shaping up well toward next year’s World Cup as they take on Bangladesh in a Twenty20 series starting in Dhaka from Sunday.

Agha has been leading the short format side with star batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan out since last year.

Pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has been rested for the three-match series and seam bowlers Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim are also missing because of injuries.

Agha said the missing players could still be considered for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year.

“We have changed the way we want to play but we are confident of our build-up and direction,” said Agha on Saturday.

“We are going for this series with ample preparations as Bangladesh can be a challenging team in their home conditions.”

New Zealander Mike Hesson is Pakistan’s new white-ball coach. His first assignment was a 3-0 series win at home against Bangladesh 3-0 last month.

With leg-spinner Shadab Khan also injured, Pakistan have picked two uncapped fast bowlers in Salman Mirza and Ahmed Daniyal.

Bangladesh won a T20 series 2-1 in Sri Lanka last week.

“What happened in Sri Lanka is in the past,” said captain Litton Das.

“We have to face a new challenge starting tomorrow. We are ready for this challenge.

“We have the mentality to beat any team, but we have to play well on the particular day and not entirely bank on home conditions.”

Bangladesh have kept the same squad that went to Sri Lanka

The second and third matches are on Tuesday and Thursday, also in Dhaka.