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Final day drama in Roshn Saudi League as top teams battle for continental spots

Final day drama in Roshn Saudi League as top teams battle for continental spots
Al-Fateh will host Al-Nassr at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium in Al-Ahsa. (X/@EnFatehclub)
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Updated 26 May 2025

Final day drama in Roshn Saudi League as top teams battle for continental spots

Final day drama in Roshn Saudi League as top teams battle for continental spots
  • Al-Fateh enter the match with Al-Nassr without pressure and are aiming to end their season on a high note
  • Al-Hilal will host Al-Qadsiah at Kingdom Arena, needing just three points to secure second place

RIYADH: On the final day of the Roshn Saudi Pro League, all Matchweek 34 fixtures will kick off at 9:00pm, with several big encounters shaping the race for continental qualification and league standings.

Al-Fateh v Al-Nassr: A clash of motivation and ambition in Al-Ahsa

Al-Fateh will host Al-Nassr at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium in Al-Ahsa. Having secured their places in the safe zone, Al-Fateh enter the match without pressure and are aiming to end their season on a high note, seeking a revenge for their loss in the first leg.

Al-Nassr, currently third with 70 points, are targeting a win to leap into second place — a position that would secure a spot in the AFC Elite Champions League, provided rivals Al-Hilal slip against Al-Qadsiah. The team boasts a star-studded lineup including Cristiano Ronaldo, French defender Mohamed Simakan, Portuguese midfielder Otavio, Senegalese winger Sadio Mane, Ayman Yahya, and Sultan Al-Ghannam.

Al-Fateh counters with talent of its own, led by Moroccan duo Mourad Batna and Marwane Saadane, alongside Algerian midfielder Sofiane Bendebka.

In their professional league history, the two sides have met 27 times: Al-Nassr won 16, Al-Fateh won 3, with 8 matches ending in draws. Al-Nassr will look to extend their dominance in this fixture.

Al-Hilal v Al-Qadsiah: Blue wave aims to lock second spot

In Riyadh, Al-Hilal will host Al-Qadsiah at Kingdom Arena, needing just three points to secure second place and a berth in next season’s AFC Elite Champions League.

Al-Hilal will be without Brazilian forwards Malcom, who recently underwent foot surgery, and Marcos Leonardo, sidelined due to a groin injury. Meanwhile, Al-Qadsiah are at full strength and looking to replicate their first-leg victory over Al Hilal. They’re currently fourth with 68 points, just four behind Al-Naser, and are also preparing for the King’s Cup final against Al-Ittihad on May 30 in Jeddah.

Al-Hilal have accumulated 72 points from 22 wins, 6 draws, and 5 losses, while Al-Qadsiah have 21 wins, 5 draws, and 7 losses.

Al-Ittihad v Damac: Champions eye a grand finale

Champions Al-Ittihad will cap off their title-winning season at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah as they face Damac in front of a huge home crowd.

Already crowned league champions, Al-Ittihad are looking to finish in style with a victory that would take their final tally to 83 points. French manager Laurent Blanc also sees the match as vital preparation for the upcoming King’s Cup final against Al-Qadsiah.

Damac, currently 14th with 35 points, are hoping for a positive result to end their season on a stronger note, especially after a 1–0 defeat to Al-Fateh in Matchweek 33.

With league standings, continental spots, and momentum heading into the King’s Cup final all on the line, the closing night of the Roshn Saudi League promises thrilling action across the board.


Barcelona reject Israeli basketball team training facility request

Barcelona reject Israeli basketball team training facility request
Updated 40 min 5 sec ago

Barcelona reject Israeli basketball team training facility request

Barcelona reject Israeli basketball team training facility request
  • “We don’t want to have any problems,” explained the club source, after an increase in protests against Israel because of the Gaza war
  • Spain’s government has labelled Israel’s actions a “genocide“

BARCELONA: Barcelona rejected a request from an Israeli basketball team to train at their facilities next week, a club source confirmed to AFP on Wednesday.
The Catalan club said it was for logistical and public order reasons that they would not allow Hapoel Jerusalem to train on their Palau Blaugrana court before a match against Baxi Manresa on October 15 in the EuroCup competition.
“We don’t want to have any problems,” explained the club source, after an increase in protests against Israel because of the Gaza war.
The source said on that day preparations would also begin for a Barca handball match in the Champions League, and that Manresa were obliged to allow their opponents use of their court.
Valencia Basket are due to face Hapoel Tel Aviv, another Israeli team, in the EuroLeague competition on the same day.
The pro-Palestinian BDS movement, calling for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel, has called for that match to be canceled.
Spain’s government has labelled Israel’s actions a “genocide” and prime minister Pedro Sanchez in September called for Israeli teams to be excluded from international sport.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,183 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the United Nations considers credible.
They launched their Gaza offensive in October 2023 in retaliation for an unprecedented cross-border attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.


England captain Kane could miss Wales friendly

England captain Kane could miss Wales friendly
Updated 08 October 2025

England captain Kane could miss Wales friendly

England captain Kane could miss Wales friendly
  • Kane joined up with England despite suffering an ankle issue in Bayern’s win over Eintracht Frankfurt
  • The 32-year-old, who is England’s record scorer with 74 goals, sat out Wednesday’s session

LONDON: England captain Harry Kane could miss Thursday’s friendly against Wales after the Bayern Munich striker was unable to train on Wednesday.
Kane joined up with England despite suffering an ankle issue in Bayern’s win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
Speaking after the Frankfurt game, Kane said: “I am recovering at the moment — I took a knock. A few days and then I should be fine, so no problem for the national team. I will be there on Monday.”
But the 32-year-old, who is England’s record scorer with 74 goals, sat out Wednesday’s session, along with uncapped Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah.
The Football Association said the pair were “following their own respective routines indoors” as the remaining 22 players trained at St. George’s Park.
Kane had scored against Frankfurt to reach 18 goals in just 10 matches for Bayern this season.
Ollie Watkins, Marcus Rashford, Jarrod Bowen and Anthony Gordon will be among the contenders to replace Kane if he is unable to face Wales.
Thomas Tuchel’s side welcome Wales at a sold-out Wembley before attention turns to Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier in Latvia.
England sit top of Group K, seven points clear of second-placed Albania, as they look to clinch their place at next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Three Lions have won all five of their qualifiers, with three games remaining.


Sabalenka battles to keep Wuhan record alive, Pegula survives marathon

Sabalenka battles to keep Wuhan record alive, Pegula survives marathon
Updated 08 October 2025

Sabalenka battles to keep Wuhan record alive, Pegula survives marathon

Sabalenka battles to keep Wuhan record alive, Pegula survives marathon
  • The world number one started slowly in her first match since she clinched a fourth Grand Slam title at the US Open last month

WUHAN, China: Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka battled hard Wednesday to keep her unbeaten record in Wuhan intact, having to come from behind to beat Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
The world number one started slowly in her first match since she clinched a fourth Grand Slam title at the US Open last month.
But the Belarusian found her power game in the final set to reach the Wuhan Open last 16, where she will face the 16th-seeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova.
Sabalenka is chasing a fourth consecutive crown in Wuhan where she has a perfect 18-0 win-loss record.
The first three games went against serve but it was Sramkova who consolidated for 3-1, and it was all she needed to grab the opening set in 35 minutes, firing 15 winners.
Sabalenka hit back to level and swept through the decider to win in just under two hours.
“She played incredible tennis, especially in the first set. There wasn’t much I could do against her,” said Sabalenka.
“I knew after that little break, it will be not that easy to get back in my rhythm.
“But I’m really glad that in the second set I found my game, I stepped in, and I think I played really great.”
Gauff cruise
Third seed Coco Gauff, a semifinalist in Wuhan last year, booked her place in the last 16 with a smooth 6-1, 6-0 performance against Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima.
Gauff was flawless throughout a 51-minute victory that was her 18th on Chinese soil since 2023, the most at WTA level by any player in China during that period.
Gauff will square off with Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai for a place in the quarter-finals.
In contrast, world number six Jessica Pegula survived a “wild ride,” needing seven match points and almost three hours to overcome fellow American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8/6).
Pegula served for the win twice, at 5-2 and 5-4 in the third set, but Baptiste dug deep to save five match points and took four games in a row for a 6-5 advantage.
Pegula steadied the ship to force a tiebreak and she finally wrapped up the victory on her seventh match point.
“It’s been brutal,” said Pegula, who will face Russian ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round.
“Match points, then she started playing well, I think I just got a little tentative,” admitted Pegula.
“And that’s all it takes sometimes for someone to come back.
“I’m really proud of myself for how I held it together because I think I easily could have just collapsed. But I held tough, so yeah, that was a wild ride.”
Heat again played a factor as 12th-seeded Karolina Muchova joined the likes of Emma Raducanu, Jelena Ostapenko and Dayana Yastremska on the list of mid-match retirees in Wuhan.
With temperatures soaring above 30°C, Muchova struggled with the heat and had her vitals checked on court before she retired while trailing Magdalena Frech 7-6 (7/1), 4-1.


Abu Dhabi to host final round of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025

Abu Dhabi to host final round of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025
Updated 08 October 2025

Abu Dhabi to host final round of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025

Abu Dhabi to host final round of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025
  • Round 8 of the competition takes place at Mubadala Arena from Oct. 10-12

ABU DHABI: The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation has announced that the eighth and final round of the second Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship will take place in the Mubadala Arena at Zayed Sports City from Oct. 10 to 12.

Champions of the Gi and No Gi categories will be crowned at the event that had athletes competing from clubs and academies across the UAE.

The event will be the largest since the championship’s inception in 2024, featuring more than 2,500 male and female athletes across various age groups.

The action will open with the under-18, adult, and masters’ divisions on the first day, followed by the under-14 and under-16 categories on the second day. The championship concludes with the under-12 and children’s categories on day three.

Mohammed Salem Al-Dhaheri, vice chairperson of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “This round represents the culmination of a full season of dedication, persistence and competition.

“It reflects the wise leadership’s vision to advance jiu-jitsu and strengthen its presence across the nation.”

Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club has already secured the No-Gi title, while strong competition is expected for the Gi title among Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club, Al-Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club, Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club, and M.O.D UAE.


Tommy Fleetwood to defend Dubai Invitational title

Tommy Fleetwood to defend Dubai Invitational title
Updated 08 October 2025

Tommy Fleetwood to defend Dubai Invitational title

Tommy Fleetwood to defend Dubai Invitational title
  • Second edition of the tournament takes place at Dubai Creek Resort from Jan. 15-18

DUBAI: Ryder Cup hero Tommy Fleetwood will return to Dubai Creek Resort from Jan. 15 to 18 to defend his Dubai Invitational title.

The reigning FedExCup Champion and seven-time DP World Tour winner produced a dramatic birdie-birdie finish at the inaugural edition in 2024 to edge out Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy on the final day in his adopted home of Dubai.

Two years on, Fleetwood returns as one of the game’s standout stars.

In 2025, he became the second Englishman to capture the PGA Tour’s prestigious FedExCup title with his win at the Tour Championship, adding to his growing list of accolades which includes three Ryder Cup triumphs.

The 34-year-old played a pivotal role in Europe’s historic away victory at Bethpage, finishing the week as the leading points scorer across both teams.

His Ryder Cup record now stands at an impressive 7–3–2, giving him the highest winning percentage of any European player with at least 10 matches played.

The world No. 5 is aiming to carry his strong form into the new season. “I’m delighted to be defending my Dubai Invitational title in front of family and friends here in Dubai,” said Fleetwood.

“Winning the first edition was a really special moment for me, and Abdulla did a fantastic job bringing the event to life. I can’t wait to start the new year back at Dubai Creek Resort.”

Tournament host Abdulla Al-Naboodah said Fleetwood’s victory in the inaugural Dubai Invitational “was an unforgettable moment and set the standard for what this tournament is all about.

“Having one of the world’s top players return to defend his title is a huge honor, and I am excited to see the tournament continue to grow and inspire golf fans here in Dubai and around the world.”

The Dubai Invitational is the opening event of the Race to Dubai’s International Swing.

Played alongside a three-day Pro-Am team format before a professionals-only Sunday, the bi-annual event features 60 DP World Tour professionals and 60 amateurs.