DORTMUND: Kuwait’s Yaqoub Al-Youha qualified for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow to be held on 1-3 March 2024, after winning the men’s 60 meters hurdles final at Indoor Meeting Dortmund, finishing the race in 7.58 seconds. Youha had set a new tournament record in the same race at the competition taking place in Dortmund, Germany. He is participating in the tournament as part of his preparations for the Tehran Asian Indoors Championships.

Youha has most recently won the gold medal of the men’s 100 meters hurdles race in the Asian Games, Arab Championships and West Asian Championships. Over 700 competitors from more than 130 countries are expected to take part in the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow, competing in 26 events - 13 for men and 13 for women.

DUBAI:  Aryna Sabalenka had one dream. The Belarusian, who featured in the popular Netflix documentary Break Point, made a promise to win at least two Grand Slam titles by the age of 25. Her “biggest motivation” was – and remains – her late father, Sergey, an ice hockey player who tragically died from meningitis in 2019, aged just 43. 

The 27-year-old has now achieved that feat following a second successive triumph at the Australian Open last month in Melbourne. But Sabalenka, the current World No2, has no intention of stopping there.

Next up for Sabalenka is an appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, recently awarded permanent WTA 1000 status. She lost in the emirate last year to eventual winner Barbara Krejcikova in the quarter-finals, ending a 13-match unbeaten streak in the process. This year, joining a star-studded line-up that includes 17 of the world’s top 20 female players – including World No1 Iga Swiatek, World No3 Coco Gauff, and World No5 Elena Rybakina – she knows she will need to be at her very best to go the distance.

There’s no doubting Sabalenka’s numbers are hugely impressive. Below we’ve listed 10 standout figures that further demonstrate why the Belarusian-born athlete is undoubtedly one of the most formidable players on the women’s circuit.

Don’t miss your chance to see Sabalenka and co in action in Dubai from February 18-24, with tickets for both the women’s WTA tournament and the men’s ATP event available to purchase at www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com. 
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10 – Sabalenka racked up three WTA title wins in 2020, which in turn secured the first year-end top-10 finish in her career.
9 – The current World No2 reached the semi-final stages in at least nine of the 15 WTA tournaments she participated in 2023 before the WTA Finals (three titles, three finals, and three semi-finals).
8 – The Belarusian is one of only two players in the Open Era to have won her first eight Women’s Singles quarter-finals in Grand Slam events, along with Chris Evert (who won her first 48 such matches).
7 – In 2023 Sabalenka became the first player in 11 years to reach the quarter-finals in each of her first seven tournament appearances in a single year. The other names being Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska and Victoria Azarenka.
6 - She’s also now reached the semi-finals, or better, at the last six successive Grand Slams.
5 – Sabalenka is just the fifth woman since 2000 to win the Australian Open without dropping a set in the process. Lindsay Davenport (2000), Sharapova (2008), Serena Williams (2017) and Ashleigh Barty (2022) achieved the same defeat.
4 - She’s only the fourth woman since 1980 to have won the Australian Open in both singles and doubles in their career. Sabalenka won the doubles in 2021 with Elise Mertens before adding singles titles in 2023 and 2024.
3 – The 25-year-old is just the third woman in the Open Era to win their first two Grand Slam titles at the same Grand Slam in back-to-back years. Martina Navratilova (Wimbledon in 1978 and 1979) and Azarenka (Australian Open in 2012 and 2013) also achieved this.
2 – Sabalenka has two Grand Slam titles to her name after recently securing her second successive Australian Open crown in Melbourne.
1 – She’s also the first woman to win back-to-back Australian Open titles since Azarenka (2012 and 2013), and didn’t drop a single set on route to either of her Grand Slam titles.

HONG KONG:
Lionel Messi and Inter-Miami co-owner David Beckham were booed on Sunday and angry fans demanded refunds after the Argentina superstar sat out the team's pre-season friendly in Hong Kong.

The city government said organisers owed fans an explanation after the match, in which the visitors beat a Hong Kong select XI by four goals to one.

The World Cup-winning captain, who has a hamstring strain, stayed rooted to the bench throughout.

That brought a show of anger from the near-capacity crowd of 38,323, who had paid upwards of 1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($125) to see their hero, and in many cases five times that amount.

Halfway through the second half, chants of "We want Messi" rose around the Hong Kong Stadium from fans desperate to see the greatest footballer of his generation in the much-hyped exhibition game.

The booing became louder during the last 10 minutes when it became clear that the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner would not make even the briefest of cameos.

The jeers rose to a crescendo at the final whistle, and Beckham was drowned out by booing as he tried to thank the crowd for "their incredible support" while fans signalled their anger with thumbs-down gestures.

"I'm just really disappointed," fan Jonathan Wong told AFP. "Everyone is here to see Messi, so I feel a bit cheated.

"Without him it's just like another regular Hong Kong Premier League match, where a ticket only costs HK$80. This time we paid HK$5,000."

Miami coach Gerardo Martino said the club's medical team had taken the decision after an assessment on Sunday morning.

"We understand the disappointment of the fans for the absence of Leo (Messi)," Martino told reporters.

"We understand a lot of fans are very disappointed and we ask for their forgiveness.

"We wish we could have sent Leo on for at least a while but the risk was too big."

The 36-year-old Messi played just six minutes in Miami's last match, in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, and now faces a race against time to be fit for the new MLS season that starts on February 21.

It was a bitter end to days of Hong Kong "Messi mania".

Tens of thousands turned up just to watch him train on Saturday, when he did little more than jog and stretch.

The team hotel was besieged by hundreds of fans trying to glimpse their hero, and a traditional junk boat was cruising around Victoria harbour with Messi's face plastered across its sails.

Messi shirts had been flying off the shelves after tickets for the match sold out in an hour when they went on sale in December.

Echoing the fans' anger, the Hong Kong government said it could withdraw 16 million Hong Kong dollars ($2 million) of funding to the organisers that helped bring Inter Miami to the city.

"The organiser owes all football fans an explanation," it said.

In a statement, organisers of the event -- dubbed "Tatler XFEST" -- expressed their "extreme disappointment" that neither Messi nor his Uruguayan teammate Luis Suarez took part in the match.

"Despite some news reports, Tatler did not have any information about the non-participation of Messi or Suarez prior to kick off," they said.

As well lacking as the illustrious South American duo, Miami's starting line-up featured neither of their other former Barcelona stars, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Robert Taylor opened the scoring for the MLS side in the 40th minute with a delightful right-foot curling shot from the left-hand edge of the box.

Two minutes later Hong Kong's Henri Anier laced a left-foot finish home to make it 1-1.

Miami regained the advantage after half-time when Lawson Sunderland found the target from close range, and Leonardo Campana increased the lead in the 56th minute.

Busquets and Alba finally made an appearance from the bench after 62 minutes to a smattering of cheers.

Ryan Sailor rounded off the scoring for Miami in the 85th minute with a glancing header.

It was Miami's first win in five matches on their globe-trotting pre-season tour, which heads to Japan for a friendly against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday.

Former Pakistan cricketer, Imran Nazir, comes out in support of former Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, labeling him as the world's best player and urging critics to first understand the intricacies of cricket before passing judgment.

In a recent interview with a local news channel, Nazir emphasized Babar's unique combination of technical prowess, cricketing skills, and personal character, asserting that Azam embodies the essence of what it means to be a cricketer.

"For those who criticize Babar Azam, I would say, at least understand cricket first. He is the world's best player, and I believe that in Pakistan, Babar is the player who, in terms of technique, as a cricketer, and as a personality embodies what it means to be a cricketer. A team doesn't rely solely on one player; there are 10 other players who also contribute. He is doing his part; what about the rest?" Imran Nazir said.

Highlighting the importance of teamwork, the 42-year-old argued that blaming a single player for the team's performance is unjust, especially when the entire team is not performing up to expectations.

"They say teamwork, how a team works together, and it's not just one player's teamwork. When the entire team is not doing anything, you can't blame Babar as much as you want by lifting him, but now I also see that everyone is behind him, why don't you say anything to the other players? He is making Pakistan proud, the rest of the world praises him, considers him a player, but here we sideline him and bring someone else in." he said.

On November 15th, 2023, the 29-year-old Babar Azam had stepped down from captaincy in all formats after a meeting with then Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf.

Following Azam's decision, the PCB appointed Shan Masood as the Test captain of the Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team, while Shaheen Shah Afridi was named the T20I captain. The captain for the ODI format is yet to be announced.

KUWAIT: After an electrifying return following a three-year hiatus, the Red Bull Car Park Drift Kuwait once again set the streets ablaze with screeching tires, breathtaking maneuvers, and adrenaline-charged excitement. Held at the Kuwait Motor Town on February 2, 2024, this year’s event witnessed the most skilled drifters in the region battling it out for a chance to secure their spot in the finals in Oman this December.

This year’s event brought forth a unique twist, as participants faced a set of challenges across two rounds, pushing the boundaries of skill and daring. The qualifying criteria, comprising nine elements totaling 300 points, tested each drifter’s ability to navigate a challenging course while avoiding treacherous obstacles. In a thrilling turn of events, Ali Makhseed emerged the victor of the Red Bull Car Park Drift Kuwait, earning a total of 285 points. He will now move on to the finals in Oman, scheduled for December of this year.

Audiences were also treated to a special show by Red Bull Athlete and drifting legend Abdo Feghali and the Red Bull Athlete Brian Capper, renowned for his extraordinary drifting skills, Capper showcased his talent on the track and left audiences in awe. Red Bull Car Park Drift was held in partnership with Red Bull MOBILE, Nissan, Acqua Eva, Kuwait Motor Town, Al Babtain Auto, and Dunlop.

KUWAIT: Salmiya and Tadhamon football teams qualified for the semi-finals of the Kuwait Amir’s Football Cup after defeating Kazma SC and Kuwait SC, respectively, on Friday. At Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Salmiya witnessed a dramatic match against Kazma in the quarterfinals, but the match ended in a 4-3 penalty shootout for Salmiya. Salmiya clinched their qualification to the semi-finals of the tournament after scoring four penalty kicks, compared to three successful penalty kicks for Kazma. The second match also ended with Tadhamon winning in a penalty shootout 5-4. Qadsiya SC will face Arabi SC in the second leg of the semi-final.  KUNA