Rally Qassim Toyota 2023 set for Thursday start

The three-day Rally Qassim Toyota 2023 will start on Thursday afternoon. (SAMF)
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Updated 22 November 2023
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Rally Qassim Toyota 2023 set for Thursday start

  • Al-Yaeesh, Al-Ghuneim lead Saudi car, motorcycle championships going into 3-day event
  • Haitham Al-Tuwaijri and Hani Al-Noumesi have claimed a win apiece so far this season in the quad section on their Yamahas and are tied on 45 points

BURAYDAH: Rally Qassim Toyota 2023 is set to get underway at Al-Qassim National Park, Osseilan, in Buraydah on Thursday afternoon.

The third round of the Saudi Toyota Championship has been organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation in conjunction with the Ministry of Sport, with Abdul Latif Jameel Motors Toyota as official partner, and The Saudi Investment Bank as strategic sponsor.

The organizing committee is headed by SAMF Chairman Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal.

Forty-three cars, 27 motorcycles, and six quads will take part in the three-day event with the main contenders chasing points in the various categories of the 2023 Saudi Toyota Championship.

Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh currently holds a seven-point cushion over Saleh Al-Saif in the overall Drivers’ Championship, with Yazeed Al-Rajhi – the outright winner of the Tabuk-NEOM Rally – in third, and Al-Mashna Al-Ramali and Dania Akeel rounding off the top five.

Omar Al-Lahim heads Radi Al-Shammeri by 21 points in the Co-drivers’ Championship.

Al-Yaeesh has also guided his Nissan to the top of the T1 title standings and reaches the start of Rally Qassim Toyota 2023 with a 20-point cushion over Al-Ramali, with Metab Al-Qnoun in third, and newly crowned FIA Middle East Baja Cup winner Khaled Al-Feraihi and Owaid Al-Rameli rounding off the top five.

Khaled Al-Hamzani has built up a lead of eight points in the T2 section for series production cross-country vehicles. Jafar Al-Qahtani and Haylan Al-Subaie currently occupy the other two podium positions.

Al-Saif’s strong start to the season has seen the dark horse Can-Am Maverick X3 driver move into a 17-point lead over Akeel in the T3 category for lightweight prototype machines. Hamad Al-Harbi was crowned as the FIA Middle East Baja Cup’s T3 champion in Dubai recently and the Saudi holds third place in T3, with Yasir Seaidan and Abdullah Al-Shegawi rounding off the top five.

Maha Al-Hameli finished as runner-up to Salem Al-Dhafeeri in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup’s T4 section, but she tops the T4 standings in the Saudi Toyota Championship with 79 points. That puts her 45 points clear of Saeed Al-Mouri, with Orjwan Ammar and Moaaz Hariri in third and fourth. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna is the only entrant in the T5 truck class.

Useful performances at both the Saudi Baja-Hail and the Tabuk-NEOM Rally have given Mishal Al-Ghuneim a lead of nine points over Ehab Al-Hakeem in the motorcycle category. Frenchman Philip Wilson holds third and the Saudi trio of Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera, Badr Al-Hamdan, and Abdulrahman Al-Abdulattif complete the top six.

Haitham Al-Tuwaijri and Hani Al-Noumesi have claimed a win apiece so far this season in the quad section on their Yamahas and are tied on 45 points, with Abdulaziz Al-Atawi a distant third heading into round three.

Thursday’s ceremonial start takes center stage in the national park from 1:30 p.m.

The first entrants will then tackle the opening 3.6 km prologue stage from 2:30 p.m. This will determine the starting order for the first desert stage on Friday morning.


Gerard Pique introduces new era of football gaming to MENA region

Updated 3 min 39 sec ago
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Gerard Pique introduces new era of football gaming to MENA region

  • Former Spain and Barcelona star inaugurated Kings League MENA at the ongoing Esports World Cup in Riyadh

RIYADH: Football legend and former Barcelona player Gerard Pique is bringing Kings League, the game that revolutionized online football gaming, to the Middle East and North Africa region, with Saudi Arabia at its heart.

The Spanish defender inaugurated Kings League MENA last night as part of the ongoing Esports World Cup, where the new team presidents from the region were also announced.

Pique started Kings League in Spain in 2023, and after a successful first launch has since expanded to other leagues worldwide including Italy, Brazil, Japan, France, Germany, Hispanic America, and the US.

On how he envisions the Kings League gaming community to look like in the MENA region, Pique told Arab News: “Very young, very motivated, very committed to the product and the project.

“I’m sure that there will be a lot of intensity, a lot of clashes (between streamer fans), this is what we want.

“We want them to care and want to win, and that they dedicate everything they have to winning.”

The unconventional seven-a-side football game was designed with younger audiences in mind, adding more creativity and free reign with secret weapons or “golden cards,” unlimited substitutions, sin bins, and penalty shoot-outs after every draw.

Kings League was also created in a way that brings together fans with their most beloved content creators and streamers taking the role of team presidents in each region.

The MENA teams and their presidents were announced to be SXB FC, led by Ahmed Alqahtani from Saudi Arabia, Ultra Chmicha led by Morroccan Ilyas Elmaliki, Red Zone led by Jordanian Maher Sultaneh, 3BS led by Jordanian Hani AlQoublam, FWZ FC led by Kuwaiti Fawaz Hamad, Turbo led by Egyptian Saleh Tarboun, and DR7 led by Saudi streamer Mafrah Aseeri.

Elmaliki, Morroco’s top streamer, was appointed president of Morocco’s national team in the Kings World Cup Nations held in Italy where his team made it all the way to the semifinals. Ultra Chmicha was later invited by Pique to join the Kings World Cup Clubs 2025 as the first wildcard team.

Alqahtani’s SXB FC was also picked as a wildcard for the Paris games, and their match against Jijantes FC drew a record breaking 950,000 live viewers, the tournament’s highest.

“We have amazing streamers,” Pique said. “They have huge communities that are very loyal to them.”

“They have to have good players because the level is very high in Kings League. But I know some of them, and I’m sure that that they will bring a lot of fun, a lot of entertainment and a good level of football.”

Fans can now submit their application and try their chance at getting drafted to join one of the official Kings League MENA teams, potentially later qualifying for the Kings World Cup Clubs or represent their country in the Kings World Cup Nations Brazil 2026.

Kings League MENA is a joint venture with SURJ Sports Investment as part of an ongoing effort to expand digital sports and entertainment in the region.

Having visited the Kingdom a few times before with Barcelona for the Spanish Super Cup, Pique also told Arab News that he is always “very happy when I come here.

“The food is amazing. And I think the people, you are very similar to Spanish people.

“When you arrive to the country, everything is very comfortable, so I’m enjoying it so much.”


Team Liquid’s Manuel Bachoore wins EA Sports FC 25 Tournament at Esports World Cup 2025

Updated 11 August 2025
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Team Liquid’s Manuel Bachoore wins EA Sports FC 25 Tournament at Esports World Cup 2025

  • ‘ManuBachoore’ wins second World Championship title, and Team Liquid make history as first club to secure 3 championships in a single edition of the Esports World Cup

RIYADH: Manuel “ManuBachoore” Bachoore has won the FC Pro World Championship at the Esports World Cup 2025 for Team Liquid in a 5-3 grand final win against Brice “Brice” Masson of Team Vitality, picking up Team Liquid’s third championship title at this year’s event.

ManuBachoore’s victory sees him become a two-time champion, having won in 2023. He claimed a top eight finish at the Esports World Cup 2024.

And ever since favorite and world No. 1 Anders “Vejrgang” Vejrgang was eliminated this year, ManuBachoore has looked like the most likely winner.

ManuBachoore made it to the World Championship stage via the play-ins, where he only dropped one match in the group stage, topping his group. His main event run proved more difficult, with multiple matches being won by just one goal, proving the intensity of the high-level competition.

The Grand Final was a close match, with ManuBachoore’s signature attacking style on display against his French rival, where goals were traded between the pair.

The final moments proved a tense affair, with ManuBachoore leading by just one goal. However, he was able to score a late goal to make it 5-3, which ended up sealing the championship in his favor.

“I’m so thankful to God, for me to be two-time World Champion is more than I ever asked for in my career. Honestly, I did not think it was possible to win two times.

“But here we are, I can’t believe it. It feels like a dream. It is my dream. I’m happy it’s a reality,” said ManuBachoore.

“I said in an interview before we started, the first time I did not really realize what I did. Now I realize and enjoy it, I’m so happy. It’s a dream. I started in the play-ins, so I came here, not even sure if I would qualify for the tournament.

“I’m here now with the trophy. I’m grateful for this dream.”

ManuBachoore earned Team Liquid 1,000 Club Championship points for his victory, sending the side firmly to the top of the Club Championship standings.

The victory in EA Sports FC 25 is Team Liquid’s third title at the Esports World Cup 2025, marking the first time a club has won three titles at the same Esports World Cup.

The result blows the Club Championship wide open, with Team Falcons having just one top-eight finish this weekend, as we head into the final two weeks.

Team Liquid’s victory in EA Sports FC 25 not only gained them 1,000 Club Championship points, but also denied third-place Team Vitality 250 more crucial points.

Team Vitality remain in third place; however, the strong showing in EA Sports FC 25 has seen them bridge the gap to Team Falcons in second place to just 550 points.

Week six at the Esports World Cup 2025 takes place until Aug. 17 with finals in Teamfight Tactics, Rocket League and Tekken 8.


Japan boxing to hold emergency meeting following deaths

Updated 11 August 2025
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Japan boxing to hold emergency meeting following deaths

  • Japanese boxing officials will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday as the sport in the country faces intense scrutiny following the deaths of two fighters in separate bouts at the same event

TOKYO: Japanese boxing officials will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday as the sport in the country faces intense scrutiny following the deaths of two fighters in separate bouts at the same event.

Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, fought on the same card at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall on August 2 and died days later following brain surgery.

The Japan Boxing Commission (JBC), gym owners and other boxing officials are under pressure to act and will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday.

They are also expected to have talks about safety next month, local media said.

“We are acutely aware of our responsibility as the manager of the sport,” Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, secretary-general of the JBC, told reporters on Sunday.

“We will take whatever measures we can.”

Japanese media highlighted the risks of fighters dehydrating to lose weight rapidly before weigh-ins.

“Dehydration makes the brain more susceptible to bleeding,” the Asahi Shimbun newspaper said.

That is one of the issues the JBC plans to discuss with trainers.

“They want to hear from gym officials who work closely with the athletes about such items as weight loss methods and pre-bout conditioning, which may be causally related (to fatalities),” the Nikkan Sports newspaper said.

In one immediate measure, the commission has decided to reduce all Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title bouts to 10 rounds from 12.

“The offensive power of Japanese boxing today is tremendous,” Yasukochi was quoted by the Asahi Shimbun as telling reporters.

“We have more and more boxers who are able to start exchanges of fierce blows from the first round. Maybe 12 rounds can be dangerous.”


Pakistan face fifth bowler dilemma ahead of West Indies decider

Updated 11 August 2025
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Pakistan face fifth bowler dilemma ahead of West Indies decider

  • Pakistan’s part-time Saim Ayub, Salman Agha dup conceded combined 66 runs in seven wicketless overs
  • Pakistan, who won preceding T20 series 2-1, are currently tied with West Indies in three-match ODIs 1-1

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged a dilemma over the fifth bowler and said they would take a late decision on their team combination for Tuesday’s series decider following their defeat in the second one-day international on Sunday.

Pakistan, who won the opening ODI by five wickets, posted a competitive 171-7 in 37 overs in a rain-truncated match but West Indies prevailed by five wickets to draw level in the three-match series.

Pakistan’s part-time duo of Saim Ayub and Salman Agha conceded a combined 66 runs in seven wicketless overs as West Indies cruised home.

“You could say our fifth bowler gave away too many runs but in recent years, Salman Agha and Saim Ayub have both bowled well for us,” Rizwan said after the match.

“Saim didn’t have the best day today, but he performed well in the T20Is. That’s just part of the game.”

Rizwan said they could not read the conditions and several rain delays did not help their cause.

“Honestly, the weather forecast has been completely different from expectations, and it’s hard to read.

“We’re keeping our options open and will finalize the XI after assessing the conditions.”

Pakistan had won the preceding Twenty20 series 2-1. 


West Indies level series with 5-wicket win over Pakistan in second ODI

Updated 11 August 2025
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West Indies level series with 5-wicket win over Pakistan in second ODI

  • Roston Chase’s 49 not out off 47 balls included two sixes, winning boundary as West Indies scored 184-5 in 33.2 overs
  • Pakistan won preceding T20 series 2-1, third and final match in ODI series is scheduled for Tuesday at the same stadium

TAROUBA, Trinidad and Tobago: Roston Chase and Justin Greaves led West Indies to a five-wicket victory over Pakistan with 10 balls to spare in the rain-reduced second one-day cricket international on Sunday, leveling the three-match series at 1-1.

Chase’s 49 not out off 47 balls included two sixes and the winning boundary as West Indies scored 184-5 in 33.2 overs.

The hosts were chasing a revised target of 181 runs in 35 overs under the DLS method after multiple rain interruptions saw Pakistan’s innings end at 171-7 in 37 overs. Right-arm fast bowler Jayden Seales took 3-23 in seven overs.

West Indies stumbled from 101-3 after 18 overs at Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago, to 111-5 off 24 overs, including the wicket of Sherfane Rutherford, who hit a 33-ball 45 with three sixes and four fours.

Chase and Greaves (26 off 31) shared a 77-run unbroken partnership for the sixth wicket.

West Indies earlier chose to bowl first and Hasan Nawaz again played a key role for Pakistan with 36 not out off 30 deliveries, after his unbeaten 63 in the ODI opener.

Hasan’s knock on Sunday included three sixes — two of them in what turned out to be the last over of Pakistan’s innings after more rain. Hussain Talat got 31 off 32 balls but most Pakistan batters were much slower, including captain Mohammad Rizwan who was trapped lbw by Gudakesh Motie for a 38-ball 16.

Pakistan beat West Indies in the first one-day international on Friday, also by five wickets.

The third and final match in the ODI series is scheduled for Tuesday at the same stadium.

Pakistan won the preceding Twenty20 series 2-1 played in Florida.