Sports

DEAD SEA — Othman Takriti on Friday was crowned champion of the first round of the Jordan Drift Championship, organised by Jordan Motorsport held with the participation of 50 drivers from Jordan and Palestine at the Service Park of the Dead Sea area.

Takriti in his BMW E46 registered 373 points after winning the first, second and the best 13 cars’ heats, followed by Mohammed Fuqaha in his BMW E30 with 370 points and Abdullah Abu Hussein in his BMW E30 with 366 points.

With this first win, Takriti who collected the first 25 points of the championship said: “This is really exciting for me to start this season with a big win despite the solid competition. I will continue to train and hopefully I will be able to win the second round.” 

The event witnessed the retirement of last year’s champion Mohammed Kukhen and his brother Omar.

Othman Naseef, Jordan Motorsport CEO said that the event was a success.

“We had around 5000 fans who followed closely the event and this number shows the level of interest by Jordanians to this kind of events. We will keep bringing surprises in this auto season so everyone can enjoy,” he said.

“Safety issues were our first priority and we are happy that ever driver had the chance to impress his fans and be safe at the same time,” he added. 

SEVILLE, Spain — Jamie Vardy scored his first goal in the Champions League to give Leicester City some hope of staying in Europe’s elite competition despite a 2-1 loss to an utterly dominant Sevilla in Wednesday’s last-16 first leg. 

Pablo Sarabia headed the hosts into a deserved lead in the 25th minute after Kasper Schmeichel had saved Joaquin Correa’s penalty. Argentine forward Correa made amends by netting in the 62nd minute after inspired play from Stevan Jovetic.

Leicester were outplayed by the home side, who had 80 per cent of possession in the first half, and it took a number of brilliant saves from Schmeichel to keep them in the game, while Sevilla’s Vitolo hit the inside of the post.

Vardy made the most of a rare attacking opportunity for the struggling English champions by blasting in a cross from Danny Drinkwater from close range in the 73rd minute, and Claudio Ranieri’s side were fortunate not to concede late on when Adil Rami’s header smashed against the crossbar.

Ranieri admitted before the game that Sevilla were the superior outfit and it was difficult to argue with that statement as the hosts dictated the first half, monopolising possession and frequently piling forward with purpose.

Sarabia had their first shot at goal less than five minutes into the game while Christian Fuchs nearly headed the ball into his own net as he stooped to clear the danger, forcing the first of many interventions from Schmeichel.

The Dane got his side out of jail by guessing the right way and catching Correa’s penalty after the Argentine had been felled by a lumbering challenge from Leicester captain Wes Morgan, and he was quickly down again to repel a shot from Sergio Escudero.

There was little Schmeichel could do about the opening goal which was set up by a brilliant cross from Escudero and powered into the far corner by Sarabia, and he was called into action twice more before the break to deny Jovetic and Correa.

Sevilla’s intensity dropped a couple of notches after the break, but they still looked far more dangerous than Leicester who are a shadow of the team that won the Premier League title last season with two games to spare.

Vitolo came close to doubling Sevilla’s lead when he sent the ball rolling off the inside of the post and Correa got the second goal after Jovetic had carried the ball into the box with a combination of stylish flicks and headers.

Sevilla’s class looked to have shone through but Vardy’s first goal since December gives Leicester a fighting chance for the second leg at home on March 14.

AMMAN — Jordan has launched its participation at the 8th Asian Winter Games with Suhail Azzam competing in the Giant Slalom in Sapporo, Japan, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC)  News Service.

On a difficult course in which 25 per cent of competitors failed to finish, Suhail successfully completed both of his runs to boost his confidence ahead of his second event, the Slalom, on Friday.

Meanwhile his teammate, Sara Sukhtian, has revealed why she answered the late call to enter the 8th Asian Winter Games by explaining “I hope that it opens the door for more regular Jordan participation in the future”.

The 37-year-old will compete in Thursday’s Giant Slalom in Sapporo, Japan, after agreeing only last month to step in following an invitation from the Olympic Council of Asia.

“It is very important for Jordan to be represented at this event as it gives Jordanian athletes from around the world who excel at winter sports the opportunity to compete at an international level,” Sara said.

“Although Jordan’s natural geography is not conducive for winter sports, I’m certain of the fact that there are many Jordanian expats around the world who have picked up these winter sports and would appreciate the opportunity to participate. Our participation this week raises awareness of those opportunities.”

Sara has been a keen skier since she was three but is making her competitive debut in Sapporo. She says the experience will be one to cherish and her expectations are realistic.

“I am in a field of athletes who have dedicated themselves to these sports so I expect to learn a lot,” she added. “I nevertheless hope to make Jordan proud and pave the way for future athletes to participate.

I also hope to use this as an opportunity to demonstrate to young Jordanians that the most important thing is not to win but to take part, leading by example.

I am really proud that the JOC is going out of its way to increase Jordanian participation in these international games, and I would encourage any athlete with such ambitions to reach out to the JOC and sign up to represent Jordan.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the JOC for this great chance to represent Jordan.”

Sukhtian completed her Giant Slalom competition by finishing a credible 22nd.

Despite facing a tricky course that several competitors were unable to complete, Sukhtian finished both her runs and place above two competitors from Pakistan and another from Mongolia to ensure Jordan has an official time for future compatriots to target.

“It was important for us to be represented here and show the Olympic Council of Asia that Jordan is serious about competing in winter sports events,” she said.

“I am really pleased to have finished. It was a very challenging course so I am delighted with what was achieved. I hope that other Jordanians with a passion for winter sports will see that there is an opportunity for them to compete for their country in the future.”

The event was won by Japan’s Emi Hasegawa.

Meanwhile, Sukhtian’s teammate Suhail Azzam also completed the men’s Giant Slalom yesterday and will go in the Slalom on Friday.

The 8th Asian Winter Games got under way on Sunday and will welcome almost 1,000 athletes from 32 countries. It will finish on February 26.

DEAD SEA — The first round of Jordan Drift Championship organised by Jordan Motorsport shifts into high gear on Friday, with the participation of more than 50 drivers at the Service Park of the Dead Sea area.

Jordan Motorsport CEO Othman Naseef told The Jordan Times that this season will host five drifting events, "including a new event where the best 16 drivers will qualify to take part in the Red Bull qualification round for the year 2017".

"We expect this season to be more challenging and more competitive due to the enthusiasm we witnessed last year, as more new faces are joining the events," he added.

Last year, Mohammed Kukhen captured the title of the Jordan Drift Championship after topping the standings with 100 points from five challenging rounds.

Othman Takriti followed in the second place with 89 points, and Omar Kukhen came in third with 75 points.

Meanwhile, Rafat Haroun and Munir Hattar settled in the fourth and fifth places respectively with 70 points each, and Mohammed Foqaha came in the sixth spot with 66 points.

Last year's first round was won by Kukhen, who in his BMW A46 ended the round with 168 points, followed by Takriti in his BMW A46 (153 points), and Munir Hattar in third place (149 points) in his BMW A30.

Around 4,000 fans watched three heated rounds with the best 13 drivers battling it for the win in the third and most competitive round.

Drifting is a kind of driving technique used by drivers through oversteering and causing a loss of traction whether in the rear wheels or all tyres while controlling a certain entry to exit of a corner.

Drivers will be judged according to speed, angle and perfect track line (90 points), showmanship (5 points) and smoking tyres (5 points).

AMMAN — Maha Barghouti, the first athlete to put Jordan on the International sporting map, a gold medallist at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, has decided to end her sporting career after almost 30 years.

For Jordan and the sporting world Barghouti is a legend. She has qualified to and taken part in five Paralympic Games (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016).

Maha Barghouti is a name no Jordanian can forget. The disabled athlete was the first to win a gold medal and hoist Jordan’s flag, not on the Asian level, but at the highest sporting congregation — the Paralympics — organised in parallel with the Olympic Games. 

In an exclusive interview with The Jordan Times, an emotional Barghouti discussed her sporting career. Often teary-eyed at the thought it would all be history soon, she underscored how sports had given her a life. “I proved I existed despite all the obstacles,” she said, noting people’s look had changed from ‘pity’ to ‘help’ to ‘champ’. That’s what sports did for me, and I will be forever grateful.”

To underscore the significance of her achievements, it is worthy to note that ever since 1980 when Jordan first took part in the Olympic Games the Kingdom’s national anthem was first played in Sydney 2000 when Barghouti won the gold medal at the Paralympics in wheelchair table tennis. That honour was repeated again only this past summer when Jordan won its first ever Olympic medal — an honour was made possible by Ahmad Abu Ghaush — a 20-year old who came in top spot in taekwondo’s 68-kilogramme category.

With over 200 nations competing, making Olympic history by winning gold is no easy feat. However, Barghouti and her disabled teammates have always been competitive and won multiple medals in Europe and Asia.

A gold medal winner at the 1999 Pan-Arab Games, and winner of several world championships, her outstanding career and gold medal achievements did not go unrecognised. In January 2001, His Majesty King Abdullah bestowed Al Hussein Medal of the First Order on Barghouti. That year, she was named Arab Athlete of the Year and voted Jordan’s top sports person of 2002 where she told the audience “I stand here tonight, though not on my feet, but by sheer determination, which has been the story of my life.” 

Barghouti said she always felt she had “to leave a mark, to make a difference. Maybe it’s because people with disability always have a message to their families, community and governments: Allow us to participate and be productive citizens with rights and responsibilities”. 

Asked what drove her work so hard, for so many years, while suffering from a handicap, she explained:”My parents supported me all the way. I urge parents with disabled children to do so,” she added. 

Barghouti started her career in athletics from 1985-1996 where she scored a world record in the 200 metres. She then switched to wheelchair table tennis which she seemed to love more although in her Class 1 disability it was the most difficult and competitive. 

Sydney 2000 was the most memorable moment in her sporting career. “ I never imagined when is started playing sports at age 11 that I would have this achievement. That I would be the reason Jordan’s national anthem was played… that I could stand on my feet and be independent.”

Barghouti underlined HRH Prince Raad Bin Zeid’s support to people with disabilities. 

“He helped and supported us all the way. We will always all be grateful for his support, for our achievements and for helping raise Jordan’s flag.”

Disabled athletes have usually made up for the failure to achieve better results on the Olympic scene, where even qualifying to the world’s premier sports gathering has been a daunting task, and since first participating in 1980, the Kingdom only won one Olympic medal in 2016. 

When their peers at the Olympics, the majority of whom participate on a wild card aiming at having athletes from all corners of the globe, mostly return home empty handed or sometimes set personal bests, Jordan’s Paralympians have always come back with several medals each time. Barghouti and observers note that has usually gets minimal coverage.

It is their achievements that speak for themselves as sports for the disabled has gained recognition for Jordan through impressive performances on the international scene. The first time Jordan’s flag was hoisted during an Olympic event was at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta when Imad Gharbawi won a silver medal in the discus but the crowning achievement is still Barhouti’s gold in Sydney. In Rio 2016, Jordan’s Paralympians returned with three medals in power lifting for a combined total of 11 medals since Jordan first competed.

Barghouti underlined the vital role of media in helping change perceptions and that being voted Jordan’s top sportsperson in 2002 demonstrated how “support helps a disabled person gain confidence and convince others that they are not a burden. “That’s part of my mission and what I hope I can help achieve in my upcoming move.”

Athletes with disabilities are grouped in classes defined by the degree of function presented by the disability. Traditionally there are athletes who belong to six different disability groups in the Paralympics Movement: amputee, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, spinal cord injuries, intellectual disability and a group which includes all those that do not fit into the aforementioned groups.

Her official retirement ceremony will be held on April 20 under Prince Raad’s patronage.

AMMAN — Jordan has confirmed that it will compete in 11 sports when it takes its biggest ever delegation to the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan from May 12-22, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

Up to 70 Jordanian athletes will compete in 11 sports including taekwondo, tennis, judo, shooting, swimming, karate, wrestling, boxing, wushu, basketball (3x3) and Paralympic sports.

“This is the biggest delegation we have taken to an Islamic Solidarity Games and under the directives of our president, HRH Prince Feisal, the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) will provide all the support so that our athletes can represent Jordan in the best way possible,” said Nasser Majali, JOC secretary general.

“These games are important for our athletes to gain valuable international experience and we wish them well in their preparations.” Jordan has previously won nine medals at the three previous games, including three gold, one silver and five bronze.

The event, which was first held in 2005 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is organised by the Sport Federation of Islamic Solidarity under the umbrella of the Islamic Solidarity Association and will feature athletes from 57 countries.

AMMAN — Jordan’s young Olympic swimming sensation Khader Baqlah has made his mark already in the USA, winning gold and silver medals at his first major meet for his new university, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

The 18-year-old joined his teammates from the Florida University team to take gold in the 800 relay, and then showed his sprint prowess by winning silver in the 200 freestyle.

His results helped his Florida Gators team to retain the men’s overall title from the three-day event held in Tennessee. Khader relocated to Florida at Christmas to continue his studies, but will still compete for Jordan at international meets.

He rose to prominence last summer after setting a new Jordan record on the way to winning his heat at the Rio Olympic Games. The SEC Championships represent the 10 universities in the South East Conference region of the USA.