Sports

AMMAN — HRH Prince Ali, president of the Jordan Football Association and also president of the West Asia Federation, on Thursday stressed his keenness on improving Jordanian football and defending the rights of the Kingdom’s clubs.

During an interview on an MBC channel, the prince said that his candidacy to the presidency of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was “aimed at improving the status of the game and not at seeking a renowned position”.

He described the penalties against Jordanian Faisali team during the Arab Clubs Championship as “strange”, stressing that the “players contested the referee’s injustice and were punished as a result”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prince expressed hope to seeing the issue resolved without it being referred to judicial measures.

Regarding the Union of Arab Football Associations, Prince Ali said he was among the first people who supported it and he is still working on bringing together teams from West Asia and North Africa.

He praised the level reached by the Jordanian women football team, expressing hope that they will qualify to the Women’s World Cup.

The prince also commended the Syrian men’s national team for competing to qualify for the World Cup 2018 before it was defeated by Australia.

Asked about his favourite sport moment, Prince Ali said it was when Jordan won the 1999’s Al Hussein Championship, adding that his favourite football teams are Arsenal and Argentina.

AMMAN — HRH Prince Feisal, president of the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC), called on the sporting community to make the well-being and needs of its athletes a priority, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) News Service. 

Speaking during a meeting with the JOC’s Athletes Commission, which was attended by the recent medallists from the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and Islamic Solidarity Games, the Prince stressed the need to put the athletes first and also urged closer ties be forged with the Kingdom’s educational sector.

Prince Feisal called on National Federations to play their part in listening to the athletes and said the JOC will work closely with them in confronting issues and developing the athletes’ careers.

Several athletes of late have expressed their concerns at being unable to combine their studies with top class training, and the prince explained that the JOC will work closely with universities to try and encourage them to be more flexible when it comes to athletes representing their country.

Prince Feisal praised Jordan’s athletes for their tremendous efforts and said they continue to be a source of national pride, celebration and inspiration. He also urged athletes and ex-athletes who are members of National Federation Boards to make their voices heard.

Three-time Taekwondo Olympian Nadin Dawani, president of the Athletes Commission, shared its strategic objective and explained what its main role will be in improving the landscape for Jordan’s athletes.

Nasser Majali, JOC secretary general, assured that the JOC will fully back the commission in their work.

AMMAN  —  A new phase awaits Jordan’s national team with the departure of head coach Abdullah Misfer who resigned after the team was held 3-3 by Afghanistan as it started return leg 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers.

In a match Jordan should have won with a big difference of goals, the squad only managed to tie in the final minutes of the match after Afghanistan was the first to score and then led 3-2. 

Jordan dropped a further three spots to 113th in the latest FIFA Rankings after it also played two friendlies preceding the qualifier, tying Bahrain 0-0 and Oman 1-1.

Jordan is still out of the Asian top 10 trailing Iran (34), Australia (43), Japan (44), China (57), South Korea (62), Saudi Arabia (63), the UAE (72), Uzbekistan (76), Syria (77), Iraq (80), Palestine (84), Qatar (97) and Lebanon (100). Germany leads the top 10 World Rankings followed by Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France, Spain, Chile  and Peru. Tunisia are the top-ranked Arab team at 28th, followed by Egypt (30th), Morocco (48th)and Algeria (67th). 

Jordan’s best FIFA ranking was 37th in 2004 while the lowest ranking was 152nd in 1996.  

In remarks following his resignation this week, coach Misfer noted he had undertaken short term goals that he had stated when he first started: mainly, to recruit younger players to the national team line-up and qualify to the AFC Cup. 

Although Jordan led the group after Leg 1, a fair assessment would note that Jordan’s qualifying Group C has limited capabilities and advancing to the 2019 Asian Cup should not be a difficult task against relatively unknown teams in the Asian continent. 

AMMAN  — Week 6 of the Jordan Professional Football League kicks off on Thursday with Ramtha leading the standings following an eventful week.

Ramtha beat former champs Wihdat 1-0 to take the lead and next play Shabab Urdun who dropped to 6th after only managing a 0-0 draw with bottom-of the-table Hussein.

Ahli jumped to second after a vital 3-1 win over Yarmouk. They next play Jazira who dropped to fourth after being held 1-1 by Baqa’a.

Wihdat dropped to third and next play Baqa’a who have now climbed to 7th. Manshieh moved out of the relegation zone at 9th place for now after they beat newcomers Aqaba 4-1 as the latter dropped to 10th. Manshieh next play newcomers Yarmouk while Aqaba play That Ras who held titleholders Faisali 1-1. Faisali dropped to fifth ahead of their match against Hussein.

Ahli’s Mahmoud Wadi leads the top scorers list with five goals.

So far this season, reigning League and Jordan Cup champs Faisali beat Jazira to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup. Wihdat beat Jazira to win the Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield.

Last year, Faisali won their 33rd league title after a four-year break and combined it with the Jordan Cup. Ahli beat reigning league champs Wihdat to win the Super Cup, Shabab Urdun beat Faisali to win their second Shield title after they first won in 2007. Sarih and Sahab were relegated and replaced by Aqaba and Yarmouk from the First Division.

AMMAN — Aqaba’s sporting portfolio will include another event this weekend when it hosts the Jordan Fin Swimming Club Championships, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

Taking place at the Prince Hamzeh Marine Hall on Friday, starting at 9am, with five clubs – Marina Club, Prince Hamzeh Marine Club, Aqaba Sports Centre, Al Hussein Sport City and Al Hassan Sport City – attending. The Royal Jordan Marine Sport hopes to create more awareness for fin swimming on the back of this event.

Mohammad Al Tarawneh, president, said that the tournament will also be used to select the next national team. “We intend to hold more than one event per year so that it gives the chance for all swimmers to try and qualify for the national team,” he said.

AMMAN — The end of the third round of the National Cycling Championships in Jordan has marked another step forward for the sport, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

With 55 cyclists registered for the latest event, the sport’s popularity is growing and has prompted some positive remarks from its optimistic governing body. “This was an excellent race both in terms of the numbers participating and the quality,” said Jamal Al Fa’uri, president of the Jordan Cycling Federation.

“We are watching the sport grow in popularity as each event is held and we are starting to discover more newcomers who will hopefully come through and eventually represent the national team.” Friday’s 55km race was held along the banks of the Dead Sea from Mujib Bridge and was won by Amjad Elyian, with Ezzeldein Al Bairodi second and Musaab Al Abbadi in third.

Other category results: Men: Saif Haiajneh, Malik Al Mutlak and Saed Izzat. Women: Maya Al Najjar, Areej Ragheb and Bushra Adnan. Youth: Suhaib Al Abbadi, Hamzeh Al Abbushi and Ahmad Al Oshosh and Mountain bikes: Ameen Abbas, Mohammad Lassawi and Abdulmajeed Al Nuaimi.

TIANJIN — Five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova crushed Peng Shuai 6-3, 6-1 at the Tianjin Open on Saturday to reach her first final since serving a 15-month doping ban.

The 30-year-old Russian, playing on a wildcard in the seventh tournament of her comeback, hit top gear as she swept aside the Chinese third seed in one hour, 18 minutes.

“The finals are the stage that I want to be at and where I want to do well,” Sharapova said. “It has been a long road, so this is very rewarding, but I also know I have another match to play, so as much as I want to be happy and content, I know that I have an ambitious opponent in front of me.” 

In front of a large home crowd, a businesslike Sharapova broke four times and conceded zero breaks of her own before wrapping up the semifinal with a clinical crosscourt forehand.

The Russian broke her Chinese opponent in the opening game and rarely looked troubled on her own serve.

Peng, ranked No. 25 in the world, had no answer to Sharapova’s power hitting from the baseline and gave up another break en route to conceding the first set.

Sharapova, who is yet to drop a set in Tianjin, raced into a 3-0 lead at the start of the second but suffered a brief bout of nerves while serving for the fifth game, when she was forced to save three break points.

The 30-year-old turned the tables on Peng in the very next game, breaking her opponent once again before closing out the contest in 78 minutes.

In Sunday’s final — her first since she won the Italian Open in May 2015 — she will be the red-hot favourite against 102nd-ranked Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who beat qualifier Sara Errani 6-1, 6-3.

“From what I have seen, she is a really good player,” Sharapova said of Sabalenka ahead of the final. “She is hungry, young [and] motivated to be in this stage of the tournament. It very flattering when someone looks up to you, but it also very dangerous because they want that position. They want to be the champion and no matter who you are playing in the final, both of us deserve to be at that stage. I am excited. I am excited that my first final [back] is at this event.”

Sharapova has had a stop-start and injury-hit season since her controversial return at Stuttgart in April, following her ban for using the banned substance meldonium.

The statuesque former World No. 1 reached the Stuttgart semis, but she retired in the Italian Open second round and also withdrew from her second-round match at Stanford.

Sharapova missed Wimbledon qualifying because of injury and she was offered a wildcard to the French Open, but she reached the US Open last 16 on her return to Grand Slam tennis.

She has cut a swathe through the limited draw in Tianjin, only dropping one set so far in her victories over Irina-Camelia Begu, Magda Linette, Stefanie Voegele and Peng.

Sharapova, one of the world’s highest-earning female athletes, will now expect to win her 36th career title and end a trophy drought of more than two years, the longest since her debut win in 2003.

By contrast Sabalenka, 19, is gunning for her first WTA title after a run to the Tianjin final that included wins over China’s Duan Ying-Ying and Lin Zhu.

Sharapova, currently ranked 86th, has also been handed a wildcard for next week’s Kremlin Cup in Moscow, which she will play for the first time since 2007.

MANCHESTER — Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten Manchester United face the biggest test yet of their title credentials when they visit Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday — a fixture that always has a little extra spice.

United are second in the Premier League, level on 19 points with neighbours Manchester City, but so far Mourinho’s side have yet to face any of last season’s top five.

Six wins from their opening seven games, with 21 goals scored and only two conceded, have raised expectations at Old Trafford, but the coming weeks should give a stronger indication of just how ready United are for a real push for the title.

Spurs visit Old Trafford on October 28 and then a week later United travel to Stamford Bridge to take on defending champions Chelsea, Mourinho’s former club. 

The North West derby has always had an extra edge and even though the lack of local players for both clubs could take away some of the needle from the game, the passion from the stands continues to create a special atmosphere.

“Anfield away is the ultimate test, mentally and physically with the intensity,” former United captain Gary Neville told Sky Sports.

“There’s obviously less home grown talent but the atmosphere will be brilliant and it is a game which you dare not lose as a player.”

Particular focus will be on United’s £75 million ($98 million) Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who has been in prolific form, scoring in 12 of his last 13 games for club and country.

The powerful forward joined United from Everton during the close-season and has been an instant success — but there are still some who question whether he can be just as effective against better opponents.

While Lukaku — and United — will want to prove that they are the real deal, Liverpool badly need to kick-start their campaign after a shaky beginning.

Juergen Klopp’s side have taken just five points from their last four games, leaving them seven points behind the Manchester clubs.

The exciting attacking talent in the team, despite the loss to injury of Sadio Mane who is out for six weeks with a hamstring injury, should test the United defence that has had a relatively comfortable campaign so far.

Former Liverpool striker and manager Kenny Dalglish expects Mourinho to protect his defence with a cautious approach, similar to how they played in last season’s 1-1 draw on Merseyside.

“Last year, when United came to Liverpool, Jose Mourinho parked the bus. But it wasn’t just the one bus, I think it was a couple of double deckers he put there,” said Dalglish.

“I think United will come and set up quite defensively...

“I think Jose will try to make sure the pressure is on Liverpool, but the pressure is on everyone when it comes to a game like that.”

AMMAN  — Week 5 of the Jordan Professional Football League kicks off on Friday after a nearly two-week break, while the national team resumed Asian Cup qualifiers.

Players return to club duty after Jordan was held to an inadequate 3-3 draw by lowly Afghanistan after a 4-1 win in Leg 1 qualifiers. They will next play Cambodia on October 14. The draw in the qualifiers followed two other draws in friendlies in which Jordan held Bahrain 0-0 and managed a 1-1 draw with Oman.

It was disappointing for fans and officials. After elimination from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, advancing to the 2019 Asian Cup should not be a difficult task for Jordan given the limited capabilities of its qualifying Group. However, the team’s current state of affairs has raised lots of eyebrows.

Back on the local scene, Wihdat now leads the league after a 4-1 win over Hussein, who remained last. Wihdat will next play Ramtha who dropped to second after losing 3-2 to Jazira.

Jazira next play Baqa’a who moved up two spots to 7th after their 3-0 win over newcomers Yarmouk. Faisali, who moved up to 4th after a similar 3-0 win over Shabab Urdun, next play That Ras who moved up two spots after they beat Manshieh 4-1.

Ahli moved up to 6th after a 4-1 win over newcomers Aqaba. They will next play Yarmouk while Aqaba play Manshieh. 

So far this season, reigning league and Jordan Cup champs Faisali beat Jazira to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup. Wihdat beat Jazira to win the Jordan Football Association Shield.

Last year, Faisali won their 33rd league title after a four year break and combined it with the Jordan Cup. Ahli beat reigning league champs Wihdat to win the Super Cup, Shabab Urdun beat Faisali to win their second Shield title after they first won in 2007. Sarih and Sahab were relegated and replaced by Aqaba and Yarmouk from the First Division.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Haya, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE vice-president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai, will deliver the keynote address at the 13th Dubai International Symposium for Sports Creativity on November 1, according to organisers.

One of the initiatives of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards, the Dubai International Symposium for Sports Creativity’s theme this year is “Empowerment of Women in Sport”.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Award, I would like to thank HRH Princess Haya for agreeing to participate in the symposium and enrich it by sharing her invaluable experience as a sports figure who has starred on the world stage in the equestrian arena, as well as the United Nations Messenger of Peace,” said Matar Al Tayer, vice chairman of Dubai Sports Council and chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards’ Board of Trustees.

“Her Highness continues to participate in community sports activities, providing women with a role model. Her participation will be a very significant and important addition to this annual symposium, which is organised by the Award since its inception and attracts specialists from various sides of the sports world.”

A number of top women’s sports and scientific figures have agreed to participate in the seminar, where all the sessions will be dedicated towards highlighting successful women in sport.