Qatar Scoops Furusiyya And Olympic Qualification With Win In Abu Dhabi

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 – Round 2

Qatar Scoops Furusiyya And Olympic Qualification With Win In Abu Dhabi; Saudi Arabia Also Makes Cut To Furusiyya 2015 Final

The Qatari team were in a class of their own when earning both a place at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final and a qualifying spot for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with victory at today’s second leg of the Furusiyya 2015 series in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In a fascinating contest, it was last year’s winners from Ukraine who lined up second ahead of an impressive foursome from Egypt in third, while France slotted into fourth ahead of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Germany in equal-fifth spot.

Today’s competition was the sole Furusiyya qualifier for the Middle East, and it was the Saudi Arabian side that claimed the second of the two tickets to the series Final in Barcelona, Spain next September.

From a field of 11 nations, Italy lined up seventh ahead of The Netherlands in eighth, but the competitors from Morocco, Jordan and United Arab Emirates were obliged to sit it out after the first round when only the leading eight nations returned to battle it out in the closing stages.

Just enough difficulty

There was a great deal hanging in the balance as the day began, and course designer, Belgium’s Luc Musette, created a track that presented just enough difficulty to test horse-and-rider combinations with differing ranges of experience. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the small number of clear rounds. The time-allowed played a significant role, even after being extended from 72 to 74 seconds, but few could have expected that the only one to return without penalty first time out would be the very last man into the ring, Germany’s David Will with his grey stallion, Colorit, while just three stayed fault-free in round two.

Fences fell all around the course, including the oxer at two, varying elements of the penultimate triple combination and the final vertical. But the most consistently falling poles were at the double at four, where horses often arrived too deep at the first element having been driven forward to the preceding water-tray oxer.

Pictured at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 qualifier in Abu Dhabi, UAE today (L to R) : Faisal Al Ali, Vice-President Emirates Equestrian Federation, Patrick Aoun, Brand Manager Longines, winning Qatari team members Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi and Khalid Al Emadi, Chef d’Equipe Willem Meeus, team member Bassem Hassan Mohammed, coach Jan Tops and team member Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani, Stephan Ellenbruch, Foreign Judge, Saeed Mohammad Bin Hofaan Al Mansouri, Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club and Ahmad Ali Al Nuami, General Manager Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club. (FEI/Richard Juilliart)

Convincing from the outset

The Qatari team were convincing from the outset however, counting only single time faults from Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi (Gunder), Khalid Al Emadi (Tamira IV) and Bassem Hassan Mohammed (Palloubet D’Halong) when Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani’s 10-year-old mare, Vienna Olympic, hit the first element at the double at four.

Qatar led the way with a three-point advantage over France as the second round began, while Germany carried nine faults into round two and Egypt and Ukraine were close behind with 10 faults apiece.

And the Egyptians showed their good result was no fluke when pathfinder Sameh Al Dahan, who had lowered the second fence with Suma’s Zorro in round one, produced one of those elusive clears to start them off in the second round. This looks like the nucleus of a really competitive side, and when they added just 11 more to their tally they always promised to finish prominently.

Germany slipped down the order when adding 16 faults to their scoreline, but Ukraine held firm when adding just nine. Former German team member, Rene Tebbel, demonstrated just what a useful addition he is to the Ukrainian side when posting just a single time fault in each round with the extravagant gelding Cooper, and when the French faltered, with the addition of 17, the Ukrainians and Egyptians overtook them.

Third-line rider

It was all over by the time Qatar’s third-line rider had completed his second course however.

Al Rumaihi’s easy round with the young stallion, Gunder, was marred only by a foot in the water, but Al Emadi’s Tamira was foot-perfect so as Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani rode into the ring he was jumping for both the Olympic and Furusiyya qualifications. And, with characteristic calmness, he steered Vienna Olympic home just fractionally over the time-allowed for a single time fault which wrapped it up nicely. His team’s score could now be no more than eight, but Bassem Hassan Mohammed reduced it to just three faults when negating Al Rumaihi’s single error with a fabulous jumping clear from Palloubet D’Halong for just one time fault when last to go for his side.

Meanwhile Abdullah Al Sharbatly led Saudi Arabia into the second round with a clear from Tobalio, and when they concluded with just eight to add to their first-round scoreline, their final 25 faults would be good enough to secure that second slot at the Furusiyya Final.

No pressure

“The boys finished the job before I jumped so there was no pressure on me!” said Qatar’s Bassem Hassan Mohammed afterwards. “I was just out there to jump for my country, do them proud, and gather some ranking points which is great!” he added.

Qatar coach, Jan Tops, said “I am very proud of what my team did today, particularly (Sheikh) Ali who will keep doing special things! There has been some great jumping today…you needed clever horses to do that track, and that’s what ours did, fortunately!” he pointed out.

Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani said, “we can hardly say how we are feeling, the best Arabic team wins the Nations Cup and we qualify for the Olympics which was most important for us! It was a hard job and we put a lot of effort in for this achievement. Jan (Tops) is number one trainer and we are very lucky to have him. He helps us to prepare our horses well and to have them at their best at just the right time” he added.

Asked about his own calm attitude when under pressure as he was today, Sheikh Ali replied, “this is also down to Jan (Tops). He tells me “don’t rush”, but my mare is also very cool, she gives me a lot of confidence too” he explained.

For further information on the second leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 series at Abu Dhabi visit website http://www.eef.ae

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Trophy

Result:

1. Qatar 5 faults: Gunder (Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi) 1/4, Tamira IV (Khalid Al Emadi) 1/0, Vienna Olympic (Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani) 4/1, Palloubet D’Halong (Bassem Hassan Mohammed) 1/1.

2. Ukraine 19 faults: Vivant (Cassio Rivetti) 4/4, Valentino Velvet (Oleksandr Onischenko) 10/6, Chadino (Ferenc Szentirmai) 5/4, Cooper (Rene Tebbel) 1/1.

3. Egypt 21 faults: Suma’s Zorro (Sameh El Dahan) 4/0, Connaught (Mohamed Talaat) 2/6, Dakota (Abdel Kabir Said) 4/8, Amelia (Karim El Zoghby) 21/5.

4. France 23 faults: Qlandestin Sas (Louis Bouhana) 4/12, Equador van’T Roosakker (David Frederic) 8/4, Prime Time des Vagues (Alexandre Fontanelle) 1/4, Ohm de Ponthual (Jerome Hurel) 1/9.

5. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 25 faults: Tobalio (Abdullah Al Sharbatly) 4/0, Valuta A (Khaled A Al Eid) 8/4, Chicago 84 (Abdul Rahman Bader Al Rahji) 16/4, Al Capone (Ramzy Al Duhami) 5/4.

5. Germany 25 faults: Lacan 2 (Patrick Stuhlmeyer) 12/4, Horse Gym’s Balzaci (Felix Hassmann) 4/8, Nabab de Revel (Lars Nieberg) 5/4, Colorit (David Will) 0/Ret.

7. Italy 42 faults: Admara 2 (Emanuele Gaudiano) 8/4, Cannavaro 17 (Simone Coata) 13/4, Banco Popolare Bari Cassandra (Francesco Franco) 9/4, Gitano V Berbenbroeck (Juan Carlos Garcia) 13/4.

8. Netherlands 57 faults: Interline H (Robert Vos) 20/8, Bravour (Hendrik-Jan Schuttert) 13/17, Whitney Bv (Michael Greeve) 5/9, Avion (Willem Greve) 9/13.

Facts and Figures:

11 teams lined out for the second leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 series in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates today.

4 countries – Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates – were battling for the two qualifying spots available for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 Final which will take place in Barcelona, Spain in September.

The winning team from Qatar, and the Saudi Arabian team that finished fifth, claimed the two qualifying places.

6 teams were competing for a qualifying spot for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games – Egypt, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

Qatar claimed the single Olympic qualifying place on offer to countries in Group F.

6 teams have already qualified in Jumping for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games: Netherlands, France, USA, Germany and Sweden at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, and Brazil as the host nation.

Course designer was Luc Musette assisted by fellow-Belgian Frank Van Humbeeck and UAE’s Yousif Al Mahmoudi and team.

Just one horse-and-rider jumped clear in the first round, the very last to go, Germany’s David Will and Colorit.

3 horse-and-rider combinations jumped clear in the second round – Qatar’s Khalid Al Emadi (Tamira IV), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al Sharbatly (Tobalio) and Egypt’s Sameh El Dahan (Suma’s Zorro).

There were no double-clear performances.

The next leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 series will take place at Coapexpan in Mexico on Friday 24 April.

Quotes:

Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi – “It is personally the second Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ I ride with my team. It is a real honour for me riding with them all in this special event.”

Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani: “This is the first time the Qatari team qualifies for the Olympic Games. I would like to thank my coach Jan Tops for all his hard work and time. I also want to thank our President and all those that have worked so hard to help us achieve this goal. We are not going to stop here and will keep moving forward from here – we won’t settle”.

Jan Tops, Qatar team coach: “After this, some of our horses will have a rest and some will go to the Longines FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas – two of our riders will be competing there. We have a 5-star show in Doha next week as well, so others will be heading out there. All our riders have two rides which helps us significantly plan who is to go where. Despite winning the Asian Games, it was really one of our main objectives to qualify for the Furusiyya Final in Barcelona”.

Qatar Chef d’Equipe, Willem Meeus: “The season is long as we have the season in Europe and the other in Middle East, so we decided to rest some horses for this event.”

Chef d’Equipe, Willem Meeus: “I am very excited about how my riders rode today, we have been working towards this for the last two years”

Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani: “it was a nice course, but there were a lot of things that made it difficult and it was very hot. We had a great set of horses though, and we were very well prepared”.

Khalil Ibrahim, President of the Ground Jury: “We decided to extend the time-allowed and I think we did a good job in that. We have some more qualified riders for the Grand Prix with this time extension, but for the teams and the sport as a whole it was important.”

Standings – Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 Middle East:

1. Qatar – 100
2. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 90
3. Jordan – 80
4. United Arab Emirates – 70

Louise Parkes

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping: Eleven Teams At 2015 Second Qualifier In Abu Dhabi (UAE)

The second qualifier of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 will take place at the Abu Dhabi CSIO5* in the United Arab Emirates today Thursday February 19, attracting a field of eleven teams.

The starting order, which was determined by a draw held in Abu Dhabi yesterday, will be as follows:

1. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
2. Ukraine
3. Netherlands
4. Italy
5. France
6. United Arab Emirates
7. Egypt
8. Qatar
9. Morocco
10. Jordan
11. Germany

Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates will be eligible for Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping points in the Middle East League.

FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking For February 2015

* Africa Cup of Nations semi-finalist, Equatorial Guinea makes the biggest move by points(up 370 points),they also make the biggest move by rank this month(up 69 ranks).

* There were no moves into the top ten this month and no moves out of the top ten as well.

* New Asian champions Australia (63rd, up 37 ranks), beaten finalists Korea Republic (54th, up 15 ranks), United Arab Emirates (66th, up 14 ranks), Iraq (94th, up 20), China PR (82nd, up 14 ranks) and Iran (41st, up 10 ranks) have all climbed at least ten places.

* Costa Rica (13th, up 3 ranks) reached their highest-ever position

1. Germany 1729 points

2. Argentina 1534 points

3. Colombia 1456 points

4. Belguim 1430 points

5. Netherlands 1385 points

6. Brazil 1333 points

7. Portugal 1189 points

8. France 1168 points

9. Uruguay 1146 points

10. Spain 1144 points

11. Switzerland 1117 points

12. Italy 1112 points

13. Costa Rica 1074 points

14. Chile 1037 points

15. England 1028 points

16. Romania 1022 points

17. Czech Republic 990 points

18. Algeria 981 points

19. Croatia. 945 points

20. Cote d’Ivoire 932 points

FIFA

Africa top ten teams in the World Ranking ;

1. Algeria (18)

2. Cote d’Ivoire (20)

3. Ghana (25)

4. Tunisia (26)

5. Cape Verde (35)

6. Senegal (36)

7. Nigeria (42)

8. Guinea (43)

9. Cameroon (45)

10. DR Congo (46)

Afghanistan And Ireland Receive Opportunity To Qualify For The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 With Full Members

Top eight on 12-team rankings table to qualify directly

Kenya and Nepal will take their places in the ICC World Cricket League Championship

The ICC Board on Wednesday approved that Afghanistan and Ireland will join the 10 Full Members in the rankings-based qualification system for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

The top eight-ranked sides on the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings as at 30 September 2017 will qualify automatically to the 2019 event, while the bottom four will play in the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 that will determine the final two teams in the line-up.

As a result, Afghanistan and Ireland will no longer play in the ICC World Cricket League Championship, the ICC’s one-day competition for the leading Associate and Affiliate sides.

The final two positions in the ICC World Cricket League Championship will now be filled by Kenya and Nepal, who finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in Namibia last week. They will join Hong Kong, Namibia, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates in the two-year competition, which is scheduled to start in mid-2015.

The new structure also includes a promotion and relegation system for Associate and Affiliate Members, with a challenge series to take place between the lowest-ranked Associate Member on the Rankings table and the winner of the ICC World Cricket League Championship. The winner of the play-off will be included on the Rankings table for the next cycle, and the loser will compete in the ICC World Cricket League Championship.

Ireland and Afghanistan will continue to play in the four-day, first-class ICC Intercontinental Cup 2015-17, along with Hong Kong, Namibia, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “Both Afghanistan and Ireland have excelled on and off the field in recent years, and this decision is a critical step forward to the ICC’s aim of having more competitive teams in international cricket.

ICC Cricket world Cup Spectators, photo credit Dhammika Heenpella
https://www.flickr.com/photos/photosofsrilanka/5500537562/in/photolist-9o4Gbw-9k62ML-9o1wck-a9oZFN-9o4uf1-9kc1CN-9pcZqt-9smVbn-a9maxa-9kc7hf-9k2Hez-9k91Nt-9k94wg-9kc9Ss-9kc6NW-9kcawY-a9oZys-a9oZey-a9mbgn-9vqHwm-9vn4X9-99RzzT-a9p1fU-a9mbHZ-a9p153-a9maVc-a9maHr-9k96GZ-9k8ZTZ-9k8Z2g-9k8ZqT-9kcbe3-ESUkr-9k98aX-9kc3oj-9oaEt2-9reU2b-9reUQw-9rbXa8-9p3BeU-9pgBB5-6tHdKb-9pgJ9f-9rbX5v-9rbWwz-6woM6f-9trw34-9oZyG6-9k9LsR-9k9LGB

“The decision also provides even greater context to One-Day International cricket, and provides a fully meritocratic pathway into ICC’s Cricket World Cup and Champions Trophy events. It also compliments the recent decision by the ICC Board to introduce opportunities for Associate and Affiliate Members to play Test cricket through the ICC Intercontinental Cup and ICC Test Challenge.

“With a system of promotion and relegation in place, I look forward to seeing the leading Associate and Affiliate teams become even more competitive as they battle for the opportunity to compete at the very highest level of one-day cricket.”

Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom said: “We are absolutely delighted with the opportunity to qualify directly to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Ireland has worked very hard over recent years to prove itself as the leading Associate side and has beaten a number of Full Members over the years.

“We are confident that we can now accelerate our progress as part of this qualification structure with the Full Members, while this is also an excellent boost as we put our finishing touches on our preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.”

UAE Friendlies: Eagles Hail NFF, Crave More As Hope Akpan Awaits Final Clearance For Action

…Team Returns To Nigeria…Yemen Coach Concedes Defeat

After two exciting friendly games against Cote D’ Ivoire In Abu Dhabi and Yemen in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), losing the former 1-0 and winning the latter by 2-0, the Super Eagles made up entirely of professional players from the Nigeria Premier League have commended the leadership of the NFF under Amaju Pinnick, for the friendlies even as it has asked for the sustenance of friendly games culture.

Speaking on behalf of his teammates, Skipper of the side, Chigozie Agbim, said all the players were very happy that they were not redundant in January, following the mishap of non-qualification for the ongoing Nations Cup championship in Equatorial Guinea.

He said he was speaking the minds of his teammates, who made the same remarks after the friendly against Yemen on Saturday in Dubai. “All the players were unanimous in saying that playing friendly games is a way of making the team jell together and building the unity of the team, the coaching staff and the ensuring that the players are active throughout the year.”

Super Eagles Training

“What we want to demand is that this laudable development should not be a one off thing. We want a sustenance of the culture of friendly matches in the Nigerian soccer system, so that we will get to know ourselves better and we will not have the problem of blending when we have crucial qualifying games like it happened in the ACN qualifiers”.

The team returned home on Sunday, with Assistant Coach, Dan ‘The Bull’ Amokachi, like Stephen Keshi admonishing the players to keep the same level of discipline and focus at their various club sides if they hope to receive future invitations to the national team. He praised the team’s level of concentration during the friendlies and said it must be sustained at their various clubsides in the course of building a more virile national team.

Yemen Coach, Miroslav Skopp, who is a Czech, also had kind words for the Nigerian side, even as he conceded defeat to the reigning African champions. “Your team played tactically and technically well, as expected they were hard on the ball and they deserve to win” he said in Dubai on Saturday night.

Hope Akpan, credit Reading fc.co.uk

Hope Akpan Awaits Final Clearance For Action…Eagles Medics Keep Tabs On Star

Reading of England midfielder, Hope Akpan, has started training with his club’s first team in the United Kingdom and should be cleared fit to resume competitive football action by the end of this month, Super Eagles doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran, declared at the weekend.

Doctor Gyaran, who said he has been mandated by the Nigeria Football Federation to keep tabs on all injured national team players, said he has been following up on Akpan after the star midfielder pulled a shoulder in the Super Eagles 2-0 away win over Congo Brazzaville in Pointe Noire in the run-up to the ongoing Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea.

He noted that it has become a tradition in the NFF and the Super Eagles for officials to keep tabs on the welfare of players in particular and the entire staff of the team in general. “Team’s Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor, has been working on that alongside the Head Coach and the medical team to ensure that players and officials of the national team are in good health at all times”, he said.

He further announced that following his interaction with Akpan, he got to know that he has a final clearance to do with doctors in England by the end of January to enable him resume active football action with his clubside. “I want to re-emphasise that Hope Akpan has started active training with the first team of Reading and only awaits final clearance from the doctors who operated on his shoulder by the end of this month to resume full action with his club side”, Gyaran declared.

Eagles Now To Play Yemen In Place Of Sudan…Team Arrives Dubai…Salami Off To Serbia

Following the last minute withdrawal of the Sudanese national team from the international friendly against the Nigerian side, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has moved swiftly to ensure that the team plays a game on Saturday, January 17 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The team will now tackle the Yemini national side on the same date.

Sudan, which gave no reasons for its sudden withdrawal was scheduled to play Nigeria January 17 and Finland, January 22, both games were scheduled for Dubai. But Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor, said in order not to distort the schedule of the national team for the New Year, Yemen was approached and accepted to play the Eagles and later Finland on the scheduled dates.

The Nigeria versus Yemen game will be played at the Sevens Stadium in the bubbling city of Dubai. Already, The Secretary General of the Yemen Football Federation, Dr Hamid Alshaibani, has sent a letter to the organizers a copy which was made available to the NFF accepting to test the might of his side against the reigning African Champions.

Already, the Super Eagles, who lost narrowly by 0-1 to Cote D’ Ivoire last Sunday have since arrived Dubai to prepare for the game against the Yemeni side. The team arrived Dubai by road on Tuesday afternoon and are staying at the Time Grand Plaza Hotel.

Following the departure of Warri Wolves striker, Gbolahan Salami, to go and firm up details of his contract with a Serbian side, 19 players and their officials led by NFF Technical Committee Chairman, Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu and Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the NFF, Head Technical Department made the trip to Dubai. Assistant Coach, Dan ‘the Bull’ Amokachi, gave the players an off day Tuesday but declared that rigorous training for the game against Yemen will resume on Wednesday.

UAE Trip Excites Eagles, Salute NFF

Super Eagles players who made it to the United Arab Emirates for the double header friendly against Cote D’ Ivoire and Yemen, have been heaping praises on the leadership of theNFF for the forward looking approach to the national team.

The players said the mere fact that the team did not make it to the Equatorial Guinea 2015 Nations Cup was enough to demoralize the NFF, but the Executive Committee and the Secretariat of the body, still thought it wise to arrange a January outing for the team, almost the same time the Nations Cup will be starting.

Super eagles Abu Dhabi Training

Team Captain Chigozie Agbim and his deputy Azubuike Egwuekwe who spoke on behalf of the players said they are delighted with the trip and the first class facilities that the team have been exposed to in the course of the friendly games. “We must say a big thank you to the NFF for this visionary move and all we can say is forgive the team for not qualifying and we vow that it will never happen again in our time”, Agbim declared.

Egwuekwe added: We know we are better than most of the teams that are going to the Nations Cup but we made mistakes along the line and we must thank Nigerians for forgiving us and also thank the NFF for being forward looking despite the mishap, we will reward them next time with another Nations Cup win”, he said.

Pepsi ICC WCL Div.2 Hopes To Produce More Success Stories

Important tournament on the pathway to the ICC Cricket World Cup

The Pepsi ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division 2 starts in Namibia this week and it gives the opportunity for teams to advance along the pathway to the ICC Cricket World Cup.

This will be the third WCL Division 2 to be staged and the second to be hosted in Namibia and many teams have had some great success stories on their way to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier and ODI status. In 2007, Argentina, Denmark, Namibia, Oman, Uganda and United Arab Emirates all participated in the tournament in Namibia.

The 2007 event featured some close-fought matches and an exciting final in which the winners United Arab Emirates defeated Oman by 67 runs. United Arab Emirates have gone on from strength to strength gaining ODI status until 2018 after being finalists at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in 2014, missing out narrowly to Scotland and will now feature in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

United Arab Emirates played hosts to the WCL Division 2 in 2011 with array of teams on show including Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Namibia, Uganda and Bermuda. United Arab Emirates defeated Namibia in the final by 1 wicket promoting both teams to the ICC World Cricket League Championship 2011-2013 and ICC Intercontinental Cup 2011-2013.

As a result of strong performances in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in 2014, Hong Kong finishing third and Papua New Guinea finishing fourth both gained ODI status until 2018.

Following the recent decision of the ICC to “break the glass ceiling” and allow AMs the opportunity to play Test cricket, the WCL is now an important part of this process as it provides a pathway into the ICC’s four-day Intercontinental Cup. In addition, WCL Division 2 can enable the top teams to progress to the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship 2015-17.

Fixtures

17 Jan – Namibia v Kenya (Wanderers), Netherlands v Canada (United), Uganda v Nepal (Wanderers Affies)
18 Jan – Namibia v Uganda (Wanderers), Nepal v Netherlands (United), Kenya v Canada (Wanderers Affies)
19 Jan – Rest/reserve day
20 Jan – Nepal v Canada (Wanderers), Kenya v Uganda (United), Namibia v Netherlands (Wanderers Affies)
21 Jan – Kenya v Netherlands (Wanderers), Namibia v Nepal (United), Canada v Uganda (Wanderers Affies)
22 Jan – Rest/reserve day
23 Jan – Netherlands v Uganda (Wanderers), Namibia v Canada (United), Nepal v Kenya (Wanderers Affies)
24 Jan – Final (Wanderers), 3rd v 4th play-off (United), 5th v 6th play-off (Wanderers Affies)

All matches are scheduled to start at 0930 local time

Eagles Land In Abu Dhabi…As Ukoh Joins Team

Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles on Friday morning landed in the United Arab Emirates for the two international friendlies against Cote D’ Ivoire and Sudan later in the month.

The Emirates Airliner that the team boarded from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Thursday night landed at the Dubai International Airport at about 5:30am local time, which is 2:30am in Nigeria. After airport formalities the team of 19 players and officials took a jolly bus ride from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, a journey of about an hour.

On hand to welcome the team was new face Steven Ukoh, who plays his football with Swiss side, FC Biel. He was quite joyous to link up with the Nigerian team for the first time and declared that he can’t remember ever Nigeria, except as a child. But his quick mix-up with the rest of the players whom he has never met before must be commended.

The team is quartered at the serene Crown Plaza Hotel in Abu Dhabi and will have its first training session by 7:30pm local time, which is 4:30pm in Nigeria to start preparations for its first match against the Ivoriens January 12.

Super eagles Abu Dhabi Training

The 20 players in the Eagles squad: Goalkeepers: Chigozie Agbim (Gombe United); Daniel Akpeyi (Warri Wolves); Theophilus Afelokhai (Kano Pillars)

Defenders: Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars); Idris Aloma (El-Kanemi FC); Chimma Akas (Sharks FC); Nelson Ogbonna (Heartland FC); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves); Bright Esieme (Enyimba FC

Midfielders: Joseph Nathaniel (Sharks FC); Charles Henlong (Giwa FC); Stanley Dimgba (Warri Wolves); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Kingsley Sokari (Enyimba FC); Austin Godspower, Steven Ukoh (FC Biel, Swizerland)

Forwards: Mfon Udoh (Enyimba FC); Gbolahan Salami (Warri Wolves);Gambo Muhammad (Kano Pillars); Christian Obiozor (Enugu Rangers).

ITTF World Team Cup Kick Starts 2015 in Dubai

The world’s best table tennis players have put away their suits and dresses from the ITTF Star Awards and picked up their rackets for the beginning of the 2015 ITTF World Team Cup starting today in Dubai.

The biennial event invites the top 12 teams, which are made up of six continental teams who qualified as champions of their respective Continental Championships, an additional five teams who finished highest positions at the ZEN-NOH 2014 World Team Table Tennis Championships, plus one team from the host nation United Arab Emirates.

Defending champions China are the favorites in both the men’s and women’s to retain the title, but world number one XU Xin is wary of the emerging Portuguese team:

“Potentially, Portugal will be strong,” he said. “Germany had won the European Championships many times, but last year Portugal won so this means something has changed.”

China’s five-man squad consists of the top four players from the current world rankings, making them the front-runners in the event, but XU said the favorite’s tag comes with responsibility.

China sees Portugal as their biggest threat for gold at the World Team Cup

“As long as you are playing on behalf of China, you are always under pressure,” he said. “We have won many times and could still feel the pressure not only in games, but also in our trainings. That makes us try harder to win the title.”

Along with Portugal, Egypt who made a fairytale run to the semi finals in 2013 will be looking for another strong performance along with Germany and Japan.

Newly crowned 2014 ITTF Female Table Tennis Star and world number one DING Ning will lead the Chinese women’s team’s quest for gold. This task will not be easy, with Singapore, Japan and Romania all vying to cause an upset.

The playing system at the World Team Cup is the same as the team event of the Olympic Games. Each team selects three players, that plays in two singles matches, then doubles, followed by reverse singles, with the first team to win three games winning the match.

The first stage of the competition is a round robin, with the 12 teams being split into four groups of three. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout quarter finals!

Quadri Is World’s Table Tennis Player Of The Year

From Dubai in United Arab Emirates (UAE) came another accolade for Nigeria as Aruna Quadri has been named the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Star Player of the year at the award ceremony held on Wednesday.

At the colourful award ceremony held at the Armani Hotel, Quadri claimed two awards ahead of players from Asia and Europe to get standing ovation from the guests that graced the occasion.

Aruna Quadri with other award winners during the ITTF Star Awards at the Armani Hotel at Burj Khalifa on January 7, 2015 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The world’s number 30 ranked player was adjudged the best male player beating world number one, China’s Xu Xin and his compatriot, Fan Zhendong, who is the 2014 Youth Olympic Games gold medallist as well as Portugal’s Marcos Freitas, who is the 2014 European Team Championships winner and the first Portuguese player to be ranked top 10 in the world.

Also, Quadri’s crucial winning point against Olympics and World Champion, Jan Zhike of China at the 2014 ITTF World Cup was adjudged the best in the Star Point category at the second edition of the award.

An elated Quadri described yesterday’s award as the best in his career, while acknowledging the support he got globally from table tennis fans.

Quadri has moved from number 237 to number 30 in just nine months.

“This is the best day of my career and I want to thank the organizers for considering me for this. I also want to thank all my fans all over the world for their support because this is unbelievable for me and I promise to continue to work hard,” he said.

For the female star player of the year, China’s Ding Ning, 2014 ITTF Women’s World Cup winner and world number one defeated Feng Tianwei of Singapore, Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan and China’s Liu Shiwen, 2014 Asian Games champion to the award.

Other awards won at the ceremony include Para male star, para female star, star coach and fair play star of the year.

Aruna Quadri recieving is NSA2014 Award

The ITTF Star Awards is the official awards ceremony organised by ITTF since 2013. It is the most prestigious award aimed at recognising, honouring and celebrating the stars of table tennis, the athletes who have made table tennis their passion, career and life.

All the nominees for the awards attended the night of glitz and glamour, as athletes dressed up in their finest for the Awards Night.

Aruna Quadri during the ITTF Star Awards at the Armani Hotel at Burj Khalifa on January 7, 2015 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Pinnick Orders Eduok Out Of Eagles’ Camp

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick has ordered Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt star Emem Eduok out of the camp of Super Eagles’ B, preparing for two international friendly matches in the United Arab Emirates.

“We are not happy with the cloud of controversy over his transfer issue and it is a terrible distraction to the team and Nigeria football generally.

Emem Eduok, Dolphins

“Telling him to leave the camp does not mean we are indicting him. We will carry out an investigation and whoever is found guilty, be he/she an agent or player manager or an official of his club, will be duly sanctioned,” Pinnick said at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja.

The NFF President has mandated the Chairman of Technical and Development Committee, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu to conduct an investigation into the matter and report back to the Executive Committee at its meeting in Lagos on Thursday.

“We have to do this (send the boy out of camp) to serve as a deterrent to others. We are not blaming the player for anything yet; investigation will unravel who is guilty. But the distraction and controversy the matter has generated is not good for the camp.”

The Super Eagles B are preparing to face 2015 Africa Cup of Nations–bound Cote d’Ivoire in a friendly in Abu Dhabi on Sunday and will then play Sudan in Dubai on January 17.

DAMAC Properties Announce Tiger Woods Design to Create Golf Course for ‘AKOYA Oxygen’

‘Trump World Golf Club Dubai’, 18-Hole Championship Course will be designed by Tiger Woods

Golfing superstar Tiger Woods will design the new 18-hole championship golf course in Dubai to be built by luxury real estate developers, DAMAC Properties (http://www.damacproperties.com) and operated by The Trump Organization.

Set within the 55 million sq ft master community of AKOYA Oxygen, the ‘Trump World Golf Club, Dubai’ will include a state-of-the-art clubhouse, world-class restaurant and pro shop. The course will be situated at the heart of the development, with some of the highest premium, residential developments in Dubai overlooking the course.

“Tiger Woods is one of the most famous and iconic sportsmen in the world who will bring his design expertise and worldwide playing experience to this amazing development,” said Ziad El Chaar, Managing Director, DAMAC Properties. “Add to that the golfing prowess and skills of The Trump Organisation, our leadership position in luxury real estate development, with the global appeal of Dubai, we believe The Trump World Golf Club Dubai, designed by Tiger Woods, will be a market leader, judged against the best golf courses in the world.”

Tiger Woods

“Bringing Tiger Woods to Dubai is a testament to the luxury and quality that can be anticipated at AKOYA Oxygen – where fashion meets the outdoors, and green really is the new black.”

Woods has already gained a strong reputation for golf course design, with projects underway in Mexico and the United States. His first course to open for play will be El Cardonal in Mexico, which is scheduled to open before the end of the year.

In reference to the style of course that he is creating, Woods said: “I’ve been fortunate to play great golf courses all over the globe, from the original links courses in Scotland to the famous parkland courses in America and the distinctive layouts on the sandbelt of Australia. I hope to bring elements of those great courses and others to the Trump World Golf Club Dubai with the end result being a course that golfers will want to play again and again.”

Tiger Woods

Woods has won 14 Majors in golf, second only to Jack Nicklaus, and is one of the most iconic sportsmen ever to grace the game. The two-time winner of the Dubai Desert Classic (2006 & 2008), who had previously looked at the opportunity to design a course in Dubai, is now returning to realize that dream.

He has won a total of 105 tournaments, 79 of those on the PGA TOUR, including four Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Open Championships, and three British Open Championships. With his second Masters victory in 2001, Woods became the first player ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time.

“I can’t wait to see this stunning project come to life,” added Woods. “Dubai is fast becoming one of the most influential golfing destinations in the world, both for the professional game and for amateurs looking to enjoy the great weather, great courses and amazing lifestyle.”

“We plan to create a distinct and memorable golf course that players of all abilities find enjoyable,” he added. “I am very much looking forward to adding to the great courses of Dubai.”

Site preparation work on the Trump World Golf Club Dubai is already underway, with the course due to open by the end of 2017.

This will be the Trump Organization’s 18th golf property in the world and marks the second world-class course in Dubai with DAMAC Properties.

“Tiger Woods is the biggest name in professional golf,” said Mr. Donald J. Trump, Chairman & President of The Trump Organization. “His expertise comes from winning on every great course in the world, including his win at the WGC – Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral, Miami. Tiger will be a tremendous asset in developing the course at the Trump World Golf Club, Dubai – and together, with DAMAC Properties, we will be doing something very special.”

The Trump World Golf Club, Dubai will anchor the AKOYA Oxygen master community that is located just off the Umm Suqeim road extension and less than 15 minutes from AKOYA by DAMAC.

AKOYA Oxygen will showcase the greenest living spaces in Dubai with parklands, green open spaces and private gardens. The development will include luxury living experiences in a lush, peaceful environment.

Established in 2002, DAMAC has delivered almost 12,000 units to date and currently has a development portfolio of over 39,000 units at various stages of progress and planning as of September 30th 2014, which includes over 10,000 hotel rooms and serviced hotel apartments.