GCC teams gear up for Asian Le Mans at Dubai Autodrome

HARBIN, China: The 9th Asian Winter Games opened on Friday in Harbin, China, with a ceremony led by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The event marks a milestone for Saudi Arabia, which is making its debut at the multi-sport competition as it gears up to host the 2029 Games. The Saudi Winter Sports Federation, originally established in 2019, was restructured in 2022 into two separate governing bodies: the Saudi Ice Sports Federation and the Saudi Snow Sports Federation.

The Kingdom’s delegation at the games is headed by Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Member of the Executive Office of the Olympic Council of Asia.

The event runs until Feb. 18 and will feature around 1,500 athletes from 34 Asian countries. Among the Saudi participants, the Kingdom’s curling team is set to compete in five matches from Feb. 9 to 12 — facing off against teams from Qatar, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand — while three Saudi alpine skiers will compete in the slalom events: Fayik Abdi in the men’s, and Sharifa Al-Sudairi and Farhoud Joud in the women’s.

As the Kingdom continues to expand its sporting ambitions, its participation in the Asian Winter Games “represents another step in its broader vision to develop a competitive winter sports ecosystem on the international stage,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim let Marcus Rashford leave the club because he couldn't convince the forward to follow his methods.
“I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it,” Amorim said in quotes published late Thursday.
The 27-year-old Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan the day before Europe's winter transfer window closed, having not played for United since mid-December. He could make his debut for Villa on Sunday on an FA Cup match against Tottenham.
“Sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different,” Amorim said.
“I just wish the best to Rashford and to (Villa manager) Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”
Asked whether Rashford said that he did not agree with Amorim’s ideas about soccer, Amorim said: “You know, like me, that it’s not the way that occurs.
“It’s something that you feel as a coach and as a player. It’s quite normal. It happened with a lot of coaches. The important thing is that I’m here saying that was my decision."
Amorim brushed aside talk of a potential return for Rashford at the end of the season.
Rashford's deal with Villa includes an option to make the move permanent for a reported 40 million pounds ($50 million).
"Like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer,” Amorim said.
“So, I am just focused on these games. Thankfully about Marcus, he is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players at the moment.”