News

Leipzig, 3 Jan (ONA) --- The coronavirus continued to hit Bundesliga clubs on Monday, with RB Leipzig saying that three players have tested positive for the coronavirus and three further tests have returned inconclusive. VfB Stuttgart meanwhile reported a fifth case within their ranks less than a week ahead of the league restart from a short winter break. Leipzig said that Andre Silva and Christopher Nkunku tested positive while in their home countries of Portugal and France, respectively, but are expected back in Leipzig from isolation periods before the end of the week. The ...

Dubai, 2 Jan (ONA) --- The horse “Fakhr” of the Royal Cavalry (RC) won first place in the second half competitions at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).The winning horse, in the 1400-meter race of the purebred Arabian horse category, was led by the jockey Antonio Friso and trained by coach Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.Moreover, the victory is a first-of-a-kind for the RC in Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse for purebred Arabian horses. --- ...

Dubai, 2 Jan (ONA)--- The horse “Fakhr” of the Royal Cavalry, led by jockey Antonio Friso, and supervised by coach Ibrahim Al Hadhrami, has won first place in the second half competitions that dedicated to purebred Arabian horses for a distance of 1400 meters, which was held on the Dubai Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates. The horse Bahia, owned by Athba for racing, led by the Jockey ​Manuel Martinez and supervised by coach Mohamed Al Daghash, has won Second place and the horse On Q of the Al Ajban Stables, led by Jockey Pat Cosgrave and supervised by coach Abdullah ...

Dubai, 30 Dec (ONA)--- The 14th edition of the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup will be hosted at the Dubai International Endurance City in Seih Al Salam on 8 January, 2022. Held over a distance of 119 km, the prestigious race will be organized by Dubai Equestrian Club in association with the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation.A key event on the UAE equestrian calendar, the race draws the participation of prominent riders and horses. The event also marks the conclusion of the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival, which features a total of four endurance rides in different categories: the ...

Muscat, 29 Dec (ONA) --- The Royal Horse Racing Club (RHRC) will organize tomorrow (Thursday) the 9th horse race of the season on Al Rahba racecourse in the Wilayat of Barka. The 8 rounds of the race will see the participation of more than 120 horses. Six rounds will be dedicated for pure Arabian horses and two rounds for thoroughbred horses. The race will be held in accordance with preventive measures against Covid-19 set by the Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. --- Ends/AG ...

Sydney, 29 Dec (ONA) --- Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the ATP Cup in Australia ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, organizers said today. No reason was given but the top-ranked Serb has declined to comment on his vaccination status in recent months and Australia’s strict regulations require all players, officials and fans to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. ATP Cup organizers disclosed Djokovic’s withdrawal in a roster update that included France replacing Austria in the 16-country event following the withdrawals of Dominic Thiem ...

Manchester, 29 Dec (ONA) --- Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick might be tempted to make some changes against Burnley in the English Premier League (EPL) after a poor performance by his team in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle last Monday, when he complained about a lack of energy and physicality from his players. Some of that might be down to rustiness after United had back-to-back matches — against Brentford and Brighton — called off because of a coronavirus outbreak in the squad. That’s something Burnley might be wary of because its period of inactivity has been even ...

Madrid, 28 Dec (ONA) ---- Fans of Barcelona have to wait for Ferran Torres' signing to be confirmed by the club, but the Catalans are yet to get the deal with Manchester City entirely over the line. Both clubs are still checking and reviewing all of the documentation involved in the move, and nothing will be announced until everything is signed. As a result, it's unlikely that anything will be announced before Tuesday - and even that would be at the earliest. Barcelona had wanted to announce the signing yesterday (Monday) and present the player today afternoon, but everything ...

Muscat, 27 Dec (ONA) --- Oman's Golf Team player Azzan Al Rumhy won the title of Oman Open golf championship in its first edition. The championship was concluded at Ghala Golf Club under the auspices of Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al Rumhy, Minister of Energy and Minerals. Meanwhile, Hamoud Al Harthy came in the second place, and the third place went to the Pakistani Ryan Ahmed. As for the female competitions, the British Aliana Rafeeq snatched the first place, while the seven-year-old junior player Youssef Al Rumhi won the junior category, leaving the second place to ...

Manchester, 27 Dec (ONA) --- Anthony Martial has told Manchester United he wants to leave, manager Ralf Rangnick said. The France forward has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford, making just two English Premier League (EPL) starts this season and only four in all competitions. Rangnick said he “spoke at length” with the 26-year-old Martial last week. “He explained to me he’s been at Manchester United now for the last seven years and he feels it’s the right time for a change, to go somewhere else,” Rangnick said. He added, ...

London, 26 Dec (ONA) --- Leeds United's Premier League game against Aston Villa on Tuesday has been postponed because of Covid-19 cases at the Yorkshire club. Leeds' game at Liverpool on 26 December had already been called off. A club statement said there had been no new Covid cases, but the majority of those who had already tested positive were still isolating so there were not enough "recognised first-team players". In total, 14 games in England's top flight have been postponed in December 2021. English Premier League (EPL) clubs decided ...

London, 26 Dec (ONA) --- Antonio Rudiger is edging ever closer to joining Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer, with Real Madrid likely to get their wish of having the German become their latest David Alaba-style signing. Chelsea's attempts to get the defender to pen a new deal have continued to prove unsuccessful, and his teammates at Stamford Bridge are now resigned to his departure at the end of the season. According to the Telegraph, the European champions have offered as much as £165,000 per week to Rudiger, but he is demanding double that, leaving ...

London, 23 Dec (ONA) --- Arsenal will face Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, while Chelsea will meet Tottenham. Chelsea's meeting with Spurs is a repeat of the 2015 final, when the Blues won 2-0 at Wembley. Both semi-finals are scheduled to take place over two legs - with the first of each played in the week commencing 3 January 2022. The deciding legs will take place in the week commencing 10 January, with the final at Wembley on 27 February 2022. Eight-time winners Liverpool came from 0-2 and 1-3 down to make it 3-3 before they beat ...

Melbourne, 22 Dec (ONA) --- Australian Open organisers are still unsure if defending men's champion Novak Djokovic will play at next month's Grand Slam. Serbia's Djokovic, 34, has not spoken publicly about his vaccination status. All players and staff at the Australian Open must be vaccinated or have a medical exemption granted by an independent panel of experts. "If Novak shows up, he'll be vaccinated or have a medical exemption," said tournament director Craig Tiley. However, Tiley is confident Spain's Rafael Nadal will be theredespite ...

Barcelona, 22 Dec (ONA) --- Barcelona ended a torrid 2021 in disappointing fashion with a La Liga draw at 10-man Sevilla. Xavi's men failed to find a win that would have taken them up to fourth. Sevilla led following a training-ground move from a corner, as Ivan Rakitic rolled the ball into the area for Alejandro Gomez's first-time finish. Ronald Araujo's header levelled before half-time and although Jules Kounde was sent off for throwing the ball at Jordi Alba, Barca could not break through. Barca travel to Mallorca in their next game on 2 January, ...

Barcelona, 22 Dec (ONA) --- Barcelona ended a torrid 2021 in disappointing fashion with a La Liga draw at 10-man Sevilla. Xavi's men failed to find a win that would have taken them up to fourth. Sevilla led following a training-ground move from a corner, as Ivan Rakitic rolled the ball into the area for Alejandro Gomez's first-time finish. Ronald Araujo's header levelled before half-time and although Jules Kounde was sent off for throwing the ball at Jordi Alba, Barca could not break through. Barca travel to Mallorca in their next game on 2 January, ...

London, 21 Dec (ONA) --- Manchester United are ready to fight to sign Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, with fellow Premier League rivals Chelsea also reportedly interested. The 23-year-old has a 68 million-pound release clause which both clubs would have to trigger to prize him away from the Spanish club, where he has become an integral part of Julen Lopetegui's team. Chelsea bid for the Frenchman last summer, but were unable to agree a fee with Sevilla, which quashed the deal back in August. The Blues however are the most likely to try again in January as ...

Muscat, 21 Dec (ONA) --- The Oxy Mountain Run in Wadi Bani Awf, the Wilayat of A’Rustaq, will kick off this (Friday) 24 December 2021 with 1000 participants from all over the world. The race will start in front of Wadi Bani Awf School towards the dirt road of Wadi Bani Awf. The participants will go through a mountain track and then return to the starting point to complete the 50-km race. The race is organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, in cooperation with Occidental Oman. The Ministry aims to organize such races in each governorate of the ...

London, 20 Dec (ONA) --- Tottenham are out of the Europa Conference League after UEFA ruled they forfeited their final match against Rennes. The match on 9 December was called off following a Covid outbreak, with 13 positive cases at the London club. UEFA then said the matchcould not be rescheduledand referred the matter to its disciplinary body. It awarded Rennes a 3-0 win and they top the group, with Vitesse runners-up and Spurs finishing third. "We are disappointed by the ruling of the UEFA Appeals Body and the refusal to allow more time for the ...

Madrid, 20 Dec (ONA) --- Real Madrid were denied an eighth consecutive La Liga victory after being held by relegation strugglers Cadiz at the Bernabeu. The result leaves Real six points clear at the top of the table having played a game more than second-placed Sevilla. The hosts dominated throughout, registering 36 efforts on goal to the visitors' four. However, despite creating several good openings it became a night of frustration for Carlo Ancelotti's side. Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior flattered to deceive on his 100th league appearance for ...

Madrid, 16 Dec (ONA) --- At LaLiga's general assembly last Friday, 37 of the 42 LaLiga clubs approved the agreement to work with global investment firm CVC for the LaLiga Impulso (Boost LaLiga) project. However, three of the clubs who didn't vote for the proposal will launch legal action. These clubs are Real Madrid, Barcelona and Athletic, the three most vocal opponents so far to the agreement for almost two billion euros to be put into LaLiga in exchange for a future percentage of audiovisual rights money. The three clubs issued a joint statement affirming that ...

Muscat, 15 Dec (ONA) --- The Royal Horse Racing Club (RHRC) will organize this Saturday the Omani Derby Cup at Al Rahba Horse Racing Track in the Wilayat of Barka. The race, to be held under the patronage of Sayyid Said Sultan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture, will include eight rounds, seven of them for purebred Arabian horses and a race for purebred hybrid horses. This race is one of the most prominent horse racing events in the Sultanate of Oman. On the sidelines of the race, some equestrian sports shows will be ...

Madrid, 14 Dec (ONA) ---- Real Madrid are upset with the restaged Champions League last-16 draw and are making this the latest battleground in their ongoing war with UEFA. They were originally drawn to play Benfica before the draw had to be done over and they were paired with Paris Saint-Germain. From a relatively favourable draw, to a tie against old foe Lionel Messi, transfer target Kylian Mbappe and the rest of their well-paid teammates, the frustration at Real Madrid is understandable if not justified, said the Spanish MARCA. Behind closed doors, Real Madrid are said to ...

Muscat, 13 Dec (ONA) --- At the Behest of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sayyid Saud Hilal Al Busaidi, Minister of State and Governor of Muscat sponsored the ceremony of announcing the results of His Majesty the Sultan’s Cup for Youth 2020.The ceremony, held at Oman Exhibition and Convention Center, was attended by a number of members of the Royal Family, Ministers, and clubs' representatives.Salalah Club won the cup ranking the first place, A'Seeb Club came second, Al Bashaer Club ranked third, Ibri Club ranked fourth, Ahli Sidab Club ranked fifth, A’Suwaiq Club ranked ...

Madrid, 9 Dec (ONA) --- Barcelona's Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich surprised no one. The Bavarians - like many other of Europe's best teams - are light years ahead of Barcelona. That's been a tough realization for the Blaugrana, as they have tried to remain optimistic throughout their fallow recent period, claiming that they can beat anyone and that they can compete in Europe, the Spanish MARCA said. But now it's time to face up to reality and set new objectives. And there are really only two objectives. One is the reconstruction of the team - and it starts ...

Muscat, 8 Dec (ONA) --- The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, in cooperation with Occidental Oman, will organize Oxy Mountain Run in Wadi Bani Awf in the Wilayat of A’Rustaq.The run includes 3 races, the first is a 50-km mountain running race for men, the second is a 10-km race for both males and females, and the third is a fun race, which includes 3 races: the first is a 2-km race in front of Wadi Bani Awf School and two races in the evening (1.5 km and 1km).The 2 fun races will take place in A’Rustaq Sports Complex, which will host the conclusion ceremony and the honoring of the ...

Muscat, 8 Dec (ONA) --- In partnership with bp Oman, Oman Sail and Oman Paralympic Committee officially announced the national para sailing team to represent the Sultanate of Oman in para sailing competitions locally and internationally in a formal celebration marking the International Day of Persons with Disability, held under the patronage of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Al Shamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development. The celebration was also attended by Dr. Khamis Salim Al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, Eng. Mohammed Al Najwani, Vice President of Wells at bp Oman, Dr. ...

Muscat, 7 Dec (ONA) --- Assigned by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sayyid Saud Hilal Al Busaidi, Minister of State and Governor of Muscat will patronize next Monday over the ceremony of announcing results of His Majesty the Sultan’s Cup for Youth 2020.This edition of the competition saw the participation of 42 clubs, namely: Ahli Sidab, A'Seeb, Oman Club, Muscat, Bowsher, Quriyat, Salalah, Al Nasr, Dhofar, Al Ittihad, Mirbat, Khasab, Madha, Diba, Bukha, Ibri, Yanqul, Nizwa, Bahla, Samail, Al Bashaer, Fanja, Al Hamra, Sohar, Saham, A’Suwaiq, Al Khaboura, Al Salam, Majees, A'Rustaq, ...

Muscat, 5 Dec (ONA) – Oman Football Association (OFA) has addressed an official letter of objection to the FIFA against what it termed as “stark clear refereeing mistakes” made during the National Football Team’s match with its Qatari counterpart as part of the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. The refereeing decision reflected negatively on the final score, OFA said. OFA identified the refereeing mistakes as: Giving a wrong penalty against Oman team, granting a controversial goal to Qatar without resort to the VAR technology and ignoring the repeated foul play against the Omani team, ...

Muscat, 5 Dec (ONA) --- Shifting winds on Day 4 of the 2021 ILCA 6 World Championships allowed a full day of racing but one full of surprises once again influenced by the wind. When the wind was up, it was light – perfect for the sailors – but the downwind played havoc with the sailors’ tactics and performances. Two races in both men’s and women’s categories were completed at Barceló Resort Mussanah as the leader board remains tight at the top. The men’s leaderboard remains the same for the third day in a row with Oman’s Al Moutasim Al Farsi maintaining his ...