After a long absence due to injury, Salem Al-Dosari, captain of Al-Hilal team, participated, on Wednesday evening, in the first part of his team’s group training, after he nearly completed his rehabilitation program to recover from his injury to the patellar tendon of the right knee.
Al-Dosari suffered an injury to the patellar tendon in his right knee, which has kept him from playing with his team since the start of the current season. As a result, he underwent surgery, after his suffering from it increased during his participation with the Saudi national team in the last World Cup. After the injury worsened, it was decided to undergo surgery on July 21, before he then entered a rehabilitation program that he was close to completing, as he will be ready to participate in his team’s next match against Al-Ittihad after the competition resumes after the end of the period. International stop.
In a related context, English striker Ollie Watkins, Al Hilal striker, participated in his team’s group training, after recovering from the lower back injury he sustained before the start of the current hiatus.
The injury prevented the English striker from participating with Al Hilal against Al Gharafa of Qatar in the opening of Al Zaeem’s campaign in the AFC Champions League for the Elite, the last match that Al Azraq played before the start of the current international break.
On the other hand, the French duo, Theo Hernandez and Hamad Al-Yami, performed fitness exercises and exercises using the ball, as part of their qualifying programs.
Al Hilal players returned to their training on Wednesday evening, after finishing the 9-day leave granted to them by Italian coach Simone Inzaghi, the team’s coach, due to the cessation of competitions due to the current international break, in preparation for the confrontations again after their return, as the team’s first match after the break will be against Al-Ittihad on October 10 in the eighth round of the Saudi Professional League.
Al-Ahly Club announced today (Wednesday) that its Brazilian player, Roger Ibanez, has entered the treatment and rehabilitation phase after the injury he suffered in his left leg during Al-Ahly’s match against Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa, in the Confederations Cup for Clubs, while the technical and medical staff are awaiting developments in his condition before setting the date for his return to group training. The Al-Ahly defender is subjected to a daily medical evaluation, as the decision to return to group training is linked to the extent of his response to the treatment and rehabilitation program, in addition to his reaching the required physical readiness, without setting a final date for his return yet. Ibanez was present in Al-Ahly's starting lineup during the match against Sun Downs, which the team lost 1-2, after playing a key role in the back line. He also appeared in one of the team's offensive attempts when he rose to a corner ball and headed it over the crossbar. Ibanez's injury comes at a time when Al-Ahly needs the readiness of its defensive elements, in light of the team's connection to local and continental competitions, which makes the technical staff faced with the need to deal with caution with the player's return and not rush to include him before his readiness is complete. According to the medical update issued today, the current stage focuses on treatment, rehabilitation, and daily follow-up, while the response to the program will determine the date of transition to group training, and then the possibility of returning to matches.
Saudi women Areej Farah and Al-Anoud Yamani confirmed their determination to continue their journey in the padel competitions at the Asian Games in Nagoya, and to strive to achieve a new achievement for the country, after recording the first victory in the history of Saudi padel in Asia during the game’s debut at the women’s level.
In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat after defeating the Thai team in a marathon confrontation that lasted about 3 hours, the two players expressed their happiness with the historic victory, stressing that the good start of the match enabled them to settle the first half with a comfortable margin, before the Thai team returned in the second half, bringing the confrontation to its peak of excitement in the third half.
They revealed that they suffered a muscle strain during the decisive match, but that did not prevent them from continuing to fight to win the match, in light of their great determination to achieve victory.
Areej Farah and Al-Anoud Yamani expressed their pride in representing Saudi Arabia together, and in the state of understanding that brings them together on the field, stressing their determination to continue the journey despite fatigue and injuries, when they face the Japanese team, the favorite to win the title, on Thursday in the quarter-finals.
The two players explained that they intensified their work and preparation during the last two months before participating in the Asian tournament, stressing their aspiration to provide more and achieve new achievements for the country.
For their part, Samaher Kurdi and Lina Al-Abdullatif expressed their pride in being the first Saudi women to represent the Kingdom in padel in a major tournament the size of the Asian Games, which is comparable to the Olympics in terms of its importance and the size of participation in it.
They stressed their pride in the Saudi debut, and in the victory achieved by their colleagues Areej Farah and Al-Anoud Yamani, considering that the victory represents all the elements of the Saudi team.
They pointed to the rapid spread of padel in Saudi Arabia, and described the game as fun and interesting for its practitioners, expressing their hope that it will witness further development and leaps during the next stage.
In turn, Omar Al-Anazi, director of the Saudi national teams, confirmed that the victory in the first Asian participation was the result of cumulative work within the Saudi Padel Federation, describing the victory as historic in the first participation of the game in the Asian Games.
Al-Enezi explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that padel is one of the most developed games in the world, which contributed to its entry into major tournaments such as the Asian Games, with the possibility of it becoming a recognized Olympic game in the future.
He added that the game is widely spread in Saudi Arabia, with more room for expansion, explaining that the official organization of its competitions began two years ago, and that next December will witness the establishment of a Saudi Padel League.
The director of the Saudi national teams stressed that the expansion of the base of practitioners represents an essential step towards raising the level of competition, and bringing Saudi padel to a stronger presence on the continental level and at various levels.
