Princess Al-Jawhara bint Saad bin Faisal apologized for continuing in the race for the presidency of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tennis Federation, after learning that the next electoral cycle would be for only two years, ending in 2028, instead of 2030.
Informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Dr. Saleh Al-Arifi is preparing to succeed Princess Al-Jawhara as head of the same list, provided that he officially submits his candidacy file on Thursday, while keeping the names included in the previous list, with the exception of changing the presidential candidate.
On Tuesday, Princess Al-Jawhara submitted her list to run for the presidency of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tennis Federation, competing against Mohammed Al-Meshal and Dr. Nasser Abdullah Mahdi, in a race that is expected to be decided during the electoral general assembly scheduled for November 30.
Its list included 10 candidates, led by Princess Al-Jawhara, presidential candidate, and Abdul Rahman Abdullah Al-Dayel, vice-president, along with eight candidates for membership in the Board of Directors, namely Abdul Rahman Al-Salama in the Paralympic specialization, Dr. Saad Al-Saqabi in the technical specialization, Dr. Omar Al-Saeed in the legal specialization, Dr. Saleh Al-Arifi in the administrative specialization, Nouf Al-Hamdi and Mishari Al-Harf in the financial specialization, Abdul Rahman Al-Habi and engineer Noura. Al-Mousa in the technical specialty.
The door for receiving candidacy applications is scheduled to close on Thursday, in preparation for completing the electoral procedures before the General Assembly convenes on November 30.
On Thursday, Al-Faisaly team will resume its daily training at the club’s Harmah stadium under the supervision of Italian coach Giovanni Solinas, after the leave that the latter granted to the players.
The suspension coincided with the decision to reschedule the 2027 Asian Cup, which is hosted by Saudi Arabia, as the 13th round of the Saudi Professional League was postponed, including the Al-Faisaly and Diriyah match, which was scheduled for November 26 at the King Abdullah City Stadium in Buraidah after being moved from Al Majmaah. This is due to the winter planting work at Al Majmaah Sports City Stadium, as well as the Al-Fayhaa and Al-Fateh match for the same decision.
Al-Faisaly club management renewed its confidence in the Italian coach to continue with the team despite the quadruple loss in the Sudair derby against Al-Fayhaa, before its match against Al-Diriyah was postponed. The renewal of confidence in the Italian coach came in a step that the club’s management wanted to establish technical stability and enhance the team’s readiness after the hiatus to correct some mistakes. Perhaps the pause period will be positive for a return to victories, as the team won two matches against Al-Khuloud and Abha, tied in four matches and lost in six, as it occupies fifteenth place with only ten points.
Al-Faisaly fans hope that the suspension period will be an opportunity to return again to the path of victories and stay away from danger positions in the first season for Al-Annabi after its promotion to the Saudi League in a stage that is considered important and difficult for the team to prove itself and make its fans happy by staying for another season.
The challenges facing the Al-Ahly team’s technical staff, led by coach Marino Pusic, are increasing before the expected confrontation against Al-Nasr, scheduled for November 20, in light of the injuries that affected a number of key players, and raised questions about the team’s readiness to participate in one of its most prominent confrontations in the Saudi Professional League.
Al-Ahly is facing a complex technical situation, with six players on the injured list, led by Turkish defender Merih Demiral, along with Zakaria Hawsawi, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Nayef Masoud, Armenian Edward Spretsyan, and Frenchman Valentin Atangana, which puts the technical staff in front of a challenge related to finding suitable alternatives, especially if some of these names continue to be absent until the time of El Clasico.
These developments come at a sensitive time for the Al-Ahly team, which is seeking to restore its technical balance after the recent results that sparked a state of dissatisfaction in Al-Ahly circles, amid anticipation for the future of the technical staff and the extent of its ability to address its shortcomings before returning to competitions.
The multiple injuries constitute a source of concern for the technical staff, especially since they include different lines of the team, which may affect the tactical options and the basic lineup that the coach will rely on against Al-Nasr, in a confrontation that requires high physical and technical readiness.
It is expected that the medical reports in the coming days will be a decisive factor in determining the position of the injured players, and the extent to which some of them can return to group training before the match, at a time when the medical team seeks to prepare the largest possible number of elements, without risking their return before their readiness is complete.
The national challenges are not limited to the injury file, as the technical staff finds itself faced with the necessity of investing the downtime period in correcting technical errors, raising the level of harmony between players, and preparing alternatives capable of compensating for potential absences.
Al-Ahly fans are awaiting developments in the players’ medical condition during the coming period, especially since facing Al-Nasr represents an important test of the team’s ability to overcome the current circumstances and restore confidence before entering a stage that requires more technical stability and positive results.
The most prominent question remains within Al-Ahly circles: Will the remaining days help the medical team restore some influential elements before facing Al-Nasr, or will Al-Ahly find itself forced to play El Clasico amid absences that may impose different technical options on its coach?
