Under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region, crowned, on Sunday, the winners of the eighth edition of the Crown Prince Camel Festival, during the closing ceremony organized by the Saudi Camel Federation on the historic Taif Camel Racing Field.
The ceremony was attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Camel Federation. The Deputy Emir of the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region crowned the winners of the final rounds of the festival, which witnessed the establishment of four rounds for a distance of (6) kilometers, with the participation of (114) mounts from the elite Saudi and Gulf camels.
“Al-Mayedi” for its Emirati owner, Hamad Al-Amri, won the title of “Zamool - General”, crowned with hazelnuts and a prize of one million riyals, while “Nihab”, the camel of the UAE Presidency, won the title of “Zamool - Open”, the hazelnuts and a prize of one million riyals. In the “Al Hail” competitions, “Intibah” for its Saudi owner Iqab Muhammad Al-Dahasi won the title of “Hills - General”, winning the sword and a prize of (1.5) million riyals. Meanwhile, Taraf Lahjan Al-Shahaniya, Qatar, was crowned with the “Hail – Open” title, and won the sword and a prize of (1.5) million riyals.
The Saudi camel owner, Abdullah Al-Qahtani, honored the winner of the Crown Prince Camel Festival Cup for points, and received the championship cup and a financial prize of (500) thousand riyals.
On this occasion, the Minister of Sports expressed his sincere thanks and gratitude to the Crown Prince for his sponsorship of the festival, stressing that this sponsorship embodies the support and interest that the sports sector and camel sport in particular receives, as an authentic heritage that reflects an aspect of the Kingdom’s culture and identity. He appreciated the presence of the Deputy Emir of the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region at the closing ceremony and his crowning of the winners, praising the competitions and organization witnessed in the eighth edition.
Brazilian Mario Dulac, coach of Riyadh, said that his players performed an outstanding job during the victory over Al-Diriyah in the Saudi Professional League.
Dulac said in the press conference: The players did something special in the match, and I thank them for that, and I am proud of them, and this is what I told them in the locker room. We have a lot of work to do during the break, and I am still not satisfied with some things at the club, especially with regard to injuries.
Regarding the impact of absences on the team, Dulac said: Certainly, absent players are influential, but that gives us an opportunity to benefit from young players, as happened last season with a number of players. Such circumstances give them a chance to participate and prove themselves, which is a good thing.
On the other hand, Des Buckingham, coach of Al-Khuloud, congratulated Riyadh on its victory, indicating that his team was required to benefit from the match and learn from the mistakes it made.
He added: Working with the team is cumulative, and every coach seeks to make his mark, and what we will continue to do is work, try, and strive towards achieving success.
He continued: Since the beginning of the season, we have played 8 or 9 matches, during which we performed well. Riyadh succeeded in scoring from the first opportunity and took advantage of it. We must learn from this match and review our work so that we do not repeat the same mistakes.
The Saudi Football Federation and the Saudi Professional League Association expressed their denunciation of what they described as “unacceptable practices” witnessed in the match between Al-Taawoun and Al-Hilal in the Saudi Professional League by some of the fans present, which are inconsistent with the values of Saudi football and the spirit of sportsmanship.
The Federation and the League stressed that exploiting personal tragedies to insult or provoke is unacceptable behavior that has no place in Saudi football.
The Saudi Federation also confirmed that the relevant committees monitored these practices and have begun taking legal measures regarding them in accordance with the approved rules and regulations, and will announce them as soon as they are completed.
Al-Taawoun Club expressed its denunciation and categorical rejection of the offensive chants, and stressed that any chants or practices that go beyond the limits of sports encouragement are considered “individual actions that should not be attributed to Al-Taawoun fans,” which he said he cherishes, its awareness, and its history of standing behind its club in a sporting and responsible spirit, stressing at the same time its rejection of any abuse, whatever its source or target.
Al Hilal Club Company had filed an official complaint with the Saudi Football Federation, regarding what it described as “offensive and rejected collective chants” from a group of Al Taawoun fans towards the Portuguese Ruben Neves during the two teams’ recent confrontation.
Informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Federation began an investigation on Sunday morning into the issuance of offensive chants and phrases against the Al-Hilal player from the stands of Al-Taawoun, and that it will take its official decision within the next few days.
