Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, owner of the Athba Stud, presented the prize mare “Nouf Athba” to his granddaughter Nouf, who shares the same name with the mare, following the conclusion of the competitions of the fifteenth edition of the National Championship for Purebred Arabian Horses, which was held at the Khalidiya farm, west of Riyadh.
“Nouf Athba” won the gold in the mares championship, while the colt “Nader Athba” won the bronze in foals.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed said, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat after the coronation, in response to a question about who would give him the award: “I dedicate this award to the granddaughter Nouf, named after the mare.” He added: “Praise be to God, thanks to God, and the satisfaction and prayers of the parents.”
Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed praised the efforts of the camel management team at the stud, and mentioned Obaida Al-Junaid and the crew working with him in following up and managing the horses.
Regarding “Nouf Athba,” he said that he was hopeful about her, and described her as “a champion and the daughter of a champion, the daughter of Alehandro, a horse that has not been defeated yet,” adding that she “achieved many results.”
The mare’s registry confirms her lineage to the stallion “AKS Alehandro” and her ownership of the Athba Stud, while specialized references state that the stallion finished his career in camel shows without defeat.
The prince described the championship as a national “in-show,” and said that it had “value and weight” with the ECAHO, meaning the European Conference of Arabian Horse Organizations (ECAHO). The Ikaho registry classifies the event as a national championship.
Regarding the participation of “Nader Athba,” he said: “Praise be to God, he won the bronze, and God willing, the next one will be better, God willing.”
Englishman Evan Toney, Al-Ahly striker, celebrated the Saudi national team’s qualification to the Gulf Cup final, in a scene that reflects the extent of the connection between him and Saudi football.
Tony posted on his account on the social media platform a video clip of the penalty kick executed by Mukhtar Ali, which contributed to Al-Akhdar crossing to the final match, following the Saudi team’s celebrations of qualifying, in a gesture that attracted the attention of followers.
Tony's interaction with the Saudi national team was not an isolated case among the foreign players who were associated with Saudi football, as he was preceded in that by a number of professionals who maintained their presence and follow-up of Al-Akhdar even after leaving the Saudi stadiums, including the Brazilian Elton Jose, the former Al-Nasr player, and the Frenchman Bafetimbi Gomez, the former Al-Hilal striker.
Al-Qadisiyah team strengthened its lead in the Saudi Women’s Premier League, after defeating its guest, NEOM, with two clean goals in the fourth round competitions.
Talah Al-Ghamdi, a player for Al-Qadisiyah team, expressed her joy after the victory, saying: An important victory and we got the three points. Appearing with a clean sheet is the result of teamwork from all lines of the team. We are happy with Al-Qadisiyah leading the way before the break.
In Medina, Al-Hilal continued its victories after defeating its host, Al-Ula, with a score of (3-1), to end the round as runner-up.
In Jeddah, Al-Nasr won the El Clásico match, which took place on Friday with Al-Ahly, with a clean score, raising its score to 9 points in third place.
In Qatif, Al-Ittihad achieved a valuable victory over its host Esperance, 4-0.
Al-Ittihad player Maria Diaz confirmed that the team is moving at a steady and good pace towards focusing on providing a distinguished performance, noting in her interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that coming out with a clean sheet is the result of the wonderful work of everyone, especially the young female players.
She added: I thank Al-Ittihad fans for their continued support, and we look forward to seeing them in the upcoming matches.
