Category: RECORDS, (WORLD / GLOBAL)

Algeria’s Noureddine Morceli Dominated Middle Distances in 1990s with World Records

Noureddine Morceli is an Algerian middle-distance runner and a gold medalist in the 1500 metres at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympic Games. He won three straight gold medals at that distance at the World Championships. He also set world records in the 1500m, mile and the 3000 metres in the 1990s.

Morceli was twice the gold medalist in the mile at the 1994 and 1998 Goodwill Games, the Arab champion in the 1500m in 1988, the Millrose Games champion in the mile in 1992 and 1993, the 1500m winner at the 1994 IAAF World Cup, and the overall champion in the 1994 IAAF Grand Prix series. Besides, he was Algerian national champion in the 1500m in 1989.

In international competitions, middle-distance events include the 800 metres, the 1500 metres and the 3000 metres. In English-speaking countries, until the second half of the 20th century, the 880 yards and the mile were run as the equivalents of the 800 metres and the 1500 metres.

An early favourite among middle-distance races was the mile, which in the first half of the 20th century was run in times exceeding four minutes. Breaking the “four-minute barrier” was considered unlikely.

On May 6, 1954, however, the 25-year Roger Bannister of Great Britain set a record of 3:59.4 in a dual meet at Oxford. With increasingly controlled climatic and surface conditions and increasingly accurate timing devices, however, the record was lowered many times thereafter.

Birth and Career

Born on February 28, 1970 in Tenes, Noureddine Morceli attended Riverside Community College in Riverside, California, throughout his career, in winter, he would return there to enjoy the mild climate and train.

At the age of seven Morceli was inspired by his brother Abderrahmane, a world-class runner who finished fourth in the 1500 metres in the 1977 World Cup and represented Algeria at Moscow 1980 and at Los Angeles 1984Summer Olympic Games. Later, his brother would become Morceli’s coach.

In the early 1980s, Morceli came to idolize Said Aouita, a Moroccan who won the gold in the 5000 metres in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. By age 17, Morceli had taken second place in the 1500 metres in the World Junior Championships.

Morceli rose to athletic prominence after winning the silver medal in the 1500m at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Sudbury, Canada, clocking 3:46.93. A year later, he enrolled at Riverside Community College in California, renowned for its coaching and track facilities. He spent two years there, at the end of which he had run the world’s fastest 1500 metres for 1990.

At the age of 20, he was ranked first in the world in the 1500 metres. In 1990, he moved up to senior class and set the season’s best mark of 3:37.87 in 1500m. He continued this dominance into 1991, when he broke the world indoor record for 1500m at Seville, Spain on February 28, setting a new mark of 3:34.16. Only nine days later, on the same track, he won the 1500m title at the 1991 World Indoor Championships with a time of 3:41.57.

Throughout the outdoor season 1991, Morceli remained undefeated over 1500m. At several Grand Prix meetings, he ran times around 3:31. At the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, Morceli was already a clear favourite for the 1500m and he won the gold easily setting a new World Championships record of 3:32.84.

In the beginning of 1992, Morceli ran a new 1000m indoor world record of 2:15.26. There seemed to be no greater certainty for a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Barcelona later that year than Morceli. But prior to the Olympic Games Morceli lost unexpectedly to Gennaro di Napoli in Rome and David Kibet in Oslo. There were signs that he was not in the same shape as the year before.

However, in the Olympic semi-final he looked strong. The Olympic final was run at a woefully slow pace, with the field passing through the 800m mark in a slower time than in the women’s final. That was not the sort of pace to which Morceli had become accustomed, or that he was comfortable with, and when the frantic sprint for home began, he found himself unable to respond, eventually finishing a disappointing seventh clocking 3:41.70.

However, after just three days Morceli set a world season’s best in Monaco and a week later he broke his personal best to win in Zurich in 3:30.76. In September 1992, Morceli set a new 1500m world record of 3:28.86 in Rieti.

In 1993, Morceli narrowly missed his own world record when he won the Mediterranean Games in Narbonne in 3:29.20. By that time Morceli had set himself a new aim: to break Steve Cram’s eight-year-old record over the Mile. In Monaco, he narrowly missed the 3000m world record. There was even talk that he might skip the World Championships in order to concentrate fully on the world-record hunt. However, in the end he decided to take part.

At the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, the final of 1500m started at a relatively slow pace, but Morceli was always in complete control, sprinting away in the last lap to win easily and retain his world title with a time of 3:34.24. In the following weeks, he failed twice to set a new world record over the Mile in Berlin and Brussels. But just two days after the race in Brussels he astonished everyone by crushing the record with a time of 3:44.39.

In 1994, he set the new 3000m world record, clocking 7:25.11. He also experimented successfully with the 5000m. In Zurich, he out-sprinted the rest of the field to take the victory and also won the 5000m in Rieti, Italy. Morceli broke the 2000m world record in the following season, setting a new mark of 4:47.88.

Nine days later Morceli set the last world record of his magnificent career, when he lowered his own 1500m record to 3:27.37 in Nice. Only a few days after this he almost broke the record again when he triumphed in 3:27.52 in Monaco. He easily defended the 1500 m World Champion title in Gothenburg. Shortly after, Morceli tried to improve on his Mile record in Zurich but did not succeed.

World Records

Standing 172 cm and weighing 60 kg, he added the outdoor world record for the 1500 metres in 1992, the mile in 1993, and the 3000 metres in 1994. By the end of 1994, the Algerian track star’s accomplishments had reached even greater proportions. In August, after breaking the outdoor world record for 3,000 metres (7:25.11), he could claim five middle-distance world records, which also included (outdoor) the 1500 metres (3:28.86) and the mile (3:44.39) and (indoor) the 1,000 metres (2:15.26) and the 1500 metres (3:34.16).

Morceli was named Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News in 1993 and 1994 and by the International Athletic Foundation in 1994. In that two-year period, he lost only once, at 800 metres. As he set his sights on more records, most notably the 800-metre, 2000-metre, and 5000-metre events, his driving force was a deeply rooted dedication to bring glory to his country. A devout Muslim, during the sacred holy days of Ramadan he would fast from sunrise to sunset despite the rigours of training.

As Morceli looked forward to the 1995 season, sportswriters unabashedly proclaimed him the greatest runner in the world or even the greatest of all time. Perhaps his spirit was best exemplified by his winning performance in the 1994 Grand Prix. Racked with flu, weakened and hacking, he not only ran but left the field behind at the finish.

Morceli was soon tested by a new challenger, Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj. Morceli bested El Guerrouj in the 1500 metres at the 1995 outdoor World Championships clocking 3:33.73; however, the 1500metres race at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta the following year was considered one of the most dramatic contests in athletics history.

Morceli and El Guerrouj led the field with 400 metres to go when the young Moroccan tripped on his rival’s heel and fell to the ground, allowing Morceli to capture the gold medal in that event. At the Grand Prix final in Milan later that year, however, Morceli lost the 1500metres event for the first time in years to El Guerrouj. Morceli competed in subsequent events, including the 2000 Games in Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, before his eventual retirement.

Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics

At the start of the 1996 season, Morceli set a world season’s best of 3:29.50. However, a new and serious opponent suddenly appeared on the scene, when Hicham El Guerrouj won in Hengelo in a time of 3:29.51.

The 1500m at 1996 Olympics was the 23rd appearance of the event and one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. All three medalists of the previous edition, Fermín Cacho of Spain, Rachid El Basir of Morocco, and Mohamed Suleiman of Qatar returned, along with seventh-place finisher Noureddine Morceli of Algeria and ninth-place finisher Graham Hood of Canada. Morceli had been favored in Barcelona, and was again a favorite in Atlanta; he had won the last three world championships and broken the world record twice.

Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco was a rising star expected to challenge Morceli; he had come in second at the 1995 World Championships and would go on to win the next four and break the world record himself. Venuste Niyongabo of Burundi would have been another contender but chose not to enter in order to focus on the 5000 metres.

Burundi, Dominica, the Maldives, the Solomon Islands, and Ukraine each made their first appearance in the event. The United States made its 22nd appearance, most among all nations, having missed only the boycotted 1980 Games.

The competition was again three rounds (used previously in 1952 and since 1964). The “fastest loser” system introduced in 1964 was used for both the first round and semifinals. The 12-man semifinals and finals introduced in 1984 and used again in 1992 were followed.

There were five heats in the first round, each with 11 or 12 runners. The top four runners in each heat, along with the next four fastest overall, advanced to the semifinals. The 24 semifinalists were divided into two semifinals, each with 12 runners. The top five men in each semifinal, plus the next two fastest overall, advanced to the 12-man final.

At the time men’s 1500 metres took place at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, the standing world record was 3:27.37, established at Nice, France on July 12, 1995 by Noureddine Morceli. The Summer Olympic Games record belonged to Sebastian Coe of the Great Britain at 3:32.53 established in Los Angeles, United States on August 11, 1984.

There were 57 competitors from 37 nations. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event took place on July 29, 31 and August 3. The event was won by Noureddine Morceli of Algeria. Fermín Cacho of Spain was unable to repeat as gold medalist, but took silver to become the fourth man to win two medals in the event.

At the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, Morceli was under enormous pressure. The final was run at an average pace when his main rival, Hicham El Guerrouj, fell down on the final lap. Morceli accelerated and crossed the line first ahead of the defending Olympic champion, Fermín Cacho.

Morceli had dominated the 1500 metres for five years, holding the world record and winning the previous three world championships. But Hicham El Guerrouj, from neighboring Morocco was the rising star, who had chased Morceli in the most recent world championships. This was expected to be the match race. While Morceli had led the semi-finals in close to Olympic Games record time, the final race was much slower and entirely strategic.

Approaching the bell at the end of the third lap, Morceli had moved into the lead with El Guerrouj sprinting up to his shoulder. Morceli held him off with El Guerrouj having to concede position and move in behind Morceli squeezing in front of defending champion, master tactician Fermin Cacho who was perfectly positioned directly behind Morceli. Two strides later, El Guerrouj tripped and fell.

Morceli took off sprinting at the same moment the rest of the field had to evade El Guerrouj’s body on the track. Cacho was forced to leap over the fallen El Guerrouj, almost stepping on him. Next in line Abdi Bile had to jump off the track to the infield. Morceli opened up 2 metres in the process, which he widened to 5 metres down the backstretch.

Cacho and Bile held that gap onto the final straight. Bile faded while Cacho held on until he could see it was futile to catch Morceli, jogging in for silver. Stephen Kipkorir led two other Kenyan teammates around Bile to take bronze. After quickly staggering to his feet, El Guerrouj chased the field but shocked and disheartened, he was unable to catch anybody.

At the end of 1996, Morceli suffered his first 1500m defeat in four years at the hands of El Guerrouj in Milan. In the 1997 World Championships at Athens, Morceli was fourth in 1500m with a time of 3:37.37 and in 1999 at Seville, he qualified for his fifth straight 1500m final at a World Championships, where he dropped out at the bell while well out of medal contention. Morceli’s last appearance at a major international championship was at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney where he could manage only the 24th position with a time of 4:00.78.

Ambassador of Sport

His Personal Best performances: 800 metres – 1:44.79; 1500 metres – 3:27.37 at Nice, France on July 12, 1995; Mile – 3:44.39 at Rieti, Italy on September 6, 1993; 3000 metres – 7:25.11 at Monte Carlo, Monaco on August 2, 1994; 5000 metres – 13:03.85.

In January 2020, he was appointed Secretary of State for Elite Sport, reporting to the Minister of Youth and Sports in the new government chosen by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune after the presidential election of December 2019. Morceli has no political affiliation to any party in Algeria and was chosen as an independent member in the first Djerad government.

Currently, Morceli serves as an ambassador of the sport by assisting with the International Olympic Commission, the African Games, as well as assisting the development of young track and field athletes in Algeria.

(The author is an Associate Professor, International Scholar, winner of Presidential Awards and multiple National Accolades for Academic pursuits. He possesses a PhD, MPhil and double MSc. His email is shemal1216@gmail.com)

source/content: sundayobserver.lk

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ALGERIA

A Lebanese Online Archive Chronicles Arab Immigration to Latin America

  • Most of the migration occurred in the final decades of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th
  • Project of Holy Spirit University of Kaslik in Jounieh highlights individual journeys of the Arab pioneers

Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Although an estimated 18 million Latin Americans can trace their ancestry to the Arab region, little effort has been made to chronicle and conserve the writings, photographs and news clippings that document the history of their migration and settlement — until now.

Most of the Arabs who moved to Latin America did so in the final decades of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, with the majority of them traveling from Syria and Lebanon in search of fortune and a fresh start far from the Ottoman Empire.

To collect and highlight the individual journeys of these Arab pioneers and their contribution to the New World, an archive dedicated to telling their stories has been created by the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, also known as USEK, a private, not-for-profit Catholic university in Jounieh, Lebanon.

Inaugurated at the end of March this year, the collection currently includes about 200,000 pages from Arab newspapers and magazines, stacks of photographs, and other illuminating documents that help shed light on the diaspora’s presence in Latin America.

Brazilian-born Roberto Khatlab, director of USEK’s Latin American Studies and Cultures Center, or CECAL for short, conceived the project after spending several years working in the cultural department of the Brazilian embassy in Beirut and conducting independent research on Lebanese migration to Brazil.

Some of the documents that have been digitized and now are part of USEK’s archive, including magazines Oriente and A Vinha. (Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB) / USEK / Supplied)

“Over the years, I gathered lots of documents concerning that history,” he told Arab News.

During a trip to Latin America a few years ago, Khatlab realized a wealth of important historical material was at risk of being lost unless it could be properly collected and collated.

“Over time, such documents end up in the hands of grandchildren or great-grandchildren who do not speak Arabic and do not know what to do with them,” he said.

As a result, many people end up throwing away family collections or donating them to local libraries, which are not always equipped or qualified to adequately catalog them.

In addition, newspapers produced by early Arab immigrants were often printed on cheap, poor-quality paper that does not always stand the test of time, and so surviving copies can be extremely fragile.

“I have received 100-year-old newspapers which literally disintegrated as we tried to take them out of the envelope,” said Khatlab.

Syrian-Lebanese immigrants created the first Arabic-language Latin American newspaper, called Al-Fayha, in 1893 in the Brazilian city of Campinas.

In the local Portuguese language, its name was Mundo Largo, which translates as Wide World. As the author of several books about Brazil’s historical relationships with Lebanon and the wider Arab world, Khatlab recognizes the value of such historical documents for academic study and posterity.

“Under the Ottoman Empire, many intellectuals were not able to publish their ideas in the Arab world at the end of the 19th century,” said Khatlab. “In the nascent Arab press in countries like Brazil and Argentina, they found the space they needed.

“Many times, the articles published in the Arab press in Latin America by such thinkers were sent back to the Arab world and disseminated there in intellectual and political circles.”

Most of the early Arabic newspapers in Latin America were produced by Syrian or Lebanese migrants but there were also a number of Egyptian publications. Over the years, the Arab community launched newspapers that reflected a variety of viewpoints based around political ideologies, religious creeds, social clubs and the arts.

“Many poets and writers published works in the Latin American Arab press,” said Khatlab. “Some of them were renowned in the Arab world, while others disappeared. But their production and the ideas conveyed in their texts have great importance to Arabs, even now.”

The archive has attracted the support of institutions across Latin America that have connections to the Arab community and they have provided small teams who are helping to collect and digitize materials, using equipment donated by USEK.

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IN NUMBERS

Estimated Arab population by country

Brazil: 7-12 million

Argentina: 4.5 million

Venezuela: 1.6 million

Mexico: 1.5 million

Colombia: 1.5 million

Chile: 800,000

Source: Atlantic Council

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One such institution is the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, or CCAB for short, which helped to collate full collections of magazines, including Revista Oriente (Orient Magazine), one of the most prominent publications produced by the Arab diaspora in Brazil during the 20th century.

“Different libraries and institutions had partial collections of Oriente,” Silvia Antibas, the director of CCAB’s cultural department, told Arab News. “Now, we managed to gather and digitize all of them for the first time.”

The Brazilian team also managed to assemble a collection of the magazine Al-Carmat, known in Portuguese as A Vinha (The Vineyard). It was edited for many years by a female Syrian-Brazilian author called Salwa Atlas.

The CCAB has also contributed to the archive an illuminating collection of photographs that provide a window on the social and domestic lives of the diaspora through the years.

“The pictures we collected show not only the community’s social events but also the architecture of houses, the fashion trends of those years, and how immigrants financially progressed and integrated into Brazilian society over time,” said Antibas.

The cover of one edition of A Vinha, published for years by Syrian-Brazilian intellectual Salwa Atlas, who was a pioneer among female intellectuals of the Syrian-Lebanese community in Brazil. (Clube Homs / USEK / Supplied)

The Jafet family — who ranked among the most illustrious families in Sao Paulo in the early 20th century — contributed a superb collection of photographs depicting the palatial homes built around that time by the city’s industrial bourgeoisie.

“Benjamin Jafet, my great-grandfather, came to Brazil in 1890 and worked as a ‘mascate’ (a word used in Brazil for an Arab door-to-door salesmen) for a few years in the countryside until he founded his first shop in downtown Sao Paulo,” Arthur Jafet, a 38-year-old lawyer and businessman, told Arab News.

Over the years, Benjamin and his brothers built one of Brazil’s greatest textile manufacturers and became wealthy leaders of the Lebanese community in the country.

As important philanthropists in Sao Paulo, the Jafets helped to fund not only Arab institutions such as the local Orthodox cathedral, the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital, and the Mount Lebanon Club, but also publications such as Revista Oriente.

“Their small palaces pointed to a rather European taste, with visible influences of the French neoclassical style but also oriental aspects,” said Jafet.

One of the photos in the collection shows Camille Chamoun, Lebanon’s president between 1952 and 1958, staying at one of the Jafet family’s opulent homes during a trip to Brazil.

As director of the Institute of Arab Culture in Sao Paulo and an adviser to the CCAB, Jafet is part of a new generation of Arab Latin Americans taking a renewed interest in their cultural origins.

Paulo Kehdi is the executive director of Chuf magazine, the in-house publication of the Mount Lebanon Club. He is among a number of Lebanese community leaders who launched Lebanity, a movement dedicated to encouraging Lebanese-Brazilians to rediscover their cultural roots.

“There has been a deliberate effort to reconnect Lebanese-Brazilians to their motherland, incentivizing them to obtain Lebanese citizenship, to visit the country and to help it during donation campaigns,” he told Arab News.

Lebanon’s President Camille Chamoun with members of the Jafet family in São Paulo. He visited Brazil in 1954 and stayed at one of the family’s palaces. (Arthur Jafet / Supplied)

The situation is similar in Argentina, which is home to an estimated 3 million people with Syrian or Lebanese roots.

For several years, Ninawa Daher, a journalist of Lebanese descent, hosted a TV show in the country devoted to reviving the interest among younger generations in their Lebanese origins. After her death in a car accident at the age of only 31 in 2011, her mother, Alicia, created the Ninawa Daher Foundation to continue her legacy, and it has partnered with USEK for the archive project.

“With Ninawa’s contacts, within a very short time we had already been able to obtain access to several wonderful collections of the community in Argentina,” Alicia Daher told Arab News.

The team has gathered stacks of newspapers, photographs and other rare materials, including two books written and autographed by renowned Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist Khalil Gibran.

“The Syrian and Lebanese people had a tremendous cultural impact in Argentina,” said Daher. “Now, more and more people and institutions are approaching us in order to offer materials about the immigration.”

In Beirut, meanwhile, Khatlab is hopeful the archive will continue to grow as the work on it expands to other Latin American countries and to include other types of documents, such as letters, film footage and even passenger manifests of the vessels that brought Arabs to the region.

Access to the archive is free and it is open to the general public.

source/content: arabnews.com

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Some of the documents that have been digitized and now are part of USEK’s archive, including magazines Oriente and A Vinha. (Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB) / USEK / Supplied)

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LEBANESE / LATIN AMERICAN ARABS

Arab Cinema Center Grants Mouhamad Keblawi the ‘Arab Cinema Personality of the Year Award’

During the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), Arab Cinema Center (ACC) granted Mouhamad Keblawi, Founder and Head of Malmö Arab Film Festival in Sweden, the Arab Cinema Personality of the year award.

This comes in recognition of his contribution and immense support to Arab Cinema through the festival, with an aim to promote Arab cinema in Sweden and Scandinavia.

Mohamed Keblawi is a Swedish-Palestinian director and producer, who has worked in television and documentary film production.

In 2011, he founded the Malmö Arab Film Festival in Sweden, which is set on encouraging Arab filmmakers to find more opportunities to tell their stories, and support Arab film projects.

The festival screened hundreds of Arab films since its establishment, including Oscar-nominated films; Director Naji Abu Nowar’s Jordanian film Theeb, Kaouther Ben Hania’s Tunisian film The Man Who Sold His Skin, and Palestinian short film The Present by Farah Nabulsi.

The festival also featured several award-winning Arab films that have been to numerous international festivals; Wajib by director Annemarie Jacir, EXT. Night by Ahmad Abdalla, A Son by Mehdi Barsaoui, Gaza Mon Amour by Arab and Tarzan Nasser, and Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim by Sherif Elbendary, among others.

Mohamed Keblawi also launched MAFF Market Forum as part of the festival with the aim of supporting Arab film projects and helping them come to light. During its latest edition, the Forum presented monetary prizes worth of $ 250,000. Ever since it was created, this annual prize supported almost 100 projects including Costa Brava, Lebanon by Mounia Akl, Beauty and the Dogs by Kaouther Ben Hania, Captains of Zaatari by Ali El Arabi, 200 Meters by Ameen Nayfeh,

Our River…Our Sky by Maysoon Pachachi, Communion by Nejib Belkadhi, Khartoum Offside by Marwa Zein, and Tiny Souls by Dina Naser.

Keblawi is also the founder of Arab Cinema in Sweden, a company that works on the distribution of Arab films in Sweden. These films include Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji’s Jordanian film The Journey, Sophie Boutros’ Lebanese film Solitaire, Mohamed Khan’s Egyptian film Factory Girl, and Khadija al-Salami’s Yemeni film I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced.

Most recently, Mohamed Keblawi received the City of Malmö’s Grant for Art and Culture for the year 2021. This is an annual grant allocated to twelve creators in the fields of music, theater, cinema and literature. From 2015 to 2017, he was a member of the documentary film nomination committee for the Guldbagge Awards, one that is considered as Sweden’s Oscars.“What Keblawi did by establishing a main venue for Arab cinema in Sweden, is certainly a first of its kind. Through which, thanks to his tireless efforts, he was able to develop a platform for filmmakers in Sweden and Europe, and so Arab filmmakers became quite familiar faces in Sweden. He was able to create an exceptional fan base for a festival that caters for Arab films in Europe. We are honored to grant him the prize, as he continues to expand his horizons each year, whether through the festival or through his distribution and production firms.” commented Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, the Co-founders of Arab Cinema Center.”The prize crowns many years of hard work to try to grant the Arab film a chance to be acknowledged in places that it has never been before,” Keblawi said after announcement of the prize. “Things like the release of an Arab picture in Swedish theaters or Sweden’s funding of an Arab film were fictitious at the beginning of the millennium, this is an achievement which I am proud of. I’d like to thank everyone who helped me reach my goal. I’d also like to thank the Arab Cinema Center for this award, which I’m very proud of.

The Arab Cinema Personality of The Year award is part of its strategy of promoting the Arab film industry internationally and supporting Arab filmmakers.

During the last years, Arab Cinema Center (ACC) presented the Arab Cinema Personality of The Year award to Chiraz Latiri, former Tunisian Minister of Cultural Affairs, Screenwriter and Producer Mohamed Hefzy, the President of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), Abdulhamid Juma, Chairman of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), and Masoud Amralla, Artistic Director of DIFF.

Arab Cinema Center (ACC), founded in 2015 by MAD Solutions, is a non-profit organization incorporated in Amsterdam. ACC also provides networking opportunities with representatives of companies and institutions specialized in co-production and international distribution, among others. ACC’s activities vary between film markets, stands,pavilions, networking sessions, one-on-one meetings bringing together Arab and foreign filmmakers, welcome parties, and meetings with international organizations and festivals.

Also, the activities include the issuance of Arab Cinema Magazine to be distributed at the leading international film festivals and markets.  Furthermore, newsletter subscription is now available on ACC’s website, allowing users to obtain digital copies of Arab Cinema Magazine, as well as news on ACC’s activities, notifications of application dates for grants, festivals and offers from educational and training institutions, updates on Arab films participating at festivals, exclusive news on the Arab Cinema LAB, and highlights from ACC’s partners and their future projects.

Arab Cinema Center has launched the Arab Cinema Directory in English language on its website, which is a comprehensive cinema directory that provides multiple tools in one place for the first time in order to enhance easy access to information on cinema to film makers inside and outside the Arab world. It also aims to facilitate the connection between the Arab film and Filmmakers and the International market. It also helps International Filmmakers to easily identify the Arab Cinema Productions.

source/content: egypttoday.com

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SWEDEN / PALESTINE

Egypt’s Ahmed Shawky to Chair Cannes Festival’s FIPRESCI Jury

Egyptian film critic Ahmed Shawky was chosen last week to head the jury of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) competition at the 75th Cannes International Film Festival.

Though Egyptians have been part of the FIPRESCI jury panel competition in the past, this is the first time one will chair the panel.

Shawky will head a panel that includes a number of film critics from all across the world: Mariola Wiktor (Poland), Nathalie Chifflet (France), Emanuel Levy (USA), Simone Soranna (Italy), Jihane Bougrine (Morocco), Magali Van Reeth (France) Bidhan Rebeiro (Bangladesh) and Youssoufa Halidou Harouna (Niger).

Launched in the 1920s, the FIPRESCI committee is among the most influential film criticism committees internationally. The committee is responsible for awarding the best film at numerous festivals, including at Cannes since the festival’s launch in 1946.

The upcoming Cannes International Film Festival is scheduled to take place between 13 and 24 May 2022.

Shawky is an Egyptian film critic, programmer and screenwriting developer. He writes about film for numerous Egyptian and regional publications. He has also published six books about Egyptian cinema. 

A FIPRESCI board member and the vice president of the African film critics’ federation (FAAC), Shawky is also as a programmer for many film festivals.

Shawky was appointed an acting artistic director of the Cairo International Film Festival in 2019, and a year later he was appointed its artistic director.

Shawky is also one of two Egyptian names to head the 75th festival’s juries, with the other being Yousry Nasrallah who will chair the Short Film Jury, a panel in charge of selecting one of nine films in competition for Short Film Palme d’Or.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg (edited)

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EGYPT

Mohamed Salah Wins FWA’s ‘Footballer of the Year Award’ for second time

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has won the prestigious Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year award for a second time, it was announced on Friday.

The 29-year-old enjoyed a vote share of 48% ahead of Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne and West Ham United’s Declan Rice to scoop the prize.

Elsewhere, Chelsea striker Sam Kerr also won the women’s Footballer of the Year award after another stellar campaign. The 28-year-old claimed the prize with 40% of the vote, beating Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema and Manchester City’s Lauren Hemp.

FWA chair Carrie Brown said: “Both Mo and Sam have been outstanding this season, breaking records for both club and country. As well as their performances on the pitch, they are leaders and standard bearers of excellence at their clubs and respective leagues.

“The fact they have won by such convincing margins underlines just how impressive they have been this season which has been recognised by our members.”

source/content: wam.ae

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EGYPT

Emirati Noura Al Ketbi Breaks Asian Record at Dubai World Para Athletics Grand Prix

The UAE racked up five more medals on the final day to take their final tally to 17 at the Dubai 2022 World Para Athletics Grand Prix – 13th Fazza International Para Athletics Championships.

Noura Al Ketbi, winner of the host nation’s only gold in the women’s wheelchair F34 shot put, wrapped up with silver in an Asian record throw of 19.46m in the women’s club F32 final.

Algeria’s Mounia Gasmi (21.74m) won the gold and Al Ketbi’s teammate Thekra Al Kaabi (18.67m) took bronze at the Dubai Club for People of Determination.

“For us to win 17 medals and for me to be able to chip in with a gold and silver in that tally was a real good performance that we can be proud as a team,” Al Ketbi, silver medallist at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, said.

“As the host of this championship, we were able to field as many as 50 entries, obviously with the objective of providing them the opportunity to compete at this level.

“Personally, it was a very good competition for me. I can take a lot of positives forward and continue with my preparation for the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou later this year.”

Colombia topped the list with 25 medals, made up of 12 golds, eight silvers and five bronze. Algeria, with 11 golds, four silvers, and one bronze, finished second. The UAE was placed 19th with one gold, 10 silvers and six bronze.

Sara Al Jneibi grabbed her second silver medal of the championships in the women’s javelin wheelchair F33/34/54 with a throw of 8.51m.

Algeria’s Asmahane Boudjadar (11.99m) took gold and Emirati Aishah Salem Al Khaaldi (8.49m) clinched the bronze.

Abbad Ali added another silver to UAE’s medals tally in the men’s discus F11/37 with an effort of 37.04m. Kuwait’s Hamed Ali (41.54) took the gold.

Marcel Hug broke the world record when winning the men’s T54 wheelchair 5,000m final.

The Swiss Paralympic star clocked 9 minutes 32.32 seconds to set his second world record in as many weeks after his effort at the Sharjah International Meeting.

“It’s amazing and I’m really happy with my form right now,” Hug said. “It was my goal to come here and break the world record.

“The conditions are always perfect here. Besides it’s a very fast track so I had a great chance to get a good time here. First, I did it in Sharjah and then here.

“The Fazza Championships has always been an important competition for me and I have been coming here for many years. It’s a good opportunity to see where I stand and where I have to improve in my training besides trying different tactics.”

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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Noura Alketbi (left) and Thekra Al Kaabi with Theban Salem Al Muhairi, general secretary of UAE Paralympic Committee, after the presentation ceremony. Gaber Abdeen

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

33 Million Beneficiaries Through Noor Dubai Eye Treatment and Preventive Programmes Around the World

Noor Dubai Foundation, one of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, succeeded in benefitting 33 million people around the world, through its treatment, preventive and awareness programmes specialised in the prevention of blindness.

This was reported during the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation Annual Meeting , in which an inspiring patient story was shared also documenting Noor Dubai’s journey since its launch in 2008.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, tweeted on his personal account yesterday expressing his pride in that 145,000 volunteers joined the initiatives in 2021, while H.H. also tweeted, “proud of Noor Dubai which reached 33 million beneficiaries.”

Since its launch as an initiative by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2008, Noor Dubai has contributed to treating those in need in 22 countries around the world, supporting humanitarian efforts and the prosperity of communities. After the success of the initiative in its first year, H.H. launched Noor Dubai as a Foundation in 2010.

Despite the progress achieved by Noor Dubai and other institutions in this field, there is still a need to provide eye care services to those in need. According to the statistics published by World Health Organisation, 295 million people worldwide suffer from visual impairment, 80% of them can be treated or prevented from developing visual impairment and 90% of people with visual impairment reside in developing countries.

Despite the challenges faced by the world, especially the humanitarian sector, due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic globally, Noor Dubai was able to overcome all challenges within a year and exceed its targeted beneficiaries to reach 33 million beneficiaries in a short period of time.

Noor Dubai Foundation’s programmes focus on supporting the acceleration of the UN sustainable development goals No. 1, 3, 4, 5, 17 by developing programs and strategies for eye health in Africa and Asia that aim to empower the local community to control the disease, which will have a positive impact on the economic development of the countries where the treatment has taken place.

At a national level, the Foundation provides free eye screenings and consultations to the UAE community through the Mobile Eye Clinic program, which has benefited 30,050 patients since its launch of the program in 2014.

The campaigns mostly focus on public transport drivers, community schools, and labour accommodations to ensure that eye examination services are accessible to all members of the community.

The Foundation also provides treatment to UAE residents who suffer from eye critical diseases through the UAE treatment programme, which has succeeded in providing treatment to 245 patients since its launch in 2016.

Globally, Noor Dubai Foundation organises Mobile Eye Camps in remote areas of Asia and Africa, where the absence of healthcare infrastructure and health resources in these remote areas in addition to the extreme poverty make it challenging for patients to access the services required. 319,280 patients have benefitted from the programme through diagnostic and treatment services.

Noor Dubai Foundation also continues its journey in combating neglected tropical diseases through the Trachoma Eradication Programme in Northern Ethiopia. The Foundation succeeded in the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in 29 percent of the Amhara region and treated 18 million people.

Trachoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, with more than 1.9 million people suffering from visual impairment as a result of complications from trachoma. As a member of the Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network (NNN) and the International Coalition for Trachoma Control (ICTC), Noor Dubai Foundation is involved in policy-making to combat neglected tropical diseases that affect one billion people around the world.

In line with its strategic direction for comprehensive, long-term programs, in 2019 Noor Dubai launched an eye care program in the Katsina State of Nigeria, where all programme activities were integrated into the public health system including the development of local, human, material, and infrastructure capacities and resources.

The programme aims to improve the quality of life and socio-economic status of the residents of Katsina State and will contribute to reducing blindness and visual impairment in the state by at least 30 percent – 40 percent. To date, more than 24,000 patients have benefited from medical and diagnostic services and 7.5 million people have benefited from public health programs aimed to educate about diseases that lead to visual impairment.

In 2021, Noor Dubai launched a 5-year programme in partnership with the Fred Hollows Foundation, to reduce avoidable blindness through strengthening the eye healthcare system to deliver a more comprehensive and sustainable approach in addition to delivering gender-equitable and disability-inclusive eye care services in the Barishal division of Bangladesh.

The programme focuses on providing effective and affordable prevention, treatment and management of refractive error and diabetic retinopathy, the leading causes of blindness in Barishal.

This programme is expected to benefit 25,000 children, 50,000 adults, and raise awareness and educate nearly 4 million people in Barisal.

source/content: wam.ae

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

Egyptian Director Yousry Nasrallah to head 75th Cannes Festival’s Short Film Jury

Egyptian film director Yousry Nasrallah has been proposed as the jury chairman of the Short Films competition of the 75th Cannes Film Festival, which will take place between 17 and 28 May.

“The Jury will be tasked with selecting one of the nine films in Competition for the Short Film Palme d’or, to be awarded at the Festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday 28 May,” the organisers stated on Thursday.

Under the presidency of Nasrallah, the jury also comprises acclaimed Canadian actress and director Monia Chokri, Belgian director and screenwriter Laura Wandel, French actor and director Félix Moati, and French film critic Jean-Claude Raspiengeas.

“The Jury will also award three La Cinef prizes to the best of the 16 films from film schools presented this year. The prizes will be awarded at a ceremony prior to the screening of the award-winning films on Thursday, May 26, 2022.”

Arab filmmakers are well represented at Cannes this year, with the International Federation of Critics selecting veteran Egyptian director Ahmed Shawky to chair the critic’s jury.

Meanwhile, the International Critics Week (La Semaine de la Critique) announced Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania as the president of the 61st edition.

Veteran French actor Vincent Lindon will head the main jury which awards the coveted Palme d’Or top prize alongside British actress and director Rebecca Hall, Indian actress Deepika Padukone, Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, Italian actress and director Jasmine Trinca, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, French director Ladj Ly, American director Jeff Nichols and Norwegian director Joachim Trier.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg / ahram online

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EGYPT

Bahraini Artist AbdulRahim Sharif Awarded the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France’s Highest Arts Honour

The renowned painter was recently awarded the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

If there’s one thing artist AbdulRahim Sharif doesn’t like, it’s adopting a formula in his work.

And it seems that is, in fact, the winning formula, as the Bahraini painter, one of the island’s foremost talents, was recently awarded one of France’s most prestigious honours for people in the arts.

Sharif, 68, who was born in Manama in 1954, was recognised as a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. The accolade is awarded to a select number of people annually to recognise significant contributions made in the arts and literature, with the likes of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, and actors Mads Mikkelsen, Cate Blanchett and George Clooney having received it in the past.

Who is AbdulRahim Sharif?

Sharif studied at the famous Ecole nationale superieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris under the tutelage of sculptor Marcel Gili in the 1970s, where he won both the Pierre David-Weill and La Grande Masse des Beaux-Arts prizes for drawing.

After a period developing his craft in New York at theParsons School of Design (part of The New School), he returned to Bahrain in 1982, where a health crisis led Sharif to reopen his New York portfolio and re-evaluate his work.

“It took me back to something I’d been interested in from my youth,” he tells The National. “And that was the concept of immortality. This issue has stayed with me since I was painting instinctively as a younger man. It took time for me to realise that immortality was the beating heart of my work.”

He started to incorporate surprising elements into his art, pushing back against conventional practice and even playfully calling one of his exhibitions Who Says It Doesn’t Work?, featuring pieces such as his Bathtub series, toying with viewer expectations.

“I am moving more and more towards works with physical and mental energy,” says Sharif. “This gave me the freedom to paint anything. I am against formula.”

A reputation gone global

Sharif’s reputation has gone far beyond Bahrain and even New York City.

He used to teach students who’d moved to the kingdom from Europe and America. As his students left the Gulf and returned to their home countries, they took the art and name with them.

“The banks were booming at that time and I sold a lot of my work to expats in the industry,” he says. “Then locals started coming to the workshops and getting interesting in paintings. Suddenly, there was a local market that hadn’t been there before.”

As his reputation grew abroad, so it grew at home. Sharif won the Dilmun Award in the late 1970s, as well as the Dana Grand Award twice in the 1990s.

He was also a founder of the Bahrain Art Society, helping to bring a new generation of Bahraini artists into the wider art world.

A lifetime’s reward

Now, after nearly 50 years working in the arts, Sharif has collected perhaps his most prestigious award yet with the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

“It means a lot,” says Sharif. “It’s one of the most important awards France can give. Even though I’ve had a lot of appreciation in my life, I’m very proud of this one”.

The award was presented in a small-scale ceremony at the French Embassy in Bahrain, attended by a few of Sharif’s family members and Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, president of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities.

It was a fitting tribute to Sharif’s lifetime of work and now his mind has turned to his legacy.

Sharif and his son Hisham, also a talented artist, have recently launched a joint exhibition titled Sharif & Sharif, which runs until Wednesday, February 23, at the Bahrain Art Centre. It shows their individual creative journeys and speaking to a “common understanding and concern for humanity, especially in the face of corruption, war and violence, and a common desire for society to start again”.

Sharif also aims to use the knowledge and skill he’s accumulated to help the next generation of artists in the region. “Teaching for me is an addiction. I want to ignite this again,” he explains.

“One of my plans, if God gives me health and long life, is to establish a school where we take care of talented artists from the region.”

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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BAHRAIN

Saudis Win Three Medals at International Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad, Estonia

A Saudi team won three medals at an international physics Olympiad on Sunday.

Sadiq Al-Abbad from Riyadh won a silver medal, Jawad Al-Saif from the Eastern Province won a bronze medal, and Lama Al-Ahdal from Jeddah earned a bronze at the Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad held at Estonia’s Tallinn University of Technology.

The Olympiad was launched in 1992 with the participation of Estonia and Finland and was called the Estonia and Finland Physics Olympiad.

With Latvia joining in 2014 and Sweden joining in 2016, the name of the competition changed to the Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad.

Each main country participates with 20 competitors, while each guest country participates with a specified number.

This year’s Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad had four main and four guest countries participating.

The head of the Saudi delegation to the Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad, Talal Al-Rashidi, said the physics team had won three gold and silver medals in the GCC Olympiad that was held in March.

The team was participating in the European Physics Olympiad in May with five students and the Asian Physics Olympiad immediately afterward.

“Since 2010, we have achieved 472 medals in many international competitions in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, informatics, and sciences. Saudi Arabia is the first in the Arab world and the first third globally in various scientific disciplines.

source/content: arabnews.com (edited)

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This success is ‘an extension of the series of achievements in international competitions in which KSA participates.’ (Supplied)

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SAUDI ARABIA