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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)
Gharbi is one of a number of Moroccans who have won similar prizes.
Youness Gharbi is the latest in a list of other Moroccans to have claimed a prize for his Quran recitation skills, this time in Saudi Arabia.
Visually impaired Gharbi won the “Otr Elkalam” competition on Wednesday, with a prize of SAR 5 million ($1.3 million).
He received his prize during a ceremony celebrating the completion of the international Quran reciting competition whose name is Arabic for the fragrance of speech.
The Chairman of the board of directors of Saudi’s general entertainment authority , Turki Al-Seikh, delivered the prize to Youness Gharbi and another British contestant Mohamed Ayoub who came in second place.
Mohamed Ayoub received an award of a little over half a million dollars.
In the call to prayer category, a Turkish contestant came in first place, Muhsin Kara, receiving SAR 2 million ($533,200), while another Turkish contestant Albijan Celik came in second place, winning a prize of SAR1 million ($266,600).
Saudi contestant Anas Al-Rahili came in fourth place with a SAR250,000 ($66,650) award.
During the ceremony, the event organizers announced that the “Otr Elkalam” competition will open its doors for international Quran reciters during Ramadan next year.
The “Otr Elkalam” competition was organized by the Saudi government’s General Entertainment Authority this month, to coincide with Ramadan.
Moroccans are no strangers to winning Quran reciting awards. In 2020, Five Moroccans won a Quran reciting competition award in Abu Dhabi during a virtual ceremony.
Nearly all prizewinners of the Abu Dhabi competition were Moroccans.
Moroccan Fatima-Zahrae Mrabet claimed the first place in the women’s “All Nationalities” category, and Moroccan Kaoutar Zribi and Chaimae Lchab trailed behind respectively in second and third place.
Moroccan men equally distinguished themselves at the ceremony, with Anas Mhamdi ranking first in the men’s “All Nationalities” category and Abdellah Bela ranking third within a different category.
Yousef Al Refaie sets the record for reaching the top of the highest volcanoes on each of the seven continents.
A Kuwaiti mountaineer has become the youngest person to climb the world’s Seven Volcanic Summits.
Yousef Al Refaie has set a Guinness World Record for reaching the top of the highest volcanoes on each of the seven continents at 24 years and 119 days.
“[If] you came from the desert, I wouldn’t think you [would] be able to climb the highest mountains,” he said of his feat.
Mr Al Refaie, the 24th person to climb the peaks, began his journey as a tourist on December 30 2015 when he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
He then climbed Russia’s Mount Elbrus on July 18 2017, Mount Giluwe Mountain in Papua New Guinea on July 21 2018, Pico de Orizaba in Mexico on January 6 2019, Iran’s Mount Damavand on August 11 2019, Ojos Del Salado in the Andes on January 15 2020 and Mount Sidley in the Antarctic on December 22 2021.
He said the toughest was the 4,285m dormant Mount Sidley in Antarctica’s Marie Byrd Land, one of the largest uninhabited areas in the world. It took the team seven hours to push from their camp at 3,000m to the crest of the caldera.
He said he had previously attempted to break the record for the fastest climb of the Arabian Peninsula’s highest peaks, but, as with other challengers, he was not allowed to enter Yemen.
Mr Al Refaie now wants to cross the largest deserts in the world, starting with the Empty Quarter in November.
“When I first asked my mum for the Guinness World Records Book as a kid, she told me she would only buy it if I had something amazing to make my way into it,” he said.
“I really don’t know if she meant it that time, but here we are living the dream.
source/content: thenationalnews.com (edited)
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Kuwaiti mountaineer Yousef Al Refaie has become the youngest person to climb the Seven Volcanic Summits, the highest volcano on each continent. Pictures: Guinness World Records
Fartun Osman, the CEO and head coach of Girls Rock, an all-girls club founded in 2004 that promotes sport for Somali and Muslim girls, will be honoured by the NCAA with the 2022 Legacy Award for her local activism in the Minneapolis area.
The award ceremony is part of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four festivities.
Osman is one of eight community leaders in the US to be recognized for her contributions to female athletics. She will be awarded a plaque during the semifinal games at the Women’s Final Four in Minneapolis on April 1.
Born in Somalia, Fartun Osman was a rare female basketball player in her native country. She was always active in sports and said that her first love was soccer but pivoted to basketball because of the lack of opportunities for women in the sport.
Osman traveled to other countries as part of the women’s Somali national basketball team as a teenager.
Following the breakout of the civil war in the early 1990s, Fartun emigrated to the US. She quickly discovered similar barriers to entry for Somali and Muslim girls into sports and made it her mission to make sports more equitable for girls who look like her.
She fought hard for the rights of her all-Muslim girl soccer teams to play with their hijabs, and her Girls Rock initiative has coached and mentored over 1,000 girls.
“The 2022 NCAA Legacy honorees are an impressive slate of community leaders and citizens who, through their daily actions, have shown their care and concern for their neighbors,” said Felicia Martin, NCAA senior vice president of inclusion, education and community engagement.
Egyptian swimmer Omar Hegazy broke two Guinness World Records last week after losing his leg in 2015.
The 31-year-old first broke the record for “longest distance swam underwater with one breath,” swimming 185 feet and 4 inches (or 56.48 meters). He then donned a fin and broke the record for “longest distance swam underwater with one breath with fins,” traveling 251 feet and 7.68 inches (76.7 meters), according to a statement from Guinness World Records.
Hegazy commemorated his accomplishments in an Instagram post, in which he thanked his friends, family and coaches for their support.
“Nothing beats the journey,” he wrote in the post’s caption. “Enjoyed every cold windy day in the pool. Enjoyed after midnight training sessions. Enjoyed the friendships and the unconditional love I saw in the eyes of my friends, family and coaches. Still hungry for more!”
Hegazy had his left leg amputated in 2015 after he was run over by a truck in a motorcycle accident, according to Guinness. He was 25 years old at the time.
Hegazy had to spend several more weeks in the hospital after the operation, learning how to complete everyday tasks. He eventually became interested in accomplishing athletic achievements of strength after reading about Dareen Barbar, a Lebanese amputee who broke the world record for the longest static wall sit. He also read about Faisal Al Mosawi, a Kuwaiti wheelchair user who broke the record for the fastest 10 kilometer scuba dive.
My source of motivation in the beginning was that I do not have much left to lose,” Hegazy said in statement to Guinness. “I only got into swimming because I was a very angry. I found a way to I let out my anger and frustration, but it was also where I felt really free and capable.”
In addition to breaking two Guinness World Records, Hegazy has achieved a number of other athletic milestones. He swam across the Gulf of Aqaba in 2017, completed in a 700 kilometer cycling challenge and climbed a mountain, according to his website.
“I hope these Guinness World Records titles inspire others and serve as a reminder that amazing is somewhere near you,” Hegazy told Guinness. “You just have to open your eyes wide.”
Dr. Hanan bint Abdulrahim Al-Ahmadi was awarded the International Award for Exceptional Achievement during the Tulane Alumni Awards Gala, hosted by Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine on April 9.
Al-Ahmadi, an academic who specializes in economics and health management and who also serves as the assistant speaker of the Saudi Shura Council, was honored for the contributions of her legacy of excellence at Tulane University.
The award is given to alumni who represent the highest standards of excellence and community service locally and internationally.
During her acceptance speech, Al-Ahmadi said that the scholarships to study abroad provided by Saudi Arabia are pillars of educational strategy in contributing to distinguishing the Kingdom as a global educational institution.
Al-Ahmadi highlighted that all this is due to the great investment in women’s education in Saudi Arabia. She emphasized that the leadership’s support of Saudi women contributed to elevating her to international and regional forums and representing the Kingdom abroad.
Two other doctors, Dr. Neil Meltzer and Dr. Joseph Kanter were also honored for different achievements alongside Al-Ahmadi.
UAE team defeated Luxembourg, the hosts of the tournament, (8:1), at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Luxembourg, delivering an incredible win of the title.
The UAE national team scored a resounding victory over the Luxembourg team in their final match at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship DIV III A.
The UAE team scored the full mark of 12 points after winning four matches.
Hamel Al Qubaisi, Vice President of the UAE Winter Sports Federation, dedicated the landmark victory to the UAE leadership, which he said had provided all support and assistance to the sports in the country.
Juma Al Dhaheri, captain of UAE Ice Hockey Team, said the victory is a result of tireless work for more than ten years to assemble a strong, competitive team.
The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) entered the Guinness World Records for the largest single humanitarian donation in the world, paying over AED8 million in July to treat a Syrian child, Julie Ahmed Nasser, who is suffering from a rare disease.
Julie’s mother called for help in a video that was circulated on social media, explaining that her child suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, and the inability to breathe, walk, stand, eat or even sit without the help of others.
In response, H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), and Honorary Chairperson of the ERC, instructed the ERC to cover Julie’s medical treatment and provide her with the highest standards of healthcare treatment in one of the country’s hospitals.
The ERC responded to the directives of Sheikha Fatima with a comprehensive treatment programme that helped Julie receive a necessary treatment at Al Jalila Specialty Hospital in Dubai, after which the girl was able to move parts of her body.
The ERC recently received a Guinness World Records certificate from the group’s representative in Dubai.
Dr. Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, ERC Secretary-General, said the directives of Sheikha Fatima is a beacon that has led the ERC to reach out to and help vulnerable people, especially children.
source/content: wam.ae (edited)
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الهلال الأحمر يدخل موسوعة “جينيس” عن أكبر تبرع مالي لحالة إنسانية تجاوز 8 ملايين درهم
Three Moroccan Taekwondo champions participated in the Spanish Open this year.
Moroccan athletes Ayoub Bassel and Nada Laaraj have won silver and bronze medals respectively at the Spanish Taekwondo Open.
Morocco’s National Olympic Committee celebrated the news in an Instagram post on April 3.
The Spanish Open championship was organized on April 2-3 in Alicante, Spain, bringing together Taekwondo champions from around the globe.
Bassel, 26-years-old, won the silver medal in the over 87 kilograms weight class. But the Moroccan champion lost in the final against Spain’s Ivan Garcia after beating the 2018 world champion, Emre Kutalmis Atesli.
In February, Bassel secured another silver in the Arab Cup Championship in Fujairah, UAE. The Moroccan athlete has participated in over 15 international tournaments.
Nada Laaraj, 21-years-old, secured the bronze medal after losing against Spain’s Marta Calvo in the semi-final for the under 62 kilograms weight class.
Laaraj has won three gold medals in international Taekwondo competitions including in the 2022 Arab Cup Championship, 2019 African Games, and the 2018 African Championship.
In 2021, she secured a silver medal in the African Championship in Dakar, Senegal.
20-year-old Rabab Ouhadi represented Morocco in the under 49 kilograms weight class. But she did not succeed in obtaining a medal as she ranked 8th in the women’s section after losing in the first round to Italy’s Martina Corelli.
The athlete started competing internationally in 2018, participating in the Olympic Games qualification in Hammamet, Tunisia.
In the same year, she clinched a bronze medal in the French Open in Paris before collecting other silver and bronze medals in regional and international Taekwondo championships.
In February, she represented Morocco along with Bassel and Laaraj in the 2022 Arab championship in Fujairah where she secured a bronze medal.
Biniam Girmay made history on Sunday as Flanders Week kicked off with Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields. Girmay is the first Black African to win a cobbled Classic, outsprinting three breakmates for the victory. Hugo Houle, the only Canadian in the race, was 55th.
You can watch Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders on FloBikes .
The Course
The men’s peloton had seven climbs, six sections of cobbles and three cobbled climbs, almost all of it packed into the final 100 km. The riders would ascend the famed Kemmelberg twice from the Belvedère side, but the final climb from the Ossuaire side was 10 percent average with a max of 22 percent and peaked 33 km from the finish line in Wevelgem.
No less than three times Kemmelberg, various unpaved Plugstreets and other hills will make for an exciting race in Flanders Fields! Expected finish between 16h42 – 17h14.
A septet of fugitives got away early and rolled up a 6:00 gap over the peloton on their way to the first hill, Scherpenberg. By the first assault of the Kemmelberg-Belvedère the lead was only 1:10. Wout Van Aert led the field over the top. Between Kemmelberg I and the Monteberg, Strade Bianche winner Matej Mohoric and Greg Van Avermaet created a little group that excluded Van Aert. By but the second trip up Kemmelberg it was together again.
By Kemmelberg III-Ossuaire the peloton had been whittled down by several moves, with Jumbo-Visma very active. Van Aert’s teammate Christophe Laporte led the way. Van Aert attacked. On the other side of the final hill there was another reformation, creating a 30-strong bunch.
A septet of fugitives got away early and rolled up a 6:00 gap over the peloton on their way to the first hill, Scherpenberg. By the first assault of the Kemmelberg-Belvedère the lead was only 1:10. Wout Van Aert led the field over the top. Between Kemmelberg I and the Monteberg, Strade Bianche winner Matej Mohoric and Greg Van Avermaet created a little group that excluded Van Aert. By but the second trip up Kemmelberg it was together again.
By Kemmelberg III-Ossuaire the peloton had been whittled down by several moves, with Jumbo-Visma very active. Van Aert’s teammate Christophe Laporte led the way. Van Aert attacked. On the other side of the final hill there was another reformation, creating a 30-strong bunch.
Laporte made a dig with 25 km to go. This fragmented the peloton. With 19 km remaining Laporte was in a leading quartet containing Jasper Stuyven, Van Avermaet was in a chasing 19 seconds back and Van Aert with 15 fellows 24 seconds in arrears. Girmay and Dries Van Gestel were the other fellows in the foursome.
Twenty-three chasers had 37 seconds to make up in 10 km. Twenty seconds remained with 3 km to go. Girmay led under the red kite. Girmay went from 250 metres out and staved off the efforts of the other riders for the famous win. Laporte was second; he was also runner-up in Friday’s E3 Saxo Bank too.
Dwars door Vlaanderen is on Wednesday and the Tour of Flanders is next Sunday.
2022 Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields 1) Biniam Girmay (Eritrea/Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) 5:37:57 2) Christophe Laporte (France/Jumbo-Visma) s.t. 3) Dries Van Gestel (Belgium/TotalEnergies) s.t. 55) Hugo Houle (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +1:30
source/content : cyclingmagazine.ca/ Canadian Cycling Magazine
