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Twenty-one-year-old swimmer, Ziyad Saleem, is one of four athletes representing Sudan in three disciplines at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Born in the United States, he says he’s proud to be racing in the 200m backstroke on behalf of his parents country.
“I’m super grateful, I’m excited to go back to Sudan, I was able to win gold medals at the African championships and also Arab, but I was never able to go back and kind of enjoy that with them,” he said.
Saleem add that the hopes to go back to Sudan “whenever Sudan’s back to normal”
The country was plunged into a civil war in 2023 which has seen hundreds of thousands of people displaced around the country and beyond its borders.
The young swimmer said he knows people back home are going through a lot and this has motivated him to be a positive factor, albeit for a short period.
“My own family has been displaced from Sudan to like Egypt and Ethiopia and different countries nearby, so I just know that they’re going through a lot,” he said.
“I’m just grateful that I have the opportunity to represent them and hopefully give them something to look forward to by my swimming.”
Also representing Sudan are 15-year-old 100m freestyle swimmer, Rana Hani, marathon runner, Yas Ezzeddine, and rower, Abdullah Al Araby.
source/conten: africanew.com (headline edited)
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US-born swimmer proud to represent Sudan, his parent’s country, at Olympics /africanews / youtube.com
From Cairo’s backstreets to the Olympics in Athens, Mohamed Reda opens up about discipline, family, and the academy where he now trains a new generation to dream with grit.
Here is a conversation with Olympic boxer Mohamed Reda, written by someone whose dad has been telling this story for years… Growing up, my dad never ran out of stories about school pranks, scraped report cards, and friends who became family. But one story always stood out. He had a friend, a real friend, who went on to become an Olympic silver medallist in boxing. The guy’s name was Mohamed Reda.
For years, I thought the story might be exaggerated, until I looked him up and found out he’s real, he’s famous, and he runs a professional boxing academy in Cairo. And eventually, I got the chance to sit with him for an interview. My dad was probably more excited than Reda himself when I told him.
Reda welcomed me with the same calm energy that has shaped his whole career. “I’m a son of El-Gamaliya, Haret El-Maghrabaleen, to be specific,” he said. “That neighbourhood taught me that being a man doesn’t come from how you look. It’s how you carry yourself. People there helped each other just because it was the right thing to do. That’s what I grew up around. That’s what shaped me.” He grinned. “Also, I still remember that foul cart on the corner. Mornings with foul and chilli oil… nothing like it.”
His entry into boxing wasn’t really planned. “It looked like a coincidence. My coach lived in our neighbourhood and wanted to do my dad a favour. But the moment I put those gloves on, something clicked. I felt like I’d found something I didn’t know I was looking for.” Reda still remembers the first real match. The nerves, the smell of sweat, the shouting coach, the shaky legs. “It was at Darb Al-Ahmar Club, my first championship. Everything about that day stayed with me. That was the first time I felt like I’d started writing my name in the sport.”
He’s worn gloves with the Egyptian flag stitched into them. When I asked what that meant, his answer was simple. “Every time I put them on, I felt the weight of the country. You carry more than your own goals. It’s an honour. A responsibility.”
In 2004, he won silver for Egypt in the Athens Olympics. We chatted a lot about it, but what really stood out to me was him saying, “People see the medal. What they don’t see is the years of training, the injuries, the days I went to bed hungry, the nights I was in pain. They don’t see what you give up. You miss moments with people you love because you believe in something no one else can see yet.” After Athens, everything changed – and didn’t.
“People started calling me a star,” he said. “But I stayed Mohamed from El-Gamaliya. What changed was the responsibility. What didn’t change was my faith in God, my respect for my parents… and my love for foul with chilli oil.” Despite offers to go pro in Europe and the US, Reda chose to stay. “I had an eye issue. And more than that, I wanted to set an example. I wanted to build something here. Not everything is about the money.” Instead, he built a boxing academy, which was the next step in a lifelong goal.
“I wanted to train my son differently from how I was trained. I stopped competing, but I didn’t stop dreaming. The academy became that dream, a place to shape people as much as athletes.” The lessons go beyond the ring. “Victory’s great,” he said. “But what really matters is consistency. Show up when you’re tired. Respect your opponent. Respect yourself.” He sees parts of himself in the new generation. What surprises him most is how quickly they grow. “This generation? They’ve got energy. They’ve got guts. All they need is someone to steer them.”
Over the last few years, more women have joined the sport. For Reda, this was an opportunity to evolve his training. “I started listening more. Every girl has her own story. Boxing, for some, carries the weight of protection, the spark of confidence, and the breath of freedom beyond the sport alone. We adjusted our training to focus on skill, self-defence and respect.”
The academy now offers sessions exclusively for women. The experience has changed him as much as it’s changed them. “Give a girl a safe environment, and she’ll surprise you. That’s what I’ve seen. Greatness comes from will; gender has nothing to do with it. Every time one of them pushes through fear, she teaches me something new.”
When I asked about a moment from his career that stayed with him – even though it never made the headlines – he didn’t hesitate. “After losing a championship, I came home feeling like I wasn’t cut out for it any more. I told myself I was done. But when I walked in and saw my wife’s eyes, she didn’t say a word, but the belief she had in me… that’s what brought me back. No one wrote about that. But that moment made me a champion.”When I asked Reda about his definition of strength or power, he answered, “Strength is getting back up when you fall. It’s staying calm when someone tries to get under your skin. It’s holding onto your humanity when things get tough. The real strength? It’s in your heart and your head, not in your gloves.”
Before I left, I asked what he hoped kids would take from his story. “I hope they see that champions rise through what they build, step by step. Built from every tough moment, every ‘I can’t’ that turns into ‘I did.’ Boxing is a big school. It teaches you to face yourself. And if you’ve got a dream – any dream – you’ve got to believe it can happen. There’s always room for another Mohamed Reda.” After the interview, I called my dad to tell him how it went. He said, “I told you he was the real deal.” And honestly? He really is.
Saudi Arabia have hosted the Dakar Rally since 2020, when it moved from South America.
The Overdrive pilot held onto his overnight lead to beat South Africa’s Henk Lategan in a Toyota by 3min 57sec with Mattias Ekstrom of Sweden third in his Ford, 20min 21sec adrift.
Saudi Arabia have hosted the Dakar Rally since 2020, when it moved from South America.
There was also a first win in the world’s most famous endurance rally for Australia’s KTM rider Daniel Sanders in the motorbike category.
Sanders, 30, dominated from the moment he won the prologue and finished a comfortable 8min 50sec faster than Spanish runner-up Tosha Schareina on his Honda.
Sanders is the second Australian to prevail in the motorbike category, Toby Price emerging victorious in 2016 and 2019.
“It was a tough race,” said Sanders.
“The last three days couldn’t come quick enough. It was really, really exciting to see the finish line when we came over one dune.
“You see the whole bivouac, I just smiled and had chills go through my whole body. Super special, won’t forget that moment.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Yazeed Al Rajhi celebrates after winning the Dakar Rally 2025 in the car category at the end of the 12th and last stage in Shubaytah, on January 17, 2025 (AFP)
Kuwaiti line umpire Aseel Shaheen was one of the 350 people selected to officiate in the main round of the prestigious tournament.
She is making waves at the All England Club this year after becoming the first Arab woman to officiate in the tournament.
Kuwaiti line umpire Aseel Shaheen was one of the 350 people selected to officiate in the main round of the prestigious tournament.
“It’s an indescribable feeling being here. It’s something big, it’s a challenge. I’m the first female from the Arab world to be an umpire at Wimbledon,” Shaheen, who is on the waiting list for the U.S. Open, told UAE sports paper Sport360.
“I was worried that they wouldn’t accept me because I wear a hijab, but on the contrary, they really accepted me,” she said.
“London is quite open towards hijab, but maybe it’s not too common around the tennis world. But me wearing the hijab and working on court during a tennis match at Wimbledon is a sign that the world is starting to accept us more,” the former swimmer and coach added.
Shaheen, who started officiating classes in 2002 said that reaching her position was a “challenge … because they would always nominate the guys and ignore me.”
“I told them I wanted to be an international umpire, I have the qualification and I have the language skills, because I speak good English. So I went to officiating school and I became a white badge in 2011.”
Last year, Shaheen gained experience of working in the Wimbledon qualifiers.
The Championship, which was held with participation of huge numbers of Olympic & world champions, took place at Hamdan Sports Complex and organized by Hamilton Aquatics and ESM Academy in collaboration with the Dubai Sports Council, as part of the Council’s policy to attract & develop sports talents, and in line with Dubai Government’s vision to attract & develop talents in all fields.
The Arab male & female swimmers have attained new records at the level of their national federations during this Championship. In this regard, the Tunisian swimmer Habiba Belghaith has set a new Tunisian record in the 50 M breaststroke (women’s category) with a time of 32.35 seconds, surpassing the previous Tunisian record of 32.68 seconds which was achieved by her compatriot Sara Lajnef.
Tara Aloul of Jordan finished the 200 M race (women’s individual category) within a time of 2:24.78 minutes to break her previous record of 2:25.56 minutes.
Zaid Al-Saraj from Saudi Arabia has attained a new Saudi national record in the 50 M freestyle (men’s category) with a time of 23.22 seconds, surpassing the previous record of his compatriot Yousef Bu Arish with 23.35 seconds.
The Lebanese swimmer Lynn Al-Hajj achieved a new record for the Lebanese open swimming in the 200 M breaststroke (women’s category), as she recorded 2:32.74 minutes, breaking her previous record of 2:33.22 minutes.
The British Olympic champion Ben Praud secured 1st place in the 50 M freestyle with a time of 21.99 seconds. The Switzerland’s Noé Pont, the bronze medalist in the 100 M butterfly at Tokyo Olympics 2020 and three-time world champion, has opened his 2025 season by setting a new world record of 22.83 seconds in the 50 M butterfly during the Championship.
The Lebanese swimmer Lamar Al-Hajj from Decathlon Club was named as the Best Junior Female Swimmer, while Santiago Valbuena from Dhahran Youth Swimming Club in Saudi Arabia won the Best Junior Male Swimmer’s Award. The All-Stars Swimming Academy from the UAE claimed the Best Junior Club’s Title.
The Netherland’s Tessa Jelly from Feyenoord Albion Swimming Club won the best swimmer’s title in the women’s open category, besides the short distances’ title. The Netherlands’ Shawn Nieuwold from Feyenoord Albion Swimming Club won the best swimmer’s title in the men’s open category, and gained the short distances’ title. “My Swim Club” from Dubai won the Best Club’s title in the Open Category.
Distinctive Participation:
Dubai Open Swimming Championship was held with distinctive participation of 1,294 male & female swimmers who competed in 136 different races in juniors & professionals categories, represented 122 global clubs of 30 countries from the various continents of the world; these are: Algeria, Oman, Australia, Pristina, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Bahrain, Romania, Belarus, Russia, Egypt, Scotland, England, Serbia, Estonia, Seychelles, Faroe Islands, South Africa, India, Switzerland, Iran, Tanzania, Jordan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait, Lebanon, Uganda, in addition to the UAE.
Olympic Champions:
The Championship witnessed participation of elite of Olympic champions & world record’s holders, besides group of elite of swimmers from various countries of the world, and therefore the event has become one of the top competitive swimming championships. Among the prominent participants in this Championship were the British Olympic champion Duncan Scott, winner of 8 Olympic medals & 20 global medals / the Swiss Noy Bonte, who gained Olympic bronze medal and 19 world medals / the British world champion Ben Praud, the winner of Paris Olympics 2024 silver medal besides 29 world medals / the Canadian Marie-Sophie Harvey, winner of 21 world medals /Lara Van Niekerk, winner of two world medals.
Ilies is making a name for himself in the football landscape, especially with the Atlas Cubs.
Morocco’s rising star Ilies Belmokhtar has been named the best U17 youth player competing in France at the inaugural Golden Kid Awards.
Le Monde Du Foot reported that Belmokhtar is taking home a well-deserved recognition, rewarding his exceptional 2024-2025 season.
“For this inaugural edition, Ilies Belmokhtar truly shone. Gifted with genuine tactical maturity, he was one of the key architects of AS Monaco’s success in youth competitions this season,” the same source said.
Commenting on his new achievement, Belmokhtar commented that the award is a “great pride.”
“Especially to my parents, I hope they are proud of me,” he said .
The same sports-focused website recalled the triumphs the Atlas Cub has achieved with Morocco , including his U17 Africa Cup of Nations win in April.
The Golden Kid awards seek to recognize the best young developing players in France. The initiative is the fruit of L’Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi and streamer Isoline Almeida.
In May, Ilies Belmokhtar signed his first professional contract with AS Monaco.
Belmokhtar was born in Ivry-sur-Seine in 2008, and joined the AS Monaco Academy in 2023.
In April, the Atlas Cub was among the five players from the national U-17 team selected for the Best XI of the Under-17 AFCON in its 15th edition.
In addition to Belmokhtar, the players chosen for the Best XI include: goalkeeper Chouaib Bellaarouch, right-back Moncef Zekri, central defender Driss Aït Chiekh, and attacking midfielder Abdellah Ouazzane.
Morocco’s AFCON triumph came after a dramatic 0-0 draw against Mali in the final, followed by a 4-2 win in the penalty shootout, securing their spot in football history.
Egyptian foil fencer Abdel-Rahman Tolba continued his impressive international trajectory by capturing the bronze medal at the Foil World Cup in Canada, held from 1-4 May.
Tolba’s journey to the podium was a standout performance, marked by a series of remarkable victories over several top-ranked opponents.
Tolba, from Al-Zohour Club, claimed the bronze after a narrow semi-final defeat to world No 9 Alexander Massialas of the US, falling by the slimmest of margins, 15-14, in a golden touch decider.
His campaign commenced in the Round of 64 with a confident 15-11 win over Brazil’s Guilherme Toledo, followed by a hard-fought 15-13 victory against Spain’s Mario Díaz in the Round of 32.
Tolba then produced one of the tournament’s most notable upsets in the Round of 16, dismantling Czech Republic’s Alexander Choupenitch, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist and world No 6, by a commanding 15-7 scoreline.
In the quarter-finals, he delivered another standout performance, overpowering American star Nick Itkin, the bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics and silver medalist at the 2023 World Championships in Milan, and currently ranked No 4 globally, with a decisive 15-9 victory.
Tolba’s semi-final clash with the experienced Massialas proved a thrilling contest, as both fencers exchanged points in a high-calibre bout. Ultimately, Massialas edged past Tolba in sudden death.
The latest medal adds to Tolba’s rapidly expanding list of accolades, including a bronze at the Grand Prix in Italy earlier this year, and a gold medal at the Junior World Championships in China last month.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 8 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
From Egypt to the United States, the 22-year-old has cemented himself as one of the NFL’s most exciting young prospects.
22-year-old Egyptian national Ahmed Hassanein is making history after being the first Egyptian to ever be drafted in the National Football League (NFL). After serving as the anchor for Boise State’s defensive line, the Egyptian has just been drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round over the weekend.
Hassanein came a long way before being one of the NFL’s most exciting young prospects. After moving from Egypt to Southern California seven years ago, during his sophomore year of high school, he worked his way into a starting spot at Boise State University, where he anchored their defensive line.
By his junior season, Hassanein ranked fifth in the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) with 12.5 sacks, racked up 53 total tackles including 16.5 for loss, and forced two fumbles. His standout performances earned him back-to-back first-team all-conference honours in 2023 and 2024, as well as captaincy in his senior year — achievements that caught the attention of NFL scouts.
The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL), in collaboration with the Equestrian Authority, has launched an Arabic glossary of equestrian terms. This resource targets enthusiasts and individuals interested in equestrianism and horses from diverse backgrounds, aligning with the academy’s strategic goals to develop specialized glossaries that support the objectives of the Human Capability Development Program, a key component of Saudi Vision 2030.
KSGAAL Secretary-General Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi emphasized the academy’s strategic role as Saudi Arabia’s primary Arabic language reference, highlighting their glossary development efforts in serving key sectors. He pointed out the significant cultural importance of equestrianism in the Kingdom, leading to the glossary’s development. It includes terms for competitions, participation, horse descriptions (physical, conformational, aesthetic), Arabian breed distinctions, colors, and ages.
By launching this glossary, the academy aims to support academic research in Arabic language and history through rich equestrian terminology, enrich Arabic content on horses and equestrianism, and strengthen its collaboration with the Equestrian Authority for continuous glossary updates that address new developments.
Omani athlete Mubeen al Kindi secured gold in the hammer throw at the U-23 Arabian Athletics Championship creating not only a new Omani record but also the championship record by achieving a distance of 67.46m.
Speaking from Egypt to Muscat Daily, Kindi expressed his pride, stating, “I am delighted to have won gold in the hammer throwing competition and set both a new Omani record and a new championship record.”
This achievement is a testament to the tremendous efforts of the technical staff led by coach Saeed Al Harithy, who meticulously managed both technical and psychological preparations for each tournament, he added.
“I am grateful for the unwavering support provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth throughout my journey. This participation marks the fourth Omani record achieved this year in the meet, fulfilling our ambitious goals.”
Reflecting on the tournament, he recounted, “I achieved this result after six throwing attempts: 67.46m in the first attempt, 66.71m in the second, 65.48m in the third, 65.63m in the fourth, 65.63m in the fifth, and finally 66.70m in the sixth and last attempt.”
Discussing his preparation for the championship, he said, “The preparation phase was extensive, focused on gradual improvement towards achieving a 67-meter mark. I had promising results during training camps, including in Egypt and the Egyptian Club Championship, where I reached 66.24m. Looking ahead, my goal is to hit cross the 68m mark next year as part of our planned progression. As I transition from junior to senior level in hammer throw with a 7.26kg weight, I am determined to achieve new milestones in my upcoming endeavors.”
Kindi expressed gratitude, saying, “I deeply appreciate the steadfast support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the Omani Athletics Federation, and the Omani Olympic Committee.”
From the Omani delegation, Ali al Balushi won gold in 100m and 200m races, while Hussein al Farsi got bronze in 800m.
