AL KHOBAR: Titleholder Amr Shabana came back from the brink of likely quarter-final defeat in the World Open as Gregory Gaultier’s hopes ended in pain, tears, noisy controversy, and a damaged hamstring here on Wednesday. The great Egyptian was three times within one blow of going two games down against the gifted Frenchman before Gaultier, …

AL KHOBAR: World champion Amr Shabana has hit out at promoters on the Pro Squash Tour, claiming they have contributed to the spate of injuries at this week’s World Open. The Egyptian believes tough playing schedules around the world circuit are partly responsible for the premature exit of his two best known compatriots, world number …

CAIRO: Ahly’s U-20s grabbed a morale-boosting 1-0 victory over bitter rivals Zamalek in crowd-less youth league match on Tuesday. Striker Abdul-Rahman Ahmed scored the only goal of the game after 30 minutes at Helmi Zamora Stadium. The match featured a number of first-team players at both ends, with Osama Hosni starting for Ahly before being …

CAIRO: Essam Al-Hadari claims that newly-hired Merreikh manager Hossam Al-Badri is keen to sign him from Zamalek, who are more than willing to listen to the offer from Sudan. Despite playing down the Merreikh link last week, Al-Hadari said on his personal website on Tuesday that officials from Sudan have arrived in Cairo to talk …

CAIRO: Zamalek striker Amr Zaki could be forced to go under the knife in order to treat a nagging knee injury, club doctor Mostafa Al-Monayeri revealed. The Egypt striker is currently in Germany for a rehabilitation program that could last for up to three weeks. However, should he remain struggling after the rehab, the 27-year-old …

AL-KHOBAR: Karim Darwish, who caused a surprise by snatching the season-end number one ranking while winning the Saudi International on this court two years ago, signaled his belief he can win the World Open on it this week. The 29-year-old from Cairo did that by on Tuesday reaching the quarter-finals with an unexpectedly emphatic 11-4, …

CAIRO: Zamalek’s football director Ibrahim Hassan denied that the Cairo giants sought to sign former Ahly star Flavio. Flavio’s agent Nader Shawki hinted on Sunday that the Angolan striker could move to Zamalek on loan when the transfer window re-opens in January. But a day later, Hassan said the White Knights have never contacted neither …

CAIRO: Zamalek have been fined LE 15,000 for their fans’ celebrations in the hard-fought 4-3 league win over Ittihad in Cairo last week. The competition committee, affiliated to the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), handed the White Knights a LE 5,000 fine because a number of fans ‘invaded the pitch’ after the winner. Another LE 10,000 …

By Richard Eaton / AFP AL KHOBAR: Amr Shabana began the defense of his World Open title with a familiar clean sweep in three games and a clean pate for the first time in his life. The four-time champion from Egypt was content with his performance during a well-paced 11-7, 12-10, 11-8 win over Chris Simpson, …

  DOHA: Qatar, the tiny energy-rich Gulf Arab country that was picked on Thursday to host the 2022 World Cup, has placed Middle East football "on the world map," the head of its Olympic Committee said. Thousands of people converged on the corniche and other public areas in Doha in an outburst of joy after …

BUENOS AIRES: Diego Maradona has found another job he’d like — coach of Boca Juniors. Almost five months after being released as Argentina coach, Maradona said he like to lead Boca Juniors, the Buenos Aires club where he became a star. The favorite to take over Boca is Banfield coach Julio Cesar Falcioni, but Maradona …

ZURICH: Defeated World Cup hopefuls vented their anger Friday over FIFA’s decision to name Russia and Qatar as the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups after a bitter bidding war tainted by corruption claims. As the questions were asked over how Russia would pay for the tournament and how teams would fare in …

DOHA: It seemed a longshot at best when Qatar announced it was bidding for the World Cup. After all, the desert nation is located in one of the most volatile parts of the world. Temperatures soar to 48 degrees C (118 degrees F) in the summer. Entertainment for the most part begins and ends at …

ZURICH: Qatar on Thursday shrugged off fears of searing summer heat to become the first Arab, Middle Eastern or Muslim country to be awarded the right to stage football’s World Cup. The young bid team successfully swayed FIFA’s ageing grandees with promises of a glitzy, compact and carbon-neutral World Cup that will be held in …

CAIRO: Hussein Yasser needs to go under the knife in order to repair a dislocated shoulder despite insisting not to do so, according to Zamalek doctot Mostafa Al-Monayeri. The Qatar forward was injured in a Gulf Cup of Nations match with Saudi Arabia and was ruled out for up to three weeks. But the 28-year-old …

CAIRO: Ahly-bound coach Herve Renard indicated that the Egyptian champions have the ball in their court as he hopes to take the team’s hot seat. The Frenchman has been admittedly linked with the job as Ahly are looking for an overseas manager to succeed interim boss Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Shafi ‘Zizo’. "Talks are ongoing and we are …

AL KHOBAR: World number one Ramy Ashour will have the richest payday any squash player has ever had if he regains the World Open title this Thursday in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The brilliant Egyptian will earn $45,600 — part of a record-breaking $327,500 prize fund — in a tournament hosted by the largest Arab …

CAIRO: Zamalek have protested against Essam Al-Hadari’s decision to join Harras Hodoud’s training ahead of a proposed move in January. Al-Hadari joined Hodoud’s training this week after falling out with Zamalek manager Hossam Hassan, who doesn’t seem to be willing to offload his ex-Egypt teammate without a fight. “He cannot train with a rival team …

CAIRO: Ahly defender Sherif Abdul-Fadil has been ruled out of Thursday’s league game at Smouha due to a groin injury, whereas striker Mohamed Fadl returns to the squad. The Egypt international joins keepers Sayed Moawad, Hossam Ashour, Shehab Ahmed, Francis Doe and long-term absentee Ahmed Hassan in the team’s long injury list. Goalkeepers Sherif Ekrami …

CAIRO: Doping tests for Egyptian Premier League players will take place starting from the second half of the season, the FA said on Tuesday. “Starting from the second half of the league season, random doping tests will be applied and samples will be sent abroad for analysis,” the FA statement read. The FA will explain …

CAIRO: Former Ahly coach Hossam Al-Badri reiterated that his relationship with Mohamed Abou-Trika is intact. Right before Al-Badri resigned as Ahly tactician, Egypt playmaker Abou-Trika, a cult figure at the Cairo club, released a controversial statement that suggested he didn’t get along with his then boss. "Honestly speaking, (Egypt coach Hassan) Shehata and (former Ahly …

By Jim Litke/ AP Over the course of a year, almost everything we knew about Tiger Woods has been turned on its head. He touched new lows, both personal and professional. He lost his wife, his aura, some fans, wheel barrows of cash and in a sense, every tournament he entered. Even his good name is …

LONDON: Roger Federer and Andy Murray easily secured spots in the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday with straight-sets victories in their last round-robin matches. Federer continued his dominance over Robin Soderling, beating the Swede 7-6 (5), 6-3 to earn top spot in Group B of the season-ending tournament. Murray followed up …

MELBOURNE: Two-time defending champion Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Australian Open because of a foot injury. Tournament director Craig Tiley released a statement Thursday saying Williams had pulled out of the Hopman Cup international mixed teams competition in Perth and the Australian Open in January. It is the second consecutive Grand Slam tournament Williams …

GUANGZHOU: Yuki Saneto scored midway through the second half and Japan repelled numerous attacking raids by the United Arab Emirates to secure its first Asian Games title 1-0 on Thursday. The young Japanese squad had been favored to win but was subdued for much of the match, depending on long balls and counterattacks to create …

ABUJA: The Nigerian Football Federation has made an official complaint to the African governing body accusing Equatorial Guinea of fielding two men on its women’s soccer team. “The protest is on. We have lodged our protest with CAF. We are waiting for the response,” NFF spokesman Robinson Okosun told The Associated Press on Thursday. An …

MADRID: Barcelona are a tough proposition but Real Madrid will gain the upper hand when the Spanish giants clash in the first classico of the season on Monday, Real’s Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo predicted Thursday. "Barcelona is still a very difficult team. Barca is a very strong team, especially when they play at home. They …

CAIRO: Zamalek football director Ibrahim Hassan leapt to the defense of Shikabala after he was videoed aiming abusive chants at Cairo rivals Ahly. The talented forward looked ecstatic after Zamalek claimed a last-gasp 1-0 home victory over a stubborn Masri side earlier this week to move six points clear of Ahly, who have two games …

CAIRO: Former Ahly football director Hadi Khashaba says Hossam Al-Badri resigned as head coach because he didn’t want his relationship with the Cairo giants’ fans to deteriorate any further. Al-Badri stepped down from his role after the Red Devils’ 3-1 loss at Ismaili in the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday. Ahly’s performance was particularly lackluster, …

CAIRO: Egyptian coach Sherif Al-Khashab revealed that his three choices for the African Player of the Year award didn’t include his compatriots Ahmed Hassan and Ahmed Nagui ‘Geddo.’ Egypt and Ahly duo Hassan and Geddo were both named in CAF’s 10-man list for the prestigious accolade but it seems that none of them has a …