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The battle at the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings is set to intensify as a strong field assembles for this week’s Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club, marking the midway point of the DP World Tour’s International Swing and the final Middle East stop before the season moves towards the Play-Offs. Race-to-Dubai leader Jayden Schaper arrives in Doha in impressive form after already claiming two victories this season, with nearest challenger Patrick Reed also in the field following his recent triumph at the Dubai Desert Classic. Andy Sullivan, Julien Guerrier, Daniel Hillier and Nacho Elvira will also be aiming to build on encouraging starts to the campaign, while local interest will focus on Qatari amateurs Saleh al-Kaabi, Ali al-Shahrani and Daniil Sokolov as they look to make their mark on home soil. Schaper is hoping to continue a proud record of South African success at the Qatar Masters as he goes in search of a third win of the season at Doha Golf Club. The 24-year-old has been the breakout star of the campaign so far, winning twice and securing a runner-up finish to take the Opening Swing title before achieving a career-best result of fourth at the Dubai Desert Classic. He arrives at an event where he finished fifth last season and has never missed the cut, looking to follow in the footsteps of compatriots who have dominated the tournament’s history. South Africa holds a record six titles from the event’s 28 editions, with Branden Grace and Darren Fichardt winning twice, alongside champions Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Justin Harding. “If you look at the past, a lot of the South Africans have had quite a bit of success around here,” said Schaper. “I personally enjoy it. From tee to green it’s one of the better courses we play throughout the year. It’s quite brutal and quite tough, and the greens are always rolling pure and firm. I’m a golfer who likes to use a lot of the slopes around the greens. It’s my fourth week in a row but it’s nice to be back out in Qatar. I’ve got some good memories and nice results around here.” With three events completed and three more to follow after this week, the tournament represents a pivotal stage in the International Swing standings. The winner of the Swing will secure entry into every Phase Two event on the DP World Tour schedule – known as the Back 9 – along with a US$200,000 bonus and a place at the Scottish Open for the highest-ranked non-exempt player. This year’s tournament marks the 29th consecutive edition of the Qatar Masters since its inception, with eight former champions returning in pursuit of a second Mother of Pearl Trophy. Among them is 2003 winner Fichardt, whose longevity continues to impress after finishing inside the top 116 on last season’s Race to Dubai and enjoying success on the Legends Tour. Chris Wood, champion in 2013, is on a comeback trail after a recent victory on the MENA Golf Tour, while 2018 winner Eddie Pepperell returns after regaining his playing rights through Qualifying School.Pepperell hopes fond memories at Doha Golf Club can help revive his form after what he described as an “odd” 12 months. The Englishman has endured a mixed spell that included strong performances, injury setbacks and a dramatic return to the Tour with four consecutive birdies at Qualifying School. Encouraging early signs in 2026 suggest his game may be trending in the right direction as he seeks to rediscover the consistency that once propelled him into the world’s top 50. “The last 12 months have just felt very odd. I don’t feel like I’ve played badly and I feel like I’ve had a number of weeks where I’ve actually played quite well but my results haven’t been that good and I think my standards have just dropped,” said Pepperell.“Over the last few months I’ve improved my driving and my putting, which is great, but my irons are always the key. If I’m not hitting them well then I’ll struggle to do well. I’ve been searching for a while to try and unlock what I need to do to hit my irons well enough to reach my full potential.” Elsewhere in the field, Justin Harding is chasing a first victory in nearly five years, while Jorge Campillo, Antoine Rozner and Ewen Ferguson are all targeting a fourth DP World Tour title. Defending champion Rikuya Hoshino returns to the venue of his maiden Tour win after a season spent as a dual member on the PGA Tour. The tournament will also mark a major milestone for Padraig Harrington, who becomes the 50th player in DP World Tour history to make 500 appearances. The three-time Major champion and most successful Irish golfer of all time continues to compete at the highest level, adding another chapter to a career that has spanned more than three decades and 33 countries.Doha Golf Club, staging the event for the 26th time in its history, will present a refreshed test this year following upgrades to several tee complexes, including the first, sixth, eighth, 13th and 15th holes. The changes offer greater flexibility in course set-up while enhancing turf quality and strategic challenge. Sustainability remains a central focus at the desert venue, with heat-tolerant grasses, data-driven irrigation systems and ongoing soil health programmes helping to reduce water usage without compromising playing conditions. Source link
The rally will begin with the new Qualifying Stage from the Lusail Sports Complex today Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah will be bidding for a record-breaking 19th victory from 26 starts when this weekend’s Qatar International Rally gets underway from the Lusail Sports Complex today afternoon. The in-form Qatari began his challenge for an unprecedented 21st FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) title with victory in Oman two weeks ago and has now switched his attention to securing a staggering 93rd career MERC rally win on the three-day event being hosted by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF). Al-Attiyah and co-driver Candido Carrera top a 23-car field with strength in depth and will be looking to start their weekend’s campaign with a strategic performance on the new Qualifying Stage today. This will determine the starting order for tomorrow’s opening special stage. The outcome of the Qualifying Stage will be the deciding factor to which of the Rally2 crews opens the road, acts as a road sweeper and faces the slight disadvantage of clearing loose sand and gravel off the racing line. In the past, the leader of the championship has opened the road regardless and al-Attiyah may well be able to take advantage of the new addition to the regulations to strengthen his challenge in an Autotek Skoda Fabia RS. Abdullah al-Rawahi is back from serious injury and pushed al-Attiyah hard in his native Oman last month. Punctures ultimately dropped him to second place and out of victory contention, but the Omani is better prepared for this rally and is hopeful that he has a good set-up on his Skoda Fabia RS to apply the pressure on al-Attiyah from the outset. The former regional champion teams up with Jordanian co-driver Ata al-Hmoud. Local driver Abdulaziz al-Kuwari was not present at the opening round but stayed in match fitness with a strong performance at last weekend’s Saudi Baja. He teams up with his brother Nasser in a Skoda Fabia RS and will be striving for the podium on a rally he won in 2012. This will only be the third special stage rally in Hamza Bakhashab’s short career but the Saudi showed in Oman that he has the pace to reach the podium. He admitted at the press conference on Tuesday evening that working efficiently with accurate pace notes had cost him dearly at the opening round when he crashed out of third place, but he and Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore are determined to come back even stronger this weekend in their Jameel Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Engine issues sidelined Mohammed al-Marri in Oman but the QMMF-backed driver has switched to a Citroën C3 this weekend and will make his debut in the Rally2 class with Frenchman Pierre Delorme reading his pace notes. Veteran Nasser Khalifa al-Atya began his 2026 campaign with a podium finish in Oman, as he tries to retain the FIA Master Driver trophy he won last season. The Qatari again teams up with Lebanese co-driver Ziad Chebab in a Motortune-run Ford Fiesta. Jweihan aims to extend his FIA MERC2 advantage Shaker Jweihan was the class of the MERC2 field at round one with his fellow Jordanian co-driver Mustafa Juma and the youngster is determined to maintain the momentum in Qatar. “We have made a strong start to the season and, yes, the goal is to keep it going and push for another win,” said the Mitsubishi driver. His closest rivals in Oman were the Kuwaiti duo of Jassim al-Muqahwi and Sulaiman al-Helal, who finished fifth overall and picked up points for second in MERC2. Jordan’s Sami Fleifel was third and he teams up withYazan Juma to continue his push for MERC2 honours. A cruel retirement cost Oman’s Zakariya al-Aamri (Subaru) valuable points on round one but he will be hoping to be in the mix with navigator Mohammed al-Mazrui on Qatar’s abrasive gravel terrain. Further MERC2 competition comes from the Indian duo of Mohamed Mansoor Parol and Lenin Joseph and Lebanon’s Charbel Chebly and Carlos Hanna in a pair of Mitsubishis. Rashid al-Muhannadi and Gary McElhinney are the defending FIA MERC4 champions, but their title defence ground to a halt with engine issues in Oman. The QMMF-backed Qatari will be looking to bounce back strongly with a category win this weekend, although he faces strong competition from a quartet of Qatari drivers in similar Peugeot 208 Rally4s and the Indian duo of Payyaakkal Panikkaveettil and Musa Sherif in a Ford Fiesta. The QMMF has offered support to Ahmed al-Kuwari, Nouef al-Sowaidi, Khalifa Saleh al-Attiyah and Ahmad Shaheen al-Muhannadi to boost the flagship two-wheel drive category. They have teamed up with their respective co-drivers, Baptiste Cerrato, Aisvydas Paliukenas, Laos Savvas and Taha al-Zadjali. The Lebanese pairing of Shadi El Fakih and Joseph Kmeid wheel out their Rally5 Renault Clio at the rear of the field behind four SSVs that are also eligible for the regional rally championship. Mohammed al-Atteya and Mirko Carrara drive a pair of Can-Ams and Christiano Gabbarrini and Mario Marotta wheel out two Yamaha YXZ 1000Rs built by Quaddy Racing. Today’s competitive timetable opens with a 75-minute practice session through a new 5.56km special for Rally2 cars at Al Khor from 10.00hrs. This will also act as the new qualifying stage for Rally2 crews, starting at 11.45hrs. The result of that will determine the starting order for leg one. The slowest driver in the qualifying stage will run as the first Rally2 entrant on the road tomorrow. Non-Rally2 machines will be permitted a maximum of two passes apiece during a shakedown on the Al Khor stage from 12.30hrs until 14.15hrs.The ceremonial start will then take centre stage adjacent to the service park in the grounds of the Lusail Sports Complex. Source link
* Bespoke artistic design by French artist Sébastien Boileau (Mr. D 1987).* Official inauguration by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and Qatar Sports Investments Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi.* Attended by football legend David Beckham, FIP President Luigi Carraro, MCH Group Chairman and Group CEO Andrea Zappia, Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz and Art Fairs Chief Artistic OfficerVincenzo de Bellis.* Following the activation, the installation will be gifted to The Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities. Premier Padel, the world’s leading official professional padel tour, owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), has unveiled a one-of-a-kind padel court conceived as a work of art during the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar, in collaboration with French artist Sébastien Boileau, known professionally as Mr. D 1987.Commissioned specifically for Art Basel Qatar, using a court provided by Premier Padel’s official court partner MejorSet, the project reimagines the padel court as a cultural expression, blending contemporary art, movement and urban identity. The visual design draws inspiration from the illuminated Doha skyline at night, extending the artwork beyond the playing surface onto the surrounding glass and structures.The official inauguration brought together leading figures from art, culture, sport and the creative industries, including HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Chairman of Qatar Sports Investments and Premier Padel, football legend David Beckham, President of the FIP Luigi Carraro, Chairman and Group CEO of MCH Group Andrea Zappia, CEO of Art Basel Noah Horowitz and Chief Artistic Officer of Art Fairs Vincenzo de Bellis, alongside senior representatives from Premier Padel and the Art Basel ecosystem.Designed to be both experienced and played-on, the installation will be open to the public throughout the activation period, with bookings available via Playtomic. This approach reinforces padel’s accessibility and its strong connection with participation and community engagement.Sébastien Boileau, Mr. D 1987, said “The main inspiration was Doha and its beautiful skyline, with its electric energy, impressive lighting and rich colors. I love color, and that became the driving force behind the design. I wanted the experience to be about playing padel on top of an artwork, creating something powerful, energetic and unforgettable.”Beyond Art Basel Qatar, the project has been conceived with a clear social legacy. Following the event, the installation will be gifted to the Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities, a leading non-profit organisation in Qatar working under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation for Social Work, dedicated to providing comprehensive services for persons with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder from birth to below 21 years of age. Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Chairman of Qatar Sports Investments and Premier Padel, said: “Bringing sport and art together is an amazing way of uniting people and cultures. By transforming a padel court into a work of art, we are inviting people to engage with the sport in a new and inspiring way, reflecting energy and creativity shared by Art Basel, QSI and Premier Padel. We always want to do things differently at QSI; being bold, innovating and attracting new audiences – and this is a great example of that mindset, in partnership with the world-renowned Art Basel.”This initiative sits within Premier Padel’s broader approach to inclusion, accessibility and social impact, using sport as a way to engage with local communities. Source link
England head coach Brendon McCullum is impressed with white-ball captain Harry Brook for his deft handling of a recent controversy and leading the team to a series victory in Sri Lanka ahead of their campaign in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup. Brook has been in the eye of a storm since news emerged of his altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand late last year. The 26-year-old apologised last month for the October 31 incident, which he felt caused embarrassment to him and his team. Under Brook, England won the one-day international series in Sri Lanka 2-1 and swept the T20 series 3-0, a timely boost as they build toward the global tournament. “He’s had a hard time of late off the field, but he’s a tough lad to be able to put that aside and still lead these boys in the manner that he did, and show the tactical nous that he has as a cricketer was outstanding,” McCullum said after England’s victory in the final T20 match on Tuesday. “I do sometimes think that people think that Brooky’s not that clever. I couldn’t disagree with that more. He wears his intelligence lightly. He’s got a very good tactical cricket brain.” McCullum said Brook, who has been fined by the English cricket board for his conduct in New Zealand, needed to improve his behaviour but stressed the mental-health pressures players face in a relentless schedule. “He’s a work in progress off the field,” the coach said. “He’s not alone with that and that’s our job to help shepherd him through. But on the field, he’s certainly excelling at the moment. Cricket is such a unique game because it’s 12 months of the year … It can be challenging mentally for a lot of guys and cricket’s got a history of issues in that space. So, our job as leaders and our job at English cricket is to make sure we look after these boys.” England will begin their campaign for a third 20-overs World Cup title with a Group C match against Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday. Related Story Source link
Head coach Shukri Conrad had a clear plan which culminated in South Africa winning last year’s World Test Championship final, but he has shaken things up as he plots a first major white-ball trophy at the T20 World Cup. “One thing I did from a long way out was to bring some stability to the Test squad,” the South African head coach told AFP. Stability has, of necessity, been lacking from the T20 team’s build-up ahead of the World Cup, where South Africa start against Canada in Ahmedabad on Monday. Thirty-one players have been used in 21 matches since the white-ball team was added to Conrad’s responsibilities last May. Results were paramount in the Test campaign, with points at stake in every match and the win in the final against Australia at Lord’s was South Africa’s eighth in a row. In contrast, the T20 side has won only eight matches while losing 13 under Conrad ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. But Conrad is upbeat about their chances of breaking their white-ball duck after they registered their first T20 series win under his tenure against the West Indies on Sunday. “Yes, we used a lot of players – deliberately so,” he said. “We always had to prioritise Test cricket, which meant managing the wellbeing of our players.” Leading fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen played only seven T20 matches in that period. ‘We can mix it with anyone’ But a highly competitive SA20 franchise competition enabled players to find form under pressure before the World Cup squad came together. A significant difference in adapting to the shortest format after a long Test campaign is the type of cricket needed. Modern Test pitches suit a South African team strong in bowling but short of batting superstars. “Having such a good bowling attack is always going to keep us in games. We had to find a way of posting competitive totals,” said Conrad. It put a premium on what Conrad calls “character above cover drives” – batsmen willing to grind out scores. The nature of T20 cricket means bat dominates ball, although “skilful bowlers remain skilful bowlers”, according to Conrad and batsmen need to clear boundaries rather than eke out long innings. South Africa suffered an agonising defeat in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup after playing themselves into a winning position against India in Barbados. Conrad believes the core values and team spirit that clinched the World Test Championship will spill over into a squad which includes eight players who were at the Lord’s final. “There is a belief that we can mix it with anyone,” he said. A batting line-up which includes captain Aiden Markram, a rejuvenated Quinton de Kock, the exciting Dewald Brevis and the experienced David Miller has the ability to post big totals. And bowlers such as Rabada, Jansen, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi are able to take crucial wickets during the powerplay. South Africa could potentially play five matches at Ahmedabad, the world’s biggest cricket stadium, including their first three group matches. “It is an advantage to get used to certain grounds and it also means less travel,” said Conrad. But he is not looking too far ahead. With tricky group matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand to come, “the first priority is to make sure you get out of the round-robin phase”. Related Story Source link
Pakistan’s spin-heavy squad are in winning form ahead of the T20 World Cup, but a controversial decision to forfeit their marquee clash against India could still trigger another early exit. Pakistan came close to withdrawing from the tournament in solidarity with Bangladesh, who pulled out after refusing to play in India, citing security concerns. The Pakistan government eventually cleared the team’s participation but it barred them from facing India in Colombo in a blockbuster clash on February 15. With two points for a win, a forfeit of the match will leave Pakistan with no margin for error if they are to progress as one of the top two from a five-team Group A. Right-arm leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed. It means they must win their opening game against the Netherlands in Colombo on Saturday and beat the United States three days later to stay in contention. Their final group game will be against Namibia on February 18. Captain Salman Agha said the move to boycott the India game was out of the team’s hands. “That is not our decision. We have to follow what our government decides,” he said. The Pakistan government has not said what their stance might be if the team were to end up facing India again in the semi-finals or final. Agha was not thinking about that. “Our job is to win, and we are capable of doing that,” he said. Pakistan will be keen to avoid a repeat of the last T20 World Cup in 2024, where a shock super over defeat to co-hosts the United States led to them failing to get out of the group. The side has since faced criticism for failing to adapt to the modern demands of T20 cricket, with the batting, particularly Babar Azam’s low strike rate, under scrutiny. The criticism was fuelled by Pakistan’s record last year, where 21 of their 34 T20 international wins came against lower-ranked opponents. Confidence restoredAgainst elite teams, the results were sobering: three losses to India in the Asia Cup and a 4-1 series defeat to New Zealand. However, Agha believes recent performances have restored confidence. Pakistan beat South Africa 2-1, won a home tri-series, and then completed a 3-0 sweep of an under-strength Australia. “We’ve had good preparation by beating Australia. We have the luxury of quality spinning all-rounders like Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub. “We’re ticking most boxes and believe we can win the World Cup,” Agha said. The spin department has been strengthened by Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq, the latter known for his unusual, slingy action and exaggerated pause at the crease. The pace attack is led by the experienced Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Faheem Ashraf provides seam-bowling all-round support and newcomer Salman Mirza has been impressive. Batting remains Pakistan’s most volatile component. When openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan provide strong starts, the side can post competitive totals, but collapses remain a constant threat. Head coach Mike Hesson has added another layer of risk by leaving out experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan because of poor form, opting instead for makeshift options in Usman Khan, Khawaja Nafay and Farhan. For Pakistan, the ingredients for a deep run are present, but with points potentially forfeited, there is little room left for error. Related Story Source link
Players in LIV Golf tournaments will be eligible to receive world ranking points for the first time from this year, the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) announced Wednesday. A statement from OWGR said ranking points would be issued to players who finish in the top 10 of LIV Golf’s individual stroke play tournaments from 2026 onwards. The failure of the Saudi Arabia-financed LIV Golf to secure world ranking points for its events has been a stumbling block since the upstart circuit launched in 2022. Elite LIV Golf players have seen their world rankings nosedive, complicating their ability to qualify for golf’s four major championships, whose fields are largely determined by rankings. LIV’s three-round 54-hole format had also been an issue preventing acceptance by OWGR. LIV has switched to four-round tournaments this season. OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman said determining a system for awarding ranking points at LIV events had taken several months. “This has been an incredibly complex and challenging process and one which we have devoted a huge amount of time and energy to resolving in the seven months since LIV Golf submitted their application,” Immelman said in a statement. “We fully recognised the need to rank the top men’s players in the world but at the same time had to find a way of doing so that was equitable to the thousands of other players competing on other tours that operate with established meritocratic pathways. “We believe we have found a solution that achieves these twin aims and enables the best-performing players at LIV Golf events to receive OWGR points.” OWGR said it would continue to evaluate LIV Golf over the next two years. “As LIV Golf continues to evolve, OWGR will continue to evaluate LIV Golf against OWGR’s eligibility standards, which could result in an increase in points, a decrease in points or removal from the system altogether,” the OWGR said. LIV Golf however criticised the OWGR decision, saying it did not go far enough and should be widened to offer points to players finishing outside the top 10. “Under these rules, a player finishing 11th in a LIV Golf event is treated the same as a player finishing 57th,” LIV Golf said in a statement. “Limiting points to only the top 10 finishers disproportionately harms players who consistently perform at a high level but finish just outside that threshold, as well as emerging talent working to establish themselves on the world stage – precisely the players a fair and meritocratic ranking system is designed to recognise.” Bryson DeChambeau: ‘We didn’t sign up to play for 72 (holes)’ Bryson DeChambeau is entering the final year of his contract with LIV Golf. Judging by his latest comments to Today’s Golfer, it doesn’t sound like the two-time US Open champion is too keen on one of the recent changes made by the Saudi-funded tour. Case in point, the impending shift from a 54- to a 72-hole format. “It’s definitely changed away from what we had initially been told it was going to be,” DeChambeau said. “So there is some movement that we’ve all been, I would say, interested in, and going, ‘Why that movement?’ Because we were told it was going to be this. So that’s definitely made us have some different thoughts about it. “I’ve got a contract for this year, and we’ll go through it there and see what happens after that. Look, it’s 72 holes, it’s changed, but we’re still excited to play professionally and play for what we’re doing and go across the world. I think it’s going to be great for our (Crushers GC) team. Is it what we ultimately signed up for? No. So I think we’re supposed to be different, so I’m a little indifferent to it right now. “Hopefully it weighs positively on me over the course of time, but you never know. I’m not sure. We didn’t sign up to play for 72.” DeChambeau, 32, joined LIV Golf in 2022 after recording nine wins on the PGA Tour, including the US Open in 2020 and 2024. Source link
Spaniard Joan Mir set the pace on the second day of MotoGP pre-season testing in contrasting conditions at the Sepang circuit Wednesday, as Italian-Japanese factory team Yamaha opted to stay off track. Mir became the pace setter after the 28-year-old clocked 1 min 56.874 sec on his Honda machine after 11 laps, to become the fastest rider over two days of testing in Malaysia. Italian Franco Morbidelli came close to matching Mir’s timing after he posted 1 min 56.983 sec, while his compatriot Fabio Di Giannantonio was third fastest on the day after registering 1 min 57.049 sec, both on their respective Ducatis. The morning session witnessed only 17 riders set out for testing, with Yamaha’s notable absence as they tried to resolve a technical issue from Tuesday’s test. Their withdrawal compounded Fabio Quartararo’s absence from the remaining two days of testing after the Frenchman suffered a finger fracture following his crash on Tuesday. Sudden downpour As the skies changed from intense heat to a sudden downpour in the afternoon, only 11 riders emerged to weather the conditions. Spaniard Alex Marquez, who crashed on the same turn as Quartararo the day before in the morning session, returned to post the fastest lap of the afternoon session as he stamped 1 min 58.094 sec on his Ducati. “I was quite angry with myself after seeing the damage on the bike,” Marquez said. “I tried different things with the new tyres, the grip of the track is super high so, I had the problem,” he added. “I understood the crash, and we look forward,” he added. Jorge Martin, the 2024 champion who endured a challenging previous season with injuries, was meanwhile spotted walking around shirtless with his racing gloves on. The Spaniard appeared in good spirits as he posed for pictures with the medics and race marshals. Wednesday’s pre-season test times at the Sepang Circuit 1. Joan Mir (ESP/Honda) 1 min 56.874 sec2. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/VR46 Ducati) 1 min 56.983 sec3. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA/VR46 Ducati) 1 min 57.049 sec4. Pedro Acosta (ESP/Red Bull KTM) 1 min 57.116 sec5. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Red Bull KTM) 1 min 57.126 sec6. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Aprilia) 1 min 57.141 sec7. Raul Fernandez (ESP/Aprilia) 1 min 57.274 sec8. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) 1 min 57.302 sec9. Ai Ogura (JPN/Aprilia) 1 min 57.376 sec10. Enea Bastianini (ITA/Redbull KTM) 1 min 57.550 sec Source link
Mutamarrid sealed the Ras Rokn Island Cup in style as a competitive nine-race programme unfolded on the dirt at the Al Uqda Racecourse Wednesday. The nine-year-old Mutamarrid asserted his class in the feature race for Local Thoroughbred Handicap (45–70) for four-year-olds and above over 2000m, contested by seven runners. Owned by Injaaz Stud and trained by Jihad El Ahmad, Mutamarrid produced a decisive late surge to score by two and three-quarter lengths under Pierre Charles Boudot. The victory marked the ninth of his career and followed a pair of solid placed efforts in his previous two starts. Earlier on the card, Tariqu Al Shahania opened proceedings by getting off the mark, while Gasham delivered a breakthrough success in the second race. Midrass rolled back the years to regain winning form, Habes returned to the winner’s enclosure in the fourth, and Necessitate held on gamely after a bold front-running display. Gulf Legend struck back in the staying handicap, Sha’alan edged a closely fought sprint, and Sham Alghania made a winning debut against more experienced rivals to complete a competitive afternoon of racing. RESULTS45th Al Rayyan Race Meeting In Al Uqda – Ras Rokn Island Cup WINNERS:(Horse, Trainer, Jockey)Ras Rokn Island Cup – Local Thoroughbred Handicap 45-70 (Class 3)Mutamarrid, Jihad El Ahmad, Pierre Charles BoudotPurebred Arabian Show Horses And MaresSham Alghania, Bader al-Balushi, Youssef LachhabPurebred Arabian Handicap 65-85 (Class 4)Sha’alan, Mohammed Alghazali, Lukas DelozierThoroughbred Handicap 65-85 (Class 4)Gulf Legend, Jassim al-Ghazali, Salman Fahad al-HajriThoroughbred Handicap 55-75 (Class 5)Necessitate, Rashid al-Jehani, Saleh Salem al-MarriLocal Purebred Arabian Handicap 55-75 (Class 5)Habes, Hadi al-Ramzani, Marco CasamentoPurebred Arabian Handicap 45-65 (Class 6)Midrass, Hadi al-Ramzani, Faleh BughenaimLocal Thoroughbred Premium Maiden Plate (Class 6)Gasham, Ibrahim Khaled Elahmed, Saleh Salem al-MarriLocal Purebred Arabian Premium Maiden Plate (Class 6)Tariqu Al Shahania, Rudy Andre Nerbonne, Lukas Delozier Related Story Source link
Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah will be bidding for a record-breaking 19th victory from 26 starts when this weekend’s Qatar International Rally gets underway from the Lusail Sports Complex Thursday afternoon. The in-form Qatari began his challenge for an unprecedented 21st FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) title with victory in Oman two weeks ago and has now switched his attention to securing a staggering 93rd career MERC rally win on the three-day event being hosted by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF). Al-Attiyah and co-driver Candido Carrera top a 23-car field with strength in depth and will be looking to start their weekend’s campaign with a strategic performance on the new Qualifying Stage Thursday. This will determine the starting order for Friday’s opening special stage. The outcome of the Qualifying Stage will be the deciding factor to which of the Rally2 crews opens the road, acts as a road sweeper and faces the slight disadvantage of clearing loose sand and gravel off the racing line. In the past, the leader of the championship has opened the road regardless and al-Attiyah may well be able to take advantage of the new addition to the regulations to strengthen his challenge in an Autotek Skoda Fabia RS. Abdullah al-Rawahi is back from serious injury and pushed al-Attiyah hard in his native Oman last month. Punctures ultimately dropped him to second place and out of victory contention, but the Omani is better prepared for this rally and is hopeful that he has a good set-up on his Skoda Fabia RS to apply the pressure on al-Attiyah from the outset. The former regional champion teams up with Jordanian co-driver Ata al-Hmoud. Local driver Abdulaziz al-Kuwari was not present at the opening round but stayed in match fitness with a strong performance at last weekend’s Saudi Baja. He teams up with his brother Nasser in a Skoda Fabia RS and will be striving for the podium on a rally he won in 2012. This will only be the third special stage rally in Hamza Bakhashab’s short career but the Saudi showed in Oman that he has the pace to reach the podium. He admitted at the press conference on Tuesday evening that working efficiently with accurate pace notes had cost him dearly at the opening round when he crashed out of third place, but he and Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore are determined to come back even stronger this weekend in their Jameel Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Engine issues sidelined Mohammed al-Marri in Oman but the QMMF-backed driver has switched to a Citroën C3 this weekend and will make his debut in the Rally2 class with Frenchman Pierre Delorme reading his pace notes. Veteran Nasser Khalifa al-Atya began his 2026 campaign with a podium finish in Oman, as he tries to retain the FIA Master Driver trophy he won last season. The Qatari again teams up with Lebanese co-driver Ziad Chebab in a Motortune-run Ford Fiesta. Jweihan aims to extend his FIA MERC2 advantageShaker Jweihan was the class of the MERC2 field at round one with his fellow Jordanian co-driver Mustafa Juma and the youngster is determined to maintain the momentum in Qatar. “We have made a strong start to the season and, yes, the goal is to keep it going and push for another win,” said the Mitsubishi driver. His closest rivals in Oman were the Kuwaiti duo of Jassim al-Muqahwi and Sulaiman al-Helal, who finished fifth overall and picked up points for second in MERC2. Jordan’s Sami Fleifel was third and he teams up with Yazan Juma to continue his push for MERC2 honours. A cruel retirement cost Oman’s Zakariya al-Aamri (Subaru) valuable points on round one but he will be hoping to be in the mix with navigator Mohammed al-Mazrui on Qatar’s abrasive gravel terrain. Further MERC2 competition comes from the Indian duo of Mohamed Mansoor Parol and Lenin Joseph and Lebanon’s Charbel Chebly and Carlos Hanna in a pair of Mitsubishis. Rashid al-Muhannadi and Gary McElhinney are the defending FIA MERC4 champions, but their title defence ground to a halt with engine issues in Oman. The QMMF-backed Qatari will be looking to bounce back strongly with a category win this weekend, although he faces strong competition from a quartet of Qatari drivers in similar Peugeot 208 Rally4s and the Indian duo of Payyaakkal Panikkaveettil and Musa Sherif in a Ford Fiesta. The QMMF has offered support to Ahmed al-Kuwari, Nouef al-Sowaidi, Khalifa Saleh al-Attiyah and Ahmad Shaheen al-Muhannadi to boost the flagship two-wheel drive category. They have teamed up with their respective co-drivers, Baptiste Cerrato, Aisvydas Paliukenas, Laos Savvas and Taha al-Zadjali. The Lebanese pairing of Shadi El Fakih and Joseph Kmeid wheel out their Rally5 Renault Clio at the rear of the field behind four SSVs that are also eligible for the regional rally championship. Mohammed al-Atteya and Mirko Carrara drive a pair of Can-Ams and Christiano Gabbarrini and Mario Marotta wheel out two Yamaha YXZ 1000Rs built by Quaddy Racing. Thursday’s competitive timetable opens with a 75-minute practice session through a new 5.56km special for Rally2 cars at Al Khor from 10.00hrs. This will also act as the new qualifying stage for Rally2 crews, starting at 11.45hrs. The result of that will determine the starting order for leg one. The slowest driver in the qualifying stage will run as the first Rally2 entrant on the road Friday. Non-Rally2 machines will be permitted a maximum of two passes apiece during a shakedown on the Al Khor stage from 12.30hrs until 14.15hrs. The ceremonial start will then take centre stage adjacent to the service park in the grounds of the Lusail Sports Complex. Related Story Source link