i s s u e 007
may 07 2017
IN THE HEADLIGHTS The Grand Prix champion talks about her pride of becoming the first woman to win the Amir Cup.
05 07 2017
the sports journal
F EAT U R ES
WARM-UP 03
interview
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of the month
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The silver medalist of the Amir’s shooting competition takes the FOURTEEN interview Quote, Number, Comment, Top and Flop
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recap
Former Al Arabi captain and national team star plans to sew Al Arabi administration for not receiving his wages
some history
A look back at Eissa Al Hamad one of the founding members of the Kuwait Sports Federation
Front Cover, Above: Bader Sarraf
i s s u e 007
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RECOVERY
news
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highlight
now we begin
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university athletics
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the event
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the gym
Kuwait squash and track and field national teams dominate the GCC as Kuwait Golf juniors win bronze Amir Cup Grand Prix champion Noora Al Qaoud talks to Fourteen about her pride of being the first woman to win the competition and her plans to qualify to the Olympics
eyes on the prize
Kuwait SC basketball veteran Abdulrahman Al Jumah talks to Fourteen about winning the league and his performance this season
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Faisal Al Shawa offers tips on the different work out timings during Ramadan and a review of the AC Milan Academy AUM wins gold in the European sports competition T5B “Tournament of 5 Ballons” held in Paris The Viking Club of the Radisson Blu organizes a 2 vs. 2 beach volleyball tournament for their members Fitness Lab: My Second Home
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THE INTERVIEW
Afrah Binhussain Shooter in the Kuwait national team who has won gold medals in continental, regional and local competitions.
Who is your all-time favorite Shooter? My role model and favorite shooter is the Kuwaiti shooter Fehaid Al Dehani
If I wasn’t a professional shooter I would have tried to become a professional…? Horseback rider or a tennis player
As for female shooters, I think Kimberly Rhode from the United States is the best female shooter out there at the moment
Who is the smartest player that you have played against? The American shooter Kimberly Rhode who has won 6 gold Olympic medals and several world championships
Before every match, I listen to…? I love listening to slow music before any competition Favorite Restaurant Burger Boutique
Courtesy of uaeinterect.com
A sport you dislike watching or playing? None, as every sport is great in its own way
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Favorite Movie? I don’t have a specific movie in mind but I love action movies What is a dream that you had growing up that you were not able to accomplish? I strive every day to achieve my dream which is to win competitions at an international level If you were a professor at university what subject would you like to teach? Biology
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OF THE MONTH
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NUMBER OF THE MONTH
Kuwait SC’s handball team has gone 5 consecutive seasons without losing a match and winning the league five times in a row. Kuwait SC now has a total of 7 league titles in the history of the club.
TWEET OF THE MONTH @Eespranza - “Shocking
statistic: 29 ministers in the government’s cabinet have been replaced in top 5 ministries in Kuwait and Jamal Al Kazemi is still the president of Al Arabi Club!!!”
Eespranza - 22/4/2017
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“This competition is unfair. The authorities need to investigate match fixing organized through bet365.com” Khaled Al Rasheedi - 13/4/2017
TOP OF THE MONTH
FLOP OF THE MONTH
Kuwait SC has won 5 different trophies this month in 5 different sports. It is turning out to be a very successful season or the club filled with trophies in all sports. Congratulations to Kuwait SC.
Player of the season (2016-2017) was awarded to a player who has only won 2 gold medals out of 8 competitions. Meanwhile, there are other players who have not only won more gold medals than the player they chose but also beat him in several competitions. Appalling call by the Kuwait Karate Federation.
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RECAP
Mohammed Jraq taking Al Arabi Club to court
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l Arabi and national team sta r M o h a m m e d J ra q expressed his disappointment with the way he has been treated by his club’s administration. Despite retiring and distancing himself for the team Jraq doesn’t know why he is being targeted by the club management. Jraq added, “I am very shocked that I have been treated this way especially that I have been loyal to the club and spent all my life serving the club”. The previous Al Arabi captain spoke to Al Jareeda “a war has been set against me from last season after responding to the fans’ and the club president ’s request to come back
Courtesy of kuna.net.kw aljarida.com
from retirement. I was excluded and antagonized but I never objected or reacted. But it has gone too far, to be deprived of my own rights is where I draw the line. I must show the world what has been happening.” He added “I have been shocked that my name was recently removed from the past two year’s payroll without any explanation. It is not justified because I was committed to the team and served the team during those years”. The Kuwait international blames the entire executive board of the club and says they carry full responsibility. Especially that despite his commitment his name was removed and other players who did
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“I was only given half my compensation… and I hold everyone responsible” not attend practice were still a part of the payroll list. Jraq clarified that he will resort to the courts in hopes of receiving all his wages and for the matter to be settled. Jraq added, “Especially since our judicial system is known for its integrity and their fairness”.
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“We Create Players” Register Now
Season 9 (Sept. 2017)
WWWW.ACMILANKUWAIT.COM
SOME HISTORY
Yaqoub Yousef Al Hamad First President of the Sports Federation “ I would like to express my admiration for Mr. Eissa Al Hamad for all his hard work in developing sports in our dear country. I would also like to congratulate him on the successful steps undertaken in establishing a football federation. It is time to end the chaos between the teams and to have an organized system.” Eissa Ahmad Al Hamad was a man that was ahead of his time and held many leadership positions in different federations. He was one of the founding members of Kuwaiti Sports Federation, President of the Kuwait Football Federation, and chairman of the Kuwait Olympic Committee.
Courtesy of Ministry of Communication Archives “Al Azraq, the roots and records 250”
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NEWS
K U WA I T D O M I N AT E G C C S Q U A S H A N D T R AC K A N D F I E L D TO U R N A M E N T kuwaiti golf youth team snatch bronze
On the 8th of April 2017 Kuwait’s Squash, the national team returned victorious from Riyadh after competing in the 23rd GCC Squash tournament. The Kuwaiti delegation included Osama Bastaki (head of the delegation) Jamal Masqati (Administrator), Abdulrahim Al Awadhi (National team manager), and Ahmed Abdulal (national team coach). The chairman of the Kuwait Olympic Committee (KOC) Sheikh Fahad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Hamid Al Hazeem the general manager of the initiative “Sports for all”, Abdulaziz Al Awadhi the interim president of the Squash Federation, Dr. Mahmoud Al Jazzaf the general secretary of the Squash Federation, and Jawad Al Ghareeb member of the executive board of Al Salmiya Club welcomed the champions at the airport. Kuwait achieved a new record in the GCC squash competition winning the gold medal in both the open age competition and the under 17 competition. Moreover, the national team was able to win the gold and bronze medal in the open age singles competition. Kuwait’s champion Abdullah Al Mezayen won gold, Qatar’s Abdullah Al Tamimi won silver, and Kuwait’s Ammar Al Tamimi won bronze. In the under 17 singles competition, Kuwait won all 3 medals. Mohammed Jassem won gold, Mishaal Al Qarini won silver, and Bader Al Moghrabi won bronze. In track and field, Kuwait showed
Courtesy of Instagram @q8picq8
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their class winning first place with a total of 12 medals (7 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze) in the 16th GCC track and field competition. The competition was held in Jeddah from the 13th to the 15th of April and witnessed fierce competition in all 22 races. Bahrain’s national team came in second place winning a total of 11 medals (4 gold and 7 silver), Qatar’s national team came in third with a total of 11 medals (4 gold, 1 silver, and 6 bronze), Saudi Arabia’s national team came in fourth with a total of 18 medals (3 gold, 7 silver, and 8 bronze), Oman’s national team came in fifth with a total of 7 medals (1 gold, 3 silver,
Courtesy of Instagram @q8picq8
and 3 bronze), and the United Arab Emirates’ national team came in sixth place with a total of 4 medals (2 silver and 2 bronze). The Saudi track and field federation held a dinner inviting all the participants and the delegations in the “Al Qasr” ballroom in Jeddah. The dinner included awards for the heads of delegations and all the entities that helped in the success of the tournament. As for the GCC golf competition, the Bahraini national team won the under 18 competition and in the single’s cruise competition the United Arab
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Emirates’ national team won first place with 351 strokes, Bahrain came in second with 353 strokes, Kuwait came in third with 367 strokes, Omar came in fourth with 432 strokes, and Qatar came in fifth with 451 strokes. UAE’s Rashed Al Amadi continued excelled winning first place with in the juniors’ competition with 172 strokes, Bahrain’s Mohammed Al Atheem finished in second place with 180 strokes, Kuwait’s Fahad Al Zahem finished in third place with 181 strokes, Bahrain’s Ali Al Babtain finished in fourth place, and UAE’s Abeid Al Hilo finished in fifth.
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THE MOMENT
al kuwait sc futsal Al Kuwait’s Futsal team celebrate carrying the 2016-2017 Futsal trophy amongst their fans and club vice president Khalid Al Ghanim after defeating Al Yarmouk 3-1. The match took place in Kuwait SC’s indoor court on the 17th of April 2017. Sportspirit.com
THE FALCONS
NOW WE BEGIN The Grand Prix champion talks to Fourteen about her pride of being the first woman to win the Amir Cup. An inter view with Noora Al Qaoud
Left: Bader Sarraf
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T
“
he Amir Cup as a competition hasn’t b e e n o rga nized for the past 20 years so it felt very special. From the beginning, It had a different feel to it. Personally, I was walking into the Amir Cup having won four Grands Prix and I was hoping to win something in the Amir Cup to add to my accomplishments this season. The Amir Cup was held over three days and the organizers arranged for a five-star course designer who builds the global champions tour which is made for the top 30 riders in the world. There was a lot of media coverage and a big turnout from the audience and as we got closer to the competition the pressure started to pile and all the participants knew what’s at stake.
I spent the first two days schooling my horses Annalita and Beoniek because I wanted them to get used to the arena with all the music, banners, and people walking around. On the first day, I knew Annalita wasn’t feeling 100 percent because I had one down and we made an unexpected mistake. On the second, she performed better but I knew she wasn’t herself and to my surprise, I won with my second mare, Beoniek! It was confusing because suddenly Beoniek is winning and Annalita is just not responding the way I want her to. On the final day, I knew I couldn’t do anything but give Annalita my 100 percent and I knew at this point she needed me more than I needed her. From the warm up Annalita felt like a completely different horse and it’s like she knew she had a Grand Prix that day. There was a lot of pressure because I was the first person to go clear - not the first to start but the first to go clear. In the second-round I did something
Bader Sarraf
different, I usually opt for the safe second round clear to guarantee a spot on the podium but the rider before me did that and my coach told me I have to do more now and beat his time. It was an intense class and
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I was worried to push her beyond her limit. Thankfully we cleared the second round and we were in the lead! After I was done there was one more rider who had to go clear and beat my time, it was nerve wrecking
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watching his round because I could get drop down to second place and I did not want to lose my lead. He was beating my time but he had the last fence down and I couldn’t believe it! I won! It was unbelievable! It was meant to be and I felt it from the warm up that Annalita was up to it and we did it! I am so proud of her because she wasn’t feeling too well the first two days and then when it counted she jumped her heart out. It was such an honor to win it because I was representing my country and it was my Amir’s Grand Prix
Bader Sarraf
“It was such an honor to win it because I was representing my country ... I am so proud to be the first woman to win the A m i r C u p .” 16
and I am so proud to be the first women to win the Amir Cup.
What do you think set this competition apart from all the other competitions? In this competition, the organizers put in a lot of effort to make this competition entertaining for more than just the riders. They had activities for children, restaurants, a DJ who helped create a fantastic atmosphere, and more. Usually, organizers’ main focus are the riders and
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“My long-term plan is to compete at Olympic qualifiers in order to qualify to the 2024 Olympics... A s f o r my s h o r t term plan the Kuwait national team is competing in the Asian G a m e s n ex t ye a r i n I n d o n e s i a .” neglect other people who are not involved in the sport who come and watch. Those competitions can get quite boring for the audience because it’s a whole day with nothing to do but watch the competition and I am glad that the Amir Cup provided more for people.
After the success of A m i r C u p t h i s y e a r, should we expect the competition to be held annually? I hope it will become an annual competition because the sport has progressed a lot in the past few years and not just in showjumping even in endurance and racing. The Amir Cup was a great opportunity that showed people that the equestrian sport has risen to another level. Moreover, the positive publicity that this tournament received in the media should push the organizers to turn it into an annual competition and I’m sure
Bader Sarraf
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“ Fo r m e , my t i m e w i t h my h o r s e i s s o m e t h i n g I c h e r i s h b e c a u s e w e c o n n e c t a n d i t ’ s s o s o o t h i n g . I w a ke u p eve r y d ay a n d I l o o k f o r w a r d t o g o i n g t o t h e s t a b l e s .� every year the competition will be better than the one before.
Fo l l o w i n g a n impressive season, what is next for Noora? My long-term plan is to compete at Olympic qualifiers in order to qualify to the 2024 Olympics. Realistically at
Bader Sarraf
the moment I am not prepared and I need more than a couple of years to get the right horse and prepare for the Olympic level. Unfortunately, I have learned all that I can in Kuwait and in order to progress and advance I have to move to Holland where I can receive the best training there is and compete at in European competitions that are more prestigious and have competitive riders.
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As for my short-term plan the Kuwait national team is competing in the Asian Games next year in Indonesia. I have qualified for both the individual and team category and now I just need to maintain my results in order to secure my spot in the games. I have qualified in the past for the Asian games but I was unlucky and my horse got injured but it probably was for the best as both of us were
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“A s a n i n d i v i d u a l , c o m p e t i n g t h i s i s t h e b i g g e s t t h i n g t h a t I h ave eve r d o n e . I t ’ s a n o t h e r l eve l .” young and inexperienced. Since then we have both grown a lot and gained a lot of experience. I am excited and I look forward to competing next summer.
What do you hope to achieve in the Asian games next summer? As an individual, competing for this is the biggest thing that I have ever done. It’s another level, I don’t have the expectation of going and winning because I will be competing
Bader Sarraf
with the best riders in Asia. I want to do my best and if we finish with one down then that would be good enough for me. Also, it depends on how many people are competing if there are around 70 people then I would aim to finish in the top 10. But most importantly I hope to learn and gain a lot from this experience I believe that this is where my career starts.
How has horseback riding changed your life?
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I used to say this to the kids I used to teach, to be able to work with an animal that is five hundred kilos that has a mind of its own is simply art. For me, my time with my horse is something I cherish because we connect and it’s so soothing. I wake up every day and I look forward to going to the stables. There are days when I have to ride 9 or 10 horses a day and I love riding each and every one of them. It is so hard to explain but it’s got it all it’s thrilling yet relaxing, it’s hard work but it’s worth it and that’s the beauty of this sport.
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Something valuable that I learned from this sport… patience. Everything needs patience. I have had Beoniek for the past 7 years and in the beginning, she was very difficult. Everyone told me to sell her but I didn’t, I knew that despite the fact that she drives me crazy every day there was something special about her, and I had to find it. Fast forward to today Beoniek is perfect. If I sold her 7 years ago I wouldn’t have had my second-best horse. In addition to patience, I have learned the importance of being motivated. It’s all about being motivated and patient because when it’s meant
Bader Sarraf
“ I f yo u a s ke d m e 2 ye a r s a g o a r e yo u g o i n g t o w i n the Amir Cup? Or a r e yo u g o i n g t o qualify for the Asian games? I probably would h ave l a u g h e d . . . i t ’ s c ra z y ! ” 20
to be it’s meant to be. If you asked me 2 years ago are you going to win the Amir Cup? Or are you going to qualify for the Asian games? I probably would have laughed but it happened and it’s crazy! I believe it can only get better from here and I have passed the hard part. I still have a lot of hard work to do but now I know I can do it.
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THE MOMENT
hussain Al mosawi Mansouriya, Kuwait: Hussain Al Mosawi celebrates after scoring a thrilling header in the final moments of the match between Al Arabi Club vs. Al Salmiya Club. Al Arabi beat Al Salmiya 2-1 in the VIVA Football League on the 30th March 2017 at the Sabah Al Salem stadium. Sportspirit.com
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ABDULRAHMAN J.
EYES ON THE PRIZE Kuwait SC veteran talks to Fourteen about winning the league and his performance this season An inter view with Abdulrahman Jumah
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t the beginning of the season, we as a team set a goal for ourselves to win the league and we worked hard throughout the season. As a team we overcame several challenges, right from the get go we lost several vital team players for different reasons and pundits in the media expected us to finish the season empty handed. Thankfully and as a result of our team and coaching staff’s grave effort, we were able to defy the odds and win the league.
Left: Courtesy of basketball.kw
What helped our team this year is the determination of the players and coaching staff who refused to settle for anything besides first place. Despite the fact, that we lost a couple of our important players yet we had four to five players join us from the youth team who rose to the occasion and helped the team in several matches. Moreover, the team atmosphere was very important to our success, we were more than just a team we became a family. We didn’t allow any of our losses to bring us down, we didn’t blame any of our teammates that made
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mistakes, and we simply didn’t let anything get in between us. As a result, we were able to walk into every game feeling confident and knowing we are going to walk away winning every match.
bouncing back
We had a rough season last year and we learned a lot from that experience and the success that we achieved this season is because we learnt our lesson. To be completely honest, Kuwait SC is a big club and our fans have gotten used to the club always finishing first in all sports. For example, in football Kuwait SC has already won 3 trophies and won both the Volleyball and Handball league. That put us under a lot of pressure but it also motivated us because we didn’t want to be the only team in the club that doesn’t win the league this season.
competition
At the beginning of the season all the other teams thought that our team was not prepared because we were missing a couple of players. Every team that we faced wanted to beat us and take advantage of our situation. Every team we played against behaved like it was a final and would fight for every ball and every team has us as a target. So, every game was a tough game this year. However, having said all that the three teams that challenged us for the title this year were Al Qadsiya who are our bitter rivals, Al Jahra who have a strong team with good players, and Kazma who were a bit challenging in a number of occasions this season.
a l qa d s i ya ru m b l e
The altercation that occurred in our match against Al Qadsiya is something that is unfortunate and very disappointing. It’s upsetting that matters escalated to the point where we witnessed some aggressive behavior by the players because at the end of the day the players in both clubs are friends outside the court and have known each other their whole lives. It’s bad enough that our federation is banned and sports in Kuwait is at a
Courtesy of basketball.kw
standstill we don’t want to ruin what little we have left. As for the Qadsiya’s decision to withdraw from the league, I can’t comment on whether that was the correct decision to take. However, our league loses a lot when a big club that is challenging for the league steps out. It takes away the competition from the league, fewer fans turn up to the games because Qadsiya has a big fan base, and all in all nobody benefits.
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personal performance
Every player hopes to improve every year and hopes to perform better than the previous season. Personally, I always tell myself that I have to benefit from every moment that I spend away from my family whether in the gym or at practice. I pay close attention to my diet, my individual workout sessions, and I am fully committed to team practices. I try my best to stay healthy and to stick to our coach’s
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“ It’s bad enough that our federation is banned and sports in kuwait is at a standstill we don’t want to ruin what little we have left. ” instructions on and off the court. Thankfully, with the help of my teammates, I was able to give it my all this season and it all paid off.
l e ag u e d e v e lo p m e n t
If our league is to improve we need to have 4 things:
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. The current level of some of the clubs is mediocre and those clubs need to work on improving their teams so we
Courtesy of basketball.kw
don’t end up with 3 teams competing for the title. If a club knows that they can’t compete in basketball it’s better for the league if they don’t participate and allow other clubs to benefit from their players. There is no point in having a league with only 3 teams that compete for the title.
2.
We need to bring back the foreign players. With foreign players, the league becomes more competitive
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and some clubs end up with much better teams.
3.
The league is a logistical nightmare. The match locations and timings are never consistent. For an example, we once started a game at 9 pm and that’s very late because we have jobs to go to in the morning.
4.
Basketball leagues in the region receive support from the private
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sector. We don’t have that in Kuwait. For some reason, we don’t have that culture here although it should be a part of their social responsibility.
w h at ’ s n e x t ?
In the past 5 years, we were able to win 4 titles and we will make sure we defend our title next year and bring it back to Kaifan. We have a strong team at the moment and we have a bunch of promising young players that have the potential to be effective team leaders in the future. However, we will only be able to continue down the path of success if our current mentality remains as it is and we continue to receive the same support from the administration. It will be very difficult for us to win the league back next year if we get complacent and we get ahead of ourselves.
Courtesy of basketball.kw
a w o r d to t h e w i s e
I would like to say this to first and foremost my son and to everyone who is reading. Every dream starts small but it grows and it develops and if you work hard it becomes a reality. Think big. Think ahead. I owe a lot of who I am today to sports, it is helped me get off the streets and move away from dangerous environments. I gained a lot from playing basketball, I have gained lifelong friends, I lead a healthy life, and I have gained the love and respect of our fans. So always look at the glass half full. I hope that I was a good role model to the young players and I hope that the next generation gets the opportunity that I didn’t and they get represent Kuwait and raise our flag all around the world.
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“I hope that the next generation gets the opportunity that I didn’t and they get represent Kuwait and raise our flag all around the world.” fourteen
THE MOMENT
abdullatif al hamed Sharq, Kuwait: Abdullatif Al Hamed (left) of Al Kuwait SC celebrates with team staff after winning the beach soccer league vs. Arabi Club. Al Kuwait SC won their last league match vs. Al Arabi 4-3 at the Souq Sharq beach soccer courts on the 9th of April 2017. Sportspirit.com
HIGHLIGHT
Courtesy of Faisal Al Shawa
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CONSIDERATIONS OF TRAINING TIMES DURING RAMADAN Written by Faisal Al Shawa | Founder of Believe Nutrition
“W
ell, here we are again – the Holy month of Ramadan! We all know the difficulty in trying to fit in some sort of exercise during the day. We’re fasting for almost 16 hours and only have 8 hours or so to eat and drink as much as we can to keep us satisfied the following day. No need to fret, though. All it needs is a little bit of thought and you’ll be able to understand what works best for you. Here are the 3 timings of day to consider for exercise:
1.
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subsequent hours of fasting. For me, this is not the ideal time to exercise at all.
Exercise Session . before Iftar
Morning Exercise Sessions
So here is the thing with morning exercise sessions: you’ll benefit from the foods and beverages you’ve consumed during your last meal (suhoor) as a way of fueling your exercise session while also potentially burning more fat. The only downside with this is the little opportunity to maximally recovery after exercise. You’ll most certainly need some sort of protein immediately after training and I’m sure you’ll feel more fatigued than usually due to a lack of rehydration and
3.
If you were to ask me, this is the best time I like to exercise during Ramadan! While you may partake in exercise with minimal nutrition support and also feel more fatigued (as you’ve completed most of the fasting hours of the day), you’ll have a better ability to burn more fat during exercise and have a great opportunity to recover with the Iftar meal as well. In addition, you’ll be able to hit most of the recovery strategies needed after exercise (refueling, rehydrating and repairing the muscle) and you won’t have to worry about exercising after Iftar, especially when the food coma hits you! Just make sure you keep your workout session no longer than 1 hour before breaking your fast.
stomach, or simply don’t have the energy to exercise before Iftar, then this is your best bet. This time to exercise is ideal as it minimizes any risk of injuries and fatigue which may occur during training while also giving you the best opportunity to refuel, rehydrate and repair your muscles before, during and after exercise. You can also enter your session with more energy and potentially do more work as well. There you have it – timing considerations for exercising during Ramadan. At the end of the day, everyone has their own preference and way of organizing their schedule. Especially during Ramadan, when a lot of cultural events and traditions take place, it is important to find what works best for you in order to keep you motivated to keep you exercising during this month. You also need to understand your body and figure out which time of day allows you to exercise at your best! Ramadan Kareem.”
Exercise session after Iftar
For those who don’t adapt to exercising on an empty
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HIGHLIGHT
Mahmoud Abul Burghul
(SPONSORED)
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AC Milan Academy More than just a football academy.
M
r. Silvio Broli the head of the AC Milan international academy project visited Kuwait last month and paid a visit to the AC Milan academy in Kuwait. As he was there to assess the facilities and coaching standards of the academy he was left very impressed. Mr. Broli described Kuwait’s academy as the model academy for the region. Fourteen got a chance to interview Mr. Broli and the head coach Mr. Patrizio Billio and talk about his couple of days monitoring the academy.
There are some similarities between the countries as with all we face difficulty finding football pitches with the right standards for the academy. Also, it is difficult for us to find local coaches in other countries. In Kuwait, we have built a strong partnership between our Italian coaches and local coaches. Obviously, this did not come easily, Mr. Patrizio worked very hard to find the right local coaches that can deliver our mission and style of coaching. In other countries, we can still do better and we hope to reach a similar level of coaching as Kuwait.
Mr. Broli what is your impression of the AC Milan Academy in Kuwait? We have been working together with the academy in Kuwait for years and we are very happy with the recent development in the past couple of years under the management of Mr. Patrizio Billio. The new football pitch in Al Daiya is very nice and now the academy can play 11 vs. 11 while in the past they were restricted by the space they had. We are positive that in this facility the children can develop their skills in better ways than in the old facility.
How has the academy in Kuwait achieved AC Milan’s goals? In many ways. For an example, yesterday I attended a friendly match between AC Milan girls academy and Arsenal girls academy, and it was simply unbelievable! For me to watch two female academies play football in a conservative country like Kuwait is incredible and it matches AC Milan’s philosophy perfectly as we believe that we can bridge any and all gaps through sport. It is important to remember that AC Milan academy is not only a football academy, we are to help these young boys and girls become better citizens. Through practices, our coaches understand their responsibility and major role in shaping their players’ personalities. Our coaches understand that AC Milan is not here to only teach football. There are many examples of kids that through our academy developed self-confidence and social skills that have helped them excel in their lives.
I am very happy with every visit I make to the academy in Kuwait as it was one of our older academies in the region and we are very proud of our partnership in Kuwait. How does the academy in Kuwait compare to other academies in the region? AC Milan receives countless applications at the moment I have 370 applications from all over the world just sitting on my desk. We only accept around 2% of applicants because it is difficult to find good partners such as the one we have in Kuwait.
Future of AC Milan academy in Kuwait? We hope to find another football pitch in Kuwait to open a second academy as we have a waiting list and we would love to be able to serve everyone that wants to sign up for the AC Milan academy. We hope to continue building and further developing our strong and impressive partnership in Kuwait.
As I said the academy in Kuwait is one of the oldest and we are currently opening three other academies in Dammam, Riyadh, and Jeddah. As for the only other academy in Dubai, it is a young academy and has only been around for one year.
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UAAK
EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE
AUM participates in the “Tournament of 5 Ballons” Three of the American University of the Middle East’s (AUM) sports te a m p a r t i c i p a te d i n t h e T 5 B “ Tournament of 5 Ballons” held in Paris, France. The international tournament took place from 10th to the 13th of April 2017. AUM had 40 students competing in three different sports: Football, Volleyball, and Basketball. Universities from all over the world participated in the tournament including Germany, Poland, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Lebanon.
Courtesy of AUM
Three sports teams from AUM traveled to Paris to compete in this 4-day tournament that includes 5 different sporting competitions: Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Handball, and American Football. The AUM delegation returned to Kuwait victorious winning several trophies in Paris, finishing first in the men’s football competition. Their students also managed to win individual awards; Abdulrahman Al Mutawa won the Most Valuable Player award (MVP) in Volleyball, and Bader Tareq won the Most Valuable Player award (MVP) in Football.
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AUM is one of the leading private universities in the country possessing cutting-edge sports facilities to help their students lead healthy and successful lives. AUM prides itself in offering their students opportunities locally and internationally that help them build a healthy life centered around exercise, attentiveness, and discipline which are all invaluable skills that students will carry with them for the rest of their lives. AUM’s sports teams are still competing in the UAAK Spring Season in 4 sports: Men’s and Women’s Volleyball, Women’s Soccer, and Men’s Futsal.
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THE EVENT
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Radisson Blu VC
STAT I ST I C S:
2 v s . 2 B e a c h V o l l e y b a l l To u r n a m e n t Radisson Blu’s Viking Club organized a 2 vs. 2 Beach Volleyball Tournament for their members. This is one of the most anticipated competitions of the summer at the Viking Club. The beach volleyball tournament was held on the 21st of April at 1 pm with 8 teams participating.
and players ages ranged from 20-50 years old. The Viking Club is one of Kuwait City’s most exclusive clubs and offers a premier recreational experience with perfect views of the Gulf coast. Spanning 2,800m2, the outdoor garden area with 3 swimming pool beckon travelers to relax. The modern fitness center also features an indoor jet-powered spa pool as well as steam rooms and saunas. Other sports opportunities include squash courts, beach volleyball, basketball or various water sports. The club’s beach property includes a designated children’s playground.
The tournament went on till 7pm and finally saw Tsvetan and Tsvetelina crowned as champions of the 2 vs. 2 Beach Volleyball Tournament. The first and second place winners of tournament received a 40 KWD voucher from Fourteen. The tournament had a diverse turn out from the club members with both genders represented
Courtesy of SAS
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21st April 2017 16 Participants 8 Teams 6 Hours
FIRST PLACE: Tsvetan Hristov Tsvetelina Hristova SECOND PLACE: George Abi Hanna Yahya Kabbani
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THE GYM
(SPONSORED)
MY SECOND HOME An inter view with Manaf Al Mazeedi
I have been a bodybuilder for the past 18 years and I have been a member in several of the big gyms such as Platinum and Oxygen. Yet I have never been comfortable in a gym as I am right now at Fitness Lab. I joined Fitness Lab when they first opened their doors in 2015 and I am fortunate to witness the growth and development of the gym.
Courtesy of Fitness Lab
Fitness Lab’s administration has built an optimal and ideal environment for their members. Since day one until now they have continuously updated their machines and have only provided us the best equipment in the industry. Moreover, the gym instructors are very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. I really appreciate
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the fact that the administration is very open to the members’ suggestions and always want to hear our feedback it. I feel valued as a member that I am able to contribute to the gym. Pe rs o n a l l y, t h e b i g ge st a d va n tage for me at Fitness Lab is the
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overall environment and ambiance. The administration is intentional about not having the gym too crowded. It’s frustrating when you are working out and all the machines are taken and you have to slow down your workout and wait. Thankfully, at Fitness Lab I have never faced that. Moreover, the caliber of members at
Courtesy of Fitness Lab
Fitness Lab helps you come back to the gym every day because they are supportive and very easy to mix with. In the end, I would like to highlight that based on my experience, when you mature in this sport you will need to settle in a gym that you’re comfortable in because that will make your
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life much easier. A gym is not just a place to lift weights it’s my second highest priority after my career so choose a place that’s clean and easy to settle in and if you can find one that’s in a prime location like Fitness Lab, then that’s even better!
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