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TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE For the fir st time, Kuwait qualifies to the Xterra World Championships
j u n 08 2017
me co Be PART OF US Apply now to the AMERICAN UNIVERSITY of KUWAIT
Tel: 1802040 / (+965) 2224-8399, Ext: 3148 | admissions@auk.edu.kw
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AU
The American University of Kuwait received its Institutionally Accreditation from the Private Universities Council (PUC), Min Higher Education in the State of Kuwait, and has a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation with Dartmouth College (H New Hampshire - USA).
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06 08 2017
the sports journal
F EAT U R ES
WARM-UP 03
interview
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of the month
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Sultan Khalaf, Kuwait Club veteran and volleyball national team player takes the Fourteen interview Quote, Number, Comment, Top and Flop
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news
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lala land
recap
A final look at the 3 points saga in the VIVA Kuwait football league that lasted months
some history
Hamad Al Tayyar ’s second goal vs. Qatar to qualify to the Sydney Summer Olympics 2000
Front Cover, Above: Bader Sarraf
i s s u e 008
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Ahmed Al Mutairi broke the 200m T33 world record and won the 400m race in Nottwil, Switzerland.
The record setting triathlete talks to Fourteen about his latest success winning the Xterra Tahiti race and responds to his critics.
RECOVERY 29
highlight
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university athletics
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the event
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the gym
embracing moments
A walkthrough the history of Al Rodhan Annual Ramadan Tournament and it’s development throughout the years.
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Faisal Al Shawa, sports scientist, offers tips on the types and quantities of carbohydrates that you need in your diet GUST’s football team takes gold at the 2017 Belgrade International University Sports Tournament in Serbia 80 Percent’s second Women’s Football Tournament kicks off this Ramadan at Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Stadium. Fitness Lab: Strength and Conditioning
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THE INTERVIEW
Sultan Khalaf Kuwait SC volleyball veteran and star finished the season 2016/2017 winning the League, the Cup, and the Super Cup.
Who is your all-time favorite Volleyball Player? The Brazilian superstar Giba
Who is the smartest player that you have played against? Abdulrahman Al Otaibi
The most underrated Volleyball player in Kuwait? Misha’al Al Omar from Kazma
If I wasn’t a professional volleyball player I would have tried to become a professional…? Basketball player
Before every match, I listen to…? My mum’s voice Favorite Restaurant P.F. Chang’s Favorite Movie? El Gezeira
Courtesy of Sultan Khalaf
A sport you dislike watching or playing? Boxing Do you know how to cook? What can you cook best? Pasta
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What is a dream that you had growing up that you were not able to accomplish? To play volleyball for a club outside Kuwait If you were a professor at university what subject would you like to teach? Psychology Most thing that used to scary me as a child? Lizards
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OF THE MONTH
NUMBER OF THE MONTH
TWEET OF THE MONTH
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A historical season for Kuwait SC winning all 4 football competitions in the season. Having secured the Super Cup, the Amir Cup, and the Crown Prince Cup earlier in the year, this month Kuwait SC added the VIVA league title to their list of accomplishments.
@mosa3ednada - “If
Kuwait SC wants the league they can go and get it from the court… but on the field, they have nothing on us!!! Congratulations to the Qadsia champions and their fans!”
Mosaed Nada - 22/5/2017
QUOTE OF THE MONTH “With due respect to everyone in charge of sports in Kuwait, I don’t believe they are capable of developing sports nor lifting the sports ban.” Saleh Al Mulla - May 27th 2017 - Al Adalah TV
TOP OF THE MONTH
FLOP OF THE MONTH
Kuwait SC talisman Juma Saeed scored the winning goal in the final moments of their match against Salmiya taking his team to the top of the table and crowning them champions of the VIVA Kuwait league 2016/2017.
Tunisian striker Amin Chermiti is suing Al Arabi Club for not receiving all his payments for this season. He is going to submit his complaint to the FIFA with hopes that he can be compensated.
courtesy of alraimedia.com
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RECAP
The 3 points Crisis
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f te r m o nt h s o f u n c e rtainty and ongoing debate regarding 3 points from the Al Arabi vs. Al Kuwait match the issue has finally been resolved. The administrative court has ruled in favor of Al Kuwait SC, which appealed the decision of the Minister of Trade and Commerce and the Minister of Youth Mr. Khaled Al Rodhan, to grant Al Arabi the 3 points. The match between Al Arabi and Al Kuwait took place on November 18, 2016 in the 6th round of the VIVA football league. According to the law 34/2016, the administrative court is the last resort in litigating the conflict between the
Courtesy of kora.com
two clubs. The case goes back to the complaint submitted by Al Arabi Club to the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) regarding one of the players from Kuwait Club who played against them despite being suspended in a previous cup match. The KFA disciplinary committee, alongside the competition committee, rejected the complaint submitted by Al Arabi club, though an appeal was submitted and accepted by the committee for appeals shortly thereafter. The appeal granted Al Arabi club the 3 points on December 24th. Following that decision, the case was taken to the National Olympic Committee who reversed
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the decision of the appeals committee and re-awarded the points to Kuwait Club. Al Arabi then appealed the decision to the Minister of Trade and Commerce and the Minister of Youth who decided to grant the 3 points to Al Arabi club which led Kuwait Club to appeal the decision in the administrative court. In the last game week of the season, Al Kuwait SC beat Al Salmiya 2-1 and Al Qadsia defeated Khaitan Club 4-0. Al Kuwait SC was crowned champions for the 13th time in their history and in a unique occurrence Al Qadsia administration disregarded the court’s decision and celebrated with their fans as champions of the league.
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SOME HISTORY
Hamad Tayar 12th November, 1999
“ It’s unbelievable! It seems to be AlTayyar’s day! What a beautiful play and what a beautiful header. ” Hammad Al Tayyar scored both goals in the final match of the qualifications to the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Kuwait went on to give one of its best performances in its football history.
Above: Getty Images | Karim Jaafar Quote courtesy of YouTube
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Mahmoud Abul Burghul
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NEWS
Records in Nottwil K u w a i t ’s A h m e d A l m u t a i r i s m a s h e s r e c o r d s i n N o t t w i l , Sw i t z e r l a n d
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eavy downfalls proved no problem to the wheelchair racers on the fourth morning of the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Switzerland. Ahmed Almutairi has previously set a new world record for the 200m at an IPC Grand Prix in Nottwil, Switzerland in 2015 and this year came back to set a new world record. Ahmad Almutairi brought the world record tally to 11 on the fourth morning of action (Sunday 29 May) in Nottwil, Switzerland, at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix. Almutairi lowered the world record mark he set in the heats on Friday as he won the men’s 200m T33 in 29.96, adding to his victory
Courtesy of Getty Images
over 400m on Saturday (28 May). The Kuwaiti set a new world record in the 200m here 12 months ago and he is clearly a fan of the Nottwil track, lowering that mark twice in the last three days. Al Mutarir is a Kuwaiti para-sport athlete who competes as a T33 classification track and field athlete and as a wheelchair basketball player, both at national level. He is a member of the Kuwait Disabled Sport Club and a gold medal winner in the Rio 2016 Paralympics and the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon.
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THE MOMENT
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Abdullah Maqdes Mohammad Ghareeb Abdullah Maqdes and Mohammad Ghareeb of Kuwait (L) compete against Christopher Rungkat and Sunu Wahyu Trijati of Indonesia (R) during the Davis Cup: Asia/Oceania Zone Group II match between Indonesia and Kuwait at Gelora Manahan Tennis Stadium Complex on April 8, 2017 in Solo City. Robertus Pudyanto | Getty Images
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LALA LAND
LALA LAND F o r t h e f i r s t t i m e K u w a i t q u a l i f i e s t o t h e X t e r r a Wo r l d C h a m p i o n s h i p s An inter view with Abdulaziz Al Rashed
Bader Al Sarraf
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bdulaziz Al Rashed, the 19-year-old triathlete who has recently taken the news world by storm after winning first place at Xterra Tahiti and qualifying to the Xterra World Championships in Maui. But it hasn’t all been praise and glory, there was some athletes that took to social media criticizing Al Rashed’s latest success in effort to take away from his accomplishment. The record setting triathlete talks to Fourteen about his latest experience at Xterra Tahiti and responds to his critics.
x t e r r a ta h i t i Xterra is not like anything else. It’s similar to the “Ironman” race but Xterra is off-road. It is more of a challenge then a race and not everybody finishes. The number of participants is a lot more than the number of people that finish the race. The course differs from venue to venue and the most difficult part of Xterra is the bike course because you have to be a mountain biker in order to get through the course. I participated in a Xterra race last summer and back then I participated just for the sake of the experience. I was not prepared at all back then and it didn’t faze me because I knew I was just trying it out and it’s going to a learning experience. It was truly the hardest course I have competed in and I fell off the bike several times and got injured but I soldiered on. Despite falling off the bike and cutting myself, I was still able to finish in second place. At the moment, I was certain of two things: 1) I loved it! It was something new that really challenged me. 2) I will be back next year and I will win it. Since then I have getting more familiar with mountain bikes and riskier tracks to prepare myself for this summer. Unfortunately, I struggled for months
Bader Al Sarraf
“ B e l i ev i n g i n G o d ’ s w i l l - i t ’ s w h a t a l w ay s ke e p s m e g o i n g ” ”
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“A l l K u w a i t i a t h l e t e s a s p i r e t o r e p r e s e n t t h e i r country ... I am proud to say that I had the o p p o r t u n i t y t o d o t h a t a n d I t o o k i t .” due to an injury and I was very hopeful that I would recover in time for the race. I always told my physio that I don’t care what she needs to do but I must make it to that race. I may have not been 100% but I was ready. It was not an easy ride. I had several complications before I could travel to Tahiti, I arrived the day before the race and I was jetlagged. My bike was lost in the airport and I only got everything in order 15 hours before the race started. Meanwhile all the other racers were there a week before the race and they all got a
Bader Al Sarraf
chance to explore the course. I tried to forget about all that and just focus on the race. When the race started I was doing alright for the 750 meters in the next 750 meters my body got stiff but I told myself that I have to just keep going and make it up on the bike course. On the bike, I was at my best I was passing the other racers and I was feeling great. After 15 km, my body started cramping up and I was running low on water. I stopped at a river and filled up my water bottle
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and my camelback and kept going. At that point, you begin to realize that you don’t care where everyone else is and that challenge is finishing the race. After the bike course, I had a 6-km uphill run and then a 1 km straight shot to the finish line. I dragged myself through the uphill run and at the 1 km mark I saw my friend screaming and cheering me on. That pushed me to simply conjure up whatever is left in my body to just cross the finish line. As soon as I crossed the finish line my legs gave up and I laid down on the floor. I was
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so relieved and proud that I finished the race, it was the hardest course that I have ever competed in. Right after finishing the race two of the organizers came to me and to my surprise they were congratulating for
finishing in first place and qualifying to the world championships. I was exhausted and I wasn’t registering what they were saying. I kept on asking them if they were sure because I couldn’t believe it! They gave me a certificate that said I qualified to the
world championships and they told me that they haven’t had an Arab qualify to the world championships before. At the point was ecstatic because I have always wanted to compete in the world championships, I honestly wasn’t consumed by being the first Arab to qualify, to me what mattered is that I achieved my goal and I am going to the world championships.
reception I was overawed by the amount of emotional support that I received from the Kuwaiti people, to be mentioned in many of their social media accounts and to be congratulated by them is an honor I will carry with me throughout my career. Moreover, I am even more thankful for our brothers in the GCC that congratulated me and celebrated with us our success. Above all, I am humbled and overawed by the immense support that I received from HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, and Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Marzouq Ali Al Ghanim. I am proud to say that I did that, and I support everyone who is willing to travel to compete in Kuwait’s name and I will applaud and celebrate their success when they win. As for some of the backlash, I am not fazed by the people who were trying to belittle my achievement through posts on social media. I am not here to criticize anyone or hit back at anybody, everybody is responsible for their own actions. I prepared, competed and qualified in a race that is recognized
“Sometimes you d o n’ t n e e d a plan, you just n e e d c o u r a g e .” Bader Al Sarraf
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“ I a m n o t h e r e t o c r i t i c i z e o r t r y t o g e t b a c k a t a nyo n e ; eve r yo n e i s r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e i r o w n a c t i o n s .” globally and I won first place in my category and qualified for the Xterra world Championship. I really don’t see where the problem is, all Kuwaiti athletes aspire to do is represent their country in competitions around the world. XTERRA is the world’s premier off-road multisport event. An extreme competition, the XTERRA format combines swimming with mountain biking and trail running. It has been described as one part triathlon, one part mountain bike race, and one part “survival of the fittest”
Bader Al Sarraf
. Our main goal now is to prepare for whats to come, we are certain now that we took everything to the next level. My daily routine currently mainly focuses on my training for the World Championship that will be held at Maui, Hawaii in October. After the achievement in Tahiti we realized that everything has escalated quickly and now we are at whole other level. Thankfully with the help of my team and the sponsors our hope is that we achieve all our goals in the upcoming races, and continue raising the
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Kuwaiti flag in more competitions to come. Maui we are coming!
w h at ’ s n e x t I will be competing in the Xterra world championships in 4 months and I have started rehabilitating my body and preparing myself for the next challenge. Moreover, I hope to qualify to the Asian games next summer in Jakarta and participate either as a cyclist or a triathlete.
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THE MOMENT
bader al mutawa Team captain Bader Al Mutawa celebrates with Qadsia fans after scoring his team’s second goal vs. Kuwait SC in the 29th round of the Kuwait VIVA Football league. The match took place in Kuwait Club Stadium in Kaifan on the 21st of May, 2017. Sportspirit.com
AL-RODHAN
EMBRACING MOMENTS 3 8 t h A n n u a l A l Ro u d a n F o o t b a l l To u r n a m e n t 2 0 1 7 Editorial by Four teen
Left: Courtesy of sportnews.sa
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“I hope that playing in Al Rodhan will be my lucky charm and Real Madrid wins the league next year.”
- Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid),
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l Ro u d a n R a m a d a n football tournament has a special place in the hearts of all football fans in Kuwait. Whether they are playing, organizing, sponsoring or just watching the tournament everyone anxiously awaits the tournament’s kick off. The tournament was founded initially by the families and youth of Al Daeiya as an an embodiment of the feelings of loyalty
Courtesy of alroudanfootball.com
2016
and gratitude to a generation that has given everything to their country. The persistence of this legacy portrays beyond any doubt the current youth’s desire and intention to connect with their forefathers and instill the same values that their forefathers implanted in this tournament. Al Roudan Ramadan football tournament has been through several milestones since its inception, converting a local
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Ramadan football tournament to a venue for the biggest names in world football to compete.
the concept The man behind the idea was Hasan Kamal who used to host a Ramadan tournament for the youth of Kuwait in one of the clay football fields called “Al Khaleej” in Al Daeiya block 4. In the 1970s the competition was held in an
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“I have heard a lot about how Al Rodhan is one of the best tournaments with some of the best teams and talents”
- Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine Legend),
informal manner and was organized by a group of volunteers. The only sponsor was Al Daeiya Co-op who provided prizes and medals for teams and players. The prizes were provided by Nasser Abdullah Al Roudan who was the vice president of Al Daeiya Co-op 1976-1977.
Courtesy of alroudanfootball.com Courtesy of alsadaranewss.com
2015
To commemorate the memory of the late Abdullah Meshari Al Roudan may he rest in peace, who passed on the 30th of December 1979. In 1980, Al Roudan family decided to adopt the Ramadan tournament and fund and organize the tournament every year. Al Roudan family then changed the name
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of the tournament from “Al Daeiya Tournament” and named it after the late Abdullah Meshari Al Roudan.
i t s d e v e lo p m e n t Since then the tournament has flourished and some of the strongest teams
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FORMER CHAMPIONS:
1980 Al Jawazat 1981 Al Daeiya 1982 Al Jawazat 1983 Zayed 1984 Al Tabeq Al Khames 1985 Abu Salem 1986 Abu Eissa 1987 Alwan 1988 Al Jawazat 1989 Al Daeiya Youth Center 1990 Al Jawazat 1992 POW Hussain Qumair 1993 Youth Sports Center 1994 Finesco 1995 Sameer Saeed 1996 POW Abdullah Al Omar 1997 Al Mokhtafi 1998 Al Jawazat 1999 Al Jawazat 2000 Al Yahya
and local football stars became regular participants. The tournament continued to grow and year after year the tournament would host the best players in football clubs and the Kuwait national team. From the beginning of 1988 to 1990 the tournament was held in Al Daeiya Youth Center and the tournament became more organized and invitations were sent to the most prestigious celebrities in the country. The tournament’s importance, coverage, and exposure grew as it was moved to Al Daeiya Youth Center. The organizing committee brought in better referees, invited the president of the Kuwait Football Association (KFA), and injected more football stars in the competition. All of these changes increased the legitimacy of the tournament and gave it a more professional
Courtesy of alroudanfootball.com
look than what it used to be. The tournament became official in 1990 after the martyr Sheikh Fahad Al Ahmed Al Sabah decided to support the competition by providing the competition with referees from the federation and became a recognized tournament by the KFA. The tournament was not held in 1991 as a result of the Iraqi invasion. In 1992, after Kuwait was liberated the tournament was held in Al Arabi club for one year. In 1993, the tournament was moved back to its hometown Al Daeiya and was held in Sheikh Fahad Al Ahmed Al Sabah handball court. Since then, Sheikh Fahad Al Ahmed Al Sabah handball court has become the home Al Roudhan Ramadan football tournament.
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2001 South Iran 2002 Al Yahya 2003 Al Jawazat 2004 (M) Musaed Al Dosari 2005 (L) Mohammed Al Mulla 2006 Sherman 2007 Wataniya Telecom 2008 Al Zumoradah 2009 (L) Mohammed Abdulmohsen Al Khorafi 2010 (L) Mohammed Al Khorafi 2011 (L) Ahmed Al Roumi 2013 Blues 2014 Gulf Cables 2015 Lilly Whites 2016 Gulf Cables
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Ramadan Kareem
info@montys.me montysbakery
9982 7300
THE MOMENT
Fahad Al Musallam Fahad Al Musallam of Kuwait in action during day one of the Dubai International Baja on March 10, 2017 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Francois Nel | Getty Images
HIGHLIGHT
Courtesy of ShutterStock
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CARBOHYDRATES: FRIEND OR FOE? Written by Faisal Al Shawa | Founder of Believe Nutrition
“C
Carbohydrate Quantities
arbohydrates – the nutrient that spurs on discussions and triggers myths. So much is said about carbohydrates. Are they good for us? How much do we need? Do they make us fat? The truth is, carbohydrates are an important nutrient we need for a healthy and balanced diet. You just have to eat the right types, in the right quantities and at the right times.
Other than the fact that people tend to eat the unhealthy carbohydrates, the quantity eaten also poses issues. For me, carbohydrates intake should be monitored closely. Why? Because an excess carbohydrate intake can lead to fat storage.
Carbohydrate Types
Another way to control your carbohydrates intake is through matching your exercise intensity with the amount you eat. Think of carbohydrates as energy. The more energy you need, the more carbohydrates you need. Putting this into context, on days that you exercise more intensely or exercise twice a day, increase your carbohydrates intake. Low intensity exercise days calls for a lower carbohydrates intake, and perhaps complete rest days require no carbohydrates at all.
Simply put, carbohydrates are not bad for you – you just have to eat the right types! You’re first step to being healthy is removing the refined and simple carbohydrates, which means anything from table sugar to white bread/rice/ pasta. Sweets and candy should also be out of the question. Instead, include more complex carbohydrate sources such as whole grains and brown bread/rice/pasta. These are the carbohydrate types that can actually benefit your health and exercise and should be included within your diet.
Following textbook guidelines, women should be eating 1 portion of carbohydrates equivalent to the size of their close fist at every main meal, whereas men should eat 2 portions the size of their closed fist.
Carbohydrate Timing
Being smart with your carbohydrates doesn’t only mean eating the right types and quantities, but knowing
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when to eat them as well. Hence, the timing of your carbohydrates intake is essential. From an exercise perspective, consuming carbohydrates 1-2 hours before your exercise will help properly fuel your workout. After exercise, consuming carbohydrates 30min – 1 hour will help recover your muscles and enhance performance and exercise adaptations. Moreover, you may very well improve your body composition if the timing of your carbohydrates intake is appropriate. Meaning, consume most of your carbohydrates in and around your exercise session. This way, you are using up the carbohydrates to fuel your workout, and replenishing lost carbohydrates that would have been used for energy during your workout, without really impacting body fat storage.
So, carbohydrates: friend or foe? I say friend. An important part of nutrition is being able to ‘carb-smart’. Carbing smart is exactly how I framed it above; choosing the right types and eating them in the right amounts at the right times. By doing so, you’ll be able to enjoy eating carbohydrates without feeling guilty!”
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UAAK
K
u w a i t C i t y, J u n e 3 r d , 2017: GUST men’s football team attended and won 1st at the 2017 Belgrade International University Sports Tournament (BeST) in Belgrade, Serbia. The tournament brought together 17 different universities from across Europe, Russia, Asia, and the Middle East to compete at an international level, experience different cultures, and forge international friendships. The BeST tournaments have been taking place every year in Belgrade for the past nine years. This is the
Courtesy of GUST
second year GUST has participated in this event, with two teams participating in last year’s Men’s Football and Women’s Futsal categories, which concluded with a 3rd place win for the Men’s Football team. On this occasion, Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Raghad Al Kazemi, said “We are very excited for this win, which is proof of our students’ dedication and persistence. This also follows the win of our women’s football team at the University Athletics Association of Kuwait (UAAK) championship this season. The sky is our limit now!”
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The standout team of the tournament was the GUST Men’s football team, who won 1st place at the competition, after challenging games against DIF University, Serbia, Rekreativo, Serbia, American College of Greece, and Sabanci University, Turkey. The final match was against FON University, Serbia where the team won on penalties after a last minute equalizer through full time. Representatives from the Kuwaiti Embassy also attended the matches in a show of support, and to see the GUST men’s football team in action. BeST Organizer, Sonja Milicevic, said,
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GUST TAKES GOLD IN SERBIA G U S T M e n ’s F o o t ba l l Te a m W i n s 1 s t P l a c e a t t h e 2 0 1 7 B e l g r a d e I n t e r n a t i o n a l U n i ve r s i t y S p o r t s To u r n a m e n t i n S e r b i a
“It is our pleasure to host GUST’s football team at Best for a second year. We were impressed by the team’s determination and display of fair play last year, which they were able to maintain and improve this year. Seeing them turn a loss into a win in the last minute of the final game just comes to show how much practice and hard work went into their preparations. We hope to host GUST again in our upcoming tournaments with more teams and more gold.” T h e te a m s p e nt e i g ht d ays i n Belgrade, and started training right upon arrival at the FK Partizan
training ground, one of the top local football clubs, which was arranged by the Kuwaiti embassy at Belgrade. G U S T At h l e t i c s D i re c to r, C ra i g Drennan, said, “Winning the Men’s Football Tournament in Belgrade at BeST2017 is an achievement that both GUST and Kuwait can be proud of. The win demonstrated that the skill level of our student athletes is as good as anywhere in the world, and it is a credit to the dedication and hard work of the team and their coach Mohammed Jaber Al Shemmery that they prevailed to win under difficult circumstances. It goes without saying
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that I am incredibly proud of our team and our staff who all played an important role in this victory. I hope that we can continue to provide our student athletes with the opportunity to compete in international tournaments as they provide important competitive, educational and cultural exchanges using the international language of sport.” Previous wins and achievements of GUST teams include a 1st place win at the 2015 UAAK Men’s Football Tournament, and another 1st place win at the 2015 UAAK Women’s Football Tournament.
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“We Create Players” Register Now
Season 9 (Sept. 2017)
WWWW.ACMILANKUWAIT.COM
THE EVENT
(SPONSORED)
Footb(All) W o m e n ’s F o o t b a l l To u r n a m e n t T h e 2 0 1 7 W o m e n ’s F o o t b a l l Tournament will be hosted at Jaber Al Ahmad Stadium fields in from June 4 -16 supported by the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) and the Public Authority for Sport (PAS). This is the second edition of the tournament, the tournament is open to all female football players in Kuwait, whether you have a team ready to challenge for the title or you are a football player ready to sign up as an individual.
turnout from the fans at every matchday and created an extraordinary footballing environment rivaling some of the oldest and best Ramadan tournaments in the country. This year the tournament has moved from Al Khaldiya to Jaber Al Ahmad Stadium field with 12 teams ready to compete for the title. Will Vamos win back the title, or will Kuwait Women’s Football League (KWFL) title holders Nady Al Fatat give them a run for their money. Don’t miss the action and come watch one of Ramadan’s best football tournaments.
Eighty Percent’s first tournament took place last Ramadan in June 2016. The tournament had an outstanding
Courtesy of 80 Percent
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GROUPS:
Group A Vamos, Target, ACK Group B Salwa Club, Wings, Jaguars Group C West Wing, Oyoun, Elevation Group D Fatat, GUST, Eighty %
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THE GYM
(SPONSORED)
TRAINING ATHLETES TO REACH THE TOP Strength Conditioning with Bader Al Ojairi
Fitness Lab’s very own Bader Al Ojairi talks to Fourteen about his strength and conditioning class offered in Fitness Lab. Bader received his physical preparation specialist certificate from the United States. Mentored by Joe DeFranco who’s training techniques have been featured on ESPN, Spike TV, NFL Network, WWE Network,
Courtesy of Fitness Lab
Men’s Health Magazine, Bader brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Fitness Lab community. Many people are mistaken and confuse strength conditioning with Cro s s Fit. Strength conditioning focuses on each athlete’s needs as oppose to CrossFit. We work with
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each athlete’s weakness whether its working on strength, speed, power, mobility, agility or sport-specific endurance strength. Which is very beneficial for athletes who are about to compete in a race or a competition because they need to work on their weak points in order to improve their performance.
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Moreover, strength conditioning changes your entire lifestyle. When I am working with athletes I first educate them on the fundamentals of stretching, recovery, restoration, and nutrition. The next step, we go over the fundamental movement patterns and breathing techniques to cover the basics and avoid injuries. Finally, after covering the fundamentals we begin working on strength conditioning. Once we get to the strength conditioning phase workouts become much
Courtesy of Fitness Lab
more specific. This is where athletes perform general physical preparation exercises such as squats, bench press, vertical jumps, deadlifts, etc. Then we start working on sports specific exercises (special strength training) which are tailored to the athlete’s specific sport and to reach that step athletes must master all the fundamentals to benefit from this stage. Sports specific exercises are very beneficial for athletes because it combines strength conditioning with their own sport. No athlete worth their
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salt can compete at the top level by practicing their sport without combine strength condition exercises. Combining the two is the perfect recipe for enhancing any athletes’ game. If you are an athlete that is not familiar with strength conditioning and are wondering why you are not finishing in the top 5 of your competition or how to intensify your training program then Fitness Lab’s Bader Al Ojairi strength conditioning class is your fix.
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