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Revenues of Saudi Non-Governmental League Hits SR1.1 billion in 2021, Says Sports Minister

Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Revenues of Saudi Non-Governmental League Hits SR1.1 billion in 2021, Says Sports Minister

Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal on Sunday revealed many goals that the Kingdom will be working on during 2022, foremost of which is the launch of a national strategy for sports and raising private sector contribution in the sports sector.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia will continue to discover talent, host international sports events, and increase the number of licenses granted for halls, centers, academies, and sports clubs.

Besides increasing the number of direct jobs in the sector, the Kingdom will work to boost the number of women’s teams to 35 in several games.

At a post-budget media forum in Riyadh on Monday, Prince Abdulaziz pointed out the many achievements that were made for the sports sector in 2021 despite the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

He noted that his ministry’s priorities included encouraging citizens and residents to exercise sports, creating talent, developing elite athletes, promoting the sports sector in developing the economy, and hosting international and global events.

Prince Abdulaziz explained that the total value of non-governmental revenues for the Prince Mohammad bin Salman League during the last two years amounted to more than SR1.8 billion, indicating that the revenues of 2021 reached more than SR1.1 billion riyals.

Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sport is reviewing 100 applications from private investors to open different sports projects in the Kingdom.

The sports minister said his ministry approved 30 new licenses for different sports projects in the private sector.

The ministry owns 170 local clubs, and it plans to increase this with private investors, he added saying, the Kingdom wants to raise the contribution of sports to the gross domestic product to 1.2 % by 2030.

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Rare Pudu Birth in Argentina Sparks Conservation Hopes for Tiny Enigmatic Deer

A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)
A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)
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Rare Pudu Birth in Argentina Sparks Conservation Hopes for Tiny Enigmatic Deer

A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)
A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)

A rare pudu fawn was born in a biopark in Argentina earlier this month, giving scientists and conservationists a unique chance to study and collect data on the tiny enigmatic deer.

Weighing just 1.21 kg (2.7 lbs), the delicate, fragile and white-spotted male pudu fawn was named Lenga after a tree species endemic to the Andean Patagonian forest of Chile and Argentina.

"It's a very enigmatic animal, it's not easy to see," said Maximiliano Krause, Lenga's caretaker at the Temaiken Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving wild species.

Pudus are one of the smallest deer species in the world, growing up to 50-cm (20-inches) tall and weighing up to 12 kg (26.5 lbs).

At just a fraction of that weight, Krause says Lenga is spending his days exploring the park with his mother Chalten and father Nicolino. Lenga is breastfeeding for the first two months until he can handle a herbivorous diet.

After that, Lenga will lose his white spots that help fawns camouflage themselves in their environment. Krause says the mottled color helps the tiny baby deer hide from both daytime and nighttime predators. At about one year, pudus develop antlers and reach up to 10 cm (4 inches).

Pudus are very elusive animals and flee in zig-zags when chased by predators. The tiny deer also face threats from wild dogs and species introduced into southern Argentina and Chile. Only about 10,000 pudus remain and are classified as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

"This pudu birth is obviously a joy for us," said Cristian Guillet, director of zoological operations at the Temaiken Foundation.

Guillet said that Lenga will help them research and gather data that will help conservation efforts for pudus and other Patagonian deer, like the huemul.

"(This) offers hope of saving them from extinction," Guillet said.