UAE: National Sports Strategy 2031 Reflects Importance of Sports Sector

Sheikh Ahmed said the new strategy reflects the importance the leadership places on the growth of the sports sector. WAM
Sheikh Ahmed said the new strategy reflects the importance the leadership places on the growth of the sports sector. WAM
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UAE: National Sports Strategy 2031 Reflects Importance of Sports Sector

Sheikh Ahmed said the new strategy reflects the importance the leadership places on the growth of the sports sector. WAM
Sheikh Ahmed said the new strategy reflects the importance the leadership places on the growth of the sports sector. WAM

Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the UAE National Olympic Committee (NOC), hailed the decision of the UAE Cabinet chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to approve the National Sports Strategy 2031.

Sheikh Ahmed said the new strategy reflects the importance the leadership places on the growth of the sports sector and its role in advancing the nation’s prosperity and welfare.

He praised the strategy, which seeks to implement 17 initiatives in the coming years. The objectives of these initiatives include developing sports professionals, discovering talented athletes in schools, upgrading the sports education methodology, enhancing regulations governing the sector, and raising the proportion of people practicing diverse sports to 71% of the population.

He also said that efforts to develop sports professionals are aligned with the NOC’s efforts to prepare professional athletes for major regional and international competitions, in accordance with the criteria set by the Committee.

He further said the Committee’s efforts have been instrumental in increasing the proportion of people practicing different sports to 71% of the population by 2031.

The NOC has launched many initiatives to promote sports in the community, he added.



King Khalid Racecourse Hosts SAR2.8 Million Weekend Horse Races in Taif

The program includes 11 races each evening - SPA
The program includes 11 races each evening - SPA
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King Khalid Racecourse Hosts SAR2.8 Million Weekend Horse Races in Taif

The program includes 11 races each evening - SPA
The program includes 11 races each evening - SPA

Competitions for the ninth week of the 2026 Taif horse racing season will kick off Friday at King Khalid Racecourse, featuring 22 races across Friday and Saturday with total prize money amounting to SAR2.8 million.

The program includes 11 races each evening. Friday's card is headlined by three 1,200-meter sprint championship cups, each offering a purse of SAR250,000, according to SPA.

Saturday's racing features the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia's 1,400-meter races for fillies and colts sold at the 2025 auction, with a purse of SAR450,000 allocated for each race.


Bournemouth Begins European Campaign Against Real Sociedad, Man City Meets Norwich in League Cup

Bournemouth Begins European Campaign Against Real Sociedad, Man City Meets Norwich in League Cup
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Bournemouth Begins European Campaign Against Real Sociedad, Man City Meets Norwich in League Cup

Bournemouth Begins European Campaign Against Real Sociedad, Man City Meets Norwich in League Cup

Bournemouth kicks off its first European campaign at Spanish side Real Sociedad in the Europa League on Thursday.

Bournemouth enjoyed a record season to finish sixth in the Premier League and Marco Rose’s side hopes its opening European game in San Sebastian is a chance to put behind a slow and winless start to this campaign.

“We need to stay humble and concentrate on each game,” Bournemouth captain Adam Smith said, according to The Associated Press. “But definitely our aim is to try to get as far as possible.”

Real Sociedad returns to Europe after a one-year absence. It qualified for the competition by claiming the Spanish Cup for the fourth time.

Another English club, Crystal Palace, opens its European campaign against Polish champion Lech Poznań after winning the third-tier Conference League last season.

In other games, Italian giant Juventus faces Dutch side Nijmegen, Besiktas hosts Marseille and Celtic plays Ferencváros in Glasgow.

The opening round of matches is split into two days.

On Wednesday, Benfica upset AC Milan 2-0 at San Siro, Sunderland beat visiting AZ Alkmaar 1-0 in its first European match since 1973 and Lyon won 2-1 at Anderlecht.

Elsewhere, Manchester City faces Championship-side Norwich to complete the third round of the League Cup in England.

In Spain, Real Betis meets Getafe and Malaga plays Villarreal in La Liga.


Klopp Calls Up 44 Players in Huge First Germany Squad

17 September 2026, Hesse, Frankfurt am Main: Germany national team coach Jurgen Klopp speaks during a press conference to announce the squad for Germany's first UEFA Nations League matches. Photo: Boris Roessler/dpa
17 September 2026, Hesse, Frankfurt am Main: Germany national team coach Jurgen Klopp speaks during a press conference to announce the squad for Germany's first UEFA Nations League matches. Photo: Boris Roessler/dpa
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Klopp Calls Up 44 Players in Huge First Germany Squad

17 September 2026, Hesse, Frankfurt am Main: Germany national team coach Jurgen Klopp speaks during a press conference to announce the squad for Germany's first UEFA Nations League matches. Photo: Boris Roessler/dpa
17 September 2026, Hesse, Frankfurt am Main: Germany national team coach Jurgen Klopp speaks during a press conference to announce the squad for Germany's first UEFA Nations League matches. Photo: Boris Roessler/dpa

Germany coach Jurgen Klopp handed 16 players their first call-ups on Thursday as he unveiled a 44-man squad for his first camp since taking over as coach in the summer.

Teams are restricted to naming 20 outfield players and three goalkeepers for each match but the former Liverpool manager took the unusual step of naming a larger squad.

Klopp has split the group into two separate squads for Germany's four upcoming Nations League fixtures.

The first group will be available for the games fixtures against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 and at home to Greece three days later in Augsburg.

The second group will be available for Germany's matches against Serbia in Munich on October 1 and Greece in Thessaloniki on October 4.

Klopp was named as the replacement for Julian Nagelsmann in July after the four-time World Cup winners were eliminated at the last-32 stage at the 2026 World Cup, their third successive early exit from the tournament.

Leroy Sane, Deniz Undav, Leon Goretzka and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann have been left out, while veterans Manuel Neuer and Antonio Rudiger have since retired from international football.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be Germany's number one option in goal.

Ter Stegen left Barcelona for Ajax on a season-long loan in the summer after a torrid run of injuries which restricted him to just 12 competitive matches in the past two years.

Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich, the most experienced member of the squad with 114 caps, has retained the captain's armband.

The 31-year-old is set to move from right-back to central midfield, where he plays at club level.

Undav, one of the few bright spots for Germany at the World Cup, has been omitted. German media reported the former Brighton forward will be given time off to recover from an Achilles tendon injury.

Among the 16 potential debutants are Eintracht Frankfurt's Younes Ebnoutalib, who was in the second division a season ago, along with Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch, Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt and Celtic midfielder Mika Baur.

Squad for Netherlands and Greece games in September

Goalkeepers: Finn Dahmen (Augsburg), Alexander Nuebel (Besiktas/TUR), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Ajax/NED)

Defense: Hennes Behrens (Augsburg), Yann Aurel Bisseck (Inter Milan/ITA), Nathaniel Brown (Bayern Munich), Max Rosenfelder (Freiburg), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Philipp Treu (Freiburg), Josha Vagnoman (Stuttgart)
Midfield: Nadiem Amiri (Mainz), Bambase Conte (Hoffenheim), Yannik Engelhardt (Freiburg), Chris Fuehrich (Stuttgart), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Schade (Brentford/ENG), Anton Stach (Leeds United/ENG)

Forwards: Younes Ebnoutalib (Eintracht Frankfurt), Kai Havertz (Arsenal)

Squad for Serbia and Greece games in October

Goalkeepers: Noah Atubolu (Eintracht Frankfurt), Finn Dahmen (Augsburg), Jonas Urbig (Bayern Munich)

Defense: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Ridle Baku (RB Leipzig), Finn Jeltsch (Stuttgart), Maximilian Mittelstaedt (Stuttgart), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United/ENG)

Midfield: Karim Adeyemi (Barcelona), Mika Baur (Celtic/SCO), Tom Bischof (Bayern Munich), Said El Mala (Cologne), Brajan Gruda (RB Leipzig), Vitaly Janelt (Brentford/ENG), Felix Keidel (Elversberg), Aleksander Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Derry Scherhant (Freiburg), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool/ENG)

Forwards: Jonathan Burkardt (Eintracht Frankfurt), Nick Woltemade (Juventus/ITA)