Saudi Sports Minister Meets with International Olympic Committee President

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Sports Minister Meets with International Olympic Committee President

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), met in Riyadh on Saturday with the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dr. Thomas Bach.

The visit marks Bach’s third since being elected as the IOC’s president in 2013.

It underscores the robust relationship between the two sides, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

This vision has positioned the Kingdom as a permanent hub for global sports through the hosting of several significant sporting events. Among these are the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games 2025, the Asian Winter Games TROJENA 2029, and the Asian Games Riyadh 2034, in addition to numerous championships and sporting events.



Musiala a Doubt with Illness Ahead of Bayern Munich's 1st Game of 2025

FILED - 06 April 2024, Baden-Württemberg, Heidenheim: Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich stand on the pitch before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Heidenheim and Bayern Munich at Voith-Arena. Photo: Tom Weller/dpa
FILED - 06 April 2024, Baden-Württemberg, Heidenheim: Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich stand on the pitch before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Heidenheim and Bayern Munich at Voith-Arena. Photo: Tom Weller/dpa
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Musiala a Doubt with Illness Ahead of Bayern Munich's 1st Game of 2025

FILED - 06 April 2024, Baden-Württemberg, Heidenheim: Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich stand on the pitch before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Heidenheim and Bayern Munich at Voith-Arena. Photo: Tom Weller/dpa
FILED - 06 April 2024, Baden-Württemberg, Heidenheim: Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich stand on the pitch before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Heidenheim and Bayern Munich at Voith-Arena. Photo: Tom Weller/dpa

Bayern Munich may have to cope without its standout attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala in its first game of the year after he caught the flu, The Associated Press reported.
Bayern said on Thursday that Musiala would have to “take a break for the time being” and couldn't train with the team ahead of playing Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday in the Bundesliga.
Musiala has 14 goals and six assists in 22 games across all competitions for Bayern this season. His nine goals tie him for fourth highest in the Bundesliga.
It's not clear who'll be in goal on Saturday after Daniel Peretz injured a kidney in training on Wednesday. Peretz had been covering for the injured Manuel Neuer before the winter break while Neuer recovered from a broken rib.
Peretz also played in a 6-0 friendly win over Austrian club Salzburg on Monday, when Neuer wasn’t in the squad. Long-time reserve Sven Ulreich could also be an option.
Bayern leads the Bundesliga by four points from last season's champion Bayer Leverkusen, which plays at Borussia Dortmund on Friday.