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Saudi Arabia Presents Bid to Host 2025 Olympic Esports Games

File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia Presents Bid to Host 2025 Olympic Esports Games

File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat

The 142nd session of the International Olympic Committee (142nd IOC Session), held on Tuesday in Paris, reviewed Saudi Arabia's bid to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2025.
The session was chaired by IOC President Dr. Thomas Bach and attended by IOC members.
President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, delivered a presentation during the session on Saudi Arabia's readiness and vision for hosting this historic and unprecedented event, SPA reported.
He detailed the Kingdom's capabilities, noting that it has hosted over 100 international sports events since the launch of the Saudi Vision 2030.
Moreover, IOC member Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, reviewed the significant roles of sports in the Kingdom, highlighting its contributions to sustainability and enhancing global sports standards.
The session commended Saudi Arabia's bid to host the games, affirming that the Kingdom is the best choice for hosting the inaugural Olympic Esports Games due to its expertise and skills in this field.
The official Saudi delegation at the session included SOPC Vice President and Head of the Saudi Delegation to the Paris Olympics Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed; Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan; and the CEO and Secretary General of the SOPC, Abdulaziz Baeshen.

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Paris Olympics: What to Know and Who to Watch during the Men's Soccer Competition

A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics (The AP)
A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics (The AP)
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Paris Olympics: What to Know and Who to Watch during the Men's Soccer Competition

A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics (The AP)
A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics (The AP)

A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics, according to The AP.

Athletes to Watch —Michael Olise, France: After scoring 10 goals for Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season, the thrilling forward was signed by German giant Bayern Munich. Born in London, he chose to represent France and is likely to become an important part of the senior team if he impresses at Bayern.

—Kevin Paredes, United States: USA's young player of the year in 2023 is gaining attention and has joined the likes of Vinicius Junior and Kevin De Bruyne by signing with Jay-Z's Roc Nation sports agency. Capable of playing at left back or as a winger, the Wolfsburg player already has broken through to the United States' senior national team.

—Claudio Echeverri, Argentina: The 18-year-old Echeverri's potential already has been spotted by Manchester City, and he will complete a move to the Premier League team ahead of next season. An attacking midfielder, he helped Argentina reach the semifinals of the U17 World Cup and could be one of the star players at the Olympics.

Storylines to Follow —The US men's national team is back at the Games for the first time since 2008. The Americans benefited from soccer's regional governing body CONCACAF deciding to make the 2022 edition of its Under-20 Championship a qualifying event for the Olympics. The US won it for a third time in a row to book its place for Paris. It faces host nation France in its opening game of the tournament.

—Israel has waited even longer to make a return to the Games, having been absent since 1976. While that is a cause for celebration for the national team, there already have been calls from protestors in France for Israel’s participation to be limited because of the war in Gaza.

—World champion Argentina can add to a glorious era of success by winning gold in Paris. Argentina won the 2021 Copa America and then won the World Cup a year later in Qatar. It successfully defended the Copa America in the United States before the Games and Olympic gold would complete the set over a spectacular three-year period.

—The Olympics has produced unlikely gold medalists in men's soccer such as Nigeria and Cameroon. Will there be another surprise package in Paris? Perhaps Morocco, which finished a surprising fourth at the 2022 World Cup, will go on another run.

Key Dates The tournament begins on July 24, with France taking on the United States and Argentina facing Morocco in the biggest games of the day. The final is on Aug. 9 at Parc des Princes in Paris.

Reigning Champion Brazil (Did not qualify).