Saudi Arabia’s Participation in Paris Olympics Part of Quality of Life Program, Al-Bakr Says

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
TT

Saudi Arabia’s Participation in Paris Olympics Part of Quality of Life Program, Al-Bakr Says

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)

CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Quality of Life Program Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Bakr said on Friday the Kingdom’s participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is part of integrated and comprehensive efforts to build a distinguished future for the sports sector in the Kingdom.

This will help reach the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in achieving sports excellence and building a vital and stimulating sports sector for young Saudi men and women.

Al-Bakr said the participation reflects the support of the country’s wise leadership for the sports sector, as well as the efforts made by the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee to develop the sector under the supervision of Sports Minister and Chairman of the Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal.

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program, which is “achieving excellence in several sports regionally and globally” by launching several initiatives on supporting and empowering Saudi athletes and contributing to increasing the number of athletes participating in the Olympic Games.

Since its launch in 2018, the program has offered many initiatives to develop the sports sector, Al-Bakr said. He cited the Elite Athletes Development Program, which trained and empowered Saudi players participating in the Paris Olympics, in addition to initiatives concerned with supporting and empowering women to contribute to the sports system, the Saudi Games, and building sports academies, including the establishment of Mahd Academy.

The program seeks to discover, develop, and support sports talents with the aim of creating a sports generation capable of competing in and representing the Kingdom in various regional and international events, he added.



Goran Ivanisevic Says He No Longer Will Be Coaching Elena Rybakina After the Australian Open 

Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)
Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)
TT

Goran Ivanisevic Says He No Longer Will Be Coaching Elena Rybakina After the Australian Open 

Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)
Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)

Goran Ivanisevic's brief stint as 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina's coach is over now that she is out of the Australian Open.

Ivanisevic, a Wimbledon winner himself in 2001, posted a brief statement on social media Tuesday, saying: “After our trial period that finished with Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team best of luck moving forward.”

The sixth-seeded Rybakina, a runner-up in Australia two years ago, was eliminated in the fourth round by Madison Keys on Monday.

Rybakina's coaching situation is complicated: She announced right before last year’s US Open that she no longer was working with her long-time coach, Stefano Vukov, and hired Ivanisevic ahead of this season.

Then, just before the Australian Open, Rybakina said Vukov would be rejoining her team — and the WTA Tour said Vukov was provisionally suspended, “pending an independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA code of conduct.”

Ivanisevic coached Novak Djokovic to a dozen Grand Slam titles together before they split in March 2024.