Saudi Sport Minister Crowns GCAT Champion

The event featured the participation of 237 horses representing premier studs from around the world. Asharq Al-Awsat
The event featured the participation of 237 horses representing premier studs from around the world. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Sport Minister Crowns GCAT Champion

The event featured the participation of 237 horses representing premier studs from around the world. Asharq Al-Awsat
The event featured the participation of 237 horses representing premier studs from around the world. Asharq Al-Awsat

The final round of the Global Champions Arabians Tour concluded on Saturday in Riyadh as Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal crowned the mare AJ Kayya as the GCAT champion.

The event featured the participation of 237 horses representing premier studs from around the world.

Prince Abdulaziz crowned AJ Kayya as the GCAT champion after earning the highest points across the series, which spanned seven Gulf and European cities, culminating in Riyadh.

Additionally, the colt D Burkan was recognized for achieving the highest cumulative points across all rounds of the competition, while Saudi handler Azzam Al-Qassem was awarded best handler during the final round in Riyadh.

The championship began in February in Doha, Qatar, and continued through five other cities: Abu Dhabi (UAE), Muscat (Oman), Cannes (France), Valkenswaard (Netherlands), and Rome (Italy).

The competition brought together the world’s most prestigious Arabian horse stables, with Riyadh hosting an intense final round to determine the overall champion.

This event aimed to raise the standard of Arabian horse shows, foster high-level competition, promote cultural exchange, provide competitive opportunities, and encourage investment in the Arabian horse sector. These efforts align with the Ministry of Sports’ mission to achieve the sports objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.



Rafael Nadal and Spain’s Davis Cup Captain Won’t Say Whether He’ll Play before Retirement

Tennis - Davis Cup Finals - Preview - Hotel Higueron Resort, Malaga, Spain - November 18, 2024 Spain's Rafael Nadal during a press conference. (Reuters)
Tennis - Davis Cup Finals - Preview - Hotel Higueron Resort, Malaga, Spain - November 18, 2024 Spain's Rafael Nadal during a press conference. (Reuters)
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Rafael Nadal and Spain’s Davis Cup Captain Won’t Say Whether He’ll Play before Retirement

Tennis - Davis Cup Finals - Preview - Hotel Higueron Resort, Malaga, Spain - November 18, 2024 Spain's Rafael Nadal during a press conference. (Reuters)
Tennis - Davis Cup Finals - Preview - Hotel Higueron Resort, Malaga, Spain - November 18, 2024 Spain's Rafael Nadal during a press conference. (Reuters)

Neither Rafael Nadal nor Spanish captain David Ferrer would say Monday whether the 22-time Grand Slam champion will play singles or doubles — or even at all — at the Davis Cup Final 8, his last event before retirement.

Spain is scheduled to face the Netherlands on Tuesday in the quarterfinals on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena. The winner will play in the semifinals on Friday. The championship will be decided on Sunday.

Asked at a news conference how he has been feeling in practice in recent days and whether he is ready to play, Nadal said: "That’s a question for the captain." That response drew a smile and laugh from Ferrer, sitting to Nadal's left.

Moments later at a hotel in Fuengirola, about 12 miles south of the arena in Malaga, the question of Nadal's participation was put to Ferrer.

"I don’t know yet," Ferrer said. "At the moment, I have not decided the players that are going to play tomorrow."

The 38-year-old Nadal announced last month that he would walk away from tennis after the Davis Cup at home in Spain. He has been dealing with a series of injuries the past two seasons and has been limited to fewer than 25 official matches in that span.

"I'm not here to retire. I’m here to help the team win. It’s my last week in a team competition and the most important thing is to help the team. The emotions will come later," said Nadal, wearing the squad's red polo shirt with a tiny red-and-yellow Spanish flag on the left sleeve.

"I’m enjoying the week. I’m not putting too much attention to the retirement," Nadal said. "It will be a big change in my life after this week."

Nadal said it doesn't "make sense to keep going knowing that I don’t have the real chance to be competitive the way that I like to be competitive because my body" won’t allow it.

He hasn't played an official match since the Paris Olympics in early August. He lost in the second round of singles to Novak Djokovic and in the quarterfinals of doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.

"I’ve tried to prepare as hard as possible for the last month and a half. I’m trying to give my best for this event," Nadal said. "When you don’t compete so often, it’s difficult to maintain the level consistently. But the improvement is there every day. I believe that."

Spain's Davis Cup team also includes Alcaraz, Marcel Granollers, Roberto Bautista Agut and Pedro Martinez.