Sport

More Important than Life or Death? Middle East Sport News, Views, Analysis

 David Roberts

UAE Footy Team’s Backheel Penalty – Tut Tut…

UAE Footy Team’s Backheel Penalty – Tut Tut…

DAVID ROBERTS: To those that perhaps don’t understand football culture, this is a shoddy thing to do. And it’s far worse if you’re already 6-2 up.

 James M. Dorsey

Hammam Anticipates Ban; Possible Boycott

Hammam Anticipates Ban; Possible Boycott

JAMES M. DORSEY: 10 of the body’s 24 committee members, including Mr. Blatter, have been accused in the past 9 months of corruption or improper behaviour.

 James M. Dorsey

Etihad’s Controversial $642m City Deal

Etihad’s Controversial $642m City Deal

JAMES M. DORSEY: The agreement dwarfs Arsenal FC’s 2004 deal with Dubai’s Emirates Airways that was valued at $144 million over 15 years.

 James M. Dorsey

British Parliament Lashes Out At FIFA Handing of Qatari Bribery Claims

British Parliament Lashes Out At FIFA Handing of Qatari Bribery Claims

JAMES M. DORSEY: The UK parliamentary call for an independent investigation of the alleged Qatari bribery follows a similar call by the German FA.

 Mondoweiss

Gaza Summer Games Sets World Records Again

Gaza Summer Games Sets World Records Again

ANNIE, MONDOWEISS: Now in its fifth year the Gaza Summer Games provides a beacon of light for 250,000 students.

 Steve Royston

FIFA Needs a “Day of Rage” to Restore Faith

FIFA Needs a “Day of Rage” to Restore Faith

STEVE ROYSTON: As his formerly loyal colleagues turn on each other like rats in a cage, and Blatter lectures us like Hosni Mubarak, FIFA needs a day of rage.

 David Roberts

World Cup 2022: Looking Increasingly Ominous for Qatar

World Cup 2022: Looking Increasingly Ominous for Qatar

DAVID ROBERTS: With each new leaked email and each new comment by the key protagonists it becomes increasingly worrying for the Qatar 2022 team.

 Ramzy Baroud

The Spirit of Freedom that Drives Gaza’s Long-Distance Runner

The Spirit of Freedom that Drives Gaza’s Long-Distance Runner

RAMZY BAROUD: Nader al-Masri sporting deeds reflect the stubborness and perseverance of the Gazan people.

 James M. Dorsey

Bahrain Sportspeople Arrested, Sacked for Protests

Bahrain Sportspeople Arrested, Sacked for Protests

JAMES M. DORSEY: Bahraini sports clubs have dismissed at least 12 sports people and executives because they participated in anti-government demonstrations.

 James M. Dorsey

Soccer vs. Islam: The Battle for Egypt’s Future

Soccer vs. Islam: The Battle for Egypt’s Future

JAMES M. DORSEY: The calm with which Egyptians accepted defeat, contrasts starkly with riots that erupted on two continents in late 2009 when Algeria stopped Egypt making it to the 2010 World Cup.

 David Roberts

Qatar 2022: Fake Clouds, Solar Powered Shades

Qatar 2022: Fake Clouds, Solar Powered Shades

DAVID ROBERTS: Summer in Qatar is, as all of us who’ve experienced it know, not pleasant and the ideas to make it more amenable are pure science fiction.

 James M. Dorsey

Palestinian Emerges as Israeli Soccer Star

Palestinian Emerges as Israeli Soccer Star

JAMES M. DORSEY: Soccer is the one of the few things that lets Palestinians and Israelis at times look beyond their daily confrontations.

 James M. Dorsey

Foreign Players Threaten to Turn Backs on Egypt

Foreign Players Threaten to Turn Backs on Egypt

JAMES M. DORSEY: Several Ittihad players failed to show up for training last week after the club had been unable to pay their housing rents. Cameroonian striker Edet Otobong was evicted from his home.

 James M. Dorsey

The ‘Is It All Back to Normal?’ Test: Is the Footy On?

The ‘Is It All Back to Normal?’ Test: Is the Footy On?

JAMES M. DORSEY: Tunisian and Egyptian reluctance to restart football reflects the changing role of soccer and the sense of empowerment felt by fans.

 James M. Dorsey

Gadaffi Son a Study in using Sport for Politics

Gadaffi Son a Study in using Sport for Politics

JAMES M. DORSEY: Gadaffi’s controversial soccer-playing son, Saadi, offers a study in the use of soccer by authoritarian Arab regimes to distract attention from real issues.

 James M. Dorsey

New Libyan Stadium Sets Stage for Confrontation

New Libyan Stadium Sets Stage for Confrontation

JAMES DORSEY: Gaddafi intends the opening of the Benghazi stadium to be a show of popular support, but activists fear it could become the setting for clashes.

 James M. Dorsey

Al Ahly Opposes Matches in Support of Protesters

Al Ahly Opposes Matches in Support of Protesters

JAMES DORSEY: Al Ahly SC has publicly rejected plans by the Egyptian Football Association, to restart suspended league matches behind closed doors.

 James M. Dorsey

Iran Postpones Tehran Football Matches

Iran Postpones Tehran Football Matches

JAMES DORSEY: Iran’s Football Federation has postponed league matches in Tehran to prevent celebrations of the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic revolution turning into anti-government protests.

 James M. Dorsey

FIFA Concedes Traded Votes in World Cup Bids

FIFA Concedes Traded Votes in World Cup Bids

JAMES DORSEY: If Blatter’s admission is correct, those votes would account for seven of the 12 votes that won Qatar its right to host the world’s biggest sporting event.

 David Roberts

Asian Cup Woes A Gift for Qatar 2022 Critics

Asian Cup Woes A Gift for Qatar 2022 Critics

DAVID ROBERTS: Huge queues, chronic transportation, empty seats and a less than fulsome welcome for travelling fans – a very long ‘To Do’ list for Qatar 2022.