Category: Sports

A friend is hosting a huge outdoor Zumba event this coming Tuesday. She holds a Zumba event every year and this year she’s bringing Ecem Kuntay and Didem Zeybek (pictured above) as her special guests. If you’re interested in taking part then click [Here] for more details.

As usual, I always have to link to my friends video of her impromptu dance in Japan with a bunch of strangers. You can watch that [Here]

I just found out that the Kuwait Open 9-Ball Championship is currently taking place. I’m not a big fan of pool but this looks like a legit setup, no idea why it wasn’t advertised properly. The video above is from the opening day which was October 24th and its a 10 day tournament so its ongoing until November 5th.

The Kuwait Open 9-Ball Championship is sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) and has the highest prize money and highest ranking points. The total prize money amounts to $275,000.

If you’d like more information on this event, click [Here]

Thanks Raoul

I’ve posted about ordering supplements online before because of how ridiculously inflated the local prices are. The last time I posted about ordering supplements online I was recommending Amazon but since then I’ve found a new alternative, Sporter.

Sporter has been around for awhile now, even before my previous post in which I was recommending Amazon. But the reason I never wrote about them was because their prices weren’t that much cheaper than the local prices and they were still double that of Amazon. Things have changed recently and I have a theory to why.

I think previously they had a warehouse in Kuwait with the products housed there which meant they had to purchase the supplements from local suppliers with their inflated prices. So the products they sold on their website cost similarly to the products sold locally. Now I’m assuming they shut down their local warehouse since the items are now getting shipped to you directly from the UAE via DHL. So they’re selling the items closer to UAE pricing.

I tried them last week since I ran out of ZMA and they didn’t have my brand available locally. When I looked at possibly getting ZMA from a different brand, their prices were more than double those listed on Sporter. I usually get the Optimum Nutrition ZMA but I checked out “Muscle Pharm Z-Core PM” at the Oxygen store locally and they were selling it for KD14. On Amazon it was KD5 (without tax, shipping and local customs and clearance fees), while on Sporter it was for KD8.24 shipped to Kuwait. So nearly half the price of that of Oxygen and cheaper than if you ordered it from Amazon.

Not everything is priced as competitively but Sporter are now definitely a viable option to check before buying supplements locally. And because the products are coming in from UAE, you don’t pay any Kuwait customs, at leasts thats my theory since I didn’t have to pay DHL anything. Here is a link to [Sporter]

One of the oldest sports clubs in Kuwait is looking to recruit men and women for their rugby team. If you’re interested keep reading below for a small brief on who they are along with information on how to contact them:

Fancy playing rugby? Kuwait Scorpions is always looking to recruit new players. We have both male and female teams. Any level of experience is welcome. Please join us at the American International School (AIS) this coming Sunday from 6PM to 8PM and meet current members, play some touch rugby and get to know a bit about the sport. For more information contact Hussain Al-Helal at [email protected] or visit our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/q8scorpions/

With the upcoming 2016/2017 season fast approaching, Kuwait Scorpions Rugby Club is always looking for new recruits regardless of age, gender, or past rugby experience. Please join us at AIS this coming Sunday from 6-8pm to meet current members and play some touch rugby and get to know a bit about the sport.

A brief overview of Kuwait Scorpions Rugby Football Club (KSRFC)

• The Kuwait Scorpions are the oldest rugby club in the Middle East. Established in 1946 when Kuwait Oil Company and the British Army played the first ever recorded fixture in the region.

• The Kuwait Scorpions are a registered member of Gulf Rugby (formerly Arabian Gulf RFC) which is in turn affiliated with the IRB (International Rugby Board).

• The club consists of players from all around the world; we currently have players from the United Kingdom, Republic of Fiji, USA, Canada, Lebanon, Egypt, South Africa, as well as an increasing number of Kuwaiti players.

• The Kuwait Scorpions is not gender biased and has two main branches, the Men’s Senior Team and the Ladies Senior Team. In addition to the two main branches we have a Men’s Veteran Team that forms for special events.

• The Kuwait Scorpions Men are the defending Dubai 7’s Gulf Men’s Open Champions (2014).

Interested in becoming a Scorpion?
The Kuwait Scorpions would love to hear from you, regardless of your age, gender, or past rugby experience, Kuwait Scorpions Rugby Club provides a great way to keep fit, improve your rugby skills, socialise, and visit other countries around the Gulf region.
If interested, please don’t hesitate to contact Hussain Al-Helal at [email protected].

Instagram: @q8scorpions
Website: q8scorpions.teamapp.com/

To check out photos of the Kuwait Scorpions from the early 50s, click [Here]

Over the weekend, Kuwaiti athlete Ahmad Al-Mutairi came first in the men’s 100m athletics race at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Not only did he come first but he also broke the Paralympics record while doing so. This means Ahmad Al-Mutairi currently holds both the Paralympics and world record for the Men’s 100m – T33 event.

Ahmed broke the world record last year in Doha during the IPC Athletics World Championships and at the age of 22, is currently the youngest Kuwaiti athlete taking part in the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

In total there are currently 6 Kuwaitis taking part in the Rio 2016 Paralympics:

Abdullah Al Saif (Athletics)
Ahmad Al Mutairi (Athletics)
Atef Aldousari (Shooting)
Hamad Aladwani (Athletics)
Mohammad Nasser (Athletics)
Naser Saleh (Athletics)

You can get more details as well as their full event schedule from the Rio Paralympics website [Here]

The hockey season is going to start soon and the Kuwait Mooseheads Ice Hockey Team are looking for new members. If you can ice skate and play hockey then this is for you:

“Looking for something fun, active and social? Miss those days at the rink? Well you’re in luck, the Kuwait Mooseheads hockey club is looking for new members to join us for our weekly scrimmages. We play twice a week at the ice rink next to Discovery Mall. The club also takes part in international tournaments throughout the year. Full equipment is required, and experience is necessary. Please contact Graham at [email protected]

The other day I posted about sailing lessons and also briefly mentioned the Kuwait Sailing Club. Well there is also another club related to sailing called the Kuwait Offshore Sailing Association. While the Kuwait Sailing Club is based out of Messila, KOSA are based out of the Sea Club Marina in Fahaheel.

They seem to be pretty active, they have different types of memberships available and they also offer training although they don’t mention the cost on their website. This is their promotional text I got from their flyer:

The Kuwait Offshore Sailing Association is a small but active yacht club offering a range of cruising, racing, training and social activities throughout the year.

KOSA sailing events include racing every Friday much of which is held on the waters off the coast of Fahaheel. Some longer races go offshore to the local islands of Kubbar or Falika.

Social sailing is also held weekly which allows new and seasoned sailors alike to enjoy the waters of Kuwait as well as practise those sailing skills.

In addition to sailing, KOSA has a calendar of social events which include BBQ’s, trips out to the neighbouring islands and sailing traditional dhows.

So whether you are living in Kuwait or just visiting, KOSA has something for you. Membership is open to everybody and with the competitive subscriptions you could be enjoying one of Kuwait’s nicest experiences for as little as KD5 per session.

It seems like a lot of fun and an opportunity to meet new people and socialize so if you’re interested in sailing or learning how to sail, check out their website [Here] or their Facebook page [Here]

Up until recently if you wanted to learn a new water sport it would have had to be either wakeboarding or kitesurfing since those two sports are fairly easy to get lessons for. But now a new center opened up called Kuwait Watersports that offers two new activities you can add to the list; windsurfing and sailing.

Their lessons vary in prices but 1 hour of private windsurfing or sailing lessons is KD30 which is similar in price to say an hour of private wakeboarding (KD35). They also offer lessons for kids and you can even rent or buy equipment from them. Personally I’d be interested in trying windsurfing but other than that and sailing they also have paddle boarding and kayaking.

So if you want to try a new watersport, check out their website [Here]

Note: Also, in case you weren’t aware, there is a sailing club for expats that has been around since the early 90s called Kuwait Sailing Club. You can check those guys out as well but they don’t offer sailing lessons. [Link]

Skeet shooter Abdullah Al-Rashidi raised eyebrows at Rio 2016 on Sunday after opting to wear an Arsenal shirt while competing for gold.

At the Olympic Games this summer, each country has its own uniform, but the 53-year-old is instead registered as an ‘Independent Olympic Athlete’ in Brazil.

With his native Kuwait suspended from competing, he was still allowed to appear in his event, but without the restriction of a specific uniform. [Source]

Like a boss.

Thanks ManU4Life

The Kuwait Harps are starting a new season of Gaelic Football and are looking for new faces to join the club. Gaelic Football is a form of football derived from the Irish ball games. There are some major differences between regular football and Gaelic football like the fact Gaelic football is played with 15 players per team and you can also hold the ball with your hands.

The Kuwait Harps hold weekly training sessions for both men and women on Wednesdays and Fridays at the American International School. They compete primarily in tournaments based in the Gulf region and new players are always welcome and immediately feel at home within the club. The majority of the current squad were actually new to Gaelic Games when they first arrived in Kuwait. While many clubs in the Gulf region can depend on a strong pool of Irish players, this is not the case in Kuwait. While a core of the club may be Irish, it relies heavily on the support of players from the international expat community. Kuwait Harps Players have come from Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Canada, USA, Australia and even Sudan to name but a few countries. So if you’re interested in joining the club, here are some details:

When: Wednesday 6PM to 8PM – Friday 10AM to 12PM (Women) and 12PM to 2PM (Men)

Where: American International School [Map]

For more information email [email protected] or visit their [Facebook Page]

Yesterday, Kuwaiti athlete Fehaid Al Deehani won gold at the Olympics coming first in the men’s double trap shooting event. Sadly since Kuwait is banned from the Olympics, Fehaid won the medal as an independent athlete competing under International Olympic Committee flag, an achievement by itself since no other independent athlete has ever won gold before. No Kuwaiti flag was raised and the Kuwaiti anthem wasn’t played during the medal ceremony.

Kuwait has competed in 12 Olympics since Mexico City in 1968, winning 3 medals in total, 2 bronze and 1 gold with all 3 won by Fehaid.

At the prospect of swimming under the Olympic flag, he balked: “The thing is, I made the Olympics because of Kuwait and because of the [swimming] federation, and all the funds came from the federation, so I’m very thankful for that.” Yet by May, that seemed moot anyway. He figured he would need three months of training to resume utmost shape. Stresses mounted. The end of his swimming would mean the end of his government-allowed “sports leave” in Dubai.

The Washington Post have published a thought provoking article highlighting the affect of Kuwait’s ban at the Olympics on Kuwaiti athletes (or at least one Kuwaiti athlete). The situation is pretty sad but hopefully things will get sorted out by the next Olympics. [Link]

There are nine Kuwaiti athletes competing at the Olympics under the IOC flag. They are:

Abbas Al Qali (Swimming)
Abdulrahman Al-Faihan (Trap)
Abdullah Al-Rashidi (Skeet)
Abdulaziz Al-Shatti (Fencing)
Ahmad Al-Afasi (Double Trap)
Faye Sultan (Swimming)
Fehaid Al-Deehani (Double Trap)
Khaled Al-Mudhaf (Trap)
Saud Habib Al-Kandari (Skeet)

If you’d like to watch them compete, below is their schedule (Kuwait time):

August 7
Khaled Al-Mudhaf: Shooting – Men’s Trap 3:30PM
Abdulrahman Al Faihan: Shooting – Men’s Trap 3:30PM

August 9
Abdulaziz Al-Shatti: Fencing – Men’s individual épée 3PM

August 10
Fehaid Aldeehani: Shooting – Men’s Double Trap 3PM
Ahmad Alafasi: Shooting – Men’s Double Trap 3PM

August 11
Abbas Qali: Swimming – Men’s 100m Butterfly 8:16PM

August 12
Abdullah Al-Rashidi: Shooting – Men’s Skeet 3:30PM
Saud Habib Al-Kandari: Shooting – Men’s Skeet 3:30PM
Faye Sultan: Swimming – Women’s 50m freestyle 7:02PM

Kuwait has lost its Swiss court case against an International Olympic Committee (IOC) ban that will see the nation’s athletes compete under the Olympic flag at the Rio Olympics, a source with direct knowledge of the decision said on Tuesday. [Source]

This was Kuwait’s last ditch effort to get reinstated but they lost their case. All 9 Kuwaiti athletes competing at the Olympics will now be walking out under the IOC flag during the opening ceremony and competing as Individual Olympic Participants. If any athlete wins a medal (and there is a big chance of that happening), it will now fall under IOC and not Kuwait.

Here is the final list of Kuwaiti Olympians participating at Rio 2016:

Abbas Al Qali (Swimming)
Abdulrahman Al-Faihan (Trap)
Abdullah Al-Rashidi (Skeet)
Abdulaziz Al-Shatti (Fencing)
Ahmad Al-Afasi (Double Trap)
Faye Sultan (Swimming)
Fehaid Al-Deehani (Double Trap)
Khaled Al-Mudhaf (Trap)
Saud Habib Al-Kandari (Skeet)

On a similar subject, there is a new documentary called “Between Hope and Pain” which highlights the struggle of the 9 Kuwaiti athletes as well as a Kuwaiti referee to make it to the Rio Olympics.

In ‘Between Hope and Pain’, one referee and nine athletes openly express their immense drive to compete and win, and the supreme disappointment of being unable to do so under the Kuwaiti flag. In the documentary, privately screened at Laila Cinema on Sunday evening, Kuwaiti shooter and Olympic champion, Fehaid Al-Deehani spoke candidly about his dilemma to participate in the upcoming games. He shared that the Olympics ceased to hold meaning for him as he would not be able to leave his mark as a Kuwaiti athlete but only as an independent player, without a country and a flag.

“It’s the first time in my life I have experienced something like this. It’s true that we were banned in 2012 but a week before the competition HH the Amir solved the problem and removed the ban and we participated. But in this incident, we feel lost, we don’t know what’s up ahead”, he remarked. He stated that no resolution seemed to be forthcoming from either the government or the Olympic committee and he chalked this down to a clash of egos. He was honest and critical of the state of sports in the country, saying, “Sports in Kuwait has always experienced obstacles, it has always been sterile, lacking. It has never been proper. Even during the golden age, the football era, it wasn’t proper. It was progressing by God’s grace but there was no strategy. Up until now we represent the country with training suits worth KD 3 while other national teams employ fashion designers.” He shared that he was pained at the loss of the future of many athletes because of conflicts over positions and called for those responsible to tender their resignations. [Source]

The trailer to this documentary is posted above, no idea if the full documentary will be posted online as well.

Legendary Kuwaiti shooter Fehaid al-Deehani has refused to carry the Olympic neutral team flag at the Rio Games opening ceremony, where the Gulf state’s athletes cannot march behind their own emblem.

Kuwait is suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other leading federations such as FIFA, football’s world body, over government interference in sport.

…

According to Kuwaiti media, the IOC asked al-Deehani, who took trap shooting bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney and 2012 London Games, to carry the Olympic neutral team flag.

But the Kuwait army officer turned down the request.

“I am a military man and I will only carry the Kuwait flag,” he said. “I cannot carry the IOC flag.”

…

The Kuwait Olympic Committee on Sunday called on the government to start dialogue in a last-gasp bid to get the Kuwait flag in to the Rio opening ceremony.

Hussein al-Mussallam, vice chairman of the committee’s legal and international relations commission, told AFP it was time “to sit down together and review things in a positive way”.

He said “the interests of Kuwaiti athletes should come above all else”.

“I am speaking on behalf of the KOC and not in the name of international organizations,” al-Mussallam added.

“The time has come in front of everyone, the Kuwaiti government and the ministry for youth and sports, the Kuwait Olympic Committee and the Olympic Movement Kuwait to sit together for the national interest and for Kuwait to return as it was.”

Al-Mussallam also appealed for all sides to “stay away from personal issues”.

“The Olympic movement has a role to deal with the government in the interest of sport. The government has to hear the point of view of international organizations and the United Nations and the opinion of the Kuwaiti Olympic movement.”

The official said that Kuwaiti athletes want to compete in Rio “under the flag of our country, so and we demand the sports minister respond to the advice of the International Olympic Committee and to stop the implementation of the conflicting articles in the Kuwaiti sports law”. [Full Article]

I’ve been having a hard time finding the final list of Kuwaiti athletes that will be taking part at the Rio Olympics. The article above lists the following:

Abdulrahman Al-Faihan (Trap)
Ahmad Al-Afasi (Double Trap)
Khaled Al-Mudhaf (Trap)
Saud Habib Al-Kandari (Skeet)
Fehaid Al-Deehani (Double Trap)
Abdullah Al-Rashidi (Skeet)
Abdulaziz Al-Shatti (Fencing)
Abbas Al Qali (Swimming)

But, the list isn’t accurate since they leave Faye Sultan out who will be competing in swimming as well. That means there might be other athletes missing as well. So far though, 9 Kuwaitis will be at the Olympics this year.