Dubai Basketball enjoyed a dream start in their ABA League debut at the Coca-Cola Arena on Sunday, defeating defending champions Red Star from Serbia 86-84 and providing an unforgettable evening for the fans.
The opening game had everything that the new Dubai franchise wished for, as fans filled up the arena with an official count of 4,761 in the 5,000-capacity venue.
Dubai BC, as the team are also known as, had assembled a 12-member squad in just over three months with players from nine countries – Croatia, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Serbia, Slovenia, the Philippines, Turkey, and USA. And the entire group delivered when it mattered.
“All credit of this success should go to the organisers and the players. It was not only a win but a historic game,” Dubai BC head coach Jurica Golemac said at the end of the game.
“Everybody gave everything. The players really fought hard on the floor. Only six offensive rebounds over the Red Star and it was the key to the game and for the win.
“It was not realistic that we were going to be up all 40 minutes for an easy game. They [Red Star] came back a couple of times but we showed character and won the game.”
Golemac was delighted with the support his team received at the Coco Cola Arena in what was an electric atmosphere for the ABA League's first game in Dubai, adding that he was hoping to make their home stadium a tough place for opposition teams to play at.
“I want to really congratulate the fans,” Golemac said of the crowd. “I was really surprised that they came in big numbers to support us. They gave us the extra energy. I really wish in the future that Coca-Cola Arena is going to be an even bigger hit and that more fans are going to come. With that kind of backing, it’s going to be very, very hard to beat us here.”
Dubai BC travel to Slovenia for their second game in the league against Olimpija at the Arena Stozice, Ljubljana, on Sunday. They did not have to rely too heavily on a couple of heavy hitters with NBA experience in their team; American Isaiah Taylor did not take part in the game while Latvian Davis Bertans was on court less than 10 minutes.
According to Golemac, both are of high quality and are expected to play key roles for the team whose target is now to build on what was a superlative start.
“The league is long, there's going to be ups and downs,” added Golemac. “We've got time to rest, we've got time to prepare. We are up against another very strong opponent.
“Every game we're going to treat like the next one. Every game we've got quality to go for the win. We are going to play like that with a lot of confidence.
“The most important thing is that we fight like this and that we never lose this kind of sharpness. When you play against a reigning champion, it's easy to make the motivation.
“Now we need to be the same in every game. Whether you play a good or an ordinary team, you need to be the same. This is the key to the success, to stay humble in victory and to stay normal in the loss and to have your own way.”
Nate Mason, the diminutive guard who led the charge by scoring 18 points, descried the night and result as “amazing”.
“My teammates and my coaching staff, I think we prepared really well for this upcoming week. It was amazing and was great to see how it turned out,” the American said.
“I just go out there and play hard. I wanted to go out there and be the first one to punch. I think we did that.”
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AUSTRALIA SQUADS
ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
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Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
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If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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Price: From Dh126,000
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Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
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The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
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In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
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Explained
Defence review at a glance
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Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
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Brief scores:
Pakistan (1st innings) 181: Babar 71; Olivier 6-37
South Africa (1st innings) 223: Bavuma 53; Amir 4-62
Pakistan (2nd innings) 190: Masood 65, Imam 57; Olivier 5-59
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
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Results
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Aatebat Al Khalediah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Dubai Avenue, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: My Catch, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
Saudi National Day
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How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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