Ahead of the start to the 2015/16 Arabian Gulf League season, The National will preview the fortunes of each of the UAE's 14 top-flight clubs. Here, Ahmed Rizvi examines Al Wasl.
Outlook
One of the best teams in the second half of last season with only one defeat in their final 11 matches, Wasl will be looking to build on that as they hunt for their first trophy since the 2006/07 league and President’s Cup double.
Wasl have made only one change to the foreign quartet that served them so well last season, with the Brazilian trio of Fabio Lima, Caio and Ederson scoring 46 of the team’s 53 goals in the league. Al Shabab’s Edgar Bruno has come in for Ederson (14 goals last season) after Wasl and Atletico Paranaense failed to come to an agreement over extending the striker’s loan.
The club did succeed in turning Caio’s loan into a permanent five-year deal and the management is looking positively towards the new season.
“We hope everything is in place to provide smooth results,” said Majed Obaidallah, the team manager. “Of course, we need to be one of the big four in the league. This is the dream we must have also to win the President’s Cup and the Arabian Gulf Cup.”
Foreign quartet
Fabio Lima: Played a key role in Wasl’s strong finish last season, scoring 14 goals in his last 10 league appearances. Will be hoping to keep that run going.
Caio: The commander of the Wasl midfield last season, Caio has earned himself a five-year deal at the Zabeel Stadium and his performance will be key to the club’s ambitions.
Hugo Viana: Played only half a season for Wasl, but the Portuguese had a huge impact. His experience will again be a huge asset as Wasl try to end their trophy drought.
Edgar Bruno: Dumped by Al Shabab after a poor season, the lanky Brazilian striker will be hoping to redeem himself and repay manager Gabriel Calderon for his trust.
Key Emirati players
Served well by their Emirati contingent last season, Wasl have kept faith in them, offering long-term contracts to players such as Hazza Salem, Ahmed Al Shamsi and Salem Abdullah, who had spent the past season on loan from Al Ain.
The club also have a few exciting young talents such as Ali Salmeen and Abdullah Kazim in their ranks and, of course, senior pros like Adnan Hussain, Yaser Salem and Waheed Ismail. So Gabriel Calderon looks to have most bases covered.
Manager
Gabriel Calderon, Argentina: Helped ring in an improved second half after the club began the season listlessly under Jorginho. Will carry the goodwill from that turnaround at least into the first few weeks of 2015/16.
The National’s verdict
Given their strong finish, Wasl will definitely have momentum on their side, but they have to contend with a tough start – Al Jazira in the opening round, Al Ain in the second followed by Al Nasr and Al Ahli. Positive results in those early games could be a massive boost for their campaign. A poor start, on the other hand, could see the management pressing the panic button, which usually means the button with “sack the manager” written on it.
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Results:
5pm: Baynunah Conditions (UAE bred) Dh80,000 1,400m.
Winner: Al Tiryaq, Dane O’Neill (jockey), Abdullah Al Hammadi (trainer).
5.30pm: Al Zahra Handicap (rated 0-45) Dh 80,000 1,400m:
Winner: Fahadd, Richard Mullen, Ahmed Al Mehairbi.
6pm: Al Ras Al Akhdar Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m.
Winner: Jaahiz, Jesus Rosales, Eric Lemartinel.
6.30pm: Al Reem Island Handicap Dh90,000 1,600m.
Winner: AF Al Jahed, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel.
7pm: Al Khubairah Handicap (TB) 100,000 2,200m.
Winner: Empoli, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap Dh80,000 2,200m.
Winner: Shivan OA, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi.
Pots for the Asian Qualifiers
Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
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%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
