The UAE's No 1 golfer Ahmed Skaik will compete at this year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship having received the UAE National Amateur invite on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
Skaik will have the chance to test his skills against some of the best players in the world, including four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and world No 3 Justin Thomas.
The 23-year-old Emirati made his European Tour debut at last year's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and went on to win the 2020 UAE Presidents Cup before clinching two Men’s Open tiles to finish as runner-up in the EGF Order of Merit rankings.
At the end of last season, Skaik competed in another European Tour event at the Golf in Dubai Championships.
“It is a privilege to receive the invitation to return to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship," Skaik said. “It was an incredible experience last year and a pivotal learning curve in my career. I can’t wait to go back and give my all alongside some of the best players in the world.
“It was great to get out at the Golf in Dubai Championships a few weeks ago, and it was a huge honour to hit the first tee shot on UAE National Day.
“I can take some vital lessons from those rounds into next week. Given it is the 50th anniversary of the UAE it is even more special to play in this tournament, and I’m determined to put in a performance to make my nation proud.”
The 2021 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, taking place January 21-24, is the first tournament of the new European Tour season and will be one of four Rolex Series events played across the year.
“We are delighted to welcome back Ahmad to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He is the shining star of Emirati golf and destined for great things in the future," Aref Al Awani, general secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said.
“Abu Dhabi has become of one of the world’s leading destinations for sport and with ambassadors such as Ahmad we hope to continue to inspire future generations of sportsmen and women for years to come.”
First staged in 2006, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is hosted at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the 16th consecutive year, with a prize fund of $8 million and 8,000 Race to Dubai points available.
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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Countries with largest unpaid bill for UN budget in 2019
USA – $1.055 billion
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Argentina – $52 million
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Israel – $18 million
Venezuela – $17 million
Korea – $10 million
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Brazil – $287 million
Spain – $110 million
France – $103 million
Ukraine – $100 million
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
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Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
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Thursday, December 6
08.00-15.00 Technical scrutineering
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09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
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PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
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