Gerard Pique has said he is "pessimistic" that the 2020 Davis Cup will be held due to Spain's restrictions regarding spectators attending sports event during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Barcelona defender's investment group Kosmos paid €3 billion (Dh11.9bn) in 2018 to acquire the rights to the sport's flagship team event, transforming it into a week-long competition akin to a tennis World Cup.
The 2019 Davis Cup in Madrid, won by Spain, was the first to be held in one city and the competition is also scheduled to take place in the Spanish capital in November.
"I'm a bit pessimistic, to have the Davis Cup without fans is difficult," Pique told Spanish television network Movistar on Sunday.
"There is a lot of uncertainty. We are listening to what the sports ministry and the government are telling us about whether we'll be able to have fans in the stadium.
"There are different opinions and no one is sure if we'll be able to have fans or if it'll have to be behind closed doors."
Pique said Spain's strict lockdown has made it harder to make preparations for the event, although he insisted his team were continuing work to make it happen if the government eventually decides to allow spectators at sporting events.
"I think in the next few weeks we'll have more clarity but right now we're trying to be prepared," he said.
"People are working from home and obviously we can't go to Madrid to look at facilities, we are prepared in case we end up being able to organise it."
Pique has been unable to play football since March because of the pandemic but he returned to individual training with Barca last week and La Liga president Javier Tebas hopes matches, without spectators, will resume on June 12.
Pique, however, would like more time in order to return to full fitness.
"That's only one month, without warm-up games, and although I'm sure La Liga is thinking in the best interests of the competition and doesn't expect there to be injuries, I think a few more days to prepare wouldn't be bad," he said.
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
