UAE judoka Victor Scvortov faces a tough opening round against Tommy Marcias in the men’s 73-kilogram category when he begins his medal hunt at the Tokyo Olympic Games on Monday.
Scvortov, 33, will be determined to avenge his defeat to the Swede in the round of 16 clash at the World Championships in Budapest in June. Back then Marcias, 28, went on to reach the final before losing to Georgia’s Lasha Shavdatuashvili.
Nasser Al Tamimi, general secretary of UAE Wrestling and Judo Federation, believes Scvortov has learned his lessons from the defeat.
“I don’t think the past results matter as we see results reversed on many occasions,” Al Tamimi, who is also a member of the International Judo Federation, told The National from the Olympic Village in Tokyo.
“Victor’s meeting with Marcias was very close, losing only in the last 10 seconds of that contest. And understandably there was a lot of anxiety with the Olympics just over six weeks away.
“Nobody wants to throw away more than four years of hard work. It arguably was a final prep for Victor. He arrived in Tokyo in great shape and he’s confident of a good result.
“However, we are quietly confident in Victor’s abilities to bounce back. His focus certainly is on the first opponent, and hopefully it will be in his favour.”
Scvortov and Marcias have both drawn first round byes and meet in the Round of 32.
If successful, Scvortov will meet either Swiss Nils Stump or the winner of the Round of 64 clash between Akil Gjakova of Kosovo and Yemen's Ahmed Ayash.
The UAE’s second judoka, Ivan Remarenco, meets Canadian Shady Elnahas in the Round of 32 in the 100kg division on Thursday.
Remarenco, 32, will use all of his experience when facing the 23-year-old Egypt-born judoka, who finished a creditable fifth at the Worlds in June.
“Ivan has had a few injury issues but has fully recovered and he comes after a fifth-place finish in the Asia-Oceania in April,” Al Tamimi said.
“Victor and Ivan have both trained hard since Rio. They have done well to qualify for the Olympics and now we’ll have to wait and see what they bring to the table.
“As a federation we have done our best. If they can reach the medal rounds, it will be an achievement. If not, we have tried.”
Judo fetched the UAE its second Olympic medal when Sergui Toma bagged bronze at Rio 2016, after the shooting gold won by Sheikh Ahmed bin Hasher in double trap at Athens 2004.
On Sunday, Emirati shooter Saif bin Futtais was in action in the men’s skeet but was unable to make it past the first day of the qualifier.
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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Dust storm
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- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Director: James Cameron
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Rating: 4.5/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
