Dubai Tigers impress in West Asia Premiership

Dubai Tigers continued their push for a treble of titles as they dispatched Doha in the West Asia Premiership on Friday night.

The club, who are celebrating their 10th anniversary this season, won the Dubai Sevens back in December. They are well-positioned in the region’s 15-a-side competitions, too.

They claimed a bonus-point win at Tigers Park in Al Sufouh in beating Doha 48-19 to consolidate their position in second place in the cross-border competition.

Niko Volavola crossed twice in the eight tries to three win over the tourists from Qatar. Moli Schaumkel, Marcus Guerin, Charlie Taylor, Deanne Makoni, Epeli Davetawalu and Ashwin October all scored one apiece.

The Tigers will meet league-leaders Bahrain in the West Asia final. Elsewhere in Dubai on Friday night, Dubai Exiles maintained their pursuit of home semi-final in the UAE Premiership as they beat Jebel Ali Dragons 19-17 at The Sevens.

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What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS

Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.

Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.

Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.