UAE head coach Mahdi Ali, centre, runs a training session during the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia. Courtesy UAE FA
UAE head coach Mahdi Ali, centre, runs a training session during the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia. Courtesy UAE FA

Arabian Gulf League season delay could spell good news for UAE national team



DUBAI // The postponement of the Arabian Gulf League kick off from August 19 to the middle of next month may potentially cause havoc with the preseason preparations of some clubs, not to mention the UAE national team’s, but, privately, those at the Football Association are likely to believe they have been delivered an unexpected slice of good fortune.

The Pro League Committee (PLC) are expected to announce soon that the start of the season will be delayed because of the Kuwaiti Football Association's decision on Monday to postpone the Gulf Cup of Nations by up to a year as they work on upgrading their stadiums to host the regional tournament.

With the UAE preparing to resume their campaign for 2018 World Cup qualifying next month, the distraction of a second successive mid-season Gulf Cup is now no longer a concern, something that should please the national team management.

UAE coach Mahdi Ali, usually an outspoken critic of scheduling in the domestic game and whose squad will convene at the end of the month for a 2018 World Cup qualifying double-header against Malaysia in Abu Dhabi on September 3 and Palestine five days later, did not respond to several requests for comment on Tuesday.

But any disappointment at a lack of match practice for his players will be tempered by the knowledge they are less likely to pick up early-season injuries and, in the case of star midfielder Omar Abdulrahman, it gives him the chance to recover fully from a knock that forced him to hobble off from Al Ain's 4-0 friendly defeat against English Championship club Hull City.

When contacted yesterday by The National, an official at the FA would only say that the change to the schedule was a matter for the Arabian Gulf League and the PLC.

akhaled@thenational.ae

Follow us on Twitter at @NatSportUAE

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Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.

It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.

Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.

Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.

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In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:

Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')

Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate

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Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
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Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site

The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.

PRESIDENTS CUP

Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:

02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland


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