Al Ain defender Khalid Al Hashemi dedicated the club’s Asian Champions League success to the UAE’s leadership, saying he could “see the flames of desire” in the players’ eyes as they delivered a second continental crown for the country.
The Adnoc Pro League side, Asian champions in 2003, rebounded on Saturday night from a first-leg defeat to triumph 5-1 against Yokohama F Marinos in the second leg of the final at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
With the 6-3 aggregate win, Al Ain became Asian champions for the first time in 21 years. They represent the only Emirati side to have captured the continent’s premier club crown.
“To begin with, I’m thankful for everything,” Al Hashemi told The National. “I'm over the moon as they say. I would like to give this competition, this trophy, this gold medal to our president, [President] Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. Thankfully, we won this, and we give him this happiness.
“Also, I would like to give this to our [club] president Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed [Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi] and also [Al Ain vice-chairman] Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan and the board members and everyone included in this club – fans, technical staff. Everyone, literally.
“We did well in this competition, and we well deserved it. What a run we had, especially after the knockout stage. We did amazing in each game, especially at home. Well deserved, thankfully.”
On Saturday, both Soufiane Rahimi and Kodjo Laba struck twice – Laba, not selected for the quarter-finals and semi-finals, was a second-half substitute – with Kaku registering Al Ain’s other goal, from the penalty spot. Yan Matheus had scored for Yokohama five minutes before half-time to level the tie at 3-3.
However, the visitors’ hopes of emerging from their first Champions League final with the title were dealt a huge blow when goalkeeper William Popp was shown a straight red card deep into first-half stoppage-time. At the time Yokohama were level on aggregate.
On the secret to Al Ain’s title success, Al Hashemi said: “What I saw from everyone, the desire. The more you desire, the more bad you want it, you'll take it. This is a secret that I take myself in my life. How bad you want it, you'll take anything.
“I saw this in the eyes of the players. I saw the desire that they want to win the trophy and thankfully we won it. I saw the fire, the flame in their eyes, and we won it.
“Five-one, it's not an easy game, not an easy result as well, but a big result. Thankfully, we did it.”
Champions in 2003, Al Ain have finished runners-up twice since, most recently in 2016. The similarities between then and this year’s final were striking; as was the case eight years ago, Al Ain lost 2-1 away to an East Asian team – South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors – having scored first.
They then failed to overturn the result at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, drawing the second leg 1-1 to lose out on the trophy 3-2 on aggregate.
Asked about handling the pressure on Saturday given the club’s near-misses in 2005 and 2016, Al Hashemi said: “To be honest, in the beginning we had a bad reaction, especially after 2016.
“Everybody remembered that scenario they had there in [South] Korea, 2-1, and again [this year] in Japan, 2-1. So, most people were afraid that we might repeat the scenario.
“But thankfully we thought positive about it, and we talk positively about it as well. We challenged ourselves to turn the table on our side and we did it well.
“To be honest, what a performance from everyone. And I'm really happy for the guys, our captains, Khalid Essa, Bandar [Al Ahbabi], Ahmed Barman; especially also Laba, after being out in four games and to be back and score two goals in maybe 40 minutes.
“I'm so happy for the guys. They deserve it. And we are young here, a new generation. Inshallah, we get to have many more trophies.”
Al Hashemi, 27, was pivotal in the club making history once more. He featured in all but one of Al Ain's Champions League matches this season and was one of the star performers in the quarter-final, when he helped shackle Cristiano Ronaldo, and the semi-final against a talent-packed Al Hilal side on a 34-match winning run.
Al Ain became the last team to win the Champions League in its current guise – the tournament takes on a different format from next year – while the 2003 team lifted the inaugural title after the competition’s rebrand in 2002.
“Luckily, I'm the guy, the player, that won the last version of this competition and luckily the [2003 side] won the first version,” Al Hashemi said. “That means it’s something meant to be for us.
“And I remember also in 2016 I had a tweet that I was wishing Al Ain good luck in the final and they lost. And now today I won as an Al Ain player.
“You see, life is full of opportunities, full of wonder. I don't want that we want to wait another 20 years to win another Champions League. No, Inshallah. With the upcoming leagues, Champions Leagues, that we win also more.”
Al Hashemi added Al Ain’s victory would be celebrated as one for the UAE, saying: “I want the other clubs to do it. We represent also the UAE. We don't just represent Al Ain.
“Here we represent the country and I hope that Al Ain wins more and also that other clubs win to represent the country in the best way possible.”
Asked how he would celebrate the moment, Al Hashemi replied: "I'm going to sleep now. I'm so tired.”
Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
SRI LANKS ODI SQUAD
Perera (capt), Mendis, Gunathilaka, de Silva, Nissanka, Shanaka, Bandara, Hasaranga, Udana, Dananjaya, Dickwella, Chameera, Mendis, Fernando, Sandakan, Karunaratne, Fernando, Fernando.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
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%3Cp%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Aryan%20Lakra%2C%20Ashwanth%20Valthapa%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20CP%20Rizwaan%2C%20Hazrat%20Billal%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%20and%20Zawar%20Farid.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
Dubai Women's Tour teams
Agolico BMC
Andy Schleck Cycles-Immo Losch
Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
Cogeas Mettler Look
Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
Hitec Products – Birk Sport
Kazakhstan National Team
Kuwait Cycling Team
Macogep Tornatech Girondins de Bordeaux
Minsk Cycling Club
Pannonia Regional Team (Fehérvár)
Team Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Team Ciclotel
UAE Women’s Team
Under 23 Kazakhstan Team
Wheel Divas Cycling Team
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
