Today at the Olympics: the Mena athletes to watch on day two in Tokyo


Matthew Kynaston
  • English
  • Arabic

The Tokyo Olympics is under way and we witnessed some incredible performances on the opening day of the Games.

The action continues in Japan on Sunday. Below are the pick of the athletes in action from the Mena region. The athletes who were in action on the first day can be seen here.

Artistic Gymnastics

Ariake Gymnastics Centre

Egyptians Zeina Sharaf and Mandy Mohamed will be on the Balance Beam in the evening session.

Badminton (women’s, men’s, mixed doubles and singles)

Musashino Forest Sport Plaza

Another busy day today in Chofu, as the badminton continues with morning and evening Group Play stages.

Israel’s Ksenia Polikarpova is facing the hugely popular PV Sindhu (ranked seventh in the world) from India. Egyptian Doha Hany is going to see if she can cause an upset, taking on world No2, China’s Yu Fei Chen.

Hany is then back in the action in the first game of the evening session with Adham Hatem Elgamal as they take on South Korea’s YuJung Chae and Seungjae Seo - in the mixed doubles. The Korean pair are ranked sixth in the world.

Iran's Michael Rostampour during a men's basketball practice at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Iran's Michael Rostampour during a men's basketball practice at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Basketball (men’s)

Saitama Super Arena

Iran will be pitted against the Czech Republic in the opening game of basketball, as men’s preliminary rounds get underway. This is Iran’s third ever appearance at the games and the first since Beijing 2008.

Beach Volleyball (women’s and men’s)

Shiokaze Park

Two Mena teams will be in action during the afternoon session. Morocco’s Mohammed Abicha and Zouheir Elgraoui take on the world ranked 5, Polish pairing, Michal Bryl and Grzegorz Fijalek. This is followed immediately by Qatari double Younousse Cherif and Tijan Ahmed (ranked 13) who are facing the Swiss Adrian Heidrich and Mirco Gerson.

Boxing - various preliminaries

Kokugican Arena

A lot of Mena talent to look out for on day two of boxing. In the morning session we will see 2019 African Games gold medalist Roumaysa Boulalam of Algeria against Jutamas Jitpong of Thailand in the women’s fly (48-51kg).

Then, another gold medalist from the 2019 African Games, Abdelhaq Nadir from Morocco will be fighting Mauritian Louis Richarno Colin in the men’s light (57-63kg) class.

In the evening session look out for Jordan’s Obada Mohammad Alkasbeh and Odai Riyad Adel Alhindawi in the men’s light and light heavy classes respectively.

Canoe Slalom

Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre

Celia Jodar, representing Morocco, will be having her first and second run in the women’s kayak.

Road Cycling - women’s road race

Fuji International Speedway

Hot favourite to win is Dutchwoman Anna van der Breggen, however we will be keeping an eye on Israel’s Omer Shapira, the only woman racing from the region, wearing bib number 54.

Equestrian - dressage individual

Equestrian Park

Look out for Morocco’s Yessin Rahmouni riding ‘All At Once’ in the men’s dressage individual grand prix.

Football - men’s

Various locations

Having held Spain to a goalless draw, Egypt’s men will be hoping to pick up at least another point against Copa America 2021 champions, Argentina.

Saudi Arabia will be hoping they can bounce back after their 2-1 defeat to Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday when they take on Germany.

Rowing

Sea Forest Waterway

Having successfully progressed in the repechage, Saudi Arabia’s Husein Alireza will be rowing in the quarter-finals of the men’s single sculls, as will Mohammed Al Khafaji from Iraq.

In the semi-finals of the men’s single sculls, Alhussein Ghambour from Libya and Abdulrahman Alfadhel from Kuwait will be competing in the same race.

Meanwhile in the women’s single sculls, Qatar’s Tala Abujara, Sudan’s Esra Khogali and Sarah Fraincart from Morocco will all be pushing for their place in the finals.

Sailing

Enoshima and Kamakura

Israel’s Katy Spychakov is looking good for a medal in the RS:X windsurfing. Meanwhile countryman, and former youth sailing world champion, Yoav Cohen will be hoping to cause an upset this year. Look out too for 2017 African Championship gold medalist Hamza Bouras.

Saif Bin Futtais. Courtesy Aletihad
Saif Bin Futtais. Courtesy Aletihad

Shooting

Asaka Shooting/ Shotgun ranges

The UAE’s Saif Bin Futais will be among the field in the men’s skeet. He and Egypt’s Azmy Mehelba will be looking for at least a top 10 finish.

Swimming

Tokyo Aquatics Centre

A lot happening in the pool on day 2, medals will be up for grabs in the women’s 400m individual medley, 400m individual medley, and 4 x 100m freestyle relay as well as the men’s 400m freestyle.

There are also the opening heats for various events. Look out for Libya’s Audai Hassouna and Yemen’s Mokhtar Al-Yamani in the men’s 200m freestyle.

Surfing

Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach

Moroccan Ramzi Boukhaim and Anat Lelior from Israel are the two representatives from the region hitting the waves in the first ever Olympic surfing competition.

Table tennis

Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium

Egypt’s Dina Meshref and Ahmed Saleh have made it through to the second round of table tennis.

Taekwondo

Makuhari Messe

There are several competitors from the region competing in the women’s -57kg and men’s -68kg weight classes. The day will open with Iranian born Rio 2016 bronze medalist Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin representing the Refugee Olympic Team who has been drawn against her compatriot Nahid Kiyani Chandeh who will be representing Iran in a qualification contest.

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The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

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Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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Updated: July 26, 2021, 3:13 AM`