UAE pair keep world crown with victory in Abu Dhabi



With two races remaining, the UAE's Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir bin Hendi clinched the UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship yesterday with yet another storming performance at race two of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Piloting the black Victory Team-built cat Fazza, bin Hendi led from start to finish to retain the title the pair won in such brilliant fashion in 2009. They are now, in terms of race victories, the most successful pairing in the history of the world's greatest powerboat racing team.

"We came here looking to wrap up the championship and that's what we've done," said a jubilant Bin Hendi. "Arif is a magnificent driver, while the back-up crew is the best around. It's a tribute to their hard work and now we can go on to Dubai, relax and enjoy the last two races of the season."

The day started off in near disastrous fashion as two separate and spectacular crashes involving Victory Team 2010, Negotiator and SkyDive Dubai forced race officials to stop the action less than one lap into the race off the Abu Dhabi Corniche.

Meanwhile, Team Abu Dhabi's Thani al Qamzi and Ahmed al Hameli will provisionally start today's Grand Prix of Qatar, round six of the 2010 UIM F1 World Championship, from second and 13th positions after yesterday's afternoon's timed trials in Doha Bay.

Al Hameli mastered the near perfect conditions on the fast Doha Bay course to seal second position - after being edged out of a potential pole by Qatar's Jay Price in the closing minutes of the third qualifying session. But al Qamzi was eliminated in the second qualifying session with a broken crank after running for just one lap. He was classified down in 13th position at the end of the session.

* Agencies

RESULTS

Time; race; prize; distance

4pm: Maiden; (D) Dh150,000; 1,200m
Winner: General Line, Xavier Ziani (jockey), Omar Daraj (trainer)

4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Travis County, Adrie de Vries, Ismail Mohammed

5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
Winner: Scrutineer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

6.20pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Ejaaby, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson

6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
Winner: Storyboard, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
Winner: Grand Dauphin, Gerald Mosse, Ahmed Al Shemaili

8.05pm: Handicap (T); Dh190,000; 1,800m
Winner: Good Trip, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press

Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.

TWISTERS

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Glenn Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos

Rating: 2.5/5

The Specs

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 118hp
Torque: 149Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Price: From Dh61,500
On sale: Now

COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures

UAE athletes heading to Paris 2024

Equestrian
Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzooqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi (four to be selected).
Judo
Men: Narmandakh Bayanmunkh (66kg), Nugzari Tatalashvili (81kg), Aram Grigorian (90kg), Dzhafar Kostoev (100kg), Magomedomar Magomedomarov (+100kg); women's Khorloodoi Bishrelt (52kg).

Cycling
Safia Al Sayegh (women's road race).

Swimming
Men: Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi (100m freestyle); women: Maha Abdullah Al Shehi (200m freestyle).

Athletics
Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi (women's 100 metres).

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm from 2,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.9L/100km
Price: Dh749,800
On sale: now

Need to know

Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.

Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.

SHAITTAN

Director: Vikas Bahl
Starring: Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan, Jyothika, Janaki Bodiwala
Rating: 3/5