Croatia's Marin Cilic hits a return during a practise session in Melbourne on January 25, 2021, with players allowed to train while serving quarantine for two weeks ahead of the Australian Open. AFP
Croatia's Marin Cilic hits a return during a practise session in Melbourne on January 25, 2021, with players allowed to train while serving quarantine for two weeks ahead of the Australian Open. AFP
Romania's Ana-Maria Constantinescu walks to a practise session in Melbourne. AFP
Romania's Ana-Maria Constantinescu walks to a practise session in Melbourne. AFP
Croatia's Ivan Dodig walks to a practise session in Melbourne. AFP
Croatia's Ivan Dodig walks to a practise session in Melbourne. AFP
A cleaner wipes down the net after a player's practise session in Melbourne. AFP
A cleaner wipes down the net after a player's practise session in Melbourne. AFP
Tennis players walk to a practise session in Melbourne. AFP
Tennis players walk to a practise session in Melbourne. AFP
Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic serves during a practise session. AFP
Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic serves during a practise session. AFP

Tennis

Australian Open: Safety first, but officials look to get Paula Badosa training equipment

Spaniard was the first player to reveal she had tested positive for Covid-19 in quarantine in Melbourne ahead of the Grand Slam tennis tournament

Reuters

January 26, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Spain's Paula Badosa has not received training equipment to help her prepare for the Australian Open because of safety concerns but discussions are taking place on finding a way to get her some, health officials said on Tuesday.

Badosa was the first player to reveal she had tested positive for Covid-19 in quarantine in Melbourne ahead of the Grand Slam tennis tournament and was moved to a "health hotel" last Thursday to begin two more weeks of lockdown.

The 23-year-old on Monday described her extended period of quarantine as the "worst experience" of her career, adding that she was suffering from anxiety and claustrophobia.

The world No 67 complained that she had not received any training equipment and had been limited to doing sit-ups and using water bottles for weights in a windowless room she is sharing with her coach Javier Marti.

"Our priority is supporting the health and wellbeing of those in our care and reducing the risk of transmission to protect staff and community safety," a Covid-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV) spokesperson said.

"We are supporting the delivery of exercise equipment wherever possible and safe to do so from both a health and IPC (infection prevention and control) perspective.

"CQV is in ongoing discussions with Tennis Australia about suitable equipment that can be delivered to positive and symptomatic residents, given that the equipment can’t be reused and would need to be safely destroyed."

The Grand Slam, which has been delayed by three weeks due to the disruption caused by the pandemic, takes place from February 8-21.

Badosa arrived in Melbourne after playing in Abu Dhabi earlier this month and was on her seventh day in quarantine when her test came back positive.

The Spanish player said if she was confirmed to have the more transmissible coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom, she would not be let out until February 5 when it would be "impossible" to get ready to play.

Seventy-two players have been confined to hotel rooms for two weeks after passengers on three charter flights taking them to Australia tested positive.

CQV said earlier there were no further positive tests among the 970-strong Australian Open contingent to report on Tuesday, leaving just the nine already confirmed cases.

Last week, Kazakhstan's world No 28 Yulia Putintseva complained she had been struggling to sleep in her hotel room due to rodents scurrying around.

Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin

Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray 

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

Brief scores:

Day 2

England: 277 & 19-0

West Indies: 154

The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km

Meydan Racecourse racecard:

6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes Listed (PA) | Dh175,000 | 1,900m

7.05pm: Maiden for 2-year-old fillies (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,400m

7.40pm: The Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 1,600m

8.15pm: Maiden for 2-year-old colts (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,600m

8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 2,000m

9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,200m

10pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,600m.

Hydrogen: Market potential

Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.

"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.

Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.

The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.

Zayed Sustainability Prize
Brief scores:

Newcastle United 1

Perez 23'

Wolverhampton Rovers 2

Jota 17', Doherty 90' 4

Red cards: Yedlin 57'

Man of the Match: Diogo Jota (Wolves)

Fight card
  • Aliu Bamidele Lasisi (Nigeria) beat Artid Vamrungauea (Thailand) POINTS
  • Julaidah Abdulfatah (Saudi Arabia) beat Martin Kabrhel (Czech Rep) POINTS
  • Kem Ljungquist (Denmark) beat Mourad Omar (Egypt) TKO
  • Michael Lawal (UK) beat Tamas Kozma (Hungary) KO​​​​​​​
  • Zuhayr Al Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) beat Mohammed Mahmoud (UK) POINTS
  • Darren Surtees (UK) beat Kane Baker (UK) KO
  • Chris Eubank Jr (UK) beat JJ McDonagh (Ireland) TKO
  • Callum Smith (UK) beat George Groves (UK) KO

'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster

On Women's Day
Small%20Things%20Like%20These
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Tim%20Mielants%3Cbr%3ECast%3A%20Cillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Watson%2C%20Eileen%20Walsh%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

What is Genes in Space?

Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.

It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration. 

Tomorrow 2021
How to register as a donor

1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention

2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants

3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register. 

4) The campaign uses the hashtag  #donate_hope