Cricket may dominate the sporting landscapes of India and Australia but for four weeks the attention of millions of football fans in both nations will turn towards the Qatar World Cup.
Those living in Dubai and Indian tourists planning a trip to Doha will be among the thousands of fans visiting Qatar from Sunday, November 20.
One of them is Australian Michael Beverly, a Dubai resident who works in investment, and he will be cheering on the Socceroos with his wife and son.
“One of the reasons I want to support the team is because of the sacrifices they made during Covid-19,” he said.
“There were no qualifying games at home because the country was under lockdown in the pandemic.
“I want to go and support them because the sacrifices they had to make cannot be diminished.”
A World Cup so close to the UAE where he now lives made the tournament a rare opportunity to see his home side in the flesh.
Another World Cup adventure for Aussie aficionado
With tickets already in the bag for matches against France, Tunisia and Denmark, it is likely to be an exciting couple of weeks.
This will not be the first time he has followed the national team, as he also visited Germany for the 2006 World Cup.
“I had tickets to the finals in 2010 and 2014 in South Africa and Brazil but could not make it, so I am really looking forward to this,” said Mr Beverly, 50.
“My 11-year-old son is coming along for his first World Cup, along with my wife, so it should be special.”
“I’m really excited because it’s so convenient.
“I rarely get a chance to go and see them play because it’s a 14-hour-flight home.
“Supporting Australia has been a constant in my life, ever since I was 6.
“I would be pleasantly surprised if we got through to the next round as France and Denmark are tough teams and Tunisia won’t be easy opponents either.
“I would be happy to see them win a few games but I would be absolutely stunned if they did.”
Indian fan rooting for Ronaldo
Meanwhile, although the Indian cricket team is performing on the biggest stage at the current T20 World Cup in Australia, its national football team has never qualified to play in the football equivalent.
That has left football fans across India free to choose a team to get behind and temporarily adopt a nation to support during the tournament in Qatar.
Software developer Kunal Sharma from New Delhi has saved up for months to splash out on a trip to Doha to watch his hero Cristiano Ronaldo play in what will probably be his last World Cup.
Mr Sharma, 22, will be supporting Portugal and fancies their chances to go all the way.
“I am supporting Portugal because I am a big Ronaldo fan, I’ve supported them in every international tournament since I started watching football,” he said.
“As my own country is not there, I always have to choose one of the other teams to feel part of it.
“My expectations are no less than winning the World Cup, as it's Ronaldo’s last opportunity to get his hands on football’s most prestigious trophy and finish his career winning every possible title he played for.”
Mr Sharma scooped his tickets in the Fifa resale ballot, and secured seats for Brazil against Serbia, Argentina versus Mexico and best of all — Portugal’s clash with Uruguay on November 28 at Lusail Stadium.
At Dh800 each, his six-day trip is not cheap.
So far, he has spent about $7,000 on flights and an apartment in Rawdat Al Khail that he will share with his parents.
“I know it is really difficult for Portugal to win, considering teams like Brazil, Argentina, France, England and Germany all have significantly better squads.
“Realistically making the semi-finals would be a great result, but you never know considering they won the Euro 2016 being the underdogs.”
Football lovers ready for Qatar World Cup — in pictures
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Cheeseburger%20ingredients
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The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
