Sport News

[yazm1991]

Post all sport news relating to Jordan/Jordanians on this thread.

[yazm1991]

The hands that made the difference

When a handball team for women was established in the small northern village of Hartha in 1996, nobody expected it would dominate the sport for 10 consecutive years.

The idea behind the team first emerged when a group of players on the Yarmouk University women’s handball team wanted to take their game to the next level and form a professional team, according to Hartha Sports Club President Suleiman Obeidat.

“They came to me after knocking on several doors… Despite the challenges I knew I would face by establishing a women’s sports team in a village community, the girls’ determination and competence convinced me to adopt the team,” he told The Jordan Times.

At the time, the team was the only professional women’s handball team in the Kingdom, and remained so for about three years, Obeidat noted.

“Due to the unavailability of a women’s handball team at that time and the excellent results of the team, the players had to represent Jordan as the national team, in addition to representing the Hartha club and Yarmouk University,” he noted, adding that the team’s first participation in an Arab championship was in Syria, where they ranked among the top three teams.

Today, despite the establishment of several other women’s handball teams, the majority of the team’s members still play on the Jordanian national women’s handball team in regional championships, Obeidat said.

Underlining their impressive record, the club president said the women of the Hartha club won the National Women’s Handball Championship from 1997-2007 in addition to sweeping the Princess Sumaya Bint Al Hassan Cup in each of its seven competitions from 2000-2007.

Defying the odds

Notwithstanding its success, the team, which consists of players from the small village of Hartha, 17 kilometres north of Irbid, has struggled since its establishment in the face of cultural norms that discourage women’s participation in sports.

“Convincing the girls’ families to let their daughters join has been one of the greatest challenges the club has faced since its early days,” Obeidat stressed, adding that building and maintaining a women’s sports team in a small town has not been easy.

Ali Maqableh, the team’s coach, added that sometimes the team must relax its standards of competence and certain physical qualifications in taking on new members, due to the small number of families who agree to let their daughters join the team.

“We are almost obligated to accept any girl as long as her parents allow her to join the team,” Maqableh told The Jordan Times, adding that sometimes the club takes advantage of one family’s consent by recruiting several girls from the same family.

“The team includes several sisters and relatives,” he said, adding that the girls’ family members sit in on late night practice sessions to ease their qualms about allowing their young female relatives to stay out late.

Rowaidah Obeidat, who has been playing on the team for eight years, said it took her a while to win her family’s approval, noting that while the rural community of Hartha still disapproves of girls who play sports or stay out late, residents have become more open to the idea of the team over time.

“Things now are much better compared to the past,” she said.

“Keeping the girls to train until late hours is almost impossible, so I train them every two to three months,” Maqableh indicated, adding that the team undergoes intensive training before a championship.

The coach noted that it is impossible for the team to train year-round due to the lack of training facilities and the players’ commitments to their schools or universities, but attributed the team’s success in the face of challenges to its “committed and excellent” players.

“The players’ commitment to the team is unprecedented,” he said, noting that the team’s goalkeeper, who now works in Kuwait, comes to Jordan each time there is a championship to play with the team.

Hartha club’s secretary general, Khaled Obeidat, said poor funding has prevented the team from participating in international championships, adding that sometimes the team trains outdoors due to the lack of sports facilities and the high fees of those available.

He indicated that there are no sports facilities in the Bani Kenanah District, which is home to 120,000 inhabitants in 27 villages, including Hartha.

“We have addressed all concerned authorities, including the Higher Youth Council, to increase the financial allocations of the Jordan Handball Federation, but nothing has been done,” he said, attributing the authorities’ reluctance to support the club, which also includes football and table tennis teams, to a lack of financial capabilities generally.

Wala Saaidah, a third-year student at Yarmouk University who has been a member of the team for six years, said: “The Hartha women’s handball team is a warrior that has managed to survive regardless of the challenges through the love and cooperative atmosphere among the players.” Saaidah added that she and the rest of the players hope to preserve the team’s “well-deserved place” on the local and regional handball map.

[yazm1991]

Jordanian drivers ready for last MERC round

The Dubai International Rally, the last round of the prestigious Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) kicks off on Thursday with the participation of 26 drivers including four from Jordan.

Five-time MERC champion Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah currently leads the championship with 40 points from four rounds against 37 points secured from five rounds by his Qatari counterpart Misfer Al Marri. Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajehi is in the third place with 32 points from four rounds.

With three points difference, the December 3-5 event will promise a rally full of excitement and thrills which will also see Jordan’s Amjad Farrah’s participation with three other Jordanians including one women driver.

Farrah, who secured the Jordan Open Championship for Drivers title, will end this season on a high note before sitting with his team to evaluate and plan his participation for the next season.

“I can say that this season was OK for me and my team. We expected better results but considering the ups and downs of this sport, I think we are OK,” he told The Jordan Times.

“The Dubai Rally is considered one of the toughest in the championship and what will make it even more exciting is the three points that separate Attiyah and Marri,” he added.

Farrah recalled last year’s Dubai event in which he had to retire due to mechanical problems.

“It was a clear set back to all Jordanian teams where we all retired due to serious mechanical problems to our cars but this time we hope to play it safe and just do our best,” he said.

Farrah is teaming up with his co-driver Imad Juma’a instead of Nancy Majali for Dubai event.

“Nancy has a busy schedule so she can’t be in Dubai,” he said.

Last year, Attiyah and co-driver Chris Patterson clocked 2h01m53.4s to take the top spot at the Dubai Rally, leaving second place to UAE’s Khalid Al Qassimi and co-driver Michael Orr, with 2h05m35.6s. UAE’s Abdullah Al Qassimi and co-driver Steve Lancaster won the third place, clocking 2h06m18.4s.

Joining Farrah in this rally are Ammar Hijazi and co-driver Ata Hmoud, Ahmad Mihyar (co-driver TBA) and the only women team Abir Battikhi, who is treaming up with UAE’s Rabab Al Tajir.

“This will be the only women team in the event and we both are excited to enter the competition among the big names,” Battikhi said.

“My co-driver has an excellent experience and has taken part in several rallies including Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. I believe we have the vibe and passion to finish the rally in a good position,” she added.

Battikhi, who claimed fame for her dedication in rallying became the first Arab woman in 2008 to have competed in a WRC round held in Jordan.

“Our role is to enjoy it and at the same time to inspire other girls to join forces and be part of this beautiful but tough sport. We understand how tough it is to drive in a rally such as Dubai’s but we have the right combination of experience and passion and we hope to do well,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lebanese driver Nicholai Georgiou and Kuwait’s Meshari Thafiri will go head-to-head to determine this year’s Pirelli “Star Driver” Award for the FIA MERC.

The driver who amasses the most points from the two days at the final round of the regional rally series will join other regional winners from around the world in six rounds of next year’s FIA World Rally Championship.

The total distance of the rally is 642km, with 270km of special stages.

[yazm1991]

Wihdat drops in Club World Ranking

Wihdat dropped 34 spots to 336th when the latest International Federation of Football History and Statistics ranking was issued for the end of November on Wednesday.

The club had a remarkable season last year when they captured all four local titles for the first time in Jordan’s football history. Last month, it received the Mohammad Ben Rashid Sporting Achievement Award for Teams.

With regional activity still ahead, Wihdat managed to snatch the Cup Winner’s Cup, but was eliminated early in the Jordan Football Association Shield.

In the league, the team is unsteady. The team was assigned a new technical director, and after last week’s 2-1 defeat to Hussein it dropped to third place in standings..

Both Faisali and Shabab Urdun, who were in the rankings last year, remained out of the top ranked teams in the world. Faisali, a 30-time league record holder, failed to win any titles last year and have not won the title since the 2003/04 season. The team led Asian clubs following its Asian Football Confederation Cup (AFC) titles in 2005 and 2006. Similarly, Shabab Urdun won the AFC Cup in 2006/07 which enabled it to jump to third place among Asian clubs in November 2007.

The top 10 is led by England’s Manchester United, followed by Chelsea FC, Spain’s FC Barcelona, Germany’s Hamburg, Ukraine’s FC Shakhtykor Donetsk, Germany’s SV Werder Bremen, England’s Arsenal, Argentina’s Club Estudiantes de la Plata, Brazil’s Cruzeiro EC Belo Horizonte and Turkey’s Galatasaray.

The top 10 Arab teams were Saudi Arabia’s Ittihad Club Jeddah (88), followed by Sudan’s Hilal Omdurman (100), Algeria’s ES Setif (111), Sudan’s Marrikh Umdurman (128), Saudi Arabia’s Hilal (131), Syria’s Karama Homs (133), Kuwait Club (137), Egypt’s Sawahel Alexandria (138), Ahli (166) and Enppi (167).

The top 10 Asian teams were South Korea’s FC Pohang Steelers (67), followed by Japan’s Gamba Osaka (79), Saudi Arabia’s Ittihad Club Jeddah (88), Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor Tashkent (92), Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor Tashkent (92), Saudi Arabia’s Hilal (131), Syria’s Karama Homs (133), Kuwait Club (137), Japan’s Nagoya Grampus Eight (151) and Kawasaki Frontale (151).

Initiated in 1991, the Club World Ranking is a classification showing the level of the clubs and the level of international performance for each country. Competitions not organised by a continental confederation, or any intercontinental events not recognised by FIFA, are not taken into consideration.

[yazm1991]

Faisali leads teams into 7th Round

Results in the upcoming 7th Round of the Professional League will be important for all teams, after most rankings changed following last week’s matches.

Reigning champ Wihdat was the most affected, dropping two spots to third after losing 2-1 to Hussein. It will next face Arabi, who scored its first win over Ittihad Ramtha 4-0 and moved up from last spot in the 12-team group.

Faisali now lead the pack after it beat Kufrsoum 3-1. It will next face Yarmouk who went up one spot after drawing 1-1 with Baqaa.

Shabab Urdun, who is still the only unbeaten team, lost its short-lived reign atop the standings after drawing 5-5 with Ramtha and settling at second. It next face Karmel, who lost 4-0 to Jazira last week to drop to seventh place.

Jazira is up two spots to fifth and next play bottom-placed Ittihad Ramtha, while third-placed Hussein faces Baqaa in the most decisive match of the week.

The league resumed last week after a near three-week break allowing the national team to resume Asian Cup qualifiers. During the break, Wihdat, Faisali, Shabab Urdun and Arabi got new coaches due to below par results.

The sixth stage was positive for Faisali’s veteran coach Mazhar Saeed, who was tasked with the top job hoping for a turnaround in the team’s performance. Wihdat manager Mahdi Abu Qashah was quoted by Al Rai daily as saying: “The team did not take advantage of chances and everyone was responsible for the defeat.’’

“We need to objectively assess what led to this result and not take hasty decisions,’’ he added.

Last season, Wihdat won all four season titles in a historic first. So far this season, Faisali, who last won the league crown in the 2003/04 season, snatched the Jordan Football Association Shield, while Wihdat managed to win the Cup Winners’ Cup.

Wihdat and Shabab Urdun will represent Jordan in the 7th edition of the Asian Football Confederation Cup which Faisali had won in 2005 and 2006.

[yazm1991]

Generations for Peace baton relay to launch from Aqaba

A symbolic message for peace will set off from Aqaba on Saturday and travel the length of Jordan for two days to arrive at the launch of the fifth Generations for Peace camp taking place in Amman from December 7-17, a statement from Generations for Peace said.

Dozens of runners will relay a baton more than 300km to spread a clear message that the initiative can play a big role in uniting divided communities with the tag line “pass it on”. The baton will pass through villages and towns on its way to Al Hussein Sports City at 11:00am on Monday where it will be greeted by 80 Generations for Peace delegates from 13 countries who will take part in the 10-day camp.

[yazm1991]

Al Ahli has title in its sights

The local handball scene witnessed a new dawn in the shape of a new women’s team that turned the tables upside down in the Women’s Handball League.

The newly formed Al Ahli Handball Club surprised almost every other team especially after halting the march of the titleholders Hartha.

The league has for the first time six teams competing - Amman, Hartha, Kufrsom, Al Fajr, Kufr Rakeb and Al Ahli.

For years Hartha dominated the scene and today the team is being threatened by Al Ahli, who topped the standings of the first leg with 11 points.

Amman followed with 9 points while titleholders Hartha is in third place with 8 points, Kufrsom has 6 points, Fajr has 2 points and Kufr Rakeb placed in the bottom with no points.

The second leg started on a high note for Al Ahli after it beat Hartha 26-19.

Kufrsom did well after crushing Al Fajr 48–21 and Amman overcame Kufr Rakeb 34-13.

Al Ahli will meet Al Fajr on Friday.

Narin Haj Tass, Al Ahli’s coach and a former player, told The Jordan Times about the team and the tough matches it played on the way to the top of the standings.

“For two years the idea of establishing a women’s team was lingering in my mind and finally this dream became a reality when I approached the board members of Al Ahli Club who accepted the idea and gave us all the needed support,” Tass said.

Tass, who worked as Jordan University handball team coach for the past five years and holds a coaching licence from Germany, saw a need to have another handball club in the Kingdom.

“I believe establishing a dedicated team will give more opportunities to others that follow. The team has proven that it was a good idea by winning tough matches and stood strong against Hartha - one of the most experienced teams in Kingdom,” she said.

In the first leg, Al Ahli won four matches and tied in the fifth, which is considered an excellent deed by a new team.

“We beat Hartha in two difficult matches and I believe team work did well every time in addition to our passion to win,” she said.

In other matches, Al Ahli overcame Al Fajr 31-13, crushed Kufr Rakeb 40-7, beat Kufrsom 22-21 and tied with Amman 17-17.

The team considers itself fortunate to have a sponsor and is happy to bring back a portion of fans to this sport.

“The Airport International Group is sponsoring the team and this is also a responsibility on the team and that is why we need to work hard to win and also to satisfy our fans,” she said.

The club has two teams: Youth and women’s.

“The youth team consists of 16 players aged 12-16 years old while the women’s team consists of 20 girls aged between 16-26,” she added.

[yazm1991]

Jordan jumps 17 spots to 111th in FIFA ranking

The national football team jumped 17 spots to 111th place when FIFA World Ranking was issued on Wednesday.

The ranking is the best ever in 2009 for the team who dropped to 129th in August 2009. During the past month, Jordan played Iran twice losing 1-0 in the away game but winning the return leg 1-0 in Group E qualifiers for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. The win kept alive Jordan's qualifying chances ahead of two return leg matches against Thailand on January 6 and Singapore on March 3.

With two teams per group advancing to the Asian Cup finals in Qatar, Jordan must now beat Thailand in order to secure qualification without awaiting results of other teams. The Kingdom reached the Asian Cup finals once in the 13th edition in China in 2004 following which it jumped to the best ever FIFA rank of 37th.

Iran still leads the group standings with seven points from four matches while Jordan is still bottom placed after a weak start which saw it held to a goalless draw against Thailand and a 2-1 defeat to Singapore.

Among the group, Jordan was the most improved team in the latest ranking, while Iran dropped a spot to 64th place, Thailand went up to 105th and Singapore up to 110th.

The team is now slated to regroup on December 26 before meeting China on December 30 ahead of the Thailand match in Bangkok. The squad will possibly meet Azerbaijan or Estonia on February 26 ahead of the Singapore match. In friendlies ahead of the qualifiers, Jordan beat Zimbabwe 2-0, drew 0-0 with Malaysia and 1-1 with Congo, and lost 2-1 to Kuwait, 3-1 to the UAE, 3-1 to New Zealand and 4-0 to Bahrain.

In zonal ranking, among Asian Football Confederation teams, the Kingdom jumped to 17th place, trailing Australia (21), Japan (43), South Korea (52), Bahrain (60), Saudi Arabia (63), Iran (64), Uzbekistan (76), Oman (79), Qatar (86), North Korea (86), Iraq (88), Syria (91), China (93), Kuwait (104), Thailand (105) and Singapore (110).

Among Arab teams, Jordan jumped to 13th place, trailing Egypt (24), Algeria (26), Tunisia (53), Bahrain (60), Saudi Arabia (63), Morocco (67), Oman (79), Qatar (86), Iraq (88), Syria (91), Kuwait (104) and Sudan (108).

The top 10 is led by Spain, followed by Brazil, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Germany, France, Argentina, England and Croatia.

Significant climbers were Bangladesh, up 16 places to 149th, and Nepal, 24 to 152nd, while biggest droppers were Cuba, down 23 spots to 119th, and Grenada, down 35 to 138th.

[yazm1991]

Great news! Well done Jordan.

[yazm1991]

Jordan plays Thailand in crucial Asian qualifier

Jordan plays Thailand at 1:30pm Amman local time today in a return leg match of Group E qualifiers for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

The national team must win or at least tie in order to keep qualifying chances alive, otherwise they will be eliminated from the qualifiers.

Iran leads the group with seven points followed by Singapore and Thailand, while Jordan is still bottom of the table with four points.

The Kingdom’s recent 2-2 draw against China in a friendly, which came after their first win over three-time Asian champ Iran, has boosted the team’s confidence ahead of the Thailand qualifier.

Head coach Adnan Hamad was satisfied with the China result despite the line-up missing three pros on duty with their clubs in Saudi Arabia including Hatem Aqel, Bashar Bani Yassin and Anas Bani Yassin. While the three have rejoined the squad for the upcoming match, Hassouneh Sheikh was confirmed to miss the match after picking up a rib injury in the China match.

‘’Hassouneh’s absence was a big disappointment but the team can fill the void just like they did in the match against China,’’ Hamad was quoted as saying in Al Ghad daily.

The squad’s staff and coaches all noted the line-up’s high spirits and determination to come back with a win from Bangkok. So far in the qualifiers, Jordan was held to a goalless draw against Thailand, lost 2-1 to Singapore and 1-0 to Iran. As the return leg resumed Jordan beat Iran 1-0 to keep qualifying chances alive.

In other group results, Iran beat Singapore 6-0 and tied Thailand 0-0 while Thailand beat Singapore 3-1 but lost 1-0 in the return leg.

The AFC website reported that Thailand coach Bryan Robson was unsatisfied with his team’s 3-0 win over Zimbabwe in a preparatory friendly. “Our defence played well but our passing must be more accurate against Jordan,” Robson said in the site.

Currently, Jordan is 111th after it jumped 17 spots in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - the best ever in 2009. Among Group E teams, Iran is now 64th, Thailand 105th and Singapore 110th.

Following the Thailand match Jordan’s last qualifier will be against Singapore on March 3 before the top two teams from each group advance to the finals.

The finals will see the continent’s final 16 which will include the top two group winners, in addition to a direct bye reserved for 2007 AFC Asian Cup winners Iraq, runners-up Saudi Arabia and third-placed team South Korea, as well as hosts Qatar. They will also be joined by the winners of the AFC Challenge Cups 2008 (India) and 2010.

This is Jordan’s eighth time at the qualifiers since taking part in 1972. However, since the event kicked off in 1956, the Kingdom reached the Asian Cup finals only once in China in 2004, by reaching the quarters, the team jumped to the best ever FIFA rank of 37th in August 2004.

[yazm1991]

Hopes Alive

Thailand’s hopes of reaching the 2011 AFC Asian Cup were dealt a blow as they were held to a goalless draw by Jordan at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Wednesday.

A victory for either side would have put them in a strong position to claim one of the two qualifying spots in Group E but neither were able to make the crucial breakthrough in a game of few clear-cut chances.

Iran's victory over Singapore in the other game in the group means Thailand climb into second place but will likely need to avoid defeat at the group leaders in their final qualifying match to have a chance of securing their place at the finals in Doha.

Torrential rain prior to the match had delayed kick off by 30 minutes but when action got underway it was Jordan who appeared to adapt quickest to the resultant heavy pitch.

Alsaify Odai smartly knocked the ball beyond Panupong Wongsa to go through on goal in the fifth minute but the defender quickly recovered to smash the ball away for a corner just as Odai was about to pull the trigger.

Deeb Abdallah then almost profited when a defender misjudged a clearance but he did not react quickly enough and the danger was averted.

But Thailand weathered that early pressure and it was Bryan Robson’s side that produced the first shot on goal in the 10th minute when Sutee Suksomkit headed over the bar.

Suchao Nutnum then saw his rasping drive expertly cleared by Jordan skipper Aquel Hatem, who lashed out his leg at the last minute to deflect the ball away for a corner.

Chances were at a premium after that early flurry with Mohammad Jamal striking a free kick high and wide in the 29th minute while Suchao should have done better for Thailand in stoppage time but his low effort inside the area lacked power.

Teeratep Winothai (pictured) fired wide six minutes into the second half for the hosts before the striker had a claim for a penalty waved away in the 66th minute when the tumbled in area when under pressure from a defender.

Substitute Ahmad Halim tried his luck from distance for Jordan three minutes later but his well-struck effort was deflected wide for a corner.

Therdsak Chaiman should have done better for Thailand 13 minutes from time when a pass found him unmarked on the edge of the area but the veteran forward compounded to send his shot high over the bar.

Thailand pressed in the closing stages in a bid to snatch a vital winner and Narongchai Vachiraban attempted a speculative curled effort from 25 yards that goalkeeper Amer Shafi had covered before Kirati Keawsombit headed wide from a corner.

But they were unable to find the winner leaving them facing a daunting match against Iran in Tehran likely to determine whether they will be at the AFC Asian Cup next year.

[yazm1991]

For Jordan to qualify for the 2011 AFC they must beat Singapore in Amman, and Thailand must not defeat Iran in Tehran.

Its not impossible

[piglet]

AMMAN (JT) - As 2010 heralds an exciting new era for the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), the Jordan Rally has lifted the lid on the innovations that will make it one of the most spectator-friendly sporting event, according to a statement from organisers.

Working closely with the WRC’s new long-term promoters North One Sport, the Jordan Rally will become the first event on the calendar to try a Thursday-Saturday format, to fit in with the Islamic weekend, with a picture-postcard start planned at one of the region’s most stunning historic locations on April 1, according to the statement.

Stages have been carefully selected to ensure spectators can see as much of the action as possible with the tracks centred within a 60km radius of the headquarters. And the icing on the cake is that it is free for all.

Despite hosting a stunning WRC debut in 2008, Jordan has shown its willingness to evolve and its 2010 product has been warmly received by the WRC family, according to the statement.

Fans can expect a double dose of high octane thrills and spills as Jordan will also incorporate its Middle East Rally Championship round within the WRC itinerary so that the region’s stars can flex their muscles against the very best drivers in the world, including multiple world champion Sebastian Loeb and former Formula One giant Kimi Raikkonen.

The start venue will be confirmed next month but it is expected to provide a dazzling setting for the three days of action to follow.

The Jordan Rally’s Thursday-Saturday format replaces the Friday-Sunday schedule which has been standard for the WRC over the past decade. However, in its bid to win back a global audience, North One Sport has worked closely with organisers to maximise spectator numbers. Finland has also changed its format for 2010.

The Jordan Rally is the third round on the 2010 championship, following on from Sweden and Mexico, and will again base its headquarters and service park on the banks of the Dead Sea. Most of the action will run through the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea areas but this year will also include new competitive kilometres north of Amman.

This season represents the second of a rotational two years for the WRC which has allowed the FIA to look at all rallies capable of hosting the championship in order to draw up a definitive calendar for 2011 and beyond. According to the statement, another successful hosting will stand Jordan in good stead as a permanent fixture in the calendar.

[yazm1991]

Jordan Rally to launch from Jerash

Jordan is set to become one of the world’s most iconic sporting destinations after announcing it will launch its second FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) amid the ruins of the stunning former Roman city of Jerash on April 1, according to a statement from organisers.

Built over 2,000 years ago and located just 48km north of Amman, Jerash receives 500,000 tourists annually and is one of the largest and best preserved of the great Roman provincial cities. The rally will get underway from the spectacular Oval Plaza which will be open to the public free of charge.

“Jordan has a wealth of tourist attractions the length and breadth of the country, with Jerash certainly amongst the pick of them,” HRH Prince Feisal, chairman of Jordan Motorsport, was quoted in the statement as saying. “The world will see something incredible which will promote our country and the WRC to a massive global television audience.”

Jerash - once a home to tens of thousands of Roman soldiers and gentry - is spread over a huge area and contains two amphitheatres, an 800m-long colonnaded street as well as a hippodrome, which still hosts gladiator fights and chariot races to this day. The Oval Plaza has been chosen due to its iconic status, offering an idyllic backdrop to launch a titanic battle between the world’s very best drivers.

Following the ceremonial launch, set for 11:00am, the drivers will travel the short distance to start their competitive kilometres in the forests of Rumman before continuing south with stages through the Jordan Valley and finishing close to the Dead Sea headquarters. Action will continue for two days, with the finale expected at the Dead Sea on April 3.

The start venue has also been selected as a result of consultation between Jordan Motorsport and North One Sport - the WRC’s global promoter - and the Thursday start, instead of a Friday, takes advantage of the new flexibility offered to the championship’s host countries. Jordan will follow a Thursday-Saturday format to fit in with the Islamic weekend.

The 2010 Jordan Rally WRC consists of 346 competitive kilometres over the three days and as well as Jerash, competitors will take in other world-famous locations such as the Dead Sea, the Baptism Site - where Jesus was baptised in the Jordan River - and Mount Nebo where Moses looked out over the Promised Land.

The thousands of visitors travelling for the event will no doubt take advantage of going south to visit Petra, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, Wadi Rum and Aqaba, the Red Sea resort city, making the Jordan Rally a truly unique sporting and leisure experience.

[yazm1991]

Crucial matches for Professional League teams

Wet and wintry conditions may force referees to postpone Week 15 of football’s Professional League set to kick off over the weekend.

The teams from the Northern parts of the Kingdom, which this year make up half the league’s 12 teams, are set to face each other this week. Not much changed after the last round, but as the competition’s Leg 2 nears its halfway mark, most teams are anxious not to lose any points and improve their standings.

This week, Faisali held on to the lead after they beat Arabi 3-2 and will next face Jazira. Wihdat are trailing close behind after they beat Karmel 1-0 and will next play Yarmouk.

Shabab Urdun are third. They lost important points when they were held 0-0 by Hussein and they have a tough encounter against Baqaa whom they are expected to play against on Saturday.

Last week, Jazira scored an important 3-0 win over Baqaa, Yarmouk went up one spot after a 3-2 win over Kufrsoum and Ittihad Ramtha went up a spot after holding Ramtha 1-1.

In other matches in the upcoming week, Hussein play Kufrsoum, Ramtha meet Arabi, and Ittihad Ramtha play Karmel.

Hussein’s Ahmad Mire’i tops the scorers list with eight goals followed by Shabab Urdun’s Mohammad Kheir with seven.

Titleholders Wihdat have a lot of pressure as they seek to retain the crown for the 12th overall and fourth year running. They beat 30-time champs Faisali 2-1 in Leg 1. They combined all four titles in a historic first last season. So far this year, they retained the Cup Winners’ Cup, and have reached the Jordan Cup quarter-finals.
Faisali won the Football Association Shield. They were third in the league last year, and last won the title in the 2003/04 season. On the other hand, Shabab Urdun, who ended the 21-year Faisali-Wihdat domination when they won in 2005/06, aim to repeat their title win.

[yazm1991]

Women’s team plays in West Asian Championship

Jordan will play alongside Iran and Bahrain when the 3rd West Asian Women’s Football Championship gets underway in Abu Dhabi, UAE from February 20-28.

Hosts UAE will play alongside Kuwait and Palestine in Group B with the top two teams from each group moving on to the second round.

Jordan are titleholders of the 2005 and 2007 editions of the event which was held in Amman. Commenting on chances of retaining the title, national team coach Maher Abu Hantash was quoted in Arabic dailies as saying: “It is a tough draw. Both Iran and Bahrain are resilient teams. But we have trained hard and hope to be able to retain title we won in the past two editions.’’

The squad held a training camp in Egypt earlier this month where they lost to the host 3-0 and drew 1-1 with Dakhlieh.

Jordan last played in second stage qualifiers for the 2010 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup where they failed to clinch the sole qualifying berth after losing to Myanmar 3-0 and beating Chinese Taipei 1-0.

The team had an impressive preliminary round performance where they drew 2-2 with Uzbekistan, beat the Maldives 9-0, Kyrgyzstan 7-1 and Palestine 5-0 to move to the second stage.

Although a relatively new sport in the country, women’s football is gaining increasing popularity among players and fans in the Kingdom. Last summer, the team made it to the FIFA women’s ranking at 51st after a previous provisional ranking. They are now the highest ranked Arab team at 52nd, leading Algeria (65) and Tunisia (69).

In 2005, Jordan was the first Arab team to qualify to the 3rd AFC U-19 Women’s Championship finals. In 2006 and 2008 they were eliminated from the qualifiers.

Jordan also was the sole Arab team competing at the Doha Asian Games in 2006 and won silver at the 3rd Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam in 2009.

[yazm1991]

Jordan hosts Azerbaijan in friendly ahead of Asian qualifier

Jordan hosts Azerbaijan today in a friendly encounter ahead of their much-awaited final Group E qualifier for the AFC 2011 Asian Cup against Singapore on March 3.

While the team will not rely on its stars from Wihdat and Shabab Urdun (who lost 4-2 to Qatar’s Rayyan and beat Ahli Sanaa 1-0 in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup qualifiers respectively on Tuesday), officials are confident the team is in good shape.

Azerbaijan, who trained behind closed doors ahead of the 6:00pm match, is ranked 114th in FIFA World Football rankings up from 142nd last May. Jordan, on the other hand, last jumped five spots to 106th. It was the second month in which Jordan went up the rankings after a 17-spot climb to 111th in December to finish the year at its best ranking in 2009. The team was down to 129th in September 2009, after an inconsistent year in both friendlies and Asian Cup qualifiers.

‘’The team is mentally and physically ready. Today’s match is an important step before we play Singapore with only a win in mind. And I believe the team is determined to do that,’’ technical director Adnan Hamad was quoted in Al Ghad as saying. Jordan’s qualifying chances also rest on Iran, tying or beating Thailand in the other qualifier.

It’s been a bumpy road in the qualifiers which started last year and saw the team’s coaching staff replaced after Jordan was held to a goalless draw against Thailand, and lost 2-1 to Singapore. The team then played Iran twice, losing 1-0 in the away game but winning the return leg 1-0.

In their latest qualifier, Jordan held Thailand to a goalless draw that kept alive qualifying chances ahead of the Singapore match. Only the top two teams from each group advance to the AFC Asian Cup finals in Qatar.

In friendlies in the past few months, Jordan beat Zimbabwe 2-0, drew 2-2 with China, 0-0 with Malaysia and 1-1 with Congo and lost 2-1 to Kuwait, 3-1 to the UAE, 3-1 to New Zealand and 4-0 to Bahrain.

The national team reached the Asian Cup finals once in the 13th edition in China in 2004 following which they jumped to the best ever FIFA rank of 37th.

[KavkAZ1]

2-0 for Azerbaijan.

Boring match.

[yazm1991]

Jordan host Singapore in last Asian qualifier

Jordan host Singapore in a deciding match on Wednesday in the final Group E qualifier for the 2011 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup.

On the same day, Iran, who have secured qualification, host Thailand. The three teams will be fighting for the other remaining qualifying berth from the group to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals in Qatar.

Jordan’s qualifying chances, placed at the bottom of the Group E standings with five points, rest not only on beating Singapore but awaiting news from Tehran’s Azadi Stadium hoping that Iran win or draw against Thailand.

‘’There is nothing left to say. We must win and qualify. All talk is left for action on the pitch now,’’ Jordan’s technical director Adnan Hamad was quoted in Al Rai daily as saying.

Singapore, who trained behind closed doors ahead of the 6:00pm match at King Abdullah Stadium, is now 120th in FIFA World Ranking while Jordan is 106th - a steady improvement from 129th in September 2009, after an inconsistent year in both friendlies and Asian Cup qualifiers.

The Kingdom kicked of their Asian Cup qualifying campaign in January 2009 getting off to an inconsistent start which eventually led to a change in the team’s coaching staff. After being held to a goalless draw against Thailand at home, Jordan lost 2-1 to Singapore. The team then played Iran twice, losing 1-0 in the away game but winning the return leg 1-0. In their latest qualifier, Jordan held Thailand to a goalless draw that kept alive qualifying chances ahead of the Singapore match with only the top two teams from each group advancing.

Jordan lost to Azerbaijan 2-0 last weekend in a friendly when the line-up missed players from Wihdat and Shabab Urdun on duty in the AFC Cup qualifiers.

In friendlies over the past year, Jordan beat Zimbabwe 2-0, drew 2-2 with China, 0-0 with Malaysia and 1-1 with Congo and lost 2-1 to Kuwait, 3-1 to the UAE, 3-1 to New Zealand and 4-0 to Bahrain.

The finals will see the continent’s top 16 which will include the top two group winners in addition to a direct bye reserved for AFC Asian Cup 2007 winners Iraq, runners-up Saudi Arabia and third-placed South Korea, as well as hosts Qatar. They will also be joined by the winners of the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 (India) and 2010.

This is Jordan’s 8th time at the qualifiers since 1972. The event kicked off in 1956. The Kingdom reached the Asian Cup finals once at the 13th Asian Cup finals in 2004 in China, where by reaching the quarters the team jumped to the best ever FIFA rank of 37th in August 2004.

[yazm1991]

Jordan beats Singapore 2-1, and qualify for 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

Jordan Scored: 9', 59'
Singapore Scored: 49'

More detailed news to follow.


GO JORDAN!