Al-Shabab, a strong competitor in the Saudi Professional League, announced that its board of directors has officially approved the transfer of young defender Nawaf Al-Ghalimish to the ranks of Neom Club, in a move that reflects the active movement that the Saudi transfer market has witnessed recently.

Al-Shabab's management issued an official statement on Tuesday, expressing their gratitude to the 20-year-old player for his time at the club and wishing him success in his future professional career with his new team. This move comes as part of the club's strategy to restructure the team and leverage player contracts to serve the club's technical and financial interests.

Nawaf Al-Ghalimish's numbers with Al-Shabab

Returning to the player's career, Nawaf Al-Ghulaimish was promoted to Al-Shabab's first team during the 2024/2025 season, where he demonstrated promising defensive potential. This season, the young defender has featured in eight official matches for the "Sheikh of Clubs" (Al-Shabab's nickname), across the league and cup competitions, accumulating 469 minutes of playing time. This has made him a target for clubs seeking to bolster their defenses with young and dynamic players.

NEOM's ambitious sports project

Al-Ghalimish's move to NEOM comes within the context of the ambitious sporting project undertaken by the rapidly rising club. NEOM, representing the futuristic region in northwest Saudi Arabia, aims to build a strong, competitive team capable of rising to the top and competing at the highest levels. NEOM's strategy relies on attracting young talent and experienced players to integrate them into a squad capable of fulfilling the aspirations of the club's management and fans, making the Al-Ghalimish signing a valuable addition to the defense.

Sports movement in the Kingdom

This transfer cannot be separated from the broader context of the tremendous development Saudi sports are witnessing under the umbrella of Vision 2030. The local transfer market has become highly dynamic, with players moving between major and emerging clubs. This contributes to raising the level of competitiveness and developing the performance of Saudi players by giving them more opportunities to participate and play regular minutes. It is expected that Al-Ghalimish's transfer will provide him with greater scope for development and regular playing time, which will benefit Saudi football by producing defenders ready for the national teams in the future.

The Saudi national team launched its participation in the fifth West Asian Paralympic Games, hosted by the Sultanate of Oman, with a strong and ideal start. The Saudi athletes secured 21 medals on the first day of competition: 9 gold, 9 silver, and 3 bronze. The official opening ceremony took place on Tuesday at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, attended by prominent figures including His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Harthy, Undersecretary of the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, Dr. Abdulrazzaq Bani Rashid, President of the West Asian Paralympic Federation, and his deputy, Abdulilah Al Muqrin.

The importance of the event and the regional context

The West Asian Paralympic Games are of paramount importance as a key event for assessing athletes' readiness in the region and a vital platform for fostering athletic competition among West Asian nations. This fifth edition underscores the ongoing development of para-sports in the region, with participants striving to achieve qualifying standards for larger international competitions. Saudi Arabia's strong performance on the first day reflects the fruits of meticulous planning and preparation for Paralympic sports in the Kingdom, further solidifying its position on the regional and international sporting map.

Details of the gold medals in athletics

The athletics competitions witnessed a clear Saudi dominance, with champion Ali Al-Nakhli opening the gold medal tally by winning two gold medals in the 400m T37 race with a time of 56.38 seconds and the 100m T37 with a time of 11.81 seconds. He was followed by runner Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi, who snatched gold medals in the 400m T53 race with a time of 57.13 seconds and the 100m T53 with a time of 16.67 seconds.

Al-Baraa Al-Qarni also shone, winning two gold medals in the 400m T54 race with a time of 51.82 seconds and the 100m T54 race with a time of 15.18 seconds. In the field events, Haider Salami won gold in the discus throw F57 with a distance of 36.53 meters, and Hani Al-Nakhli won gold in the shot put F33 with a distance of 10.74 meters. Nour Al-Sanaa concluded the gold medal haul by winning the 100m T44 race with a time of 12.41 seconds.

harvest of silver and bronze

The achievement wasn't limited to gold; Saudi athletes also added nine silver medals. Thamer Al-Zahrani won silver in the 400m T37, and Nour Al-Sana'a took silver in the 400m T44. Fahad Al-Turki secured two silver medals in the 400m and 100m T53 races. In throwing events, Radi Al-Harthi won silver in the club throw F51, and Ziyad Al-Khurayb took silver in the shot put T11. Mohammed Al-Yami also won silver in the 100m T11, Jawad Al-Alawi in the 100m T44, and Jamaan Al-Zahrani in the 100m T54.

On the bronze front, Jamaan Al-Zahrani won bronze in the 400m T54, Mohammed Al-Yami won bronze in the javelin throw F11, and Rabab Al-Subhani won bronze in the 100m T11.

He excelled in badminton and team sports results

In badminton, the Saudi team secured eight important victories in the preliminary rounds, most notably Younis Al-Subhi's wins in both singles and doubles. The duo of Mahdi Al-Makina and Mohammed Al-Ali also shone in their matches against opponents from Iraq, Bahrain, and Jordan. In team sports, the goalball team began their campaign with a resounding 10-0 victory over Syria, while the wheelchair basketball team suffered a 40-47 defeat against Bahrain.

Anticipated matches tomorrow

The excitement continues tomorrow, Wednesday, as the Saudi athletics team competes in 12 new events. The goalball team faces the UAE and Oman, while the basketball team plays against Iraq and Oman. Badminton also continues its final rounds, with high hopes for Saudi Arabia to double its medal tally.

Portuguese coach Armando Evangelista, manager of Damac FC's first team, expressed his complete dissatisfaction with the final result of the match against Al-Kholoud, despite the good performance his players delivered on the pitch. The coach emphasized that the lack of attacking efficiency was the main reason for settling for a draw instead of securing all three points.

During the post-match press conference, Evangelista provided a technical analysis of the game, noting that his team clearly dominated proceedings, particularly in the second half. He explained that the players successfully controlled possession and created space in the opponent's defense, but their finishing touch was lacking, resulting in the loss of several scoring opportunities that could have changed the course of the match in favor of "The Knights of the South.".

In contrast, the Damac coach pointed to Al-Kholoud's tactical approach, noting that the opponent relied primarily on a compact defense and quick counter-attacks, which posed a real threat at times during the match. Evangelista described the game as generally balanced, with the result decided by small, precise details, reflecting the intense competition and close levels of play at this stage of the league.

This match comes amidst fierce competition in the Saudi Professional League this season, where teams in the bottom half of the table are striving to escape the relegation zone. Every point is doubly important, especially given the intense battle to avoid dropping down, which puts immense pressure on coaches and players to capitalize on even the slightest opportunities. Squandering easy points could have costly consequences as the season nears its decisive stages.

The final whistle blew, signaling a goalless draw between the two teams in their match on Tuesday evening, part of the 20th round of the competition. With this result, Damac's struggles in the standings continue, as they remain in 15th place with 12 points, a position that places them in the immediate relegation zone. Meanwhile, Al-Kholoud maintained their four-point advantage, remaining in 14th place, leaving the battle between these two teams and the other bottom clubs wide open in the upcoming rounds.