In the aftermath of his record-breaking game last week at Madison Square Garden, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has launched a new NFT collection to celebrate each and every one of those 2,974 made 3-pointers.
The “2974 Collection” launched Monday at 2974SC.com, and it features a series of nonfungible tokens that are each individually numbered out of a total 2,974 — the number of 3s required to eclipse Ray Allen‘s previous mark of 2,973. Each unique NFT will be priced at $499, with Curry planning to donate 100% of his profits to the “Eat. Learn. Play” foundation that he and wife, Ayesha Curry, established in 2019.
“I’m truly grateful to be able to share this moment with all of the fans, the entire Bay Area community and everyone who has supported me throughout the years,” Curry said.
The custom-created artwork of digital moments represents each make in the entire sequence of 2,974 3-pointers by Curry throughout his NBA career, leading up to the record-setting wing heave just five minutes into the Warriors’ matchup against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
The artwork was hand drawn by recent college graduate and artist Andrea McDonald and designed by combining a repeat “2974” print throughout to reproduce a memorable image from each made 3-pointer. Each piece includes the game’s location and date along with Curry’s digital signature.
Curry announced a multiyear equity agreement with FTX cryptocurrency exchange in September that includes both an ambassador and shareholder role. FTX will serve as the host platform for users to own NFTs from the 2974 Collection and sell them at a later date. Participating owners may also receive autographed memorabilia, tickets to games, additional NFT drops and early access to Curry Brand limited-edition items in the future.
In addition to the full series of NFTs, owners will be gifted a bonus NFT as part of the launch. Curry commissioned 86-year-old pioneering artist Floyd Norman, Disney’s first Black animator, to create an additional series of two storyboard animations. Norman is credited with contributions in several of Disney’s most iconic films throughout his 65-year career, and he was the subject of a Netflix documentary.
The bonus animations are based on Curry’s two favorite 3-point shots from his career. One celebrates Game 2 of the 2018 NBA Finals, when Curry connected on a Finals-record ninth 3-pointer to lead the Warriors to a 2-0 series lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The other highlights a late February visit to Oklahoma City in 2016 and his memorable “BANG!” game-winning shot versus the Thunder from just across half court.
“I’m honored that two incredibly talented artists, Floyd Norman and Andrea McDonald, have been able to add their creative touches to my career,” Curry said.
Two hundred of the 2974 NFTs will be gifted by Curry to the people who have helped him on his journey, including school teachers, Warriors fans, Davidson University, coaches, neighborhood friends, mentors, Stephen’s SC30 team, teammates, rivals and family.
While all moments will be priced at $499 each, the #2974/2974 NFT highlighting the record-breaking shot will be auctioned for 72 hours to the highest bidder.
Curry’s foundation has provided meals, groceries and books to families and youths in the Bay Area. It also has helped refurbish local recreation centers and build basketball courts in the region.
Nicholas Latifi crashing his Williams in the final stages of a controversy packed 2021 season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had a major impact on where the Formula 1 title went this year.
That incident turned the race on its head, triggered controversy over the officiating, what should have been F1’s Greatest Race descended into its greatest farce. Nevertheless, Max Verstappen was a worthy Champion, while Lewis Hamilton was denied and eighth F1 title.
For the first time since the incident, Latifi took to social media and wrote:
“Hi everyone,
“I’ve purposely been staying away from social media to kind of let things settle down from the events of the last race.
“A lot has been made of the situation that came about after my retirement in Abu Dhabi I’ve received thousands of messages to my social media accounts – publicly and via DMs. Most have been supportive, but there’s been a lot of hate and abuse, too.
“I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to go about handling this. Do I ignore it and carry on? Or do I address it and tackle the bigger issue that is sadly a reality when you use social media?
“This isn’t some scripted statement, but rather me speaking my mind in the hop. that this maybe sparks another conversation about online bullying and the drastic consequences it can have on people. Using social media as a channel to attack somebody with messages of hate, abuse and threats of violence is shocking – and something I am calling out.
“Going back to the race weekend, as soon as the checkered flag dropped, I knew how things were likely to play out on social media. The fact that I felt it would be best if I deleted Instagram and Twitter on my phone for a few days says all we need to know about how cruel the online world can be.
“The ensuing hate, abuse, and threats on social media were not really a surprise to me as it’s just the stark reality of the world we live in right now.
“I’m no stranger to being talked about negatively online, I think every sportsperson who competes on the world stage knows they’re under extreme scrutiny and this comes with the territory sometimes.”
Despite enormous press from European clubs and world football governing body, FIFA, Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, yesterday, confirmed that the 2022 African Cup of Nations will kickoff on January 9, 2022 as scheduled.
Speaking after a meeting with the government of Cameroun in Yaounde, Mostepe praised the hosts for their efforts in ensuring that the necessary facilities are in place for a secure and entertaining African Nations Cup, saying that the hosts have shown that Africans can host big international competitions despite Challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic.
He said: “My message when we ended a meeting with the 54 presidents of African football in Cairo is that we will all meet in a few weeks time in Cameroun because the competition is for the people of Cameroun and the people of Africa.
“I am so proud and so excited about the work that has been done. You can see a huge commitment and a focus to ensure that some of those issues that are being put in place… in a few days good progress is being made.
“My message to the world and Africa is that we, together with the government of Cameroun, will host the best of African football, the best of African hospitality and the best there is in the continent. It is going to be a successful competition.”
He urged, “everybody to be here on January 7. We must believe in ourselves, in our people. We have to be more optimistic.
“All over the world, there are competitions that have problems, but they are still going on. Africans must believe in Africa because we have the capacity to host a successful competition.”
There had been intense pressure from European clubs on CAF to move the competition forward citing the widespread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus pandemic.
Although CAF initially stood its ground that the competition would go ahead as planned, The Guardian learnt, yesterday, there were pressure from within and outside the continent on the body to suspend it ‘to stem the spread of the virus.’
Last week, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, cast fresh doubt on the tournament holding as scheduled and called for a postponement.
According to a report in iNews, Infantino’s first priority is the Club World Cup, which is due to begin on February 3, 2022 and overlaps with the conclusion of AFCON.
Those for the AFCON to hold as scheduled argue that Africa does not have the same COVID-19 spread rate as Europe and other parts of the world, adding that the European Championship held in the thick of the virus in the summer.
A CAF official, who pleaded anonymity, told the press in Cameroun, yesterday, that the African Cup of Nations cannot be postponed in favour of the Club World Cup, arguing that Africa’s fate cannot be dependent on foreign competitions.
Say what you want about Jake Paul but the YouTuber-turned-boxer has dynamite in his gloves as he delivered a chilling sixth-round knockout of Tyron Woodley that left him flat out on the canvas. Tommy Fury may have withdrawn from the bout but Paul was still using this as a chance to make it clear he wants to be taken seriously in the world of boxing.
It was a brutal right hook that closed the show as Woodley dropped his guard before being dropped himself as a clubbing shot to the jaw laid him out cold.
In truth, this was a fight that threatened to disappoint after the former UFC star stepped in on just two weeks notice.
Paul had offered the additional incentive of a $500,000 bonus if Woodley was able to knock his opponent out but that never appeared likely to happen.
The victor did have to battle through a nasty gash though, sustained via an accidental clash of heads in the early stages of the fight.
After a rough and ready opening round, Paul started to let fly in Round 2, when he looked to set up the big, looping overhand right.
Woodley appeared to be falling into the same traps as he did in the first fight, letting Paul get in on the inside as he looked to grapple his rival.
In the third, Paul was then cut following an ‘accidental elbow’ in the view of the referee as Woodley literally smelt blood as he watched it seep down the YouTube sensation’s forehead.
It appeared to be the wake up call Woodley needed as he backed up Paul but replays later showed it was in fact a clash of heads that caused the wound.
Woodley was then given a firm warning in the fourth when it appeared to virtually dump tackle Paul to the canvas, he was now the aggressor in the fight.
The crowd then started to boo in the fifth and they were clearly disappointed with the way the main event was panning out.
Paul and Woodley continued to wrestle, as the pair clashed heads in Round 5 before being separated by the referee, who said: “Are we gunna fight?”
“This is pretty tough to watch to be honest with you,” was the line from the commentator as the pair attempted to trade leather in the sixth. What happened next was about to send shockwaves throughout the arena.
Paul saw an opening a landed a flush right hook to Woodley’s jaw. The 39-year-old went over like a tree. There was no getting up.
Medics soon rushed to his attention as the referee waved the clash off, there was not even the need for a count.
While the fight threatened to stink the place out, Paul once again showed that he must be taken seriously as he made it four KO victories from five professional wins.
It’s easy to see why many within the world of boxing feel Tommy Fury would be taking a major risk in dancing with Paul. He has everything to lose and not much to gain…
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association came to an agreement Sunday night on rules allowing additional replacement players for teams dealing with players entering the league’s health and safety protocols, according to a memo obtained by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The amended rules, which were outlined in the memo, went into effect Sunday night, and they will remain in place until Jan. 19 — at which time the league will give teams further guidance on how things will proceed from there.
Under the agreement, a team will be allowed to sign a replacement player for each positive COVID-19 case that crops up across its roster. So, if a team has five positive cases of COVID-19, for example, it could sign five replacement players.
Meanwhile, teams will have to sign at least one replacement player if they have two positive COVID-19 cases; at least two if they have three positive COVID-19 cases; and at least three if they have four or more positive COVID-19 cases.
The memo also states that any time a team is required to sign a player, that player must be available by the start of the team’s first game after the allowance to sign a replacement player is granted by the NBA.
Any replacement players who are signed also won’t count toward a team’s yearly salary and won’t add to its potential luxury tax payment. That is a significant difference for a team like the Brooklyn Nets, who are among the squads currently dealing with a significant COVID-19 outbreak. The Nets had Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets — as well as this Tuesday’s contest versus the Washington Wizards — postponed. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, each replacement player the Nets needed to sign, if his salary counted toward the luxury tax, would cost them roughly $500,000.
As part of the agreement, the NBA and the NBPA will scrap the limit on the number of games a two-way player is allowed to be on a team’s active roster. Under a previous agreement that the two sides came to this summer, there had been a 50-game limit. Now, that limit no longer exists, with players getting paid an amended rate if they wind up being active for more than 50 games this season.
The first team with a significant outbreak this season, the Chicago Bulls, returned to action Sunday night for the first time since its games Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons and Thursday against the Raptors were postponed — the first postponements by the NBA this season. The Bulls beat the Lakers 115-110 in Chicago.
As positive cases mounted across the league, teams scrambled to fill out their rosters with replacement players to remain above the minimum of eight active players necessary to play an NBA game. On Saturday night, the Nets and Magic played a game in which the two teams combined to have 24 players missing due to either injury or the health and safety protocols and only 17 available players between them.
Several teams are hovering around the eight-player mark at the moment, in addition to those that had been slated to play in games that required postponements on Sunday.
The NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association have announced the suspension of all operations from Wednesday to Christmas Day amid an increase of positive COVID-19 tests.
The league and players’ association announced in a joint statement Monday night that all NHL team facilities will be closed until Boxing Day,
The league’s decision will result in five additional NHL games being postponed _ all were scheduled to be played on Thursday. All four matches on Wednesday had already been postponed.
The league’s holiday break was initially scheduled to begin Friday and end Sunday.
The NHL has been forced to scrub 49 games this season, with 44 announced since Dec. 13.
Story continues below advertisement
After the shutdown, practices can resume Sunday afternoon and games are scheduled to resume next Monday.
When team facilities reopen, all people travelling with the team will only be able to access the facility by showing a negative COVID-19 test result.
The two remaining games on the schedule before the new holiday break are on Tuesday when the Philadelphia Flyers host the Washington Capitals, and the Tampa Bay Lightning are in Vegas.
Prior to the league-wide shutdown, the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets were the latest teams sidelined by COVID-19. They joined the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators.
The Calgary Flames, who have endured the largest outbreak across the league with 32 people impacted, had re-opened their facility to members of the organization that had remained negative throughout daily testing. But that facility will be closed again until Boxing Day.
Ottawa and the New York Islanders were previously shut down by the league because of COVID-19 outbreaks earlier in the fall.
The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association previously said in a joint statement the plan was to avoid a full-league shutdown, instead choosing to continue halting team activities on a case-by-case basis.
Story continues below advertisement
Unlike last season, the league isn’t providing a daily count of players in COVID-19 protocol, but the number currently stands at roughly 15 per cent.
The NHL issued a statement Monday when announcing the Canadiens and Blue Jackets would be shuttered that repeated a line that’s been used over the last week. It indicated the decision was made “due to concern with the number of positive cases within the last several days as well as concern for continued COVID spread.”
Columbus was supposed to visit Buffalo on Monday, but cancelled its morning skate while awaiting test results, some 24 hours after scrapping practice due to virus concerns. The Blue Jackets were also scheduled to host the Sabres on Thursday.
The Oilers then announced defencemen Darnell Nurse and William Lagesson have been added to protocol, joining five teammates and head coach Dave Tippett. Edmonton had already planned to close its facility through the Christmas break.
The league, which said Saturday it was immediately returning to tighter health and safety measures akin to last season’s COVID-19 rules in hopes of curbing virus spread, also postponed two games set for Tuesday — Pittsburgh-New Jersey and Seattle-Arizona.
All but one NHL player — Detroit winger Tyler Bertuzzi — is vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Story continues below advertisement
The Canadiens, who added forward Mike Hoffman to protocol late Monday afternoon, said over the weekend they were closing their facility until Dec. 26 as a preventive measure. The government of Quebec then announced a single-day provincial record of 4,571 new COVID-19 infections.
Along with the six other Canadian-based clubs, Montreal had already seen its remaining games before the holidays postponed following the league’s decision Sunday to temporarily pause cross-border travel through Thursday.
The NHL also said it would be announcing a decision later this week with the union on participation at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but the string of COVID-19 postponements has almost certainly paved the way for the league to pull out of the Winter Games in China.
The Leafs announced Monday two members of their support staff have entered protocol. Toronto has seven players, including captain John Tavares and No. 1 goalie Jack Campbell, in isolation along with head coach Sheldon Keefe.
Canadian public-health officials have said COVID-19’s latest mutation has the potential to spread more quickly than the Delta variant, which was already highly transmissible. It’s also not currently known whether Omicron carries a higher or lower risk of severe illness or death.
When it comes to immunity, being fully vaccinated and then getting a booster shot is expected to reasonably protect against infection, and likely offers strong protection against severe illness. However, experts have said that must be combined with layers of public-health measures and individual precautions.
Story continues below advertisement
Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher spoke with reporters Sunday — prior to the team being shut down — for the first time since he was sidelined by the coronavirus earlier this month.
The 29-year-old said he experienced some “pretty tough symptoms” the first couple of days.
“It got me hard ? just laying there, fighting it,” Gallagher told reporters in Brossard, Que. “But after two days I was good, and then it was eight days of me (quarantining) with my thoughts and a little bit of boredom in the house. I did some cleaning, played a lot of video games, watched a lot of movies, made a lot of phone calls, and checked in on the guys quite a bit.
“It took a while for me to get (COVID-19), but now that you went through it, you understand what everyone’s been going through.”
Gallagher added there’s definitely been talk among players about a league-wide pause to the schedule.
“We’re having those conversations, for sure,” he said. “I understand the NHL’s standpoint. We’ve got to get an 82-game season in _ we have to.
“We knew we were going to have to deal with this, and this was a potential and a possibility.”
Be warned this is a long one… Even before Mohammed Ben Sulayem was elected FIA President by a resounding 62% I was being tapped up by people, including more than one from within the organization he now leads, who figured I knew him and sought information.
Actually the more I thought about it, and repeated myself to the various enquiries about the man, I realized I had some interesting professional experiences with Ben Sulayem.
The first time I met him was in mid-2004, my first year as Photo Director at Gulf News. The Sports Editor at the time and I went to interview him at his sumptuous home in Dubai; I to do the pictures having heard of his remarkable collection of cars and his rally accomplishments.
What followed were two great hours where Ben Sulayem, fully energized, showed us around his prized collection and discussed motorsport in general. Proper petrol-head stuff.
This was ahead of Dubai Autodrome’s first race which was Stephane Ratel’s FIA GT Championship, which Ben Sulayem had a role in making it happen at the brand new circuit in the middle of the desert.
After that, our worlds did not criss-cross much, but when in 2007 I took up the post as Dubai Autodrome Communications Manager, that would change. And I look back here on a decade in that position when my dealings with Ben Sulayem were common.
The ATCUAE headed by Ben Sulayem has been operated like a mini-FIA for two decades
Our role at Dubai Autodrome at the time, apart from running the track, was to help develop motorsport through rules, safety training, and setting the foundation for the sport under the auspices of Ben Sulayem and his ATCUAE organization (Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE) of which he was President.
Of that team, we had regular dealings with Ronan Morgan, Matthew Norman, Phiroze Jhaveri, John Spiller, and to a lesser extent Sean O’Connor; all experts in their field, who made part of the inner circle that penned or stamped the approval of every rule in UAE motorsport, from track racing through to off-road.
From scratch Ben Sulayem and his team developed karting from the grassroots level too. Within a decade, the UAE was hosting Rotax Max Challenge (RMC) world finals at Al Ain Raceway multiple times, hosting international events at the Kartdrome, while building a solid local base which allowed the UAE’s karting scene to set the benchmark in the region.
Speaking about Ben Sulayem’s contribution to karting, Al Ain Raceway management team headed by Antonio Kekati and Guy Sheffield are best positioned to judge the man and the ATCUAE (now EMSO) he leads,
They only have positive things to say about guidance and help received to start and establish the UAE Rotax MAX Challenge as the premier karting championship in the region.
“I could say a great deal about his contribution but it would take time. In a nutshell, motorsport in the UAE, even the Gulf region, would not be where it is today without Mohammed Ben Sulayem,” explained Kekati.
“His rally victories putting the sport into the local mainstream and thereafter, through the ATCUAE. establishing the backbone of all racing in the country to the highest of international standards.
“What took most countries a century to establish in motorsport from racing to governance, the ATCUAE under Mohammed Ben Sulayem achieved in only a couple of decades,” added Kekati.
Because of this, drivers bred through the UAE karting scene are starting to excel on the world stage in less than a decade, as Indycar driver Ed Jones is a Dubai bred racer springs to mind, an expat Briton who flies the UAE flag.
In 13-year-old Emirati prodigy Rashid Al Dhaheri, who Ben Sulayem rates very highly, the UAE have a rising youngster who is making waves in international karting, particularly Italy where he is the first Arab kid to be following the exact road to F1 that the likes of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen (among many) have been on.
All this under the watch of Ben Sulayem and his tight-knit team dealing with motorsport.
Today, the ATCUAE governs approximately 140 competitive events forming the UAE motorsport calendar, and covering disciplines such as circuit racing, rallying, drag racing, and motocross.
Moreover, the ATCUAE deals with a myriad of other non-motorsport related matters, which make it a mini-FIA of sorts that Ben Sulayem has built, governing the automotive landscape in the UAE, a model copied by other automotive organizations in the region.
Apart from rulemaking, safety and marshal training are overseen by ATCUAE officials, and normally, the usual faces Matthew, Ronan, Phiroze or John attending; no doubt reporting back to the chief.
With motorsport virtually non-existent in the UAE at the turn of this century, since then and under Ben Sulayem’s watch, the country has hosted road racing events like: FIA GT World Championship on multiple occasions, was the hub for GP2 Series Asia, A1 GP, the Dubai 24 Hours, Rotax Max World Finals, Abu Dhabi 12-Hours, Porsche Cup Middle East, Formula 4, and of course the Grand Prix.
Furthermore, on a national level, the country has a thriving Rotax Max Challenge series, tintop racing in the form of GTs and Touring Cars, motorcycle championship, drifting and drag racing championship.
And, by all accounts, the dirt side of the sport is also thriving with the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – conceptualized and organized by Ben Sulayem and his team – the cherry on a substantial cake which 20 years ago was still batter.
My dealings with Ben Sulayem ramped up during my days at Dubai Autodrome
On a professional level as comms man at the Autodrome, my dealings with Ben Sulayem were to ensure he was met upon arrival at the circuit for big events he would attend, brief him, and chaperone him around the paddock and pits, where he would chat to teams and drivers.
The first time we did it together he said to me: “Just give me names when we go to people and some info if I do not know them.”
Which meant prep him. So when we bumped into someone for a chat Ben Sulayem knew the person’s name and short history. And that’s how we operated every time he came to one of our big events on an official basis, which was two or three times per year.
Recalling how he operated in those days still impresses me. Super confident and passionate about motorsport. The one time I thought to point at Tom Kristensen, Ben Sulayem said, “I know. Mr Le Mans…” and off he went for a chat. He knows his stuff. And he knows a lot of people.
Having Ben Sulayem at an event meant media magnet. Everyone came and the great Creventic crowd who have organized the Dubai Autodrome 24 Hours certainly appreciated him, treating him like royalty because they knew he was gold for the event.
He also embraced our suggestion that ATCUAE host the preseason press event each year for national-level racing. Adding his touch meant each discipline had a stand, with their vehicle, uniting off-road with track-racing figures.
All stakeholders were given speech time to punt their calendars and projects in an environment that attracted all the heavy hitters in the local media. At the time it was groundbreaking.
Need help in an emergency? Call Ben Sulayem
And behind the scenes, when snags arose, for instance, customs issues, who do you call? Ben Sulayem.
One year, when cops arrived at the Autodrome Race Control halfway through the Dubai 24 Hours, ordering the race to be stopped because neighbors across the road at the Arabian Ranches were complaining. Who did we call? Ben Sulayem. Result: smiling cop apologizes and departs.
And he knows drivers. Most of the guys on the grid over the years are his mates. He knows Lewis, he knows Fernando, he knows Kimi and many of the F1 boys past and present.
In fact, it was a classic afternoon when he rolled up in his Rolls Royce Phantom at Dubai Autodrome, with Kimi and some of his Viking-looking mates, with tats and all. Ben Sulayem regal in his kandora, and the Finnish lads in shorts and t-shirts for an afternoon of hooning with Dubai Autdrome’s race school cars.
The stories Ben Sulayem told about Kimi’s antics shall remain between us. Suffice to say, a week later in Brazil, The Iceman won the 2007 F1 Title with Ferrari.
After that Ben Sulayem and I joked that, if you want to be world champ come hang out with him in Dubai.
I venture a calculated guess to say he is proper mates with most of the F1 drivers past and present
For this piece, in a quest to rekindle my dealings with Ben Sulayem and gather more info about him, I contacted my old friend Jean-Louis Hissette whose son, race driver Christophe, was killed in an accident during Radical practice at Dubai Autodrome in April 2010.
The Dubai bred and based driver was extremely popular and respected as one of the best karters of his generation. The crash really hurt the UAE motorsport community hard, as it was the first fatality at the venue.
I excused my impertinence and asked Jean-Louis about the manner in which Ben Sulayem reacted to the tragedy, he recalled: “Ben Sulayem was travelling at the time. He instructed Ronan Morgan to pass the statement of the accident by me before it went public which I appreciated.
“Furthermore, despite his absence from the funeral he arranged for high ranking UAE officials to be present, and of course, the ATCUAE were there as was most of the UAE motorsport community.”
He went on: “But for me, I always remember many years ago we were having a kart race in Jebel Ali. Christophe was a young teenager and although it was club level racing we took it seriously.
“There were marshals, Clerk of the Course etc. This time, Mohammed popped in to watch the afternoon racing. He often did arrive out of the blue. Just before racing resumed after lunch he asked where the ambulance was, when told it was delayed and not present, he ordered the race not to start. No ambulance, no race.
“As a parent that was a very special moment and gesture. And typical Mohammed,” added Jean-Louis.
Ben Sulayem built a big name for himself, inspiring young drivers with his rally successes
Christophe was part of a karting collective of expats and local drivers who began the sport in the UAE at the turn of this century, where he raced against and teamed up for endurance races with school friend David Bright.
Bright, now Kartdrome manager, recalled: “I remember watching Mohammed at a rally stage in front of my house in Jebel Ali village… He inspired me at a young age to be honest. I had posters on my wall of his Marlboro Toyota Celica…”
“He awarded me my 1996 UAE 100cc championship trophy. Nine years later, with the ATCUAE, we have run successful local and international races here and at the Autodrome across the road. The support is always there when needed.
“Even the early days, when we raced in makeshift parking lots or Jebel Ali, he would be there to flag off the race and later present trophies. He would arrive unannounced and always created a buzz. Without him and his team at the ATCUAE, I don’t think karting would be where it is today in the UAE.”
To give balance to this insight into Ben Sulayem, I really tried to dig out any unsavory or unprofessional moments in his presence, and honestly, I could not come with any.
Ben Sulayem and his detractors
He was FIA Middle East rally champion 14 times in the years 1986-1991, 1994, and 1996-2002, displaying the kind of dominance Mercedes enjoys in F1 these days and with it, the baggage of resentment and moaning triggered among losers lamenting relentless winning of others.
The ‘moaners in chief’ are his rally rivals who accuse him of always having the best team, the best sponsors, the best crew, the best car. Yes, the best of everything that gave the moaners no chance.
And of course, according to the moaners, there was cheating, namely rocks and rubble-strewn over stages to put off rivals. All stories I had heard before, in South Africa, about Sarel van der Merwe when he dominated rallying in that country. It’s rally-speak.
That’s the best the detractors can offer, conveniently forgetting that Ben Sulayem raised the bar of professionalism in Middle East rallying by having and being the best of the best.
After all, this legacy and higher benchmark spawned off-road maestro, Nasser Al-Attiyah, among a new generation of successful off-road and rally drivers in the region, including the UAE’s Sheikh Khalid Bin Faisal Al Qassimi who admitted that, as a kid he was inspired by Ben Sulayem to pursue the sport.
What the moaners also forget to mention is, that with Ben Sulayem attracting Red Bull, among an impressive portfolio of partners and sponsors to rallying in the region, it was thrust into a spotlight of media attention not witnessed before and seldom since.
His historic victory in the 1991 Bosphorus Rally in Turkey was the first by an Arab driver in an international Rally outside the Middle East.
Having spoken directly to those who hold a grudge, honestly, they appear unfounded, sore losers type of thing. It’s like saying Max Verstappen does not deserve to be F1 World Champion because his Red Bull team are, richer, faster, better than their rivals. Absurd.
Ben Sulayem and his management style
More digging and the word is Ben Sulayem is an autocratic taskmaster, has zero tolerance for failure and enjoys the spotlight.
Maybe I am old school, but for a President and leader, those very traits tick some very important boxes for me.
I tapped up karting and FIA GT World Champion David Terrien, who has been a witness to UAE motorsport for almost two decades.
Terrien was part of the initial team that set up the Dubai Autodrome, and his role as Kartdrome manager set the foundation for arguably one of the most successful arrive and drive leisure karting centers in the world.
As head of Project Solutions and Design, Terrien and his team design karting tracks, do motorsport consulting, and have actively been involved in team ownership, organizing and officiating races over the years that witnessed the growth of motorsport in the region first hand.
Terrien said of the new FIA President: “When I came to know the ATCUAE almost 20-years ago it was a very basic and small organization.
“Ben Sulayem managed to build a team of quality people to develop the national racing (on race tracks) from Karting to single-seaters while keeping developing the rally side of the sport. Rules, safety, marshals, medics, officials everything from scratch.
“He used his know-how of sport and mainly his fame in the region to bring more exposure to the developing motorsport in the region.
“The one thing I am not surprised with is that he is planning to put a CEO or a GM managing the daily operation of the FIA. He has this mentality that any organization (government or governing bodies such as federation) should be managed professionally and by professionals.
“This is what he did with the ATCUAE and the Emirates Motorsports Organization. I believe he positions himself as the leader giving the directions which are then implemented by his small team of hand-picked trusted professionals who are the type of characters who do not care for the limelight.
“While Ben Sulayem is perfect for that because he is very well connected, speaks well, understands the media and knows the political game, like this, he shields his people and allows them to focus on delivering results, which he then reports back publicly.
“This is what he did in the UAE and looks like he wants to apply the same at the FIA. I think we are in for some good surprises,” added Dubai-based Frenchman Terrien.
Death-defying crash driving an F1 Renault at Dubai Autodrome
No extensive piece on Ben Sulayem can be written without the mention of his massive F1 crash at Dubai Autodrome, my turf on my watch.
Renault were in Dubai filming and invited Ben Sulayem to be part of a video project that included him driving an R28 on deserted roads in the morning, followed by a stint at Dubai Autodrome which created a huge buzz in the city at the time.
Ben Sulayem in an F1 car, it was a short-notice affair, but still, there was a big turnout to watch the ATCUAE chief do laps at our track.
After engaging media for an hour or so, Ben Sulayem lined up on the start grid to do a start, with Romain Grosjean driving an FIA Ford GT car for comparison.
Off the line, Ben Sulayem got the first phase of the start perfect but shifting up the gears the tail of the car flicked brutally, spearing the Renault F1 car into the barriers. It was a violent crash, a gasp of dismay burst out of the assembled crowd. The car ended ten meters from me and a photographer, and for an instant, I feared the worst.
But Ben Sulayem moved in the crumpled cockpit, as the Dubai Autodrome medical and safety team extricated him from the badly wrecked car. The angels smiled on him that day.
For us, at the Autodrome, this was high alert stuff, and I am glad to say the Autodrome crew ticked all the boxes on that day.
When Ben Sulayem emerged from the circuit medical center, despite being well shaken and bruised, the first thing he said to reporters on the scene was: “I want to thank the Autodrome safety crew and medical team who were excellent. As for the car, I will buy it.”
Typical Ben Sulayem!
Sure as a racer he would have felt sheepish, and I was told to avoid writing about that unfortunate episode, but that would not be me as Editor of this site.
But now in retrospect, that unique experience singles him out among FIA Presidents, who knows what it feels like to be in a highspeed F1 crash. It’s a feather in his cap as far as I am concerned, first for having the balls to even be in the driving seat and second, not flinching.
Ben Sulayem and Ronan Morgan had their own Romain Grosjean moment
And that was by no means the only Big One he had. Late in his prolific career, he and his co-driver Ronan survived a fiery crash when their Ford Focus WRC, was completely destroyed exploding in a ball of fire, aided by the intense heat during the 2001 Rally of Lebanon.
Ben Sulayem said at the time: “We were driving along when suddenly we saw that the back of the car had caught fire. I screamed to Ronan to jump out which he did despite the flames. I managed to jump through the flames after two attempts.
“This is always going to be a part of what we do. We live life on the edge… accidents are a part of rallying,” he added.
My last direct dealing with Ben Sulayem was in 2016, shortly before I departed Dubai.
When he arrived for a function early that year, he commented to me that the Autodrome was looking very shabby; indeed it was a permanent construction site as Union Properties, leaseholders of the property adjacent to Motor City, ran out of money to finish overly ambitious projects leaving near-finished projects unfinished, and decaying in the remorseless desert heat.
Although a glorious race track, admired by all who drive on the various configurations, the surroundings always looked dilapidated, a permanent construction site for ten years and more, abandoned skeletons that were meant to be hotels, decaying structures intended as motor malls, incomplete as Union Properties failed miserably during the crisis of over a decade ago, and never really recovered.
Failure was not the image Dubai wants to portray. At which point I quipped: “Why don’t you take this place over. The guys running it are a waste of time. I have a plan to improve it.”
That was that. He did his rounds and left.
That week, Ronan calls me: “Mohammed wants to talk.”
That chat triggered several days and many hours of discussions and plotting a revolution for Autodrome, with Ben Sulayem as the boss, and a plan to take the project to the next level. This was intense stuff as we together built an action plan in his office that he was going to present, with a video of the grand plan to take to the very highest level, namely the ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
I recall vividly as we, with Ronan a constant presence, went through all the numbers and options, whenever he needed info on legal matters, for instance, he would call Sean who would take the floor and give the lowdown.
If it was about rules and regulations, in would come Matthew loaded with info and all the angles covered. There was an expert for each ‘division’ of the project.
At the time, it was a pure pleasure to watch the ATCUAE guys energized, working as a team in this manner. It was refreshing and even inspiring for me coming from a Dubai Autodrome environment with passionless, visionless and dull leadership.
Therein I witnessed the true difference, back-to-back, between a true leader of men and a journeyman.
I digress…
After an enlightening week at the ATCUAE in which I learnt a great deal among professionals passionate about the sport and loyal to their chief, I am not sure exactly why our project did not go further, suffice to say the contract between Union Properties/Motor City/Autodrome, and the Dubai government is a complex one which I believe was unbreakable until at least when it expires sometime this decade.
I guess, rightfully so, it’s was a battle that Ben Sulayem shrewdly opted not to fight at the time. But don’t be surprised if one day he has a bigger say at Autodrome. After all, Dubai is his town and its Autodrome would serve as a fitting place to honor his extraordinary car collection, which was part of our plan at the time…
What’s in store for the FIA with the new President?
Heading the FIA, I will put money on Ben Sulayem getting rid of the dead-wood, streamline every department and put key professionals in positions to deliver on his mandate. But the FIA is a huge bureaucratic organization, bigger than many governments and will take time to change.
As for his style, we got the first glimpse of it when dealing with questions regarding Lewis Hamilton’s absence from the FIA Awards Gala, an event that by the sport’s rules requires the top three in the F1 Championship to attend.
Lewis failed to turn up in Paris after the Abu Dhabi showdown. Ben Sulayem was asked about it by reporters and his message was clear: no individual is bigger than the sport, if rules were broken then there will be no forgiveness.
I am pretty sure Ben Sulayem has Lewis’ number on speed dial, as they have met so often in Dubai and Abu Dhabi but, if the seven-time F1 World Champion is found to have broken the rules, don’t be surprised if he is handed FIA “community service” of the kind Max was forced to do when he was wayward.
I predict the message: Rules are Rules no matter who you are. How can that be bad?
Finally, much is being made of Ben Sulayem being the first Arab and non-European to run the FIA. So what. If you meet Ben Sulayem, even in the traditional dress that he wears in Dubai, you don’t think of him as anything other than a racer through and through.
If anything he should unite us all who have Racing in our Blood, no matter what creed or color, he is head of our ‘family’ and I for one look forward to the ride. It won’t be boring!
To the new President of the FIA, if he reads this I have a message: “Dear Mohammed, when we last met in your Dubai office (to test your reaction) I told you that you should run for FIA President to replace Jean Todt; to test your reaction. I recall you shrugged it off with a smile.
“Now half a dozen years later, I am glad you went for it and you now are the Big Boss. Welcome and Good Luck from our GRANDPRIX247 crew!”
Jake Paul says he wants to fight Jorge Masvidal or Nate Diaz next as he looks to add more UFC victims to his CV after his stunning sixth-round knockout of Tyron Woodley. The YouTube sensation, who has now moved to 5-0 in the pro ranks, is seemingly not interested in handing Tommy Fury another opportunity in the New Year.
Paul is adamant Fury, the younger brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson, backed out of their fight despite a broken rib and bacterial chest infection.
But instead of dwelling on the disappointment, Paul took the chance to add another highlight-reel knockout to his collection.
After stepping in for a rematch on just two weeks notice, Tyron Woodley was knocked out cold in the sixth round following a brutal right hook.
Now Paul wants Masvidal or Diaz next, permitting UFC chief Dana White is willing to let them break their contracts.
Ondo State Football Association has urged members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Ondo State Chapter, to support its various programmes to help develop football in the state.
Chairman of the Association, Otunba Dele Ajayi, made the appeal during a media parley organised by Ondo SWAN in Akure, saying the state is making landmark successes in the country.
Ajayi, who was the special guest at the programme, said sports writers are important to every programme and vision of the state FA, adding, “We can move the state forward, we can discover talents together; during the next three years, I want to have at least three players in national team.
“From one of our programmes, we have a young player in Cyprus already. I don’t sell players, I don’t own players, we only create platforms for them to excel and showcase their talents.
“I need your support to succeed in the remaining three years and three months of my mandate… we can discover talents together. “ We are not Mr. know all, you can call our attention to issues that promote development anytime.”
The FA Chairman, who revealed that the state FA could not go into school sports competitions because it is under the Ministry of Education, said the association has been training coaches from secondary schools to help develop potential talents there.
He also revealed that sponsors would soon be unveiled for the planned state league scheduled to start next year in the 18 local councils.
Ajayi assured that he would support any programme by the sports writers in the state, describing them as partners in progress in football.
Earlier, Ondo SWAN Chairman, Wahab Bankole, thanked Ajayi for honouring the members’ call, as well as sharing his vast football experience with the association.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods accomplished both of his goals this weekend at the PNC Championship — having fun with his son, Charlie, and managing to play the scramble format of the event without making a bogey.
But along the way, the old competitive fire burned bright as Woods not only played remarkably well — with a good bit of help from his 12-year-old son — but got into contention on the strength of 11 consecutive birdies.
The streak ended on the par-5 18th hole when — knowing they likely needed an eagle to have any chance at the win — both Tiger and Charlie chipped past the hole and were unable to make the putt.
John Daly and his son, John Daly II, captured the 36-hole competition Sunday with a final-round 57 to clip the Woods team by 2 shots. They finished at 27 under for the tournament, breaking by 1 stroke the tournament mark set by Davis Love III and his son three years ago.
Daly, the two-time major champion who last year was diagnosed with bladder cancer, showed some of his old prowess along with some excellent golf from his son, who plays college golf at the University of Arkansas.
Tiger and Charlie also combined to shoot 15-under 57, making 13 birdies, an eagle and four pars, to finish second, a shot ahead of Justin Thomas and his dad, Mike, and Stewart Cink and his son, Reagan.
“We got on a nice heater; Charlie was hitting the ball unbelievable,” said Woods, who acknowledged that the intensity ramped up as the day wore on. “It [winning] would have had a special meaning in my heart for sure, there’s no doubt about that. And it still does.
“The fact that I’m able to have this opportunity this year, even a couple weeks ago we didn’t really know whether or not I would be doing this, but here we are. And we had just the best time ever, and I just wish I could have walked down the fairways with him and been side by side with him the entire time like we were last year.”
Woods did walk the final 200-plus yards to the 18th hole, but it was clear throughout the weekend that the right leg and foot that were badly injured in the Feb. 23 car crash gave him issues the more he played.
Although he had a golf cart, there is still a good amount of walking to be done, and Woods labored at times — although it didn’t seem to impact his swing very often. There were at least two instances Sunday when Woods winced after a tee shot, but there were plenty of other good moments and impressive shots that will make many wonder how close he is to returning.
Matt Kuchar, who played with Woods in the final round along with his son, Cam, came away gushing about Woods’ play.
“Still has speed, irons are spectacular,” he said. “Pin high every time. It was awesome,” he said.
Kuchar suggested Woods’ game was at PGA Tour level now, but Woods quickly shot that down.
“I totally disagree,” Woods said. “I’m not at that level. I can’t compete against these guys right now, no. It’s going to take a lot of work to get to where I can feel I can compete with these guys and be at a high level.”
Woods’ game seemed to get better as the weekend wore on, despite the obvious fatigue from which he was suffering. He lamented his inability to hit a lot of the shots required under duress, but we’re also talking about someone who had played just a handful of rounds of golf prior to this tournament and was likely not hitting many balls as recently as a month ago.
For a man who has won 82 PGA Tour events, including 15 major titles, but is about to turn 46 on Dec. 30, it seems a tall task.
“I like competing,” he said. “I’m not going to play a full schedule ever again. I’m going to have to pick and choose what events, and even then, my body might not cooperate with that.
“So I don’t know how many events I’m going to be playing in. And it’s going to be up to training sessions, practice sessions, recovery tactics, all those different things to be able to do this again because it didn’t look good there for a while about it.”
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
