Salam alaykum! This is our weekly news recap. If you have a story or athlete you’d like to pitch for it, email us at TheAthleticUmmah@gmail.com.
The Headlines
Formula One pre-season testing wraps up in Bahrain: After three days of testing, the Formula One (F1) pre-season testing wrapped up on Saturday. The testing, which was held in Bahrain’s Sakhir International Circuit, is the only chance for teams to gather on-track data about their cars before the opening race on March 2.
Mohamed Farsi signs contract extension with MLS’s Columbus Crew: 24-year-old footballer Mohamed Farsi has extended his contract with the Columbus Crew, signing through to the 2027 season, with a club option to extend to 2028. “I am absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to continue my journey with the Columbus Crew,” said Farsi. He made his debut for the Crew in 2022, and helped them win the MLS Cup in 2023.
World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions Angola ahead of 2024 Olympics: With months to go before the 2024 Summer Olympics, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has sanctioned the Angolan Olympic Committee for failing to align the country’s anti-doping laws with international standards. The African country now faces restrictions that bar its athletes from displaying national symbols during this summer’s Olympics, including its own flag and anthem.
What You Might’ve Missed
The start of the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is just around the corner, and as is usually the case, a lot of the buzz in the build-up has been about the new jerseys teams will be sporting this year.
Unfortunately for the league, the attention the new Nike-generated, Fanatics-produced swag is getting is not positive.
From the lettering appearing too small, to the awkward spacing and centring of some of the numbers, to some of the team names and insignias no longer being stitched on, to see-through pants that reveal a bit more than they should, the release of the new MLB jerseys has been nothing short of a disaster, to put it lightly.
Some of the most horrid examples include the St. Louis Cardinals’ logo no longer embroidered directly on the jersey, the Philadelphia Phillies’ logo no longer chain-stitched onto the jersey, and the Seattle Mariners’ sleeve patch no longer embroidered.
Even the MLB’s own players have complained about the uniform’s dip in quality.
Chicago Cubs’ Dansby Swanson, who has an endorsement deal with Nike, said he’s contacted the brand to see if some of these concerns could be resolved.
Other players feel so strongly about the new jerseys that they’ve taken their concerns to their union, according to The Athletic.
“It looks like a replica,” said Taylor Ward of the Los Angeles Angels. “It feels kind of like papery.”
“From the looks of it, it doesn’t look like a $450 jersey,” he told The Athletic.
Last week, Nike said in a press release that it worked with more than 300 players to design a jersey that was more breathable, lightweight and stretchy. They added that the new uniforms were developed over multiple years.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has also defended the new uniforms, saying they were well-received when they were originally worn in last year’s All-Star Game. He’s adamant they’ll become “really popular” with time.
“They’re designed to be performance wear as opposed to what’s been traditionally worn, so they are going to be different,” he said.
Still, the resounding response seems to be one of disappointment — and the prevailing theme across most complaints is the new uniform’s cheap-looking quality, despite its expensive price tag.
I think that the performance wear might feel nice,” one anonymous Baltimore Orioles player told the Baltimore Banner. “But the look of it is like a knock-off jersey from [department store] T.J.Maxx.”
Time will tell whether these jerseys become as popular as Manfred claims. But as a jersey aficionado myself who loves the look of baseball jerseys, the pictures and complaints have definitely dissuaded me from getting any MLB gear this season.
Muslim Athletes of the Week
As Palestinians in Gaza fight to survive Israel’s brutal assault on the region, Palestinian national teams across all sports have been trying to give their people some semblance of joy and hope during these difficult times.
In baseball, Palestine won two of five games during December’s Asian Baseball Championship. It was their first ever appearance in the continental competition, and put Palestine on the map in a sport not many associate with the Middle East.
In men’s football, Palestine won their first ever Asian Cup game during the 2023 edition of the competition, and they qualified for the knockout rounds for the first time in their history.
In basketball, a Palestinian team led by the uber-talented Jamal Mayal is looking to qualify for their first FIBA Asia Cup since 2015 and only their second all time.
And this week, it was the ladies’ turn. On Feb. 20, Palestine’s national women’s football team kick-started their 2024 WAFF Women’s Championship campaign.
The tournament is a big deal for women’s football in the Middle East, as it’s one of the very few opportunities the Middle East’s top women’s players get to participate in a competitive tournament.
Most of the region’s women’s teams are not good enough to qualify for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup (Iran was the Middle East’s only representative in the 2022 edition); and because qualification to FIFA Women’s World Cup is tied to the Asian Cup, very few of these teams get far in qualifiers, let alone make it to the final tournament.
This is especially the case for Palestine, who’ve never qualified for the Women’s World Cup or Women’s Asian Cup. Palestine has competed in nearly every WAFF Women’s Championship since its launch in 2005, and they came close to winning the competition in 2014.
But the tournament hasn’t been kind to Palestine in the decade since. In each of the last two WAFF Women’s Championships, Palestine failed to win a single match. They finished bottom of the table in both editions, and only scored one goal in seven matches.
Given that, it would’ve been fair to expect little from Palestine going into the 2024 tournament. But as ladies soon proved, they should never have been doubted.
It started in the opening match against Iraq, which ended in a 3-0 victory for Palestine. They were led by 18-year-old Nour Youssef, who was making her debut in that match. She scored Palestine’s opening two goals, and then assisted Ayah Abed’s insurance marker in the 68th minute.
The win was Palestine’s first in all competitions since 2018, and their first by multiple goals since 2014.
Two days later, Palestine was in the win column again. Playing a tricky and resilient Syrian side, the Palestinians needed a late goal from another teenager, Miral Qassis, to secure a tight 1-0 win. Qassis’ goal was exceptionally taken, as she cut across the field before unleashing a powerful shot from just outside of the box.
For the first time since 2014, Palestine had won back-to-back matches. Furthermore, they had kept a clean sheet in successive games for just the second time in their history and for the first time in a decade.
Although Palestine lost their final group stage match to Nepal, the ladies secured 2nd place in their group. As a result, they’ll play regional rivals Jordan for a spot in the 2024 WAFF Women’s Championship final.
The likelihood of Palestine beating Jordan is slim, as Jordan is far and away the Levant’s top women’s team. But even so, Palestine has had an incredible, historic run in the group stage, and their performances showed they’ve made leaps and bounds since their last appearance in the WAFF Women’s Championship in 2022.
With a young core of talented Palestinians — some plying their trade outside of Palestine — it’ll be interesting to watch what new heights Palestine’s women’s team will reach in the coming days, months and years. For now though, they’re our Muslimah Athletes of the Week.
Headline image credit: the-afc.com
[…] the women’s game by hosting and participating in the regional tournament for the first time; and Palestine’s team made history — amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza — by winning back-to-back games for the first time in a […]