Category: Sports

Manchester City kicked off their year in ominous fashion, with a 1-0 win at Chelsea cutting their gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to five points.

Arsenal’s draw at home to Newcastle on Tuesday opened the door for the second-placed defending champions to reduce the deficit and, after a below-par first half, City eventually ramped up the pressure in the second period and broke through when two subs combined, with Riyad Mahrez tucking in Jack Grealish’s low cross (63).

Carney Chukwuemeka had struck a post on 44 minutes for Chelsea but Nathan Ake headed against the frame of the goal for City soon after the restart and the visitors deservedly went on to claim a fourth win in a row against Chelsea since losing the Champions League final to them in 2021.

There was no goal for top scorer Erling Haaland at Stamford Bridge but that’s the 11th time in a row City have won their first Premier League game of the year and this one sets them up for another title charge in 2023.

As for Chelsea, they will get the opportunity to hit back in the FA Cup third-round tie with City at the Etihad on Sunday, but with Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic limping off early on and just six points from their last eight games – their worst run since 2010 – the problems are mounting up for Graham Potter. They stay 10th, 10 points off the top four.

How Man City won at Stamford Bridge

Both teams came into the contest off the back of frustrating draws, with Chelsea held at Nottingham Forest and City sharing the points with Everton at the Etihad last time out. Those results intensified the pressure on this heavyweight clash and the tension was tangible during an edgy first half, which saw Sterling clutch his hamstring and Pulisic pick up a knock when brilliantly denied by player of the match John Stones.

Pulisic’s replacement, 19-year-old Chukwuemeka made an impact, though, launching a counter-attack before breaking into the box himself and seeing Bernardo Silva block his shot, and later striking a post with a deflected drive.

That effort sparked City into action, with De Bruyne testing Kepa Arrizabalaga in stoppage time, but going in at the break City hadn’t been as sharp as they might have been. Their first shot of the match hadn’t come until the 33rd minute and with with Joao Cancelo, Kyle Walker and Phil Foden making their first starts since the World Cup, the visitors had been below their best.

That all changed after the break. Walker and Cancelo came off and with Rico Lewis and Manuel Akanji in the side, City suddenly looked a more effective machine, with Haaland shooting wide before Ake rose to head a fine De Bruyne cross against the post.

The Belgian then had a couple of digs of his own, either side of a rare Chelsea chance that fell the way of Thiago Silva, but it was Grealish who came up with the craft to eventually break the deadlock, guiding a pass through the six-yard box for Mahrez to tap in, although Kepa appeared to hesitate.

Chelsea’s options at that point looked limited, with little experience on their bench, but debutant Omari Hutchinson, Lewis Hall and Conor Gallagher added youthful energy and while Haaland just failed to turn in a De Bruyne cross the home side finished on the front foot, with Hall blazing over.

Despite that promise and potential, once again the finishing touch eluded Chelsea’s forwards – including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who was less than impressed to be subbed off after earlier coming on for Sterling – and Potter has a big task on his hands to lift this side up the league towards where they want to be. More immediately he has to figure out how to end Chelsea’s sorry streak against Man City in time for Sunday.

Potter: We took a step forward today

Chelsea boss Graham Potter: “The situation we’re in, we need to focus on the next day or the next game. Keep together, keep the performance level we’ve shown today, and try to move forward. [The injuries] don’t make it any easier. Raheem’s was a strange one. Christian, it’s a contact with his knee. Mason got a kick yesterday as well. I’ve never experienced anything like it and wouldn’t want to experience it ideally here. But we have to carry on.

“The expectation is where it is, you want to have all your players available, fully-fit squad and be able to compete. It’s frustrating for everybody at the moment.

“There was a lot right today in terms of the performance. We were playing against a top side, it was competitive, we hit a post, we had courage in attack, we suffered in defence, there was a lot to like. We took a step forward today in terms of our performance.”

Guardiola: A completely different Man City in second half

Man City boss Pep Guardiola: “It was not good first half, it was sloppy, we didn’t create much, our pressing was so poor, we were not well organised and in the second half with Manu and Rico, with the quality to not just play good, to help others play better, Rico has the talent to do this. Since we came back he’s playing and he’s a key player for us.

“The impact in the second half of all four players was so important, they changed the game. In the second half, it was a completely different Man City, a different rhythm. Rico changed his dynamic from minute one.

“There are 63 points still left to play for, we have to continue to improve ourselves. We handle in our mindset that people believe in November we’re going to be champions and this is impossible. Arsenal, United don’t have this pressure. After four [Premier League wins] in five years it’s not easy to push them again, that’s why I’m satisfied. We prefer to be closer but the way Arsenal have played they deserve to be there.”

Opta stats – Mahrez and Grealish combine

• Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish combined for a goal just 3 minutes and 43 seconds after the pair had been substituted on for Manchester City.
• Jack Grealish has assisted three goals across his last three Premier League appearances for Manchester City, doubling his tally from his first 34 games in the competition for the club.
• Riyad Mahrez has scored nine goals a substitute for Manchester City in the Premier League, with only Edin Dzeko (13) and Sergio Agüero (12) scoring more goals a substitute for the club in the competition. Mahrez is the Premier League’s top scoring substitute since he joined Manchester City in 2018-19.
• Riyad Mahrez scored his 40th Premier League goal for Manchester City, going clear of his tally in the competition with previous club Leicester City (39).

What’s next?

These sides meet again on Sunday at the Etihad in the third round of the FA Cup in a 4.30pm kick-off. Chelsea then go to Fulham on Thursday January 12 at 8pm in their next Premier League encounter, while Man City have a Carabao Cup tie at Southampton on Wednesday 11 January at 8pm, live on Sky Sports.

 2,014 total views,  2,014 views today

Michael Smith produced the performance of his career to defeat Michael van Gerwen 7-4 and claim his first Cazoo World Darts Championship title in an incredible final at Alexandra Palace on Tuesday.

THIS IS INSANE!!! WHAT A LEG OF DARTS!!

MICHAEL SMITH HITS A NINE DARTER!! 🤯😲 pic.twitter.com/T6HWmRCQYX

— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) January 3, 2023

On his way to winning an all-time classic, Smith hit a nine-dart finish in the third leg of the second set which also saw Van Gerwen miss double 12 for a nine-darter.

From 3-2 down, Smith produced a run of four straight sets to take control at 6-3, before going on to seal a famous win which sees him become world number one for the first time.

“The way I felt when I won will never be topped, no matter what I do in this sport in the future,” said an emotional Smith.

“To be World Champion and world number one is amazing.

“Michael let me off a lot and, for once, I finally took my chance.

“In practice today I kept going 180-180-miss and I wanted to give the crowd what they deserved, a nine-darter.

“When I won the Grand Slam I said I would eventually become World Champion and world number one.

“I want to do what Michael [van Gerwen] has done, I want to dominate the sport but he’s still around!

“It’s now 1-1 between us in World Championship finals, but I don’t think it will be the last.”

Competing in his sixth World Championship final, Van Gerwen suffered a third defeat in the sport’s showpiece event.

The Dutchman, who posted his first sub-100 average of the tournament, remains third on the Order of Merit.

“Michael [Smith] played a phenomenal game, he deserves this win,” Van Gerwen reflected.

“Of course, I had my chances – I missed too many doubles and when you don’t hit them you get punished.

“I didn’t play too well in the last few sets but I can only blame myself for that, you have to take it on the chin.

“When you lose games it’s hard but it’s part of the job. I will be back.”

A game of the highest quality saw Smith end the match with a 100.87 average and an incredible 22 180s, while Van Gerwen posted a 99.58 average with 15 maximums.

The opening set saw Van Gerwen land an 84 checkout to break throw and win his 14th consecutive set of the tournament.

The second set featured the best ever leg of darts in recorded competition as Smith hit a nine-dart finish in the same leg which saw Van Gerwen miss an attempt at double for a nine-darter of his own.

This sealed a break of throw for Smith, who then tidied up 25 in two darts to wrap up the set and level the match at 1-1.

After missing the bullseye for a 170 checkout, Smith wrapped up the third set, before Van Gerwen took the fourth without conceding a leg to level the tie at 2-2.

In a fifth set decider, Van Gerwen broke throw in 14 darts to take the lead for what proved to be the final time in the match at 3-2.

However, the key passage of the match saw Smith win 12 of the next 16 legs to take a 6-3 lead in sets.

Van Gerwen stopped the rot with a 105 checkout before the set ten decider saw Smith take the first shot at a match-winning checkout, but he was unable to land a 167 before Van Gerwen found a last-dart double 16 to stay alive.

Van Gerwen then took a 2-0 lead in the 11th set, but Smith hit back with a 106 checkout, followed up with a 15-dart break to move within a leg of the title.

Smith kicked off the deciding leg with back-to-back 180s before sealing victory with an 11-darter on double eight to seal a stunning 7-4 success.

Click here to view match stats.

2022/23 Cazoo World Darts Championship
Tuesday January 3
Final
Michael Smith 7-4 Michael Van Gerwen

Set-by-set report
Set One (Smith 1-3 Van Gerwen)

Smith threw first, taking the opening leg in 13 darts but missed shots at 116 and 90 as Van Gerwen found a double at his eighth attempt to get his first leg on the board.

Van Gerwen then fired in his second 180 on his way to an 11-dart hold, before landing an 84 checkout to break throw and win his 14th consecutive set of the tournament.

Set Two (Smith 3-1 Van Gerwen) – SMITH HITS NINE-DARTER

The second set saw the best ever leg of darts in recorded competition as Smith hit a nine-dart finish in the same leg which saw Van Gerwen miss an attempt at double for a nine-darter of his own.

In the context of the set, Smith broke throw to take a 2-1 lead before tidying up 25 to wrap up the set and level the match.

Set Three (Smith 3-1 Van Gerwen)

Smith landed an 80 checkout to break throw in 14 darts and take a 2-0 lead.

Van Gerwen broke back immediately with a 13-darter, only for Smith to reply in kind with a 14-dart leg after missing the bullseye for a 170 checkout.

Set Four (Smith 0-3 Van Gerwen)

Van Gerwen issued the perfect response to going behind in the tie, backing up a hold of throw with two double 18s for a 90 checkout to break.

Van Gerwen wrapped up the set with an 83 checkout to level the tie.

Set Five (Smith 2-3 Van Gerwen)

The first four legs of the set all went with throw, with Van Gerwen landing a 100 checkout in leg two and a ten-darter in leg four.

A decisive deciding leg went the way of the Dutchman, who broke throw in 14 darts with Smith failing to produce a visit over 100.

Set Six (Smith 3-1 Van Gerwen)

The opening three legs all went against throw, before Smith held in 18 darts, crucially pinning a last dart double ten to restore parity once again.

Set Seven (Smith 3-2 Van Gerwen)

Van Gerwen took the opening two legs in 15 and 14 darts respectively, before Smith held in 16.

Smith landed a 130 checkout to force a deciding leg which he won with a 14-dart hold to hit the front in the tie.

Set Eight (Smith 3-1 Van Gerwen)

Smith broke throw in 13-darts, following it up with a 15-dart break.

Van Gerwen stayed alive in the set with a 14-dart hold, but Smith replied in kind to open up a two-set cushion for the first time.

Set Nine (Smith 3-0 Van Gerwen)

Smith took out 74 to hold throw, before breaking in 15 darts.

He pressed home his advantage, landing a 180 en route to a 14-dart hold to win his fourth successive set.

Set 10 (Smith 2-3 Van Gerwen)

Van Gerwen took out 105 to stop the rot, the first of four legs to go with throw.

In the deciding leg, Smith had the first shot at a match-winning checkout, but was unable to land a 167 before Van Gerwen found a last-dart double 16 to stay alive.

Set 11 (Smith 3-2 Van Gerwen)

Van Gerwen broke throw in 11 darts, before a 16-dart hold saw him move within a leg of the set.

Smith hit back with a 106 checkout, followed up with a 15-dart break to move within a leg of the title.

Smith kicked off the deciding leg with back-to-back 180s on his way to an 11-darter to seal the deal.

2022/23 Cazoo World Darts Championship
Monday January 2
2x Semi-Finals
Michael Smith 6-2 Gabriel Clemens (3-2, 2-3, 3-2, 2-3, 3-0, 3-2, 3-2, 3-1)
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Dimitri Van den Bergh (3-2, 3-0, 3-0, 3-2, 3-0, 3-0)

Tuesday January 3 (2000 GMT)
Final
Michael Smith 7-4 Michael Van Gerwen
Best of 13 sets

Ernest John Obiena has silenced all doubters on his ability to shine bright on the world stage with a banner season the past year—despite everything that went on around him.

But the Filipino pole vault idol won’t lounge around, as he gears up passionately this year to surpass his limits in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“Training would be tough, as this is the year to build and push the limits and test new things to know by [Paris] 2024 what would be the best approach,’’ Obiena told the Inquirer.

The 27-year-old Obiena became the first Filipino to stand on the medal podium of the World Athletics Championships with a bronze medal in the Eugene, Oregon, meet in July 2023 where the best competitors in athletics converged.

Battling great odds even outside the competition, Obiena cleared 5.94 meters in a third-place finish that featured the gold standard in his sport.

Olympic champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden reset the world record to 6.21 meters for the gold medal, while Chris Nilsen of the United States seized the silver via the countback after clearing the same height as Obiena.

The accomplishment propelled the Asian record holder to surge up to No. 3 in the world from sixth overall behind Duplantis and Nilsen.

But the other high point of Obiena’s season probably was in the Wanda Diamond League in Brussel, Belgium, in September where he beat Duplantis.

Beating Duplantis

Obiena hurdled 5.91 meters in his third attempt, a height World No. 1 Duplantis wasn’t able to clear.More than boosting his confidence, it became apparent that Obiena showed he can beat the best in the Olympics.

“I proved to myself what I’ve been saying that I can compete with these guys and I can win,’’ said Obiena, who improved vastly since he was taken under the care of renowned Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov in a training facility in Formia, Italy, since 2014.

The second-generation vaulter from Tondo, Manila, will kick off his 2023 campaign in the Asian Athletics Indoor Championships in Uzbekistan on Feb. 10 to Feb. 12 as part of his preparation for the looming Paris Olympic qualifiers.

Obiena said that there are quite a number of championships to be had this year.

After the Asian Indoor Championships, the outdoor season arrives with six to eight tournaments on the pipeline for EJ, mostly in Europe.

Obiena will be defending his Southeast Asian (SEA) Games title anew and try to surpass his own record during the May 5 to 17, 11-nation sportsfest in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The biennial 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, canceled by Hangzhou, China, in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been penciled for July 12 to 16 in Pattaya, Thailand.

The 6-foot-2 Obiena holds the Asian record at 5.94 meters, which he set during the 2022 International Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, Austria, in September last year to become Asia’s top male vaulter.

Tournament sched

Then comes the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from Aug. 19 to 27, where he aims to do better following a bronze finish last year. And from Europe, Obiena goes back to Asia for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 23 to Oct. 8.

“These should be the major competitions I would prepare for. The [Paris Olympic] qualifiers will start July 1, though when it comes to points, every competition counts,’’ said Obiena.

“I am hoping to lessen the funding problem and logistics of my equipment with the help of [Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president] Mr. [Terry] Capistrano,’’ added Obiena, whose training is being heavily bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) apart from other sponsors.

Obiena continued to blossom last year despite a long-drawn dispute with the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and its former president Philip Ella Juico over their disagreement on the handling of funds intended for the salaries of Petrov.

The rift even reached the Senate and the House of Representatives before the conflicting parties arrived at a settlement through the mediation of the PSC then headed by chair William “Butch’’ Ramirez.

That distraction didn’t stop Obiena from reaching another level of success never before seen from a Filipino on the field.

Counting the Wanda Diamond League in Brussels, Obiena also emerged victorious in the Orlen Cup, Orlen Copernicus Cup, European City of Sports, Taby Stavhoppsgala and Jump and Fly Series last year. He likewise dominated his event in the SEA Games held in Vietnam in the middle of the year.

“We’re getting more scientific equipment to test speed and strength to not just improve the technique, but push the border of my raw physical abilities,’’ said Obiena.

EJ’s own team

Helping him out apart from Petrov is a team composed of physiotherapist Francesco Viscusi, osteopath Antonio Guglietta, Carol and Jim Lafferty in nutrition and psychologist Sheryll Casuga. His father, Emerson Obiena, is also part of the team.

“Regular training is more or less six to eight hours, depending on the day. For competitions, most of it is rest and active rest after the travel. In between, I mostly sleep or do paper works,’’ said Obiena.

Vying for his second Olympics after placing 11th in the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games, Obiena can qualify for the Paris Games in two ways, either via entry standards or through the World Athletics rankings.

The Olympic qualifying standard for men’s pole vault is 5.82 meters.

While meeting 5.82 meters or maintaining his No. 3 rankings will be his initial objectives, winning a gold medal in Paris is the ultimate goal.

“I have to out-jump everyone else [on that day],’’ said Obiena.

He did that last September and will be working hard to do it again in Paris. INQ

Read Next

Don’t miss out on the latest news and information.

Ahead of the 333rd Edinburgh derby, Sky Sports reporter Luke Shanley looks at who could come out on top as Hearts take on Hibernian at Tynecastle Park…

Craig Gordon’s absence

It would be wrong to start this preview to the first Edinburgh Derby of 2023 without wishing Hearts goalkeeper and captain Craig Gordon all the best with his recovery from a double leg break sustained in the Christmas Eve draw against Dundee United. The Scotland international turned 40 on Hogmanay and should have been looking forward to his 23rd appearance in this fixture, hopefully something that will come next season.

In the meantime, Hearts have replaced Gordon with former St. Johnstone No 1 Zander Clark, who won the cup double with the Perth side back in 2021. This shrewd signing has proved to be a good bit of business. Hearts have had injuries to contend with this season, no doubt every team will say the same, but with Europa Conference League group-stage football added to the mix, the squad has been put to work.

Two wins over Latvians RFS earned the club prize money, but they found Fiorentina and Istanbul Basaksehir a step up in class. The worry for Robbie Neilson prior to taking part in Europe would have been the potential impact on their league form. However, going into 2023, Hearts are third, three points ahead of Aberdeen who have played a game more. This will give confidence to Hearts that another third-place finish is on the cards especially as Neilson will feel there is more to come from his team this year.

Can Shankland smash 31-year-old record?

When Lawrence Shankland joined Hearts, everyone knew they were signing a proven goalscorer but with 16 goals already, he looks certain to become the first Hearts player to score 20-plus goals in a season for the first time since 1992. Club legend and leading all-time goalscorer John Robertson was the man to do it 31 years ago.

Robertson is also the record goalscorer in Edinburgh derbies against Hibernian with 27 to his name, so just the 26 to go for Shankland after his goal at Easter Road in August if he’s to equal another landmark in the future.

Fresh from his winner against St Johnstone on Wednesday, Barrie McKay will also be a threat to the Hibernian defence on Monday, while Robert Snodgrass will add to his vast experience in England and at international level with his first taste of an Edinburgh derby.

It has not been perfect from Hearts this season and losing Gordon is a big blow, but they will be content with where they are and the progress that has been made in 2022.

Recruitment issues at Hibs?

The same can’t be said across the city. When I wrote a piece looking ahead to the first Edinburgh Derby of the season back in August, I highlighted the recruitment and how crucial that was going to be.

Any new manager wants his own players in to play his own style and Lee Johnson discussed the process with me in July when asked how recruitment works at the club. “We get the budget from the owner, the CEO controls the budget in conjunction with myself and Ian Gordon (head of recruitment and son of owner Ron Gordon),” he said.

“All the player ID and the final say comes from me, but it has to fit the financial parameters of the club. There is a lot of good work going on here, the recruitment team is vast.”

Of those who started against Celtic on Wednesday, David Marshall and Elie Youan were the only summer signings to begin the game. The other starters were at the club when Jack Ross and Shaun Maloney were in charge. That would suggest the summer signings are taking their time to adapt or are not good enough.

Marijan Cabraja seemed to start steadily enough but has struggled recently and no doubt the passing of his father in August has been very difficult to cope with. Midfielder Nohan Kenneh has not been able to hold down a starting role on a regular basis. Jair Tavares, signed from Benfica B, last started against Livingston on matchday three. Meanwhile, Aberdeen signed Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes from the same club to greater success.

Momodou Bojang’s loan move from The Gambia’s Rainbow FC will come to an end early too after no goals and a struggle to adapt. Harry McKirdy has also yet to contribute.

Others have been shipped out on loan and look unlikely to make an impact on their return. Aiden McGeady was injured early in the season, and it remains to be seen if he still has the magic he often showed with Celtic.

Following Wednesday’s defeat to Celtic, Johnson looked ahead to 2023 and told me, “We need transfer windows because we need to bring in players that fit my playing style. Sometimes when managers change quickly you can end up with three or four different sets of players that belong to different managers and philosophies. It is important we get that right and we haven’t always got it right if I am honest, but it is something we are looking to improve.”

So, Johnson is either carrying the can for the recruitment given his July statement or taking one for the recruitment team.

Could the answer be closer to home?

The recruitment has been questionable, with many players coming in in 2022 and the strategy is not working as well as it should. The squad is bloated which will be costing the club money. It is a squad and wage bill that needs to be reduced. Hibernian don’t need project players. It is good to see the club is willing to explore different markets to try and unearth a gem, but they rarely come off and the club can’t keep taking a punt.

Maybe they should look closer to home. They have a youth team who won the Scottish League last season and have made it through to the UEFA Youth League play-off round where they will play Borussia Dortmund at Easter Road in February.

It is always a risk throwing in young players and it might not help managers who need to win games but there needs to be a pathway, something Josh Doig has recently shown can happen at the club. He now plays in Serie A with Hellas Verona and earned the club a good transfer fee.

Who could inspire Hibs at Tynecastle?

The return of Martin Boyle was met with delight among the fans and his instant impact in August against Hearts, scoring an injury-time equaliser on his second debut, showed what Hibernian were missing while Boyle was in Saudi Arabia. His injury, that saw him miss the World Cup with Australia, will see him on the sidelines until the start of next season, which is a blow.

Marshall has been made club captain and his experience is vital. He proved in the last meeting with Hearts that he can come up with top saves and kept out two Livingston penalties on Christmas Eve. Ukrainian loanee Mykola Kukharevych has potential but is raw, there is also a player in Elie Youan but he needs to improve his decision-making.

Let’s be fair, players need time to adapt when moving to a new club and country. Time is something managers have not been shown recently. Reaching the League Cup final couldn’t save Jack Ross his job and Shaun Maloney lasted just four months.

Johnson might only have been appointed in the summer, but a patchy run of form has not helped him with just two wins in 10 games. He only has to ask his predecessor what implications losing two Edinburgh derbies in the same month has. The two clubs meet again in the Scottish Cup on January 22 at Easter Road. So victories in this fixture are vital both to those in the stands and the boardroom.

The return of Kevin Nisbet in attack has certainly been a boost. His goals against Rangers and Livingston show he is sharp and still has a keen eye in the box following a bad knee injury that has kept him out since February. The onus and burden will be on him to get on the scoresheet.

New Year’s Day marks the 50th anniversary of one of Hibernian’s greatest games in their history.

While January 1, 1973 saw Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath take Britain into the European Economic Community, at Tynecastle Park, Eddie Turnbull’s team were making the date a landmark on the football field. Hibernian thrashed Hearts 7-0 to take them top of the old Scottish First Division just three weeks after winning the League Cup for the first time. While Turnbull could boast of players like Pat Stanton, Alex Edwards, John Blackley and John Brownlie to name but a few, Lee Johnson can’t call on that quality. A win by the odd goal will be enough to start 2023 with a bang.

Hearts are unbeaten in the last seven meetings and go into this one in better form than their city rivals. The home fans will expect another victory.

With the traditional New Year celebration returning to Edinburgh this year after the Covid-19 pandemic, the result of one of the oldest derbies in the world will determine which side of the city will have a Happy New Year.

CNN
 — 

Her head cradled in a crash helmet, Dania Akeel’s voice crackles through the intercom above the roar of the engine and the rush of wind through the windowless cabin of her rugged, black UTV.

“We’re so lucky,” Akeel tells CNN Sport. “I mean, look at this place, it’s so beautiful.”

The Saudi grasps the wheel, deftly navigating the vehicle past rocks and Joshua trees along a winding dirt track, blasting it past the rusting shell of a long-abandoned pick-up across the dry sand.

“We get to do this for a living, right?” continues 34-year-old Akeel, reflecting on her chosen profession as she prepares for her second tilt at the infamous Dakar Rally, one of the world’s longest and most demanding endurance races.

CNN is about an hour north of Phoenix, Arizona, riding shotgun in a Can-Am Maverick X3 X RS Turbo RR with one of cross-country racing’s more remarkable stories.

Barely over two years ago, the Jeddah-born athlete had never even tried this type of racing. Not only that, Akeel also hails from a country in which women have only been allowed to drive on public roads since 2018.

‘The Dakar’ began life in 1978 as the Paris-Dakar Rally. It ran annually from France to Senegal until 2007 but when the 2008 event was cancelled due to security concerns, the rally was transplanted across the Atlantic, and ran through South America until 2020, when it moved again, to Saudi Arabia.

Today there are five major vehicle categories in the rally: cars, motorbikes, trucks, UTVs and quad bikes.

Akeel’s interest in motor vehicles goes back much farther than the arrival of this world-famous rally in her home country.

“I had a big interest in cars when I was younger,” she tells CNN. “It wasn’t necessarily cars, actually, it was anything that could that I could drive and that included bicycles.

“You know, I just love movement. I love being outdoors. I just love how it felt to communicate to the machine, to get it to go from A to B.”

Her childhood was spent trying all kinds of different modes of transport.

“I started driving things like go karts at a young age, and things like quad bikes,” she explains. “When I was a bit older, I drove two wheeled dirt bikes.

“These are just vehicles that would be in private homes, on a farm or things like that, where I had access to these types of machines, and I would just use them for fun with my cousins and my friends on the weekends.”

Her interest in motor vehicles solidified when her family moved to the UK, where she went to high school and, eventually, college.

“I was very lucky to travel frequently with my parents,” she recalls. “We used to go to kart tracks in England and that was really fun.”

Another door that opened for Akeel in the UK was one at that point firmly closed to her at home – the chance to drive on the road – and she wasted no time obtaining her driving license, aged 17.

She even admits her choice of destination for her undergraduate studies – the University of London’s picturesque Royal Holloway College, on the English capital’s western outskirts – was influenced by the opportunities it presented to drive.

It was a move onto two wheels that set Akeel’s mind towards racing.

“When I was 27, I got my motorcycle license, and that was a lot of fun. So, the motorcycle started to direct me towards the racing world.”

After gaining a master’s degree in International Business, from Hult University, she moved to Dubai and started riding on the Dubai Autodromo racetrack.

“I could see that I was really loving the sport and having a good time and some of the racers encouraged me to join them, to race the in the national series,” says Akeel.

“I went and got the tests and the exams done for the racing license, and then I got a license issued from the Saudi Motor Sports Federation. And that’s how I started racing.”

The impetus to switch to cross country racing came, quite literally, as the result of an accident.

In February 2020, at a 600cc Superstock meeting in Bahrain, Akeel lost control of her bike and fell.

“I had a ‘low side’ fall, which means I fell onto the track on the side that the bike was leaning toward, which is, you know, the, the lesser and easier fall.”

The six-feet-one-inch-tall Akeel considers herself fortunate.

“I was very lucky. I had some broken bones in my pelvis, my spine, but they were all fractures that could heal naturally. So, I considered that to be a very lucky outcome and I was very relieved and very grateful.”

At the time, the Covid pandemic was beginning to precipitate widespread border closures and lockdowns, so Akeel returned home to Jeddah to recuperate.

While resting up she began to consider the appeal of off-road and rally racing, especially as Saudi Arabia was welcoming the Dakar Rally for the first time.

“It’s a great event. It’s international. It hosts a lot of people from all over the world, coming in big numbers, and it’s a lot of fun,” she explains.

Akeel began competing in the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Bajas, a global rally series inspired by the eponymous races on Mexico’s Baja peninsula.

“(I wanted) to get used to the idea of being in different situations, different terrain, which Dakar gives you, across 9,000 kilometers of Saudi Arabia and it’s actually very diverse,” she says.

“So, when I went to the cross-country Baja World Cup, I had two rounds in the Middle East and three in Europe and each of those locations was a completely different way of driving.

“So, I found, for example, it was muddy in Italy, and there was a lot of gravel and water in Hungary. There were a lot of bumpy, rocky parts in the Middle East with sand, with dunes. So that just got my mind prepared for variety and to be able to engage with the unknown.”

Being ready for the unexpected is a key feature of preparation for the Dakar, Akeel says.

“If you have this mentality that anything can happen at any moment and you expect things to constantly evolve, then you can be well prepared mentally,” she explains.

“And then physically, that’s a different story: so, I have my workout routine and I eat well and sleep well.”

With women only recently able to drive on the road in Saudi Arabia, Akeel is aware that she could be seen as a role model by her countrywomen, but she is philosophical about her own path and what she might represent to others.

“I was very lucky to get my license when I was 17 and I had a head start on building that response time and those skills and driving skills,” she says.

“I think it’s important to watch people do it because then you understand that it is possible for you, whoever you are, to get into the sport.

“I mean, I remember when I was joining the first race, I didn’t think twice about … how many women had done this? Had they been from Saudi? Not Saudi? I didn’t think too much about that because the rules say I can be there.

“You know, I have every right to be there. I have my license. I belong here. I have my car, I have my gear, I have my helmet. You know, so I meet all of the requirements. I have a full set of rights of belonging in the sport and that was what I needed.”

In her first attempt at the Dakar, Akeel finished a creditable eighth in her class in the 2022 race, but it could have been even better.

“We were sixth (in the T3 class), which I was very happy with, being a first timer,” said Akeel. “But on the seventh day I had a problem with the turbo and the car had a bit less power. I started to use the brakes less and carry momentum through the turns. But that means more risk.

“(My co-driver) said, ‘you know, if you don’t stop what you’re doing, you’re gonna have a problem’. But I ignored him, and I ended up turning a corner and was caught off guard by a rock and hit the brakes really quickly, and the impact broke the front of the car.

The mistake cost Akeel four hours and several places.

“I reacted in an emotional way, and I didn’t make the right call,” she admits. “Dakar is a race that forces you to look at yourself and your decisions. And after that, I did change the way I drove.”

Akeel’s story has proven attractive to major sponsors, including the likes of Toyota and Canadian off-road specialist, Can-Am, which provided her with the all-important car.

“Dania isn’t afraid to get in there and compete with the boys in a male-dominated sport,” said Anne-Marie LaBerge, Chief Marketing Officer at BRP, which owns Can-Am, of Akeel.

“She is helping to create a path for women and future generations of young women to follow in Saudi Arabia, similarly to what Molly Taylor is doing in Australia, Cristina Gutierrez is doing in Spain, and Cory Weller is doing in the United States.

“These are women creating a path for other women to push their limits and get in the game, whatever the rules are.”

As for the challenges of Dakar itself, Akeel sees it as a learning experience, but also primarily as fun.

“Dakar reminds me of summer camp,” she says. “You know, every day we wake up, we get our gear on and we just drive for 400 plus kilometers. It’s the finest two weeks.

“When I get in the car, it’s me and the co-driver and the car and the track. That’s it. That’s all that exists. Nothing else exists.”