RAS AL KHAIMAH // Take a cursory glance through the 102-man field for the Ras Al Khaimah Classic and you may miss the nationality of a certain Wira Salleh.
The 27-year-old professional does not form one of the Mena Tour's eight-strong Pakistani contingent. Neither is he competing alongside 23 Moroccan compatriots. Nor would he include as countrymen any of the large collection of Englishmen this week at Tower Links Golf Club.
Instead, Salleh is flying the flag for Brunei, the modest sovereign state on the north coast of Borneo that, until now, did not feature predominantly in golfing consciousness.
"We've about 200 people playing the game on four courses in our country," said Salleh, who currently sits 65th of 74 in the Order of Merit. "Including me, there's only four professionals, so I feel I have a job to do to help inspire the next generation."
Salleh's relative success - he has been a mainstay of his regional tour since turning professional in 2010, the year after he began contesting the Asian Tour's Brunei Open - is convincing more juniors to swap football, the country's great sporting passion, for golf.
"The number of young players is increasing and we're looking forward to them coming through," Salleh said. "Everyone plays football but now golf is second. People see it as an exclusive game, a gentleman's game, so they want to be involved.
"It's my role to provide a good example for the juniors, give them golf tips and advice, and hopefully we see more taking the next step. It's tough, though, as sponsorship is difficult to attract. You need to perform consistently to get noticed."
No matter which part of the world you hail from, however, golfing ambitions remain universal.
"I want to get some Ws [wins]," Salleh said. "I don't have lofty expectations, but that's the ultimate goal."
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
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Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
