ABU DHABI // The midfielder Tariq Ahmed yesterday ended an 18 month exile from professional football by signing for Al Jazira.
Ahmed, 22, had been at the centre of a transfer dispute which saw the Pro League clubs Al Ahli and Al Ain vying for his signature and him unable to play because of a disagreement with his club Sharjah.
Yesterday he put it behind him by signing a three-year contract with the capital club.
"We have signed Tariq Ahmed," confirmed Jazira's media manager Faisal al Naqbi.
"We can't comment on any other matter as all other details will be announced when the club is ready to unveil him at a press conference in the coming days."
Ahmed has not played for Sharjah in the last 18 months and was the subject of a transfer battle involving Ahli and Al Ain.
The player, who was in the national team squad at the age of 18, missed out in playing in the first season of the Pro League because of a disagreement between the player and club management.
Ahmed was angered by what he felt was the club reneging on contractual obligations regarding a housing allowance.
He was initially suspended by Sharjah for six months, but was never recalled back to first-team duties.
Ahmed has spent the past 18 months training on his own at a university's facilities in the hope he could resurrect his career when the dispute was sorted.
The UAE Football Association (UAE FA) intervened in April and invited clubs to bid for the player -setting a transfer fee at Dh10 million, 70 per cent of which should go to Sharjah. Ain and Ahli were the two bidders.
Ain offered the most money for him, but he incurred the wrath of the UAE FA when he turned down a move to the Purples.
They resonded by giving him a six-month suspension, meaning he will not be eligible for Jazira until October unless the ban is overturned.
Ahli criticised the UAE FA for raising the asking price. Ahli had offered Dh1m.
The Dubai club had no formal response to their bid from the UAE FA until June 24, when they received a letter saying the player's transfer fee had been valued at "Dh10m, 70 per cent of which should go to Sharjah".
Khalifa Sulaiman, chairman of Ahli's board of directors, urged the UAE FA to be transparent over the issue, saying there had been flaws in the player's auction.
Yousuf Abdullah, the general secretary of the UAE FA, disputed this.
"We have explained our decision to Ahli and I have nothing more to add," he said.
"Our decision was if Tariq Ahmed chooses any club - not just Ahli - the purchasing club have to pay Dh7m to Sharjah.
"If they want to discuss with Sharjah to reduce the price, it is Sharjah's decision.
"Sharjah can sell the player for free. We cannot interfere in that.
"We respect the contract between Sharjah and the player, and we decided that the player still belongs to Sharjah."
Ain had offered Ahmed Darwish - who is valued at Dh15m - in exchange for Ahmed.
Sharjah would not comment on the issue yesterday.
apassela@thenational.ae
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
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Rating: 2/5
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MATCH INFO
Mumbai Indians 186-6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 183-5 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians won by three runs
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Race card
4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m
5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections:
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4.35pm Ibn Malik
5.10pm Space Blues
5.45pm Kimbear
6.20pm Barney Roy
6.55pm Matterhorn
7.30pm Defoe
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Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
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Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
RESULTS
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Brraq, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Taamol, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m
Winner: Eqtiraan, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Soft Whisper, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Winner: Etisalat, Sando Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
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
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