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SPOTLIGHT
By Sports Reporter Doha
T oyota Gazoo Racing’s Nass- er al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel will take part in the Rally of Morocco, which
will be held from today till October 13. They will be racing in the same car that took them to second place during this year’s Dakar Rally. Al-Attiyah and Baumel have won the Moroccan event on fi ve occasions (2014-2018).
Qatari ace al-Attiyah and French- man Baumel will be aiming to improve their position in the FIA’s World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies. After three rounds, al-Attiyah is in second place in the standings, only half a point behind series leader Denis Krotov, and is two points clear of third place. The Rally of Morocco will off er al-Attiyah and Baumel a chance to improve their posi- tion in the championship, as they push towards a fourth title together.
The duo have won the prestigious World Cup three consecutive times from 2015 to 2017, taking two victories behind the wheel of a Toyota Hilux. The 2021 World Cup was due to consist of seven rounds, but the Portuguese Rally was cancelled, leaving six rounds for crews to score points. Al-Attiyah and Baumel won the Andalucia Rally in Spain earlier in the year but decided not to compete in rounds two and three, but will now be the frontrunners for the title in Morocco.
Al-Attiyah said: “For me, the Rally of Morocco is always a good one. It is a
tough race over really diffi cult terrain, but it is also a very rewarding race if you manage to deal with its many challeng- es. Our Hilux has proven itself as a race
winner, so we have every reason to hope for a good result.”
Baumel said: “The Rally of Morocco is traditionally a big navigational chal-
lenge. This year, many of the tracks will overlap, because of the cloverleaf layout of the route. This will further complicate matters, but even so, we
are looking forward to the challenges of Morocco.”
Should Nasser and Baumel be suc- cessful in their bid for victory, it will be the second consecutive Toyota Hilux victory at the Rally of Morocco, as teammates Giniel de Villiers and Alex Haro won the previous edition of the race in 2019.
The Qatari and Baumel know that another success in North Africa would seriously boost their title challenge be- fore the series reaches its conclusion in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia at the end of the year.
The terrain in Morocco is extremely rugged, with rocky tracks and small dunes making up the bulk of the route. As such, it not only off ers crews a chance to score points in the World Cup, but also to prepare for the Dakar Rally, which will take place in January 2022.
The Rally of Morocco will start with a 10km qualifying stage today afternoon and the leading cars will then start the fi rst of the fi ve desert stages tomorrow.
The fi rst 298.24km desert stage will be split into two sections. Competi- tors will tackle 1,633.52km against the clock over the six days in a total route of 2,686.80km.
Meanwhile, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing arrive in Morocco boasting the most formidable line-up of bikers ever assembled in rally-raid competition. Toby Price, Sam Sunderland, Mat- thias Walkner and new recruit Kevin Benavides are all former winners of the Dakar. As well as looking forward to Saudi Arabia, Walkner is also leading the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
Victory for KTM at Rallye du Maroc is seen as an important step to the team reestablishing their dominance at the Dakar, but they face a stacked fi eld of competitors in Morocco. GasGas Fac- tory rider Daniel Sanders was the brea- kout star of the last Dakar and he has his own designs on picking up a race win sooner rather than later. Also tar- geting strong performances in the bike race will be Štefan Svitko and Camille Chapelière.
Toby Price said: “I’m super-excited to sign up for another two years with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team. It feels like a big family to me and is defi nitely a home away from home, so another two years with the guys is cer- tainly something I’m looking forward to. Hopefully, I can repay the confi - dence they have in me by taking anoth- er few wins. The goal over the next two years is to defi nitely add another Dakar title to my name, and if I can add two, that would be even better!”
CRICKET
Stokes could miss Ashes aft er fi nger operation Page 2
‘It is a tough race over diff icult terrain, but it is also a very rewarding race if you manage to deal with its many challenges’
Agencies Doha:
I raq and Lebanon played out a 0-0 draw in the Asian Qualifi ers for the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar at the Khalifa In- ternational Stadium in Doha. Both sides
remain on two points from their fi rst three games. With both sides having not won ei- ther of their fi rst two games, they needed a victory to make up for lost ground but a combination of superb goalkeeping and lack of clinical fi nishing meant they each had to settle for a point.
Rabih Ataya forced Iraqi goalkeeper Fa- had Talib into a sprawling save to keep out a low eff ort destined for the bottom corner 10 minutes from fulltime as Ivan Hasek’s side threatened late in the game.
Lebanon face Syria in Amman on Tues- day, while Iraq travel to Dubai to face the United Arab Emirates to conclude their in- volvement in this international break.
The top two fi nishers in each group are guaranteed a place at next year’s World Cup fi nals while the nations fi nishing in third will enter into a series of playoff s
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min struck with less than two minutes remaining to earn South Korea a dramatic 2-1 win over Syria in Ansan as Paulo Bento’s side maintained their unbeaten start in Group A in the fi nal phase of Asia’s World Cup preliminaries.
Son swept the ball home from close range in the 89th minute, fi ve minutes after Omar Khribin looked to have secured a share of the points for the Syrians in a game dominated by the hosts. The win moves South Ko- rea onto seven points from their fi rst three games and Bento’s side could have had the result sealed long before Hwang In-beom put his side in front three minutes into the
second half. The Koreans hit the woodwork as early as the 10th minute when Song Min- kyu’s header clipped the frame of the goal in front of the empty stands of the Ansan Wa Stadium.
Hwang Hee-chan struggled to show his early season Wolverhampton Wanderers form, shinning the ball high over the cross- bar from close range midway through the half. The striker fi red off target again when he thumped Song’s cushioned header well over the bar and, with the fi rst half in injury time, he steered another eff ort over after deftly controlling Hwang In-beom’s ball over the defence.
Despite ceding the majority of posses- sion, Syria were a threat on the break with Omar al-Somah forcing a full-stretch save out of Kim Seung-gyu in the fi rst half while Khribin tested the keeper in the 53rd minute.
By then, though, the Koreans had taken the lead through Hwang In-beom, who twisted onto his left foot before shooting across Ibrahim Alma from outside the area.
Alma twice denied Son the opportunity to double the lead as the second half wore on and Khribin’s spectacular fi nish looked like it would punish the Koreans. But Son struck from close range following Kim Min-jae’s knockdown to earn Korea a dramatic win.
Iraq, Lebanon share points in Doha WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan defeated Italy’s Adrian Carambula and Enrico Rossi 2-1 (16-21, 23-21, 15-10) in their second Pool B match of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Finals in Sardinia, Italy, yes- terday. Earlier on Wednes- day, Qatari pair defeated Russia’s Ilya Leshukov and Konstantin Semenov 2-0 (21-14, 21-8) in their first match. In their next match Younousse and Tijan will take on the Netherlands Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen today.
Younousse and Tijan win two matches in a row
Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah (right) will be racing in the Toyota Hilux (above) that took him to second place at Dakar Rally.
Iraq and Lebanon player vie for the ball during the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha yesterday.
C
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Psychologists for players in T20 World Cup, says ICC
SPOTLIGHT
AFP Dubai
E oin Morgan’s Kolkata Knight Rid- ers crushed Rajasthan Royals by 86 runs yesterday to take a fi rm grip on the fourth and fi nal spot in the In-
dian Premier League playoff s. Shubman Gill hit a 44 ball 56 as Kolkata
stormed to 171 for four in Sharjah. Shivam Mavi then took four wickets for 21 off just 19 balls as Rajasthan collapsed to 85 all out in 16.1 overs.
Reigning champions Mumbai Indians could equal Kolkata’s 14 points if they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their fi nal league game today.
But they would need a winning margin of 171 runs to clinch a playoff place with ta- ble toppers Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Gill and Venkatesh Iyer (38) put on 79 for the fi rst wicket to put Kolkata on the road to an imposing score.
Rahul Tripathi, made 21 off 14 balls, while Dinesh Karthik (14) and Morgan (13) all scored quick runs in the death overs.
Mavi won the man-of-the-match award for ripping through the Rajasthan top or- der, claiming captain Sanju Sansom for one, Shivam Dube when he was starting to score on 18, Glenn Phillips for eight and top scorer Rahul Tewatia who hit two sixes and fi ve fours in his 44.
New Zealand quick Lockie Ferguson took three for 18 from his four overs.
“It was a convincing performance,” said Morgan whose side won three of their last fi ve games to get into the top four. “Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill have been the shining lights for us in the second half. I thought we were brilliant to take the opportunities,” he added.
Morgan said he would probably play
golf on Friday and not worry about Mumbai’s game.
“When you are talking about run rate and qualifying you are in the lap of the gods,” he declared.
Earlier, K.L. Rahul hit an unbeaten 98 to steer Punjab Kings to a convinc- ing six-wicket win over Chennai in their fi nal league match. Punjab, who fi nished with 12 points, cruised to their target of
135 with seven overs to spare with captain Rahul smashing the winnings six in Dubai. MS Dhoni’s Chennai suff ered their third straight defeat after they were the fi rst team to enter the fi nal four. Punjab pace bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Chris Jordan took two wickets each to set up the win after they re- stricted Chennai to 134-6.
South Africa’s Faf du Plessis hit a 55-ball 76 but the rest of the batting fell apart in-
cluding England import Moeen Ali out for nought off Singh. Rahul hit Australian fast bowler Josh Hazelwood for a six and two fours in the fourth over to set the tone for the chase.
“I had the license to go from ball one,” said Rahul, who hit seven fours and eight sixes to top the IPL batting chart with 626 runs. “Today was one of those days where I could hit every ball.”
Kolkata thrash Rajasthan to stake claim for playoff s
IPL
Rahul scores an unbeaten 98 to steer Punjab to a convincing win over Chennai
Stokes could miss Ashes aft er fi nger operation CRICKET
AFP London
E ngland all-rounder Ben Stokes could miss the Ashes series in Australia after undergoing another
operation on his injured fi nger, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced yesterday.
The 30-year-old has not played since July, when it was announced he was taking a break to focus on his mental well-being and to rest his left in- dex fi nger.
“Ben Stokes has undergone a second operation on Monday 4 October to address ongoing issues with the fi nger that he injured in the IPL (Indian Premier League) in April,” the ECB said in a statement.
“Stokes had two screws and scar tissue removed from the in- dex fi nger of his left hand.
“He will now undergo an in- tensive period of rehabilitation for the next four weeks under the supervision of the ECB’s medical team.”
The operation places his par- ticipation in England’s fi ve-Test series in Australia, scheduled to start in Brisbane on December 8, in serious doubt.
Concerns over player welfare and Australia’s strict coronavirus restrictions have led to fears the tour may not take place.
The ECB is meeting this week to decide whether the Ashes can go ahead, with reports suggest- ing there have been positive talks with Cricket Australia.
Stokes burnished his reputa-
tion as England’s talisman dur- ing the 2019 Ashes, when his un- beaten 135 helped England chase a record fourth-innings target of 359 at Headingley with one wick- et remaining.
The all-rounder announced himself in Test cricket in the 2013/14 Ashes, scoring his maiden Test century in tough batting conditions in Perth but Australia completed a 5-0 whitewash.
Stokes missed England’s last tour of Australia in 2017/18 after his involvement in a brawl out- side a Bristol nightclub.
He was subsequently found not guilty of aff ray.
The tourists missed Stokes’ contributions with bat and ball as Australia eased to a 4-0 series win to regain the urn.
AFP Dubai
P sychologists will moni- tor players at the T20 World Cup to help cope with the growing
number of mental health cases in coronavirus safety bubbles, cricket’s governing body said yesterday.
Pandemic strain has become increasingly apparent in recent months with England’s Ben Stokes on a prolonged mental health break, and other leading players complaining about the pressures of going from bubble to bubble in diff erent tours and tournaments. A number of play- ers missed or left the conclusion of the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates be- cause of bio-bubble stress.
And the 16 nations at the World Cup, starting in the UAE and Oman on October 17, will be confi ned to their hotels for the majority of the month-long tournament.
“Some people will be aff ected, their mental health will be af- fected by being in confi ned con- ditions again, particularly per- haps those who have done it for a prolonged period of time,” Alex Marshall, International Cricket Council head of integrity and bio safety, told reporters.
“The ICC will have available 24 hours a day, a psychologist
to speak to any individual who seeks help. “We are also provid- ing (a) lot of resources, so people can decide what the best way of addressing the issue is for them.”
Following comments by lead- ing players, including India cap- tain Virat Kohli, many teams have increased their psychologi- cal support for players ahead of the tournament.
Players and support staff will have to spend six days in isola- tion on arrival and pass three tests before moving into a man- aged environment for training. Marshall said selfi e-seeking fans will be kept away from players.
“The players will be kept sep- arate and will have to stay within the managed environment, so there won’t be mixing direct physically between the fans and the players and I am sure every- body understands,” he said.
“As long as we maintain that sensible separation and that group maintains those disci- plines, we shouldn’t get other problems throughout the tour- nament. “So I am afraid at this World Cup (there) will not be an ‘arm around the shoulder-selfi e opportunity’ with the players.”
Marshall said the ICC has learned from the Tokyo Olym- pics, Formula One world cham- pionship, Euro 2020 and the IPL.
He added players will be al- lowed to relax in their bio-secure space with a round of golf or a sightseeing trip.
Lockie Ferguson (second from right) of Kolkata Knight Riders celebrates the wicket of Jaydev Unadkat of Rajasthan Royals during the IPL match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE yesterday. (Sportzpics for IPL)
All well with Maxwell ahead of Australia’s World Cup campaign Reuters Melbourne
A ustralia head into the Twenty20 World Cup with question marks over the form and fi t-
ness of multiple players but have no such worries about Glenn Maxwell, who is enjoying a spar- kling buildup in the Indian Pre- mier League.
Maxwell has been Royal Chal- lengers Bangalore’s standout batsman with 447 runs at a lofty strike rate of 146.55, and has caught fi re since the IPL’s resumption in the United Arab Emirates.
After three consecutive half- centuries, Maxwell was steam- ing toward a fourth against Sun- risers Hyderabad on Wednesday but had to be content with a 40 after being brilliantly run out by Kane Williamson.
The wicket turned the game for Hyderabad, who claimed a four-run win. Maxwell’s blazing form bodes well for Australia’s hopes of a maiden world T20 ti- tle and has helped clean the slate after a disappointing 2020 IPL with Punjab Kings.
He was offl oaded by Punjab ahead of the players’ auction in January, opening a path for Ban- galore to swoop for the 32-year- old all-rounder.
Maxwell’s $1.89 million price tag raised eyebrows but he be- gan paying it off quickly, scor- ing 39 in their opening win over
defending champions Mumbai Indians and 59 in the next match against Hyderabad.
Few other batters in Aus- tralia’s T20 squad are scoring runs, with opener David Warner dropped by Hyderabad, captain Aaron Finch recovering from knee surgery and Steve Smith in and out of the Delhi Capitals side.
“He looks to be hitting the ball beautifully, he’s confi dent at the moment, and his backswing looks really impressive,” Finch said of Maxwell.
“So, the thing I like is he’s tak- ing games deep, and as we know, he’s as destructive as anyone in the world when he’s on.
“Just the nature of his game when he’s fi ring, his bowling is really important, and he’s go- ing to be really important to the structure of our team.”
Maxwell’s mercurial talent has been a double-edged sword at times in his career, with captains prone to throw him up and down the order for tactical reasons or just to plug holes. Yet he tends to perform when sticking fi rm to a spot in the middle order, as seen in Australia’s T20 side over the past 18 months when he has mostly batted at four.
Clarity of his role has helped him get into a similar groove at Bangalore, he said. “It’s some- thing I’ve probably had in Aus- tralia over a long period of time as well which is probably why I’ve had the success there,” Max- well said this week.
FOCUS
Watmore steps down as ECB chairman aft er 13 months in charge
Ian Watmore has left his role as chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) by mutual consent after 13 months in charge, it was announced yesterday. Watmore was appointed in September 2020 on a five-year term, replacing Colin Graves. Deputy Chair Barry O’Brien will take over as interim chair. “It is with regret that I step down as Chair of the ECB, but I do so in mindfulness of my own well-being and that of the game which I love,” said Watmore. “I was appointed to the post in a pre-pandemic era, but Covid has meant the role and its
demands on time are dramati- cally diff erent to all our original expectations, which has taken a personal toll on me. Given this, the Board and I feel the ECB will be better served by a new Chair to take it forward post pandemic.” The ECB said in a statement: “He has reached a mutual agree- ment with the Board to stand down following the end of the domestic season and after help- ing to steer the game through the challenges of Covid over the past year. “The decision follows a suc- cessful summer of domestic and international men’s and
women’s cricket, the launch of The Hundred and record numbers playing the game recreationally.” Watmore, a former chief execu- tive of the Football Association, was under pressure since making the decision to cancel England’s tour to Pakistan – scheduled for later this month – due to security concerns. He later apologised for cancel- ling the tour and admitted that the decision was taken by him and the board rather than in consultation with the England players. The ECB added that it would shortly begin a process to appoint a new chairman.
NVBS 1st Fun in Family Open Badminton Tournament a big success
New Vision Badminton Sport (NVBS) 1st Fun in Family Open Badminton Tournament turned out to be an outstanding hit among the badminton fraternity in Qatar with over 150 players competing in diff erent categories. The unique tournament, the first of its kind, saw families compet- ing in diff erent doubles catego- ries in the three-day tournament held recently at NVBS training centre at Cambridge School in Abu Hamour.
The event saw children and adults competing side by side on the same court taking on their opponents on the other side of the court. Children had a chance to partner their parents and take on their opponents. The tournament featured the husband-wife pair competing together for the coveted trophy and prize money. The other categories, in which the players competed, included father-son, father-daughter, sister-sister,
brother-brother and brother- sister. NVBS head coach Manoj Sahbjan said the tournament was a great opportunity for the families to take the family bond- ing to another level by partici- pating in badminton. “We conducted this tourna- ment, not only for the spirit of the game and fun, but also with a lot of positive motives and concept,” said Manoj, who is the former Qatar national team coach. “By playing together with
a family member, for example husband and wife, brother and sister, father and child, mother and child, brother and brother, sister and sister, cousin and cousin etc..., gave an entirely diff erent experience. It increases their bonding as well as it as a lifelong memorable moment for them,” he said. “NVBS is promoting Badmin- ton not only for the profes- sional badminton players or the people, who are trained under
them to play, but also we are promoting the game for all the people who love badminton and we are creating a grand platform for each and every person who love to play badminton. We are keen to promote badminton at all levels.” TS Sreenivas, Secretary of Indian Sports Centre along with Nisha Agarwal, yoga teacher and Pawan Kumar former Indian bad- minton player were the guests for the closing ceremony.
Off icials and participants pose during the prize distribution function of Fun in Family Open Badminton Tournament.
SPORT 3Gulf Times
MOTORSPORT
Reuters Istanbul
S even times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton says his love of fashion has helped him
‘blow off steam’ and stay fresh and focused on the title battle with Red Bull rival Max Verstap- pen.
The Mercedes driver turned up to meet the media at the Turkish Grand Prix circuit outside Istan- bul yesterday wearing a strik- ing blue and black Burberry kilt, matching trousers and overcoat.
The Briton attended a Balen- ciaga event at the Paris fashion show last week and hosted a table for young Black fashion design- ers at the Met Gala in New York last month.
Hamilton said the fashion world, where he mixes with de- signers and models, was very diff erent to Formula One and one where he could be himself.
“I love being able to separate from the sport. The intensity of this whole season is diffi cult for everyone that’s at the track,” said the 36-year-old, who is two points clear of Verstappen with seven races remaining.
“To be able to have something else, another outlet, something else that you can focus on helps take the weight off it.
“So when I come back, it al- ways feels fresh when I come to a grand prix, because it (Formula One) is not something I’ve been thinking about every single day.”
Hamilton – who uses his plat- form to campaign for social jus- tice and diversity – explained that his Thursday outfi t was
gender neutral and it was impor- tant for anyone to be able to wear whatever they wanted.
“There will be people that don’t understand it, but that’s
OK,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll eventually go through the ‘open- ing their mind’ phase and let people be who they want to be.”
The Briton, the sport’s most
successful driver of all time and also the only Black racer, said he had always been attracted to the fashion world.
“When you’re in a fashion
week, for example, you’re sur- rounded by people from all dif- ferent walks of life, expressing themselves in diff erent ways,” he said. “I love that environment where I’m able to express myself. I now do that on the racetrack. And I feel free to be able to do so.”
Hamilton won his seventh world championship in Turkey last season but the 2021 cham- pionship looks set to go down to the wire.
The reigning champion faces a tough battle to add to his tally against an opponent who is chas- ing a fi rst title and has so far won seven races this year to his fi ve victories.
Meanwhile Max Verstap- pen played down the pressure of fi ghting Lewis Hamilton for the championship and said that the outcome would not change his life either way. The Red Bull driver is two points adrift of Mer- cedes’ seven times world cham- pion, and 100-times race win- ner, Hamilton ahead of Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix, with six rac- es remaining after Istanbul.
Verstappen has won seven times this year compared to Hamilton’s fi ve.
“We are very relaxed but also very focused and of course we want to win,” the Dutch driver told reporters. “There’s noth- ing you can force or you have to stress about because we always want to do the best we can any- way.” Verstappen said he was not thinking about the fi nal outcome too much.
“If that’s going to be, at the end of the year, fi rst, that’s of course an amazing achievement and that’s what we work for, right?,” he added.
‘I LOVE BEING ABLE TO SEPARATE FROM THE SPORT. THE INTENSITY OF THIS WHOLE SEASON IS DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE THAT’S AT THE TRACK’
Sasnovich sets up Indian Wells clash with Raducanu AFP Los Angeles
A liaksandra Sasnovich booked a clash with the WTA’s hottest star Wednesday, downing
Maria Camila Osorio in straight sets to reach a second-round meeting with Emma Raducanu at Indian Wells.
Sasnovich, a 27-year-old from Belarus ranked 100th in the world, saved nine of the 10 break points she faced to emerge with the 6-0, 6-4 fi rst- round victory and advance to a meeting with Raducanu, the British 18-year-old whose run to the US Open title last month electrifi ed the tennis world.
Raducanu, who became the fi rst qualifi er to win a Grand Slam title, arrived at Indian Wells without a coach, having parted company with Andrew Richardson after her victory at Flushing Meadows.
As she continues her search for a permanent coach, former pro Jeremy Bates is helping her out at Indian Wells, where Ra- ducanu said she “can’t wait to get started” on her campaign.
Britain’s Andy Murray said it appeared Raducanu had plenty of savvy - on and off the court - to maintain her steep trajec- tory. “Often what separates the elite athletes from maybe that level just below is that abil-
ity to learn quickly and process information quickly,” Mur- ray said when quizzed about his young compatriot. “Not everyone can do that. I’ve not spent loads of time on a ten- nis court with her. But often elite athletes have that quality and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has that. “She’s obviously a very smart player and quick learner,” Murray said.
In other fi rst-round WTA action on Wednesday, former US Open champion Sloane Stephens rallied from a set and a break down to beat Heather Watson 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-1.
From 5-5 in the second set, Stephens won seven games in a row for just her third win over Britain’s Watson in eight career meetings.
“She’s always a super- tough opponent and I always look forward to playing her,” Stephens said.
“I just competed really well. After the fi rst set, that was dis- appointing to lose that one, but I felt like it was a battle and I was still in the match.”
France’s Alize Cornet de- feated Romanian qualifi er Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) to set up a second-round match with Leylah Fernandez, the 19-year-old Canadian who made her own scintillating run to the US Open fi nal last month only to fi nish runner-up to Raducanu.
TENNIS
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during a press conference ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul yesterday. (Reuters)
Murray makes online plea to help fi nd stolen wedding ring
Airing his sweaty tennis shoes outside a California hotel room has landed Andy Mur- ray in trouble at home after the shoes were stolen – along with his wedding ring tied to one of the laces. Murray, who married Kim Sears in 2015, has played with his wedding ring attached to one of his laces ever since and did so when he took part in a practice session ahead of his opener in the In- dian Wells tournament against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. The theft prompted the Scot to issue a video plea on Twit- ter yesterday in an attempt to recover the ring. “Last night after dinner in Indian Wells, I got back in the car to go back to the hotel and it didn’t smell great. I’d left my tennis shoes in there... it’s been like 38-39 degrees so the shoes are damp, sweaty
and smelly,” Murray said in the video. “I decided when I got back to the hotel that the shoes needed some air, I needed to dry them out a bit... I have no balcony in my room and didn’t want to leave them in my room to stink the room out. “So I thought I’m going to leave the shoes under the car... overnight. When I got back to the car in the morning the shoes were gone. I had to go to a local pro shop to buy diff erent shoes to what I normally wear... which isn’t the end of the world but not ideal. “I was preparing for my practice when my physio said to me ‘where’s your wedding ring?’ And I was like ‘oh no’.... So yeah, my ring has been stolen as well. Needless to say I’m in the bad books at home so I want to try and find it.”
Fury, Wilder kept apart aft er sparks fl y at press conference AFP Las Vegas
T yson Fury and Deontay Wilder were prevented from a face-off as insults and expletives fi lled the air at an ill-tempered fi nal
press conference on Wednesday for their heavyweight world title fi ght.
Fury puts his World Boxing Council heavyweight belt on the line in Las Ve- gas tomorrow when he meets Wilder for the third time, 20 months after knocking out the American in their second fi ght.
Wednesday’s press conference – broadcast live on US television – saw profanities and sparks fl y as Fury taunted Wilder over the circumstances of his defeat to the self-styled “Gypsy King” last year.
As the barbs escalated, the host of the press conference sought to bring both fi ghters together for a traditional face-to-face stare-down – only for Fury’s promoter Bob Arum to veto the
confrontation. Fury and Wilder – who clashed at
a press conference ahead of their fi rst fi ght in Los Angeles in 2018 – were hustled off the stage shortly after- wards.
It brought an end to a fractious en- counter at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which turned ugly when Fury confronted Wilder over the Ameri- can’s accusations of cheating by Fury during the last fi ght.
Wilder has accused Fury of tam- pering with his gloves for the second fi ght – where Fury dominated to score a seventh-round knockout – to infl ict more damage.
Wilder had also accused former trainer Mark Breland of spiking his own water, as well as blaming a heavy costume used during his ring walk for making him tired.
Wilder stood by his various cheat- ing claims when quizzed on them Wednesday.
“I will go to my grave believing in what I believe in,” Wilder said.
“I know things for a fact. I have confi rmation and clarity over a lot of things. Men lie, women lie, but your eyes don’t lie what they see.”
But Wilder’s comments were dis- missed by Fury as the words of an “un- well person.”
“He accused me of everything, ac- cused his team, his trainer, the suit, injuries. Who else did he accuse – oh yeah, the Nevada State Athletic Com- mission, they were in on it as well. And the referee,” said Fury (30-0-1, with 21 knockouts).
“Maybe if he’d come out with one of these excuses it would have been be- lievable – but not 15, come on.
“He can believe what he wants. But what it tells me is that he’s a weak mental person, who I will knock spark out on Saturday night.”
Asked for his fi nal comments, Wild- er, replied: “I just tell you guys to pre- pare yourselves for the battlefi eld and get ready for war.”
Fury meanwhile returned to his earlier theme, zeroing in on Wilder’s
comments about the circumstances of his loss in the second fi ght.
“Wilder said I only won the second fi ght because I cheated,” Fury said.
“But then he goes and changes his whole team and training, says he’s training as hard as ever.
“So I have to ask the question ‘If I only won because I cheated, what was the point of changing everything?’ Can anyone answer that question? I know he can’t because he doesn’t have the brains to,” Fury said, gesturing at Wilder.
“He says he wants to do bad things to me, and hurt me and he’s got all this anger and malice and aggression. I don’t want to hurt Deontay Wilder. I just want to beat him in a fi ght.
“He knows what he’s saying is lies. And deep down in his soul, he knows that he lost. He lost the fi rst time, he lost the second time and he’s going to lose the third time. And afterwards he’ll be back working in that fast-food chain that he was working at earlier in his career – retired.”
BOXING
F1 has ‘diff erent rules for diff erent people’, says Alonso Double Formula One world champion Fernando Alon- so suggested yesterday that some drivers were being treated diff erently to oth- ers when it came to track behaviour during races. The Spaniard told reporters at the Turkish Grand Prix that the fact he was being asked about an incident at the previous race in Russia proved his point. Alonso deliberately used the run-off area at the first corner in Sochi to avoid a bottleneck and gain places through late braking, complying with the rules because he rejoined behind the driver he had followed into the corner.
He said he had done it just to see the questions in Istanbul. “When I do things, they have a diff erent behaviour and a diff erent repercussion on the following event,” added the Alpine driver. “So now maybe they change the run-off area in lap one in the first couple of cor- ners.” He said others had behaved similarly without facing such questions and he had been “the idiot on track for most of the championship while I’ve been overtaken from outside of the asphalt by many people in the first couple of races”. “And nothing happened, and
there were no questions on the following race. And now after Sochi there is a ques- tion, so it is a confirmation.” Asked what he meant by that, Alonso said it was many things. “There are diff erent rules for diff erent people – or dif- ferent talks the week after for diff erent people,” he explained. “The next one that crosses the white line on the pit entry, let’s see which nation- ality he is and which penalty he will get.” Race director Michael Masi was not immediately avail- able for comment but the governing FIA said all rules and regulations applied to
all drivers equally. Alonso, in his comeback season after two years out of Formula One, has complained already this year about the lack of action against others. “The strategy in the first races didn’t bring us any solutions so we understand the solution is to do what the others are doing,” he said at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July. “We try to be fair and say to the referee: ‘Look, they are playing with their hands in the penalty area.’ But if the referee is doing nothing, we understand we can also play with the hands in the pen- alty area. So we do that.”
Tyson Fury during the press conference held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (Reuters)
Friday, October 8, 2021
GULF TIMES SPORT
Torres double ends Italy’s record run to put Spain in fi nal
NATIONS LEAGUE
Reuters London
A Saudi-Arabian backed consortium completed its purchase of Premier League club Newcas-
tle United yesterday as a long- running takeover saga fi nally reached the conclusion the ma- jority of the club’s supporters desired. Fourteen months after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) withdrew a 305mn pounds ($415.07mn) bid to buy the north-east club from owner Mike Ashley following the Pre- mier League’s failure to give reg- ulatory approval, a deal was an- nounced after a day of mounting excitement on Tyneside.
After the Premier League con- fi rmed the struggling club had been sold to a consortium con- sisting of PIF, PCP Capital Part- ners and RB Sports & Media with immediate eff ect, fans began celebrating outside the St James’ Park stadium.
A statement from Yasir al-Ru- mayyan, governor of PIF who will become non-executive chairman of Newcastle United, said the deal would mean long-term in- vestment to “harness the club’s potential and build upon the club’s legacy. “We are extremely proud to become the new own- ers of Newcastle United, one of the most famous clubs in English football. We thank the Newcastle
fans for their tremendously loyal support over the years and we are excited to work together with them,” he said.
The takeover, fronted by PCP Capital Partners’ chief execu- tive Amanda Staveley, ends an unhappy era at St James’ Park and means Newcastle will be one of the world’s richest clubs. Staveley will have a seat on New- castle’s board of directors along with Jamie Reuben of RB Sports & Media. “This is a long-term investment,” Staveley said in a statement. “Our ambition is aligned with the fans — to cre- ate a consistently successful team that’s regularly competing for major trophies and generates pride across the globe.”
The fate of Newcastle coach Steve Bruce will be high on the agenda of the new owners, who are keen to invest in the club. “I know everybody has a lot of questions about managers and players and things but right now we just want to get there and do a review of the business. We’re go- ing to let you all know the plans,” Staveley told reporters after the deal was announced.
Hundreds of Newcastle’s so-called Toon Army support- ers, who have protested against Ashley’s running of the club, gathered outside the stadium in the drizzle throughout the day, buoyed by news of the immi- nent takeover. While they were celebrating, others said it was
another example of Saudi Arabia “sportswashing”.
Saudi Arabia’s $430bn sov- ereign wealth fund — is at the centre of plans to transform the economy by creating new sec- tors and diversifying revenues away from oil. The country has increasingly sought high-profi le sports assets, including signing a 10-year deal to stage F1 and hosting Anthony Joshua’s heavy- weight title fi ght in 2019.
Having a club with Newcas- tle’s potential in its locker is a major scoop for the oil-rich na- tion. Newcastle become the 14th current Premier League club to have majority foreign owners and fans hope it heralds a new era like that at Manchester City who have dominated English foot- ball since being bought by Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour in 2008. French club Paris St-Germain have also made an impact under Qatari ownership with a host of mega-money signings.
Newcastle’s takeover ends the 14-year ownership of Ash- ley whose stewardship has been deeply unpopular, with the sup- porters accusing him of under- investment and lack of ambition.
Since Ashley bought the sleeping giants, who last won a domestic trophy in 1955 and have not been top-fl ight cham- pions since 1927, they have twice been relegated from the Premier League and have not fi nished higher than 10th since 2012.
By Sports Reporter Doha
Q atar will host the two- day West Asia Rugby 7s 2021 from today at Aspire. Hosted by the
Qatar Rugby, Hockey and Cricket Federation (QRHCF), four teams other than the hosts in both men and women, have confi rmed their participation.
While the tournament will feature UAE, Iran, Lebanon and Palestine along with the host team in the men’s tournament, the women’s tournament is set to witness participation from the likes of Qatar, UAE, Syria, Iran and Iraq. Palestine and Iraq will mark their international debut, respectively, at the West Asia rugby 7s trophy tournament.
A game between Qatar and Palestine will kickstart the men’s competition. Qatar’s women will
begin their campaign against Iraq. After a single round-robin phase, the top four will progress to the semi-fi nals tomorrow.
The West Asia Rugby 7s Tro- phy promises to be exciting as the tournament is scheduled to be kicked off by two debutants in their respective categories. Pal- estine and Iraq’s participation and with Asia Rugby live stream- ing of all matches will promote the sport and inspire a future generation of rugby players from the interiors of West Asia.
After ensuring a successful ‘Return to Play’ with their fi rst international tournament last month, Asia Rugby will continue to conduct online and face to face Training and Education courses during the West Asia 7s Trophy tournament.
QRHCF President Youssef Jaham al-Kuwari last week an- nounced Qatar’s readiness to stage the event.
AFP Milan
F erran Torres put Spain into the Nations League fi nal on Wednes- day night with a brace in a 2-1 win that ended Italy’s world record
unbeaten run at 37 matches in front of their own fans. Torres struck twice in the fi rst half to make sure that Luis Enrique’s Spain won the Final Four clash at the San Siro in Milan, where they will face either France or Belgium in Sunday’s fi nal.
Lorenzo Pellegrini pulled a goal back with seven minutes left but the European champions failed to complete what would have been a memorable comeback after a spirited second-half performance with 10 men. Italy, who beat Spain in the Euro 2020 semi-fi nals, had to play over half the match with one man fewer after Le- onardo Bonucci was sent off in the 42nd minute for picking up a second yellow card for elbowing Sergio Busquets in the face during an aerial challenge.
“The fi rst half could have easily fi n- ished 1-1... It’s a shame because we would have stayed with 11 men were it not for an error which you can’t commit at this level,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini said.
The match was played in a strange at- mosphere as AC Milan fans in the stadi- um harangued Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma throughout his return to the San Siro following his move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Donnarumma, who is considered one of the world’s best goalkeepers and won the Player of the Tournament award at the Euro, left Milan as a free agent in the summer and his departure left a bad taste in the mouth of supporters who loudly booed and whistled his every touch of the ball.
“It upset us, because it was Italy play- ing, it wasn’t a club match. They could have put it to one side for one match,” Mancini told reporters later. “Italy is Italy and I think it should come above every- thing else.”
Donnarumma was barracked by the home fans both when he came out for the pre-match warm-up and when the teams were read out, with the boos and whistles loud enough to drown out the announce- ments over the stadium’s speakers.
He was even whistled by some home supporters on his fi rst touch of the ball in the fourth minute although by that point others in the crowd had started to applaud
him in an attempt to cover up the criti- cism. However boos persisted every time he got the ball and in one bizarre moment Bonucci took a goal kick, only to roll the ball a couple of metres to Donnarumma, who again had to try to block out a wave of anger from the stands.
They clearly started to have an eff ect on his performance, fi rst reacting sluggishly to Torres’ fl ick which put Spain one goal ahead in the 17th minute. Only two min- utes later, Donnarumma then fumbled an innocuous shot from Marcos Alonso onto the post and had to thank Bonucci
for getting back in time to clear the ball off the line.
After a period of Spain dominance, Italy responded and should have at least been level 10 minutes before the break, Federico Bernadeschi having a 34th- minute shot pushed onto the post before Lorenzo Insigne fl uff ed the easiest chance of the half.
Emerson Palmieri was sent charging behind the right side of the Spanish de- fence and rolled a perfect low cross to the unmarked Insigne, who sliced wide a side-footed fi nish. However the hosts’
task was made much harder just before the break when Bonucci was sent off and Torres all but killed off their hopes of ex- tending their record with his deft header from another Mikel Oyarzabal cross.
Down to 10, Italy gave a good account of themselves and Pellegrini cut the defi - cit with seven minutes remaining largely thanks to Federico Chiesa. Juventus for- ward Chiesa nicked the ball after a Span- ish corner was cleared and charged down the fi eld unopposed before laying on the Roma midfi elder to tap into an open goal which briefl y gave Italy fans hope.
Italy had to play with one man fewer after Bonucci was sent off in the 42nd minute
Saudi Arabia-led consortium completes Newcastle takeover
West Asia Rugby 7s at Aspire from today
PREMIER LEAGUE
SPOTLIGHT
Spain’s Ferran Torres (left) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Italy in the Nations League semi-final in Milan. (Reuters)
Syrian women’s rugby team arrive at Hamad International Airport yesterday for the West Asia Rugby 7s.
Al-Buenain opens IPC Athletics Worlds Doha 2015 exhibition
Qatar’s al-Mohannadi leads in junior category at Jet ski World Championship
Doha: Qatar’s Khaled al-Mo- hannadi maintained his lead in the junior category after the second round of the 2021 Jet ski world championship in Lake Havasu, US.
Al-Mohannadi was placed fourth in the general stand- ings behind the American Amir Hawir, Jamal Ali second and Canadian Philip Chertier. Al- Mohannadi collected 126 points in the second round for overall tally of 239 points to consoli- date his position in the lead in the junior category. Meanwhile, Walid al-Sharshani will compete in the Senior Professionals cat- egory tomorrow and Sunday.
QATAR TO HOST ASIAN CLUB HANDBALL
CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2022 The Asian Handball Federa-
tion has picked Qatar to host the 24th edition of Asian Men’s Club League Championship,
which is scheduled from June 18 to 27 next year. The event acts as a qualifier for the FIFA Super Globe Club World Cham- pionship 2022.
This will be the fifth time that Qatar will host the tournament after the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 editions.
The last edition of the tourna- ment was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last June, where Qatar’s club Al Duhail was crowned the champion after winning the final match against Al Kuwait SC of Kuwait 27/24.
It is noteworthy that the Al Sadd SC of Qatar won the title five times, followed by Al Duhail three times, Army SC of Qatar, Kazma and Al Qadisiyah twice, and once for Al Rayyan and Al Arabi of Qatar, Fahaheel and Al Sulaibikhat of Kuwait, Al Ahli, Mudar, Al Noor of Saudi Arabia, Al Sadd of Lebanon, and Al Najma of Bahrain.
HE Jassim bin Rashid al-Buenain, Secretary-General of Qatar Olympic Committee, inaugurated the IPC Athletics World Championships Doha 2015 exhibition at the headquarters of Qatar Paralympic Committee. The exhibition is held in honour of all those who contributed to the event’s success.
Qatar Football Association organised fan activities in Faro, Portugal on the sidelines of Qatar team’s participation in the European qualifiers for 2022 World Cup. Qatar will take on Portugal tomorrow before meeting Ireland on October 12. UEFA invited the Qatar national team – the reigning champions of Asia – to participate in the European Qualifiers as part of their preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which Qatar will host. Meanwhile, midfielders Ismaeel Mohamed and Sultan al-Braik have joined the squad in Portugal.
QFA organises fan activities in Portugal
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