SPORT Page 6 FIFA Announces Match Schedule for Arab Cup HORSE RACING Sheikh Abdullah’S Abbes Lands Group 3 Prix Dormane Agencies La Teste-De-Buch, France
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FFORMULAORMULA 1 | Page 2 OOLYMPICSLYMPICS | Page 3 Canadian GP Full venues at cancelled, Tokyo Games race moved to ‘very diffi cult’: Turkey organisers Thursday, April 29, 2021 FOOTBALL Ramadan 17, 1442 AH Benzema embodies GULF TIMES survival spirit aft er leading Real recovery SPORT Page 6 FIFA announces match schedule for Arab Cup HORSE RACING Sheikh Abdullah’s Abbes lands Group 3 Prix Dormane Agencies La Teste-de-Buch, France bbes, carrying the col- ours of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani, made Aa winning return at La Teste- de-Buch, capturing the Sheikh Mansour Festival — Prix Dor- mane (Group 3 PA) yesterday. With Olivier Peslier in the sad- dle, the Thomas Fourcy-trained colt prevailed by the minimum margin at the main expense of Olivier Peslier (foreground) rides Abbes to victory in the Prix Dormane Abdullah bin Fahad al-Attiyah’s (Group 3 PA) at La Teste-de-Buch in France yesterday. (Robert Polin) Munir Du Soleil who was ridden by Julien Auge and was campaigned of the Chantilly card on June 20. the straight. He’s a horse with a at Doha during the winter. The trainer said: “I’ve always sharp turn of foot and a tenden- His Highness Sheikh Moham- held Abbes in high regard. He’s cy to do things his own way. He ed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Hog- a horse for the big occasion. He is still somewhat tender at this gar De L’ardus was a further 1¼ was very switched off throughout level. However, it bodes well for lengths behind in third under the race. It’s a very good prepara- the Group 1 PA race. I don’t know Jerome Cabre. It was a special tion for the Derby in June. Mu- if he’ll beat his two stablemates, day for the French trainer re- nir Du Soleil is progressing be- but we may complete the tricast. cording a 1-2-3 in this contest. cause Abbes is one of the best PA All three have the earned the With this victory under his four-year-olds, if not the best. right to tackle the Derby.” belt, Abbes cemented his posi- He has no reason to be ashamed Abbes is out of the high class FIFA has revealed the fixtures and dates of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, to be held between November 30 and December 18. tion as the favourite for the Qa- of his second place, and he has Raqiyah, herself a multiple Group 1 Hosts Qatar will open the tournament on November 30, facing the winner of the qualifier between Bahrain and Kuwait. From tar Derby des Pur-Sang Arabe de also travelled [abroad], with all PA, having won at the highest level each group, the teams placed first and second will qualify for the next round. The tournament will be held at six of the FIFA World 4ans (Group 1 PA), the equiva- that entails. He can do very well in France, Qatar and Britain, where Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums, the details of which will be announced at a later date. The Arab Cup will be held around the same lent of the Prix du Jockey-Club at Chantilly. Hoggar De L’ardus she provided Olivier Peslier with period as the 2022 tournament, which will provide an opportunity for the organisers to test their preparations for the World Cup. (French Derby) for the Purebred may also head to Chantilly. He Group 1 PA success on the King Arabians, and which forms part didn’t get the rub of the green in George card. FOOTBALL / UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Mahrez scores winner as Man City edges 10-man PSG Pochettino’s men take the lead through a powerful Marquinhos header early in the first half before De Bruyne equalises AFP leg of their quarter-fi nal defeat of Bay- Paris, France ern, a game in which he also scored. Indeed for all the importance of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to the Pa- iyad Mahrez curled in a free- risians, the Brazilian defender has now kick as a much-improved scored in both the quarter-fi nals and second half performance saw semi-fi nals of the Champions League Manchester City beat Paris in back-to-back seasons. RSaint-Germain 2-1 in the fi rst leg of It was not until the 42nd minute that their blockbuster Champions League the visitors really had a chance, Ber- semi-fi nal yesterday. nardo Silva teeing up Phil Foden for the Marquinhos had powered in a header shot that Navas saved. to give PSG an early lead and the de- PSG could have doubled their lead served advantage at half-time at the early in the second half, but the stretch- Parc des Princes. ing Marco Verratti was just unable to However, City skipper Kevin De connect with Mbappe’s low ball across Bruyne’s cross dropped in to pull the face of goal. City level just after the hour mark By then the pendulum was swinging and Mahrez then beat Keylor Na- towards City, as De Bruyne sent a pow- vas from a 71st-minute free-kick to erful overhead kick just over the bar. complete the turnaround and give The equaliser arrived in the 64th Pep Guardiola’s side the advantage minute. When a corner from the right going into next Tuesday’s return in was played short, the ball came all the Manchester. way to De Bruyne, in line with the left After starting so well, PSG lost their edge of the box. way after half-time and had Idrissa The Belgian looked up and bent in a Gana Gueye sent off in the 77th minute cross which missed everyone including as a shocking tackle on Ilkay Gundogan Navas as it nestled in the far corner. earned the midfi elder a straight red The visitors had the momentum and card. won a free-kick 25 metres from goal Having already failed to win at with 20 minutes left when Gueye fouled home to Manchester United, Barcelo- Foden. na and Bayern in this season’s Cham- Mahrez, born and brought up in the pions League, the Parisians now face Paris suburbs, curled a low strike from an uphill struggle in England if they Paris Saint-Germain’s Idrissa Gueye 25 metres through the wall and beyond are to reach the final for the second (left) and Leandro Paredes (right) vie the reach of Navas. year running. for the ball with Manchester City’s Things got worse for the home side City are eyeing a first ever Cham- Riyad Mahrez during their UEFA soon after as Gueye was dismissed by pions League final, and this was their Champions League semi-final first German referee Felix Brych for a nasty first appearance in the semi-finals leg match at Parc des Princes in Paris, challenge that caught Gundogan on the since 2016, when they defeated PSG France, yesterday. (Reuters) Achilles. in the last eight before losing to Real City saw out the game against the 10 Madrid. men to take the advantage into the re- However, PSG can still be optimistic turn. about their prospects after sensational hoping to once again get the better of GAME OF TWO HALVES especially impressive early on. ia’s right-wing delivery at the near post A fi rst Champions League fi nal is in away performances against Barcelona Guardiola, just as he did when his Tot- The fi rst leg started so well for the They went ahead in the 15th minute and head in. sight for Guardiola’s side, who could and Bayern in the last two rounds. tenham Hotspur side beat City in the French club too, with Neymar in the as Marquinhos broke away from the at- The PSG captain was making his fi rst also wrap up the Premier League title PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino is quarter-fi nals in 2019. mood and Angel Di Maria and Gueye tentions of Gundogan to attack Di Mar- appearance since coming off in the fi rst this weekend. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, April 29, 2021 SPORT SPOTLIGHT Federer to auction off Grand Slam memorabilia Reuters London Djokovic withdraws from Madrid Open Novak Djokovic has pulled out of single success in Paris in 2016. illions of Roger Federer the Madrid Open, the tournament an- The Madrid Open starts this week, fans around the world nounced yesterday. with the women’s main draw begin- might be salivating at the A message from the tournament’s ning today and the men’s tournament prospect of owning some off icial twitter account read: “Novak on Sunday. Mmementos of the Swiss great’s incred- Djokovic will not be playing in the Djokovic is the reigning men’s cham- ible career after he announced he is Mutua Madrid Open. pion after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas auctioning off a collection of personal ‘Sorry that I won’t be able to travel in the final in 2019. Last year’s event items this summer. to Madrid this year and meet all my was cancelled because of the Covid-19 The 20-times Grand Slam cham- fans”, said Djokovic. ‘It’s been two pandemic. (AFP) pion, regarded by many as the greatest years already, quite a long time. Hope player ever to wield a tennis racket, is to see you all next year!’”. putting various items under the ham- Djokovic has only played four tourna- mer in two sales in June and July at ments this year, having decided to Christie’s to raise money for his foun- take a break following his 18th grand dation.