15 TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 sports

BRAVE and Shaikh Khalid praised for Uruguay crush 10-man Ecuador ‘stepping up’ in MMA development

post one-handed. TDT | Manama Suarez, Cavani score But it was third time lucky on • 33 minutes as Diego Godin head- RAVE Combat Federation as Uruguay cruise past ed the ball into the danger area Band Kingdom of Bahrain 10-man Ecuador in and Cavani acrobatically rasped have been praised for the Copa America opener a bicycle kick from seven yards roles they have played in de- past a helpless Dominguez, his velopment of mixed martial Uruguay earn 47th international goal. arts on a grass-roots level. • IMMAF-WMMAA pres- comfortable 4-0 Patient Uruguay ident Kerrith Brown was win over rivals Nahitan Nandez wasted a recently in Bahrain for the good chance, shooting straight announcement of the third AFP | Belo Horizonte, Brazil at Dominguez but Suarez put edition of the International the game to bed a minute before Combat Week, which will the break, stealing in at the back take place in the second uis Suarez and Edinson post to poke home a flick-on week of November, along- Cavani were on target as from Martin Caceres. side the IMMAF-WMMAA LUruguay thumped 10- With the game all but over as World Championships, and man Ecuador 4-0 in their open- a contest, the second half was a having the biggest BRAVE ing Group C match at the Copa damp squib of an affair. event in the year as its America on Sunday. Uruguay had the ball in the crowning moment. Nicolas Lodeiro opened the net soon after the restart but Brown spoke of his excite- scoring after just six minutes Uruguay’s Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring against Ecuador Cavani was offside again. ment at, once again, joining before Ecuador full-back Jose Ecuador showed plenty of forces with BRAVE, Bahrain, Quintero was dismissed for a lamented Ecuador’s Colombian terwards only for Cavani to be commitment, continuing to and the Bahraini MMA Fed- flailing arm. coach Hernan Dario Gomez. given offside in the build-up. rough up Uruguay’s more tech- eration, and hailed their With a numerical advantage, “It was a match that got away Ecuador brought a physicali- nical players, but never looked involvement in the vision Uruguay ran riot at the Mineirao from us, especially in the first ty to the contest that upset the We had chances in like they believed they would get of HH Shaikh Khalid bin stadium in Belo Horizonte as half when it got away from us in Uruguayan players and Quinte- the first half, we anything out of the game. Hamad Al Khalifa, as well as Cavani and Suarez netted be- every aspect.” ro was perhaps lucky to escape managed to take Uruguay looked content to their help in the growth of fore the break. The rout was Uruguay were off to a dream punishment when catching Die- them and that gave play a patient possession game MMA in the most basic level. completed 12 minutes from time start. go Laxalt with an elbow in an us the tranquility to without pushing for more goals. “HH Shaikh Khalid has with an Arturo Mina own goal. Suarez crossed from the right aerial challenge. Cavani did send Suarez worked very hard to help “We had chances in the first and Lodeiro proved the coolest But moments later, his arm manage the game. scampering in on goal after a de- us deliver an amazing event, half, we managed to take them customer in the Mineirao sta- made contact with Lodeiro’s It was an important fensive mistake but Dominguez by giving the athletes all the and that gave us the tranquility dium as he beat one defender face when challenging for an- step was quickly off his line to snatch conditions possible so they to manage the game,” said Ca- with his chest control, flicked other header, this time drawing EDINSON CAVANI the ball off the Barcelona for- can be able to put on world- vani, who finally scored his first the ball over another and then blood. ward’s toes. class performances when it Copa America goal in his fourth hit a crisp, low volley into the Brazilian referee Anderson The fourth came in calami- matters. Our relationships participation. bottom far corner. Daronco -- whose bulging arm On 27 minutes, Alexander tous fashion as Gaston Pereiro with BRAVE and His High- “It was an important step.” “We knew they would be very muscles put even Ecuador’s Dominguez made a brilliant tried to pick out Suarez from ness are the best possible. It was the ideal beginning for tough opponents. The important strapping players to shame -- low save to turn behind Cavani’s Cavani’s cross even though he We have the same visions Uruguay in a tough Group C thing was start the game with initially showed the full-back a half-volley from 15 yards. was only six yards from goal. and goals for the sport. They alongside champions Chile and maximum concentration and yellow card but after consulting Paris Saint-Germain forward His header dropped to Ec - have stepped up to the plate guests Japan, who meet on Mon- we managed that,” said Cavani. VAR he changed that to red. Cavani was denied again when uador center-half Mina, who in terms of understanding day in Sao Paulo. Uruguay were rampant and That left Ecuador with a Dominguez stunningly tipped inadvertently volleyed into his our vision and putting the “We’re not as bad as that,” had the ball in the net soon af- mountain to climb. his clever back-flick onto the own goal. sport at the highest lev - el and I’m thankful to be partners with them”, said Brown. ‘Life-changing’ operation rekindles returning Sarfaraz refuses Murray’s love of tennis to blame senior men for Pakistan’s “There have been a num - ber of times over the past 18 troubles months where I did want to Reuters | Manchester stop,” he said. “I didn’t want to play an - akistan captain Sarfaraz ymore. I was getting no en - PAhmed refused to put joyment out of tennis at all, the blame for his team’s de- whether that be training, prac- feat to India and poor World tice, matches. Cup on the senior players, “I wasn’t bothered about saying all his squad needed winning matches either be- to step up their game. cause it wasn’t fun. Now I like India’s comprehensive playing tennis, getting out on victory at Old Trafford left the court and hitting balls. I Pakistan in ninth place af- want to keep playing if I can ter just one win from five because I enjoy it.” Salah in action with Guinea’s Aly Keita matches and needing a huge Murray said at the Austral- turnaround in form to have ian Open in January that he any chance of making the intended to retire after Wim- Salah helps Egypt to another warm-up victory semi-finals. Andy Murray looks sharp during a bledon due to crippling pain AFP | Johannesburg, South Pakistan were outclassed practice session at Queens that stopped him from doing Africa absence from the national ers Morocco suffered a second with India making 336 for everyday tasks like pulling on squad, put Egypt ahead again home loss in a row as they fell five and apart from a 104- Reuters | London socks. and Omar Gaber scored a late 3-2 to non-qualifiers Zambia. run second-wicket partner- The three-time Grand Slam gypt superstar Mohamed goal to ensure victory. Ajax Amsterdam star Hakim ship between Fakhar Zaman ndy Murray has said that winner admitted that the pro- ESalah came off the bench It was the second warm-up Ziyech equalised twice for a and Babar Azam, Pakistan Asurgery helped him redis- gress he has made since then but did not score as the 2019 victory for Egypt, who defeated team considered one of the big- never looked like mounting cover his passion for tennis has been better than antici- Africa Cup of Nations hosts de- qualifiers Tanzania 1-0 three gest threats to title favourites a real challenge. as he prepares to make his pated. feated fellow qualifiers Guinea days ago at the same stadium. Egypt only for Enock Mwepu “It definitely is very dis- comeback at Queen’s Club this “I didn’t expect to be in 3-1 Sunday in a warm-up match. Egypt are in Group A with the to snatch a 75th-minute appointing. It is hard. We week. this position,” said the former Marwan Mohsen gave the Democratic Republic of Congo, winner. were going really well, es- The 32-year-old will feature world number one. Pharaohs an early lead in Al- Uganda and Zimbabwe for the Morocco, who lost to the pecially if you talk about our in the men’s doubles alongside “I didn’t know how it would exandria that was cancelled by June 21-July 19 tournament as Gambia last Wednesday, are batting. I thought, when we Spaniard Feliciano Lopez on feel if I went and had the oper- Sory Kaba midway through the they seek a record-extending guided by Frenchman Herve lost the first wicket, Imam Wednesday, five months after ation. But it has been brilliant, second half. eighth African title. Renard, the only coach to win and Fakhar, they made a undergoing a hip resurfacing completely life-changing for Ahmed Ali, recalled for the While Egypt are on a winning the Cup of Nations with differ- good partnership,” Sarfaraz operation. me from where I was. Cup of Nations after a lengthy streak, serious title contend- ent countries. said.