FOOTBALL | Page 6 TTENNISENNIS | Page 9 It’s the right Venus time for me, eyes 50th To Advertise here says England WTA title in Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 boss Allardyce Stanford Monday, July 25, 2016 CRICKET Shawwal 20, 1437 AH Ashwin’s 7 for 83 GULF TIMES gives India innings win in Antigua SPORT Page 2 SPOTLIGHT IOC decides against blanket ban for Russians at Games International federations to decide if individuals can compete Athletes without spotless doping record will not be cleared Whistleblower Stepanova not eligible for Rio United States Anti-Doping Agency condemns decision Reuters Geneva Russia hails IOC rejection of Rio ban he International Olympic Com- AFP, Moscow: Russia hailed an “objective” decision by the said was organised by the sports ministry and Russian mittee (IOC) has rejected calls International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday not to secret service. for Russia to be banned from ban its entire team from next month’s Rio Games over Russian sports bosses welcomed the decision and began Tnext month’s Rio Olympics over revelations of state-run doping. looking forward to the the competition in Rio. the nation’s doping record, off ering ath- “It was objective and taken in the interests of world sport “I don’t see any problem with the participation of our letes a lifeline by ruling that decisions on and the unity of the Olympic family. We are grateful to the tennis players at the Olympics,” Shamil Tarpishev, the individual competitors will be left to the IOC for such a decision,” sports minister Vitaly Mutko told president of Russia’s tennis federation told TASS news international sports federations. R-Sport news agency. agency. “I am sure that the whole team that we’ve named The IOC’s decision yesterday, less He added later in televised comments that he was will compete at Rio.” than two weeks before the Rio Games convinced that the “majority” of the Russian team would The head of Russia’s swimming federation Vladimir opens on Aug 5, follows the World meet strict criteria to compete. Salnikov told R-Sport that he was waiting to hear from the Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) call “As far as the criteria announced for the Russian team on international swimming federation if the new IOC criteria for a blanket ban in response to the in- the eve of the Olympic Games they are of course very would rule out swimming star Yulia Efimova, who tested dependent McLaren report that found tough,” Mutko said. positive for banned substance meldonium. evidence of state-sponsored doping by “It is a specific challenge for our sportsmen but I am Separately, an IOC ethics commission also ruled that Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Ol- absolutely sure that the majority of the Russian team will 800m runner Yuliya Stepanova, who turned whistle- ympics in Sochi. meet the criteria.” blower on doping in Russian athletics, could not go to Rio “I think in this way, we have balanced The IOC on Sunday ordered individual sports federa- even as a neutral. on the one hand, the desire and need for tions to decide whether Russian competitors should Russia’s track and field team is already barred from Rio collective responsibility versus the right take part in the Rio Games after failing to agree on a and the decision to exclude Stepanova, who served a Acrobats perform on the to individual justice of every individual complete ban. doping ban exposing the rot inside Russian athletics, was Olympics rings at Paulista athlete,” IOC President Thomas Bach The Olympic body’s executive decided that any Rus- greeted with approval by off icials. Avenue in Sao Paulo’s said on a conference call. sian athlete wanting to go to Rio, where the Games start “It is correct that they did not let in Stepanova. I support financial centre yesterday. “In this way we are protecting the on August 5, will have to prove that he or she was not that decision,” athletics federation head Dmitry Shlyaktin clean athletes because of the high cri- involved in the doping which an independent investigator told R-Sport. teria we set. This may not please every- body, but this result is one which is re- specting the rules of justice and all the clean athletes all over the world.” athletes and the integrity of the Olympic considers suffi cient to meet the IOC’s It also ordered the immediate re- WADA and 14 national anti-doping Games, the IOC has refused to take de- requirements. testing of all Russian athletes from the organisations had urged the IOC to im- cisive leadership. The decision regarding For individuals to be allowed to com- Sochi Olympics. pose a blanket ban in the wake of the Russian participation and the confusing pete at Rio they must have a spotless Though a series of international fed- damning McLaren report, but former mess left in its wake is a signifi cant blow international record on drug testing, erations, anti-doping agencies and ath- Olympic fencing champion Bach said to the rights of clean athletes.” the IOC said, adding athletes who have letes have since called for a blanket ban, that Russian sportsmen and women Russia’s Sports Minister, Vitaly been sanctioned in the past for doping some have said they are against punish- “will have to clear the highest hurdle to Mutko, said the decision cleared the will not be eligible. ing innocent athletes. take part in the Olympics”. way for Russian participation. That would dash the hopes of mid- “It would be quite diffi cult for us to The United States Anti-Doping “I hope that the majority of interna- dle-distance runner Yulia Stepanova, think we should ban an entire team, Agency (USADA) said the IOC had failed tional federations will very promptly the whistleblower and former drug which will include some cyclists who to show leadership with its decision. confi rm the right of (Russian) sport- cheat whose initial evidence led to one are not implicated in any of these sto- “Many, including clean athletes and speople in diff erent types of sports of the biggest doping scandals in dec- ries we’ve been hearing,” said Brian whistleblowers, have demonstrated to take part in the Olympic Games,” ades. Cookson, president of the International courage and strength in confronting Mutko said. The International Tennis The IOC had said this week that it Cycling Union. a culture of state-supported doping Federation wasted no time in clearing would not organise or give patronage to “We’re going to have to look at it case and corruption within Russia,” USADA the seven Russian players nominated any sports event in Russia and that no by case, rider by rider and team by team. chief Travis Tygart said. for Rio. The ITF said the players have member of the Russian Sports Ministry At the end of the day, Russians are not “Disappointingly, however, in response been subject to a rigorous anti-doping implicated in the McLaren report would the only sportsmen or women who have to the most important moment for clean programme outside Russia, which it be accredited for Rio. been found doping.” RALLYING Qatar’s al-Attiyah storms to Baja Spain victory By Our Correspondent Al-Attiyah completed the second to the car with some testing coming up.” hind second-placed Mikko Hirvonen of Teruel, Spain Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah of the day’s stages – the 184.80km Al-Attiyah made the perfect start on Finland. in action in Spain yesterday. of Alfambra – in second position the 9.2km super special stage, near Ter- Roma was not so fortunate, however, behind Sainz and reached the uel, on Friday evening and posted the and the Spaniard’s fi rst appearance atar’s Nasser Saleh al-At- overnight halt in third place, fastest time of 5min 50.2sec to snatch a with Overdrive Racing was cut short tiyah and French navigator a mere seven seconds behind 12.9-second lead from Spaniard Xavier on a right-hand corner when he left the Matthieu Baumel delivered second-placed Mikko Hirvonen Pons. Roma was third in the second of road and was forced to prematurely re- Qa sensational last stage per- of Finland the Overdrive Racing Toyotas on his tire from the race. Al-Attiyah’s brother formance to earn Overdrive Racing and team debut, a mere half a second be- Khalifa carded the 28th quickest time Toyota a fi rst ever victory in Baja Spain Nasser and everyone at Overdrive Rac- hind Pons. Khalifa al-Attiyah was 14th after his own delay and reached Teruel Aragón, round fi ve of this year’s FIA ing,” said Overdrive Racing’s CEO Jean- in a time of 6min 46.6sec. in 17th overall. World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, Marc Fortin. “It gives Nasser another The bulk of the action took place Action concluded with a second run yesterday afternoon. 30 points in the FIA World Cup and over two selective sections of 162km through the 184.80km Alfambra stage Al-Attiyah, driving a Toyota Hilux, puts him in a very strong position going and 184.80km through the Jiloca and yesterday morning. Al-Attiyah began won the opening stage on Friday and forward. Yesterday was a bit frustrat- Comarca de Teruel regions on Saturday. the special from third on the road be- went on to fi nish 19 seconds ahead of ing, because he lost a lot of time in the Sainz set the fastest time of 2hr 03min hind Sainz and Hirvonen and it was the Carlos Sainz after trailing the Spaniard dust behind another car and this result 24sec through the opening special and Madrid driver who set the target time of at the start of the day.