WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 SPORTS Capello wants more Thai footballers offered Venus Williams looks to from Russia players $1.7 million win bonus bounce back in Quebec MOSCOW: Fabio Capello has said he is happy with Russia’s start to the Euro 2016 BANGKOK: Thailand’s footballers will share a $1.7 million bonus if QUEBEC: US top seed Venus Williams will try to bounce back after a qualifying campaign but that his side needed to improve if they want to reach the they take gold in the upcoming Asian Games in South Korea, the third-round exit at the US Open by winning this week’s WTA event at final stages in France. The Russians defeated minnows Liechtenstein 4-0 in their head of the kingdom’s football association said yesterday. The Quebec City. The 34-year-old American, who fell to Italy’s Sara Errani opening Group G encounter on Monday. “It was a good game,” the Italian said of generous cash incentive has been offered for the men’s team by a 6-0, 0-6, 7-6 (7/5) at Flushing Meadows, won her first title in 16 his side’s first match since they failed to make it out of the group stages in the Thai sports magazine publisher who is a big football fan, accord- months in February at the Dubai Open. Williams will try to add the World Cup in Brazil. However, Capello is aware that two of the Russian goals were ing to Worawi Makudi, president of the Football Association of Quebec crown when she opens against Canadian wild card own-goals and another came from the penalty spot. “We created a Thailand. “If they are champions at the Asian Games, they will get Francoise Abanda. In opening-round matches lot of chances but unfortunately we also missed too many of them,” 55 million baht ($1.7 million),” he said. “The association has tried Monday, US seventh seed Anna Tatishvili he said. “Many of our players looked really good but I think we our best to find something that will encourage and motivate became the highest-ranked player to fall, los- need more days together to progress as a team. We definitely them.” The football competition, which in the men’s competition is need to improve our performance in clearing the ball out of ing to Germany’s Tatjana Maria 7-6 (11/9), 6-4. restricted to players aged under 23, starts before the opening cer- Next up for Maria is American Madison Brengle, defence and putting pressure on our opponents.” Capello said emony for the Games on September 19. Thailand have never taken after the World Cup flop in the summer that his squad needed an who ousted compatriot Samantha gold in football at the regional showpiece and rank 157th in offi- Crawford 6-3, 6-3. US fourth seed Shelby injection of “fresh blood” and he praised the new players brought cial FIFA charts, below tournament heavyweights China, Japan and in against Liechtenstein. Among the newcomers was 24- Rogers beat Czech Tereza Martincova 6- year-old Zenit St Petersburg goalkeeper Yury Lodygin both North and South Korea. Their preparations have also been 1, 6-3 to book a second-round date with hampered by the omission of key midfielder Jakkaphan Pornsai who came on as a second half substitute for the expe- compatriot Asia Muhammad, who outlast- from the squad due to a clerical error. This year’s edition at rienced Igor Akinfeyev. Capello said he had wanted to ed Britain’s Johanna Konta 6-2, 6-7 (7/9), Incheon of the Asian Games, dubbed Asia’s Olympics, cost just give the younger goaltender a chance to feel at ease 7-6 (7/4). —AFP in the national setup. — AFP over $2 billion to host. — AFP CYCLING Australia recall Polota-Nau, snub Heat is on, Vuelta turns into boxing ring Higginbotham PARIS: Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni, who practices boxing in his spare time, might regret abandoning the Tour of SYDNEY: Australia welcomed hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau Spain which has turned into a boxing ring on wheels. On back from injury for Saturday’s Rugby Championship test Monday, Russian Ivan Rovny and Italian Gianluca Brambilla against Argentina but there was a snub for Scott traded punches without getting off their bikes, with Higginbotham when Ben McCalman was named as start- Tinkoff-Saxo rider Rovny having to change sunglasses after ing number eight yesterday. The return of Polota-Nau, who being hit in the face. Both riders were thrown out of the has not played since he injured his knee in the Super Vuelta by race commissaires even though some found the Rugby final, could not have come at a better time with the sanction harsh. After all, they were not the first ones to Wallabies expecting a serious challenge in the front row fight on the bike. Oleg Tinkov, owner of the Tinkoff-Saxo from the Pumas on the Gold Coast. team, wrote on Twitter: “To eject out of La Vuelta both box- The switch at hooker was the only one of the three ers Rovny and Brambilla is definitely bad decision, I don’t changes from the team that beat South Africa 24-23 in mind when boys are fighting, as in hockey. SHOW.” Perth last weekend that was not forced on coach Ewen The fight was witnessed by race commissaires, who McKenzie. Peter Betham comes in on the right wing for apparently did not see when Spain’s Joaquim Rodriguez Adam Ashley-Cooper, who was ruled out with a neck punched Ireland’s Philip Deignan in the face on Sunday. injury, while McCalman replaces Wycliff Palu, who suffered “Going over the top of the penultimate climb on Sunday, I a head knock against the South Africans. had my team leader Chris Froome behind me and was Higginbotham impressed as a replacement number moving up to get into the wheels of the Tinkoff-Saxo train eight in the match against the Springboks as well as in the at the front, which I was perfectly entitled to do,” Deignan 51-20 drubbing at the hands of the All Blacks that preced- wrote in a column on the Irish Independent’s website ed it and will count himself unfortunate not to have earned (www.independent.ie) on Tuesday. the start. McCalman, who along with flanker Matt Hodgson was a key factor in the best ever Super Rugby season for “As we hurtled along in the rain at around 50kph, Western Force this year, will win his 33rd cap, while Katusha’s Spanish team leader Joaquin Rodriguez, who is Higginbotham will again be used as an impact player. “Ben fourth overall, took umbrage to my presence and nudged is no stranger to the international arena and we feel he has me out a little bit. So I held my ground and nudged him back,” “As we continued riding, suddenly, out of the blue, certain characteristics which will suit the team for the LAGOS DE COVADONGA: Lampre’s Polish cyclist Przemyslaw Niemiec celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win beginning of the match,” McKenzie said in a news release. Rodriguez turned towards me and punched me full in the the 15th stage of the 69th edition of “La Vuelta” Tour of Spain, a 152,2 km ride from Oviedo to Lagos de “He’ll set the tone early with his high work-rate and pro- face, splitting my lip and leaving me both stunned and vide a good balance for what we’ll be looking for from our fuming.” Deignan said he restrained himself. “Thankfully an Covadonga. — AFP back row as a group. “We’ll also then have the benefit of immediate desire to knock the little Spanish climber out “He did not mean to touch him.” Tension can run high on Australian Simon Gerrans in the final sprint of the first being able to call on Scott and Matt from the bench late in was quelled and I had the restraint and presence of mind the bike, especially between sprint specialists in the final stage, which saw the Briton crash and eventually pull out the game. “We have strong thoughts on how we want our to realise that hitting him in such treacherous conditions straight. On Thursday, Argentine Maximiliano Richeze of the race. Spain’s Carlos Barredo and Portuguese Rui ‘finishers’ to play and they all have defined roles in how we would only worsen the situation and endanger the riders elbowed Italian Jacopo Guarnieri in the final sprint of the Costa featured in the most infamous fight between riders want to close out the match.” Another of the “finishers” in around us.” Vuelta’s 12th stage. in recent times after a stage of the 2010 Tour de France. Perth last weekend was Kurtley Beale, who, having been Deignan said Rodriguez was brought to his team bus by In 2010, Australian Mark Renshaw was disqualified from Barredo took his front wheel off his bike and used it to hit dropped as flyhalf in favor of Bernard Foley, played an inte- his sports director to apologise on Monday morning. “It the Tour de France for headbutting New Zealand’s Julian Costa, who punched him back as the two riders, who only gral role in the late converted try for Rob Horne that won was more a gesture saying ‘what are you doing?’,” a Katusha Dean in the run-up to the final sprint. This year, Mark got a fine, finished the fight on the ground and had to be the match.