Ruthless Striker

WEDNESDAY, JulY 27, 2016 VOluME XI ISSuE NO.25 QR2.00 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com

P 6 | FOOTBALL P 26 | MOTORSPORT XAVI TITLE-HUNGRY NASSER FOURWARD! QATAR’S FIRST Al Sadd’s midfield maestro Xavi Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah storms to ENGLISH SPORTS Hernandez expects next season to be his fourth successive win at the FIA WEEKLY tough, but promises at least one trophy. World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.

COUNTDOWN days PAGES 14-25 to go

SPECIAL STORY P 20 | POSTER P 27 | ATHLETICS NASSER P 8 | FOOTBALL AL ATTIYAH Qatar’s Haroun, Ibrahim bag gold Ruthless striker

EXCITEMENT NOW JUST A TOUCH AWAY

OutlookThe writer can be contacted at [email protected]

IOC decision on Russia is largely fair and justifiable

ĈĈThe Rio entry of their athletes will Agency (WADA) Code. Committee President Alexander Zhukov took a now be decided by the respective The anti-Russian bloc has cried foul. Even swipe at the United States Olympic Committee’s international sports federations WADA sounded disappointed while saying, “the double standards vis-a-vis sprinters Justin Gatlin IOC missed an opportunity to ensure a straight- and Tyson Gay, both proven drug cheats, ques- HE International Olympic Committee’s forward, strong and harmonised approach” against tioning the fairness of letting them compete in (IOC) decision not to impose a blanket ban State-supported manipulation of doping control Rio while Russians, like two-time Olympic pole Ton Russia at the Rio Olympics has divided process, which was exposed following an inde- vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva, who has a clean the sports fraternity. pendent investigation. image, can’t. Though there was a clarion call for a total ban Yes, in all fairness, people should pay for the The rest of the world has also not forgotten the by a group of countries led by the United States wrongs they do. But is blanket ban a solution to now infamous BALCO-lab incident, one of the big- and, as always, supported by the UK, Australia that? No, I don’t think so, because then there’ll be gest doping scandals in history, which implicated and others, the IOC in their wisdom thought such at least a few clean athletes who would be unjus- some top American athletes in 2002. a move would be an injustice to genuinely clean tifiably punished. Two wrongs don’t make a right. It’s the duty of athletes, who’ve been sweating it out for the past The menace of doping has tarnished the image of the IOC and all international federations to ensure few years to realise their Olympics dreams in the many sports like cycling, weightlifting and athlet- a level playing field by banning the cheats for life. Brazilian city. ics, and if we’re to restore some confidence among The entry of Russian athletes will now be decided fans, then concrete steps need to be taken by the by the respective international sports federations authorities concerned. There has to be a uniform and it’ll be granted only if an individual analysis of approach worldwide in dealing with drug cheaters. each athlete’s anti-doping record proved he/she is In the absence of that, it’ll be difficult to ensure Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi clean in accordance with the World Anti-Doping justice and fairness to all. No wonder Russian Olympic Editor-in-Chief

Lekhwiya’s signing of Suleiman (Doha Stadium Plus, July Youssef a good move 20) made an interesting read. INBOX However, I’ve my doubts when it After struggling last season due to the comes to his view that social media absence of a good striker, Lekhwiya is adversely affecting the develop-

Editor-in-Chief Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi P.O. Box: 24598, Doha, Qatar have made a wise move early in the ment of Qatari youngsters. I agree Tel: +974 44138065, Fax: +974 44138597 pre-season by signing Youssef El Arabi that it’s a big distraction, but almost Managing Editor Kumar Ravi WEDNESDAY, JulY 20, 2016 VOluME XI ISSuE NO.24 QR2.00 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com

www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com P 6 | FOOTBALL P 26 | motorsport PRIZE SCALP PROUD ON PODIUM Doha Stadium Plus QATAR’S FIRST Lekhwiya rope in Moroccan striker QMMF Racing Team’s Spanish from Granada ( , all top players in the world are very Senior Editor/Writer ENGLISH SPORTS Youssef El Arabi from La Liga club rider Julian Simon finishes third Aswin Abraham in Moto2 at the German Grand Prix. WEEKLY Granada on a three-year contract. Editorial: Tel: +974 44138522, Fax: +974 44138593 FOLLOW US Senior Sports Writer July 20). much active on it. It’s all about set- N Ganesh e-mail: [email protected]

COUNTDOWN The Moroccan is a proven performer ting the priorities right. It’s the duty Sports Writers PAGES 16-25 Sajith B Warrier Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 and knows football in the region, of the officials to help the young- Mohammad Amin-ul Islam e-mail: [email protected] BEEN Sarath Pookkat Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 THERE having played for Saudi Arabia’s Al sters manage their career. e-mail: [email protected] DONE Peter King, Doha. Photographers Mohan THATPAGES 14-15 Hilal, although for a brief period.

Vinod Divakaran It’s important that Youssef gets

Fadi Al Assaad P 20 | POSTER into the groove straightaway at the NADA Good preview package ARAKJI

P 27 | BEACH HANDBALL Mohammed Dabboos P 28 | TENNIS start of next season as Lekhwiya can’t Qatar retain bronze at Battle lines World Championship are drawn! DSP Graphics/ Joice Michael Joice DSP Graphics/ Publishers: ASPIRE Printing, Publishing and Distribution A K BijuRaj UK £1, Europe €2 | Oman 200 Baisas | Bahrain 200 Fils | Egypt LE 2 | Lebanon 3,000 Livre | Kuwait 250 Fils | Morocco Dh 6 | UAEDh 5 | Yemen 75 Riyals | Sudan 1 Pound | KSA 2 Riyals | Jordan 500 Fils | Iraq $1 | Palestine $1 | Syria LS 20 afford to drop too many points in The first of your magazine’s ‘Run-up Publishers: ASPIRE Printing, Graphic Designers Abhilash Chacko their bid to regain the Qatar Stars to Rio’ preview package series (Doha P O Box: 24598, Doha, Qatar. Publishing and Distribution Stadium Plus Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 Gopakumar K Printed at ASPIRE Printing Press League title. , July 20) was very com- Joice Michael Mohammed Hassan, Doha. prehensive and visually appealing. e-mail: [email protected] www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus Technical support Abdul Naser M The articles, be it Nadia Comaneci’s Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar e-mail: [email protected] www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar Professionalism is key perfect 10, or features on Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli and www.facebook.com/dohastadium www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar © Stories and photographs appearing in this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of The interview with Qatar’s first-ever local sportspersons, were all good. ASPIRE Printing, Publishing and Distribution. Olympic medal winner Mohammed Elien Andojar, Doha www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 3

OutlookThe writer can be contacted at [email protected]

IOC decision on Russia is largely fair and justifiable

Vinod Divakaran It’s important that Youssef gets

Fadi Al Assaad P 20 | POSTER into the groove straightaway at the NADA Good preview package ARAKJI

P 27 | BEACH HANDBALL Mohammed Dabboos P 28 | TENNIS start of next season as Lekhwiya can’t Qatar retain bronze at Battle lines World Championship are drawn! DSP Graphics/ Joice Michael Joice DSP Graphics/ A K BijuRaj UK £1, Europe €2 | Oman 200 Baisas | Bahrain 200 Fils | Egypt LE 2 | Lebanon 3,000 Livre | Kuwait 250 Fils | Morocco Dh 6 | UAEDh 5 | Yemen 75 Riyals | Sudan 1 Pound | KSA 2 Riyals | Jordan 500 Fils | Iraq $1 | Palestine $1 | Syria LS 20 afford to drop too many points in The first of your magazine’s ‘Run-up Publishers: ASPIRE Printing, Graphic Designers Abhilash Chacko their bid to regain the Qatar Stars to Rio’ preview package series (Doha Publishing and Distribution Gopakumar K Printed at ASPIRE Printing Press League title. Stadium Plus, July 20) was very com- Joice Michael Mohammed Hassan, Doha. prehensive and visually appealing. www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus Technical support Abdul Naser M www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar The articles, be it Nadia Comaneci’s www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar Professionalism is key perfect 10, or features on Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli and

© Stories and photographs appearing in this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of The interview with Qatar’s first-ever local sportspersons, were all good. ASPIRE Printing, Publishing and Distribution. Olympic medal winner Mohammed Elien Andojar, Doha 4 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 5 Extra time

I think we’ve balanced on the one hand the desire and need for collective responsibility versus the right to individual justice of every athlete... We’re protecting clean athletes. This (decision) may not please everybody, but it’s one which is respecting the rules of justice. Thomas Bach, IOC President, on the world body’s decision not to impose a blanket ban on Russia at the Rio Olympics. YOUSEF ADAM

ššGianni Infantino Infantino keen to STAR OF THE WEEK give Africa more slots at World Cup

FRICA should be given two more places at the World Cup Afinals if the tournament is ex- ššGonzalo Higuain panded to 40 teams, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on a brief trip to Nigeria. Infantino repeated his presidential ‘I came to Arabi election manifesto pledge to push for the World Cup to grow by eight teams to win trophies’ to 40 and wants Africa to get at least two extra slots from 2026. FTER a brief but successful “I believe for the World Cup 2026 — spell as Al Ahli’s caretaker, dur- MEGABUCKs DEAL because the 2018 and 2022 finals are Aing which he took them from already decided — there should be 40 the brink of relegation to a sixth-place Argentinian striker Gonzalo Higuain completes his move from Napoli teams and out of the eight more there finish, Yousef Adam has joined Al Arabi should be at least two slots for African this season as assistant to Uruguayan to champions Juventus in the biggest Italian domestic transfer deal. teams,” he said. coach Gerardo Pelusso. The Qatari said “This is what I declared during my chances of winning titles prompted his campaign and as you know I’m not a move to the Reds. ONZALO Higuain completed Higuain’s contract with league officials. dictator but a democratically elected ЂЂWhat’s the reason behind your his move to Juventus after the Gonzalo Higuain’s move We’ve concluded everything.” FIFA president. So I’ve to speak to eve- GItalian champions reportedly Higuain will be expected to partner ryone and listen to everyone as well,” move to Arabi? agreed to pay a € 94.7m buyout clause to Juve could now spark fellow Argentina striker Paulo Dybala, he added in Abuja. ЃЂI was attracted by the management’s to wrest the Argentinian striker from a succession of other who in his maiden season with Juventus big ambitions and the quality of the play- Napoli on Tuesday. high-profile transfers. was their top scorer with 19 league goals, ers who’ve come in. I feel we can achieve In what could become the biggest ever when the club return from their pre- a lot with this group. After all, I came to transfer between Serie A clubs, Higuain’s season tour of Australia. Arabi to win trophies. move to Turin was published on the in the Champions League next season. The transfer of Higuain, who cost Napoli official Serie A website www.seriea.it. Reports on Tuesday said Juve CEO €40m when he arrived from Real Madrid ЂЂWhat makes you confident? Napoli had slapped the buyout clause Beppe Marotta had negotiated with Napoli in 2013, could now spark a succession ЃЂNew local players like Wagner Ribeiro on Higuain’s contract after he hit a record President Aurelio De Laurentiis to pay of other, high-profile deals. and Mohammed Juma have won tro- 36 goals in the league last season. the transfer fee over two installments. Napoli, who finished runners-up to phies in recent years and can add the But after weeks of negotiations, Juventus After leaving the offices of Serie A, Juventus to secure their place in next sea- MOHAMMED IBRAHIM MOAAZ winning mentality and depth to our finally buckled to capture the 28-year-old Marotta gave no details when asked son’s Champions League, are now in the squad. Our new overseas recruit Luis ššWolfgang Niersbach striker whom they believe can make the by waiting media, but confirmed the hunt for a top striker with Inter Milan’s Jimenez is a player of proven calibre difference between success and failure move when he said, “We’ve deposited Mauro Icardi top of their shopping list. OHAMMED Ibrahim Moaaz Last month, the 17-year-old had In qualification, he added more than and knows football in the region well, FIFA bans former proved he could become one of set a new record at the Asian Junior half-a-metre to his personal best with having played in the UAE with Al Ahli MQatar’s future stars by winning Championships in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, a performance of 62.79M. And in the and Al Nasr. German official the discus throw gold, with a 63.63M effort, by hurling the discus to 60.49M. He thus final few would have expected Ibrahim to Federer pulls out of Rio at the World Under-20 Championships in obliterated the 15-year mark of 60.14M set come up with such a commanding first ЂЂWhat’s your impression of Pelusso? Sakho’s Reds future uncertain IFA’s Ethics Committee has banned Bydgoszc, Poland, last week. by China’s Wu Tao. throw, which was enough to win the gold ЃЂPelusso will improve this side. I like Games, to miss season former German Football Associa- The ASPIRE Academy product’s feat was And in Poland, Ibrahim became the first medal. his style. I’m relatively new in coaching Ftion (DFB) president Wolfgang not too surprising as he had sent enough Qatari to win a medal in throws at the Poland’s Oskar Stachnik, who raised the and can only improve my knowledge by EFENDER Mamadou Sakho Former world No.1 Roger Federer has pulled Niersbach for one year after failing to signals of causing an upset. junior level. principal threat, had to settle for silver. working along with him. faces an uncertain future at out of the Rio Olympics and said he would miss report potential misconduct surround- DLiverpool after he was sent back the rest of the season as he needed extensive ing the award of the 2006 World Cup. to England from the Premier League rehabilitation following the knee surgery earlier “The present case didn’t look into pos- Inside this year to prolong his career. club’s pre-season tour of America. sible breaches of the FIFA code of eth- “I’m extremely disappointed According to British media reports, to announce that I won’t ics in relation to possible acts of brib- Reds manager Jurgen Klopp was unhappy be able to represent ery and/or corruption with regards to with the 26-year-old’s attitude during Switzerland at the Rio the award of the 2006 World Cup, but their stay in California and ordered his Olympics. I’ll also miss only evaluated Niersbach’s awareness return to Liverpool. the remainder of the of the said incidents and his failure to Sakho angered the German manager season,” 17-time Grand Slam report them to the Ethics Committee in 10 27 30 champion Federer said. by turning up late for Liverpool’s flight a timely manner,” the panel said. “The doctors advised that if I to the United States and he recently want to play on the ATP World Tour injury-free for Niersbach resigned from the DFB pres- interrupted Klopp while he was con- another few years, as I intend to do, I must give idency in November after he was unable ducting an interview with the club web- both my knee and body the proper time to fully to explain a $7.4m payment from the site, the reports said. ššMamadou Sakho recover,” he added. German World Cup organisers to FIFA. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 5

‘I came to Arabi to win trophies’

FTER a brief but successful spell as Al Ahli’s caretaker, dur- Aing which he took them from the brink of relegation to a sixth-place finish, Yousef Adam has joined Al Arabi this season as assistant to Uruguayan coach Gerardo Pelusso. The Qatari said chances of winning titles prompted his move to the Reds.

ЂЂWhat’s the reason behind your move to Arabi? ЃЂI was attracted by the management’s big ambitions and the quality of the players who’ve come in. I feel we can achieve a lot with this group. After all, I came to Arabi to win trophies.

ЂЂWhat makes you confident? ЃЂNew local players like Wagner Ribeiro and Mohammed Juma have won trophies in recent years and can add the MOHAMMED IBRAHIM MOAAZ winning mentality and depth to our squad. Our new overseas recruit Luis Jimenez is a player of proven calibre OHAMMED Ibrahim Moaaz Last month, the 17-year-old had In qualification, he added more than and knows football in the region well, proved he could become one of set a new record at the Asian Junior half-a-metre to his personal best with having played in the UAE with Al Ahli MQatar’s future stars by winning Championships in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, a performance of 62.79M. And in the and Al Nasr. the discus throw gold, with a 63.63M effort, by hurling the discus to 60.49M. He thus final few would have expected Ibrahim to at the World Under-20 Championships in obliterated the 15-year mark of 60.14M set come up with such a commanding first ЂЂWhat’s your impression of Pelusso? Bydgoszc, Poland, last week. by China’s Wu Tao. throw, which was enough to win the gold ЃЂPelusso will improve this side. I like The ASPIRE Academy product’s feat was And in Poland, Ibrahim became the first medal. his style. I’m relatively new in coaching not too surprising as he had sent enough Qatari to win a medal in throws at the Poland’s Oskar Stachnik, who raised the and can only improve my knowledge by signals of causing an upset. junior level. principal threat, had to settle for silver. working along with him. Inside 10 27 30 6 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 7 Football Soccerex forum in Qatar to give insight into World Cup projects

OCCEREX, the global football significant investment in European business event provider, last football made through the ownership of ššAdel Lamy Sweek confirmed it would stage Paris Saint-Germain and Qatar Airways a forum in Qatar on December 5 and sponsorship of FC Barcelona. title-hungry 6 in association with the the Supreme In recent years, Qatar has also invested Spain legend Xavi Hernandez promises Al Sadd fans at least one Muaither rope in Committee for Delivery and Legacy heavily in sports science and player (SCDL), with the aim of showcasing performance with the state-of-the-art trophy in his second season with the 13-time league champions. Lamy from Arabi the region’s huge potential. ASPIRE Academy leading the way in ath- The Asian forum will provide the lete development and Aspetar hospi- ROMOTED side Muaither signed global football industry with unique tal making its mark. Utilising this local ĈĈBacks club management’s On the Qatar Stars League experienced midfielder Adel insight and access to the key develop- expertise, the subjects of player devel- decision to extend coach reverting to 12-team affair PLamy from Al Arabi on a one- ment projects ahead of the 2022 FIFA opment and sports medicine will fea- Jesualdo Ferreira’s contract I think it’s a good decision to reduce year deal as the Falcons prepare for World Cup. With more than 30 large- ture as part of a diverse and thought- the league to 12 teams as it’ll have a their second-ever season in the Qatar scale infrastructure and stadium-related leading programme, offering expert ĈĈFeels 12-team format is the best for Qatar Stars League positive impact on the competition. It’ll Stars League. tenders currently open ahead of the insight into the key football business also have a good effect on the Second Lamy brings plenty of experience tournament, the forum will allow del- streams affecting the region. L SADD’S midfield maestro Division in the future. to the side, having enjoyed stints at egates to hear from, and connect with, ššNasser Al Khater Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said Xavi Hernandez is determined many big clubs including Al Rayyan, the decision makers directly respon- he was looking forward to the forum. Qatar are in with a Ato clinch at least one title this On the club retaining Jesualdo Lekhwiya and Umm Salal. sible for their fulfilment. “I’m thrilled to bring the Soccerex chance of qualifying time after failing to win any in his Ferreira as coach Muaither have been active in the trans- SCDL Assistant Secretary General Soccerex shares the Supreme Committee’s experience to Qatar, with the support for the World Cup debut season. One of the best decisions our man- fer window, having already recruited (Tournament Affairs) Nasser Al Khater commitment to football’s global devel- of the SCDL. The forum will showcase The 36-year-old, who is currently agement took in the pre-season was in Russia, especially Uruguayan midfielder Matias Mier and said, “During Qatar’s bid to host the World opment.” the commitment of this extraordinary preparing in earnest at Sadd’s pre- to extend the contract of Jesualdo since they’ve an Brazilian defender Bruno Aguiar. Cup and on many occasions since we The first World Cup to be staged in country towards the growth of the beau- season camp at Kaprun, Austria, Ferreira, considering his huge expe- excellent group The club will head to Bosnia for their won the right, Soccerex has provided the Middle East is undoubtedly the pin- tiful game and provide an important spoke about their main challengers, rience in Europe. of players and a 20-day pre-season training camp start- us with a crucial platform to dissemi- nacle of Qatar’s commitment to foot- staging post for the international mar- Qatar’s chances of qualifying for the He has made effective use of our good coach. They’re ing from August 1. DSP nate our key messages. Furthermore, ball and sport in general, and adds to ket ahead of the tournament.” DSP World Cup in Russia, Spain’s continu- resources. Ferreira and the coaching capable of making ing poor run at major tournaments staff will have a bigger influence on history by winning and more in an interview with the the team this season. a World Cup final club’s website (www.al-saddclub.com). berth for the first Excerpts. On Qatar’s chances of making time. Msakni happy to stay it to the World Cup in Russia Xavi Hernandez On Sadd’s camp at Kaprun and Qatar’s group has strong teams. They overall prevalent mood face Iran first and then South Korea, at his ‘home’ Lekhwiya Our preparation has been very good both at home and it’ll be crucial. But so far. Kaprun is a great place and the Qatar are in with a chance of qualify- training ground is near to our hotel. ing, especially since they’ve an excel- FTER turning down lu- coming from La Liga, which is one of All players are feeling very good. The lent group of players and a good coach. crative offers from abroad the strongest leagues in the world. I They’re capable of making history by Aand deciding to stay at Le- find him to be a strong addition to our winning a World Cup final berth for khwiya for five more seasons, team and I’m eagerly looking forward š Next season, we’ll be the first time. Youssef Msakni is eager to to play along with him,” said Msakni, šDaniel Goumou help the cops regain the who expressed happiness to have stayed facing strong challenge About Spain’s poor show at Qatar Stars League shield at Lekhwiya. from Lekhwiya, El Jaish major tournaments next season. “It’s a great honour to continue with Rayyan receive and champions Rayyan. Spain’s previous generation was able “We finished fourth Lekhwiya. I joined in 2012 and it’s like to win three big tournaments in a row in the league last my home now. I had received many Goumou boost with a team that was arguably one of season, but we’ve coaching staff is working hard to make the best. learnt from the EAGUE champions Al Rayyan us fully ready. We’ve some promising It doesn’t mean that we won’t mistakes. We It’s a great honour to have been handed a big boost young players and they’re also giv- produce another generation of good won’t repeat Lahead of the new season after ing their all. players. But we’ve to work more to them next time as we continue with Lekhwiya. the Qatar Football Association an- produce one, which can bring back know the competition has many strong I joined in 2012 and it’s nounced that their midfielder Daniel About the new season and main the titles. teams who’ll be ready to pounce on like my home now. Goumou was free to play after serving challengers for title even the slightest errors and capital- a two-year suspension. I expect the league to be really strong On Lionel Messi’s retirement ise on them,” said Msakini. It means the defensive midfielder this time. from international football The Tunisian forward’s confidence offers from abroad, but I looked at the will officially rejoin Rayyan once his We’re keen on winning the title, but We need to respect Leo’s decision. It also stems from the fact that they’ve benefit of continuing at a club for a long ban ends on August 9. will face strong competition mainly isn’t easy for a player of his stature to a strong group of players. time. I had great seasons with this club Meanwhile, Rayyan continued their from Lekhwiya, El Jaish and Al Rayyan. lose four tournaments in the same “We’re a big group and have more and won many trophies with them. I pre-season preparations under the Al Gharafa, Umm Salal and Al Ahli, manner. than one player fighting for every place. wish to win many more in the coming watchful eyes of coach Jorge Fossati. who finished sixth last season, are We need to wait for somemore time It’s what makes teams more competi- seasons,” he added. They are training at a new pitch laid by also good. to see what his final decision is — tive and we’re confident that it’ll help “I promise Lekhwiya’s fans that the the Supreme Committee for Delivery I promise our fans that we’ll work as whether it’s retirement or a return us end the season on a good note,” upcoming season will be really good and Legacy after it demolished the hard as we can and devote ourselves to to the Argentina national team. he said. and we’ll live up to your expectations. old facilities to build a new World Cup winning at least one title, after miss- For me, Leo is still capable of giv- The 25-year-old also looks forward to Lekhwiya start every competition with Stadium. ing it out last season. I hope our sup- ing many more years of service to linking up with new Moroccan striker the only aim of winning it. We’ll work Rayyan will head to Murcia, Spain, porters will keep faith in us through- Argentina. Youssef El Arabi. more hard this time and end up among for their foreign camp on Wednesday

out next season. Leo is the best player in the world. DSP/Mohan ššYoussef Msakni “Youssef is an excellent player who’s trophies,” he added. DSP and return on August 20. DSP www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 7

Soccerex forum in Qatar to give insight into World Cup projects

FTER turning down lu- coming from La Liga, which is one of crative offers from abroad the strongest leagues in the world. I Aand deciding to stay at Le- find him to be a strong addition to our khwiya for five more seasons, team and I’m eagerly looking forward Youssef Msakni is eager to to play along with him,” said Msakni, ššDaniel Goumou help the cops regain the who expressed happiness to have stayed Qatar Stars League shield at Lekhwiya. next season. “It’s a great honour to continue with Rayyan receive “We finished fourth Lekhwiya. I joined in 2012 and it’s like in the league last my home now. I had received many Goumou boost season, but we’ve learnt from the EAGUE champions Al Rayyan mistakes. We It’s a great honour to have been handed a big boost won’t repeat Lahead of the new season after them next time as we continue with Lekhwiya. the Qatar Football Association an- know the competition has many strong I joined in 2012 and it’s nounced that their midfielder Daniel teams who’ll be ready to pounce on like my home now. Goumou was free to play after serving even the slightest errors and capital- a two-year suspension. ise on them,” said Msakini. It means the defensive midfielder The Tunisian forward’s confidence offers from abroad, but I looked at the will officially rejoin Rayyan once his also stems from the fact that they’ve benefit of continuing at a club for a long ban ends on August 9. a strong group of players. time. I had great seasons with this club Meanwhile, Rayyan continued their “We’re a big group and have more and won many trophies with them. I pre-season preparations under the than one player fighting for every place. wish to win many more in the coming watchful eyes of coach Jorge Fossati. It’s what makes teams more competi- seasons,” he added. They are training at a new pitch laid by tive and we’re confident that it’ll help “I promise Lekhwiya’s fans that the the Supreme Committee for Delivery us end the season on a good note,” upcoming season will be really good and Legacy after it demolished the he said. and we’ll live up to your expectations. old facilities to build a new World Cup The 25-year-old also looks forward to Lekhwiya start every competition with Stadium. linking up with new Moroccan striker the only aim of winning it. We’ll work Rayyan will head to Murcia, Spain, Youssef El Arabi. more hard this time and end up among for their foreign camp on Wednesday ššYoussef Msakni “Youssef is an excellent player who’s trophies,” he added. DSP and return on August 20. DSP 8 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 9 Football

Three in fray to succeed Platini

HREE candidates to succeed Michel Platini as president of TUEFA made the shortlist last week for the vote to take place in Athens on September 14. Slovenia’s Aleksander Ceferin, Netherlands’ Michael van Praag and Spain’s Angel ššPaul Pogba Maria Villar are the Ruthless No.9 candidates. World champions Germany feel the need to produce traditional Spanish fed- WHAT THEY SAID eration chief Villar, 66, is currently forwards and skilful full-backs as they look forward to the next World Scholes asks United to the interim president of UEFA following the ban handed down to Platini in Cup after Euro 2016 exposes their weakness in scoring enough goals. Good players want to play in The project to develop our May. midfield or up front, but we youth in the year 2000 think over Pogba price need to make sure they want improved our players’ ORLD champions Germany well-educated players who could pass by record goal scorer Miroslav Klose to play the full- technique, made the trip to France for the ball well,” he said. after that 2014 World Cup triumph in back position but we’ve ORMER Manchester United feels despite his obvious talent, the WEuro 2016 with high expec- When it comes to full-backs, Jungheim Brazil evidently cannot be filled. player Paul Scholes questioned France international has a long way Aurier nets brace again. When neglected tations. Fans and experts alike tipped sees the reason for Germany’s dearth In Euro 2016 qualifying, Loew often Fwhether the club should pay a to go before he can stake his claim as we coach the basics — as PSG beat Inter them to seal a fourth triumph in Europe’s of talent as partly a consequence of used Mario Goetze as a ‘false nine’ out of world-record fee for Juventus midfielder one of the world’s top players and com- these players, dribbling and showpiece international tournament, the position itself being probably the necessity, since he had no other options. Paul Pogba, saying the 23-year-old was mand a record fee. we need to get defending ULL-BACK Serge Aurier’s two but they were all ultimately left disap- most complex of any on the pitch. In So how exactly do you produce a ‘clas- not in the same bracket as the likes of “He was a very talented young player, them to be able one-on-one. goals lifted Paris Saint-Germain pointed, as Joachim Loew’s men, per- the modern game, a full-back needs to sic’ number nine? Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. I played with him and I knew how good Fto a 3-1 victory over Inter Milan haps somewhat unluckily, were beaten be technically good enough to perform “Perhaps it was a mistake that we’ve to play one-on-one. Bayern Football moves like a ‘wave’. United have been negotiating with he was,” Scholes, who is currently play- last Sunday in an International Cham- 0-2 by the hosts in the semifinal. The every task in both attack and defence, always been training players to pass and have three or four dribblers in You can react to a change, but Juventus over the transfer of Pogba, ing in a futsal tournament in India, said. pions Cup friendly in Eugene, Oregon. immediate post-mortem concluded and he also needs to be fast. assist,” continued Jungheim. “Now we their team, Barca have Neymar if you focus too much on one who is a top target for new manager “I just don’t think he’s worth £86m. For Layvin Kurzawa also scored for the that the team lacked penetration up A quick glance beyond the nation’s need to encourage our players to be and Messi. That’s important for area, you end up neglecting Jose Mourinho, according to the British that sort of money, you want someone French champions while Stevan Jovetic front, and national team manager Oliver borders reveals that finding players selfish again, to be calm and to look to a team today. another. media. who’s going to score 50 goals a season converted a penalty for the Bierhoff admitted as much in a recent of this ilk is not specifically a German shoot at goal themselves, rather than Joachim Loew, Germany coach. Oliver Bierhoff, German team manager. Scholes was Pogba’s team-mate when like Ronaldo or Messi. Pogba is nowhere Italian outfit in first-half interview. problem. Other countries suffer from always passing sideways.” the latter was a teenager at United and there yet,” he added. injury time. “We’re lacking that ruthlessness to a deficit in this position too. The classic centre-forward may be The International score goals,” the 48-year-old, a former “Good players want to play in midfield a rare breed these days, but he is by Champions Cup is an German international and traditional or up front, but we need to make sure no means obsolete. This is the view of exhibition tournament centre-forward himself, told Gazzetta that players (in our youth teams) want Horst Hrubesch, another traditional involving 17 clubs play- dello Sport. to play the full-back position again,” central striker and coach of Germany’s Weather spoils ing on four different con- “That’s the result of a certain foot- Olympic team heading to Rio. ş big Manchester tinents,. ball upbringing, if you like. The pro- “Nowadays people use small, agile šGermany forwards Mario PSG next face Real ject to develop our youth in the year If you’ve the right people players to attack,” said Hrubesch, a Gomez, left, and derby in Beijing Madrid in Ohio, on 2000 improved our players’ creativ- member of Germany’s Euro 1980-win- Thomas Mueller. Wednesday, and Leicester ity and technique, but we’ve proba- on wings who can cross ning team. AST Monday’s pre-season Man- in the Los Angeles suburb of bly neglected the basics — dribbling the ball, then that’s a “They pay less attention to using the chester derby, in Beijing, that Carson on and defending one-on-one. Football real weapon to have. wings, crossing balls to find a target Lwould have pitted City’s new Saturday. moves like a wave. You can react to a man and getting in shots at goal that ššGreg Clarke manager Pep Guardiola against his change, but if you focus too much on one way. But I’ve always warned people not United counterpart Jose Mourinho, area, in doing so, you end up neglect- said Loew. to discount using centre-forwards who was cancelled hours before kick-off ing another,” he added. “When we coach these players, we are physically robust and can head the Clarke to replace due to weather concerns. Toure, Rodgers It would appear that the German need to get them to be able to play one- ball well. If you’ve the right people on “Due to recent weather events, football federation (DFB) did exactly on-one. Bayern have three or four classic the wings who can cross the ball, then Dyke as FA head organisers and the two clubs decided reunite at Celtic this when it revamped its youth devel- dribblers in their team, Barcelona have that’s a real weapon to have,” he added. to cancel the International Champions opment system following some poor Neymar and Messi. That’s an impor- Hrubesch also points to the fact that REG Clarke, who numbers Cup game,” United said in a statement. ELTIC have signed defender major tournament performances at the tant part of a team today,” added the many matches these days are decided by working at the Met Office New United manager Mourinho Kolo Toure on a one-year con- beginning of the century. A network of 56-year-old. goals scored from crosses by these types Gamong his former jobs, awaits had criticised conditions at the Bird’s Ctract, the Scottish champions bases and youth academies was estab- “When I see youth teams play in of players, and insists that Germany, at his likely coronation in August as the Nest Stadium, where torrential rain said last Sunday, reuniting him with lished, which has since ensured a con- Germany today, in almost every match Under-19, U-18 and U-16 levels at least, successor to Greg Dyke as chairman had soaked the playing surface, and Brendan Rodgers, his former manager stant supply of technically skilled and I see, the ball is played on the ground. A do have some promising young goal of the English Football Association. voiced his concerns on the matter at Liverpool. well-educated players. Yet while the sys- decade ago, the passing game in Germany getters in the pipeline, even if they are Clarke, who was also chairman of prior to the game. Experienced tem has produced a surplus of gifted, was pretty abysmal at times, but (in somewhat harder to find at senior level. Leicester City before filling the same The match would have marked an Toure, elder brother versatile midfielders, strikers and full- improving that) we’ve forgotten slightly The problem is without doubt a com- role at the Football League for six years early renewal of Mourinho’s rivalry of Manchester City’s backs of the same quality are a rarity. about coaching players in one-on-one plicated one, as is the solution. Yet per- until standing down earlier this year, with Guardiola, dating back to their Yaya, won 118 caps Pinpointing the reason for this is not situations,” said Loew. haps Bierhoff, Hrubesch and others are was unanimously approved for the days in charge of Real Madrid and for the Ivory Coast easy, although, Bayer 04 Leverkusen A fruitful season in Turkey earned all very correct in that the next ‘wave’ post by the FA’s board. Barcelona respectively. and played more Academy Director Helmut Jungheim, Mario Gomez a recall to the national of development should once again However, until he is formally voted in United suffered a 1-4 than 350 league has a theory. team for Euro 2016, but beyond him see Germany focus on producing at a special meeting of the FA Council drubbing at the hands of games for Arsenal, “Perhaps it’s because after Euro 2000 there were few striking options for Loew full-backs and strikers capable on August 24, the chairmanship will Bundesliga runners-up City and Liverpool, who released him when Germany performed so poorly, to call upon. Some were too inexperi- of playing at international level. be assumed in a caretaker capacity Borussia Dortmund in at the end of last season. we concentrated extremely hard on enced or did not fit into the World Cup by former Manchester United Chief Shanghai in a friendly He won the Premier League with producing small, agile and technically winners’ philosophy, and the void left » www.fifa.com Executive David Gill. earlier last week. both Arsenal and City, and the FA Cup Dyke retired last week after three times. three years in the job. 8 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 9 Football

Three in fray to succeed Platini

HREE candidates to succeed Michel Platini as president of TUEFA made the shortlist last week for the vote to take place in Athens on September 14. Slovenia’s Aleksander Ceferin, Netherlands’ Michael van Praag and Spain’s Angel ššPaul Pogba Maria Villar are the Ruthless No.9 candidates. World champions Germany feel the need to produce traditional Spanish fed- WHAT THEY SAID eration chief Villar, 66, is currently forwards and skilful full-backs as they look forward to the next World Scholes asks United to the interim president of UEFA following the ban handed down to Platini in Cup after Euro 2016 exposes their weakness in scoring enough goals. Good players want to play in The project to develop our May. midfield or up front, but we youth in the year 2000 think over Pogba price need to make sure they want improved our players’ ORLD champions Germany well-educated players who could pass by record goal scorer Miroslav Klose to play the full- technique, made the trip to France for the ball well,” he said. after that 2014 World Cup triumph in back position but we’ve ORMER Manchester United feels despite his obvious talent, the WEuro 2016 with high expec- When it comes to full-backs, Jungheim Brazil evidently cannot be filled. player Paul Scholes questioned France international has a long way Aurier nets brace again. When neglected tations. Fans and experts alike tipped sees the reason for Germany’s dearth In Euro 2016 qualifying, Loew often Fwhether the club should pay a to go before he can stake his claim as we coach the basics — as PSG beat Inter them to seal a fourth triumph in Europe’s of talent as partly a consequence of used Mario Goetze as a ‘false nine’ out of world-record fee for Juventus midfielder one of the world’s top players and com- these players, dribbling and showpiece international tournament, the position itself being probably the necessity, since he had no other options. Paul Pogba, saying the 23-year-old was mand a record fee. we need to get defending ULL-BACK Serge Aurier’s two but they were all ultimately left disap- most complex of any on the pitch. In So how exactly do you produce a ‘clas- not in the same bracket as the likes of “He was a very talented young player, them to be able one-on-one. goals lifted Paris Saint-Germain pointed, as Joachim Loew’s men, per- the modern game, a full-back needs to sic’ number nine? Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. I played with him and I knew how good Fto a 3-1 victory over Inter Milan haps somewhat unluckily, were beaten be technically good enough to perform “Perhaps it was a mistake that we’ve to play one-on-one. Bayern Football moves like a ‘wave’. United have been negotiating with he was,” Scholes, who is currently play- last Sunday in an International Cham- 0-2 by the hosts in the semifinal. The every task in both attack and defence, always been training players to pass and have three or four dribblers in You can react to a change, but Juventus over the transfer of Pogba, ing in a futsal tournament in India, said. pions Cup friendly in Eugene, Oregon. immediate post-mortem concluded and he also needs to be fast. assist,” continued Jungheim. “Now we their team, Barca have Neymar if you focus too much on one who is a top target for new manager “I just don’t think he’s worth £86m. For Layvin Kurzawa also scored for the that the team lacked penetration up A quick glance beyond the nation’s need to encourage our players to be and Messi. That’s important for area, you end up neglecting Jose Mourinho, according to the British that sort of money, you want someone French champions while Stevan Jovetic front, and national team manager Oliver borders reveals that finding players selfish again, to be calm and to look to a team today. another. media. who’s going to score 50 goals a season converted a penalty for the Bierhoff admitted as much in a recent of this ilk is not specifically a German shoot at goal themselves, rather than Joachim Loew, Germany coach. Oliver Bierhoff, German team manager. Scholes was Pogba’s team-mate when like Ronaldo or Messi. Pogba is nowhere Italian outfit in first-half interview. problem. Other countries suffer from always passing sideways.” the latter was a teenager at United and there yet,” he added. injury time. “We’re lacking that ruthlessness to a deficit in this position too. The classic centre-forward may be The International score goals,” the 48-year-old, a former “Good players want to play in midfield a rare breed these days, but he is by Champions Cup is an German international and traditional or up front, but we need to make sure no means obsolete. This is the view of exhibition tournament centre-forward himself, told Gazzetta that players (in our youth teams) want Horst Hrubesch, another traditional involving 17 clubs play- dello Sport. to play the full-back position again,” central striker and coach of Germany’s Weather spoils ing on four different con- “That’s the result of a certain foot- Olympic team heading to Rio. ş big Manchester tinents,. ball upbringing, if you like. The pro- “Nowadays people use small, agile šGermany forwards Mario PSG next face Real ject to develop our youth in the year If you’ve the right people players to attack,” said Hrubesch, a Gomez, left, and derby in Beijing Madrid in Ohio, on 2000 improved our players’ creativ- member of Germany’s Euro 1980-win- Thomas Mueller. Wednesday, and Leicester ity and technique, but we’ve proba- on wings who can cross ning team. AST Monday’s pre-season Man- in the Los Angeles suburb of bly neglected the basics — dribbling the ball, then that’s a “They pay less attention to using the chester derby, in Beijing, that Carson on and defending one-on-one. Football real weapon to have. wings, crossing balls to find a target Lwould have pitted City’s new Saturday. moves like a wave. You can react to a man and getting in shots at goal that ššGreg Clarke manager Pep Guardiola against his change, but if you focus too much on one way. But I’ve always warned people not United counterpart Jose Mourinho, area, in doing so, you end up neglect- said Loew. to discount using centre-forwards who was cancelled hours before kick-off ing another,” he added. “When we coach these players, we are physically robust and can head the Clarke to replace due to weather concerns. Toure, Rodgers It would appear that the German need to get them to be able to play one- ball well. If you’ve the right people on “Due to recent weather events, football federation (DFB) did exactly on-one. Bayern have three or four classic the wings who can cross the ball, then Dyke as FA head organisers and the two clubs decided reunite at Celtic this when it revamped its youth devel- dribblers in their team, Barcelona have that’s a real weapon to have,” he added. to cancel the International Champions opment system following some poor Neymar and Messi. That’s an impor- Hrubesch also points to the fact that REG Clarke, who numbers Cup game,” United said in a statement. ELTIC have signed defender major tournament performances at the tant part of a team today,” added the many matches these days are decided by working at the Met Office New United manager Mourinho Kolo Toure on a one-year con- beginning of the century. A network of 56-year-old. goals scored from crosses by these types Gamong his former jobs, awaits had criticised conditions at the Bird’s Ctract, the Scottish champions bases and youth academies was estab- “When I see youth teams play in of players, and insists that Germany, at his likely coronation in August as the Nest Stadium, where torrential rain said last Sunday, reuniting him with lished, which has since ensured a con- Germany today, in almost every match Under-19, U-18 and U-16 levels at least, successor to Greg Dyke as chairman had soaked the playing surface, and Brendan Rodgers, his former manager stant supply of technically skilled and I see, the ball is played on the ground. A do have some promising young goal of the English Football Association. voiced his concerns on the matter at Liverpool. well-educated players. Yet while the sys- decade ago, the passing game in Germany getters in the pipeline, even if they are Clarke, who was also chairman of prior to the game. Experienced tem has produced a surplus of gifted, was pretty abysmal at times, but (in somewhat harder to find at senior level. Leicester City before filling the same The match would have marked an Toure, elder brother versatile midfielders, strikers and full- improving that) we’ve forgotten slightly The problem is without doubt a com- role at the Football League for six years early renewal of Mourinho’s rivalry of Manchester City’s backs of the same quality are a rarity. about coaching players in one-on-one plicated one, as is the solution. Yet per- until standing down earlier this year, with Guardiola, dating back to their Yaya, won 118 caps Pinpointing the reason for this is not situations,” said Loew. haps Bierhoff, Hrubesch and others are was unanimously approved for the days in charge of Real Madrid and for the Ivory Coast easy, although, Bayer 04 Leverkusen A fruitful season in Turkey earned all very correct in that the next ‘wave’ post by the FA’s board. Barcelona respectively. and played more Academy Director Helmut Jungheim, Mario Gomez a recall to the national of development should once again However, until he is formally voted in United suffered a 1-4 than 350 league has a theory. team for Euro 2016, but beyond him see Germany focus on producing at a special meeting of the FA Council drubbing at the hands of games for Arsenal, “Perhaps it’s because after Euro 2000 there were few striking options for Loew full-backs and strikers capable on August 24, the chairmanship will Bundesliga runners-up City and Liverpool, who released him when Germany performed so poorly, to call upon. Some were too inexperi- of playing at international level. be assumed in a caretaker capacity Borussia Dortmund in at the end of last season. we concentrated extremely hard on enced or did not fit into the World Cup by former Manchester United Chief Shanghai in a friendly He won the Premier League with producing small, agile and technically winners’ philosophy, and the void left » www.fifa.com Executive David Gill. earlier last week. both Arsenal and City, and the FA Cup Dyke retired last week after three times. three years in the job. 10 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 11 Football

ALLARDYCE FACT FILE

PLAYING CAREER Began at Bolton Wanderers where he spent nine years “I do transcendental until 1980 and made more than 200 appearances. meditation and I’ve done Spent the next 12 years as a journeyman professional it for 12 years now, ever with stints at clubs including Sunderland, Millwall, since I was introduced to Tampa Bay Rowdies, Coventry City, Huddersfield Town, Dice falls in the person who took me a second spell at Bolton, Preston North End and West ššDavid Moyes through the ritual process. Bromwich Albion. It’s very relaxing, very COACHING CAREER calming and you can do it Allardyce’s first step into management came as a player- Moyes takes over anywhere. It helps you cope coach at West Bromwich Albion and after various with the pressure you come different coaching roles, including as a part-time at Sunderland under in this job. handler at Bury, his first permanent job as a manager came at Blackpool in 1994. UNDERLAND named David Sam Allardyce. After a spell at Notts County, he joined second-tier Moyes as their new manager last Sam’s favour! Bolton in 1999 and led them to the semifinals of the Sweek, replacing Sam Allardyce League and FA Cups in 2000. who was appointed as England manager. Moyes, 53, signed a four-year contract Sam Allardyce’s long coaching journey, which began in an unconventional way, Bolton were promoted to the Premier League in 2001 and after keeping them clear of relegation, he achieved at the Stadium of Light, the Premier enters a new phase as the 61-year-old is named the new England manager. a sixth place top-flight finish in 2005, before leading League club said in a statement. them into Europe in the UEFA Cup. “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome David Moyes to Sunderland, who ĈĈThe Englishman last managed Joined Newcastle United in May, 2007, but left in “Nothing he has achieved since has surprised January, 2008, after a poor run of results. was by far and away our first choice,” Premier League side Sunderland me. He was driven by a belief that nothing was said Sunderland Chairman Ellis Short. Joined Blackburn Rovers in December, 2008, and led Ĉ impossible.” Moyes, who was sacked from Old ĈHe was overlooked by the FA for the them to the League Cup semifinal in 2010, but following Succeeding in the face of adversity has become Trafford in the immediate post-Alex national team post 10 years ago the sale of the club to new owners, he was sacked later a defining characteristic for Allardyce, who has that year with the team 13th in the Premier League. Ferguson era and then had an unsuc- struggled with dyslexia for most of his life, was cessful stint in Spain with Real Sociedad, snubbed by the England Schoolboys team after a Joined West Ham United in 2011 and took them up will be tasked with keeping perennial to the Premier League at the end of his first season in Steven Griffiths trial and endured coaching rejections from lowly strugglers Sunderland in the Premier charge. Doncaster and York. League for another season. After taking his first English managerial job Secured three mid-table top-flight finishes with West The Scot started his managerial career with Blackpool in 1994, Allardyce moved on to Ham, but some fans were unhappy with his style of with Preston, but really made a name football and he left in 2015 when his contract expired. HEN Sam Allardyce received the call Notts County, where he endured an 18-match for himself at Everton, before his ill- from an Irish priest that set him on winless run and was relegated before bouncing Joined Sunderland in October, 2015, with the club 19th fated spell at Manchester United, where Wthe long road to becoming England back with a promotion that earned him a move in the Premier League, but steered them to safety with a he was fired after less than a season in manager, his initial reaction was mockery. to Bolton in 1999. 17th-place finish. the 2013-2014 campaign. Father Joe Young spent his spare time working It was with Bolton that Allardyce began to The club guaranteed their top-flight status with a 3-0 as chairman of Irish club Limerick and was will- refine the aggressive route-one philosophy win over Everton that also ensured their rivals Newcastle ing to take a gamble on a veteran defender, who that would so infuriate critics during his rise United were relegated. had just been forced to leave his role on Bury’s to prominence. ‘Most successful’ coaching staff. In eight years with Wanderers, Allardyce did At 36 and with no managerial experience, the best work of his career, turning a previ- Bruce quits Hull Allardyce, appointed as England boss last week, was ously moribund club into Premier League working behind the bar at Brando’s and Monterey’s, mainstays and creating what he called “the ULL City manager Steve Bruce two social clubs he owned, and thought his chances resigned three weeks before the of landing any job as a boss were slender. Hnew English Premier League So when he heard the unlikely source of the Succeeding in the face season and days after being interviewed offer to come to Limerick was a priest, he feared a for the England job. prank by his close friend and former Everton star of adversity has become “Following four incredible seasons Peter Reid. “He said to me: ‘Are you kidding with a defining characteristic I think it’s a good appointment. He’ll with the Tigers, me, Reidy?’ He thought I was Peter Reid playing for Sam Allardyce. probably bring a different way of including two a trick on him!,” Young told the Daily Telegraph. playing to England. Hopefully it’s a promotions and But such an unpromising introduction did not good way and we can be successful our first-ever FA deter Young and he eventually convinced Allardyce Oxford University of football” with data anal- under him. LIST OF ENGLAND Cup final, we can to take his first job as a manager. ysis, scouting and medical support superior MANAGERS confirm manager Wayne Rooney, England captain. English otherwise stated It was a far cry from luxuries that await Allardyce to many leading clubs. Steve Bruce has left 1946-62 Walter Winterbottom as England boss — Limerick had limited funds He won promotion from the second tier in the club by mutual 1963-74 Alf Ramsey so the players were part time in a run-down area 2001 and eventually led Bolton to a sixth-place 1974 Joe Mercer consent,” Hull City where unemployment, drug use and violence were finish in the Premier League and European football. I think he’s the right person for the job. He’s 1974-77 Don Revie said in a statement. “He’ll be remem- so common it was known as ‘Stab City’. Even that was not enough to secure the England a good choice. I think Sam never had a big 1977-82 Ron Greenwood bered for being the most successful Yet after spending his playing career in the job in 2006 when he turned up for his interview chance at the highest level; lots of experience 1982-90 Bobby Robson manager in our history”. backwaters of the game with the likes of Bolton, with a Powerpoint presentation, only to discover in the Premier League but never that big one 1990-93 Graham Taylor Mike Phelan would take charge as Terry Venables Millwall, Huddersfield, Preston and the Tampa the FA did not have the facilities to use it as he and now he has the big 1994-96 caretaker. 1996-99 Glenn Hoddle Bay Rowdies, Allardyce was well versed in what it eventually missed out to Steve McClaren. one. I think he’s more Reports said 55-year-old Bruce had took to get the best from players outside the elite. An ill-fated spell at Newcastle lasted less than 1999-2000 Kevin Keegan wanted assurances about his role with than ready. He’s a good Sven-Goran Eriksson (SWE) He quickly established the motivational skills a year as his long-ball system was met with dis- 2001-2006 Hull, who have put takeover talks on motivator. I think he can 2006-07 Steve McCLaren that would serve him so well throughout his career dain by Magpies fans. hold until September. create a good team spirit 2008-12 Fabio Capello (ITA) and led Limerick to promotion in his only sea- But he underlined his fire-fighting qualities by The club is suffering an injury cri- with his players. 2012-2016 Roy Hodgson son with the club. keeping Blackburn in the top-flight amid constant ŠĈSam 2016- Sam Allardyce sis with only 13 fit players available “He gave the youth of Limerick a reason to get issues with the club’s owners and then moved Allardyce Jose Mourinho, Manchester United Howard Wilkinson, Peter Taylor and Stuart before their league campaign begins up in the morning, to believe there was more to onto West Ham, where he led the floundering manager. Pearce stood in at various times briefly as with a home game against champions caretaker managers. life than sleeping in and taking drugs,” said Young. east Londoners to promotion in 2012. Leicester City on August 13. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 11

ALLARDYCE FACT FILE

PLAYING CAREER Began at Bolton Wanderers where he spent nine years until 1980 and made more than 200 appearances. Spent the next 12 years as a journeyman professional with stints at clubs including Sunderland, Millwall, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Coventry City, Huddersfield Town, a second spell at Bolton, Preston North End and West ššDavid Moyes Bromwich Albion.

COACHING CAREER Allardyce’s first step into management came as a player- Moyes takes over coach at West Bromwich Albion and after various different coaching roles, including as a part-time at Sunderland handler at Bury, his first permanent job as a manager came at Blackpool in 1994. UNDERLAND named David After a spell at Notts County, he joined second-tier Moyes as their new manager last Bolton in 1999 and led them to the semifinals of the Sweek, replacing Sam Allardyce League and FA Cups in 2000. who was appointed as England manager. Moyes, 53, signed a four-year contract Bolton were promoted to the Premier League in 2001 and after keeping them clear of relegation, he achieved at the Stadium of Light, the Premier a sixth place top-flight finish in 2005, before leading League club said in a statement. them into Europe in the UEFA Cup. “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome David Moyes to Sunderland, who Joined Newcastle United in May, 2007, but left in January, 2008, after a poor run of results. was by far and away our first choice,” said Sunderland Chairman Ellis Short. Joined Blackburn Rovers in December, 2008, and led Moyes, who was sacked from Old them to the League Cup semifinal in 2010, but following Trafford in the immediate post-Alex the sale of the club to new owners, he was sacked later that year with the team 13th in the Premier League. Ferguson era and then had an unsuc- cessful stint in Spain with Real Sociedad, Joined West Ham United in 2011 and took them up will be tasked with keeping perennial to the Premier League at the end of his first season in strugglers Sunderland in the Premier charge. League for another season. Secured three mid-table top-flight finishes with West The Scot started his managerial career Ham, but some fans were unhappy with his style of with Preston, but really made a name football and he left in 2015 when his contract expired. for himself at Everton, before his ill- Joined Sunderland in October, 2015, with the club 19th fated spell at Manchester United, where in the Premier League, but steered them to safety with a he was fired after less than a season in 17th-place finish. the 2013-2014 campaign. The club guaranteed their top-flight status with a 3-0 win over Everton that also ensured their rivals Newcastle United were relegated. ‘Most successful’ Bruce quits Hull

ULL City manager Steve Bruce resigned three weeks before the Hnew English Premier League season and days after being interviewed for the England job. “Following four incredible seasons I think it’s a good appointment. He’ll with the Tigers, probably bring a different way of including two playing to England. Hopefully it’s a promotions and good way and we can be successful our first-ever FA under him. LIST OF ENGLAND Cup final, we can MANAGERS confirm manager Wayne Rooney, England captain. English otherwise stated Steve Bruce has left 1946-62 Walter Winterbottom the club by mutual 1963-74 Alf Ramsey 1974 Joe Mercer consent,” Hull City I think he’s the right person for the job. He’s 1974-77 Don Revie said in a statement. “He’ll be remem- a good choice. I think Sam never had a big 1977-82 Ron Greenwood bered for being the most successful chance at the highest level; lots of experience 1982-90 Bobby Robson manager in our history”. in the Premier League but never that big one 1990-93 Graham Taylor Mike Phelan would take charge as Terry Venables and now he has the big 1994-96 caretaker. 1996-99 Glenn Hoddle one. I think he’s more Reports said 55-year-old Bruce had 1999-2000 Kevin Keegan wanted assurances about his role with than ready. He’s a good Sven-Goran Eriksson (SWE) 2001-2006 Hull, who have put takeover talks on motivator. I think he can 2006-07 Steve McCLaren hold until September. create a good team spirit 2008-12 Fabio Capello (ITA) The club is suffering an injury cri- with his players. 2012-2016 Roy Hodgson 2016- Sam Allardyce sis with only 13 fit players available Jose Mourinho, Manchester United Howard Wilkinson, Peter Taylor and Stuart before their league campaign begins manager. Pearce stood in at various times briefly as with a home game against champions caretaker managers. Leicester City on August 13. 12 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 13 Football

Barca coach expects Messi to bounce back

Luis Enrique expects Lionel Messi to bounce back from a šFernando Santos difficult summer with his usual š enthusiasm — and does not rule out a return to international football. Messi and his father Jorge were Pressure is for given jail sentences by a Spanish court earlier this month for tax cookers! Santos THEORY OF fraud, and the Argentina captain quit international football after renews contract his country lost to Chile in the Copa America final in June. ORTUGAL coach Fernando Santos ššLuis Enrique Asked about the 21-month needed one cup of coffee to agree sentence, which is currently Pto sign a new four-year contract suspended, Enrique said, “I don’t in charge of the European champions, think it’ll affect Leo, but he’s the only one that can reply to that.” he said last week. I’m obsessed with the But Enrique did not sound The 61-year-old dismissed any sug- convinced that Messi’s gestion he would struggle to meet higher international retirement would expectations, saying pressure was for present, says Enrique be permanent. “cookers” and he was not afraid of chal- EVOLUTION! “Leo said it at a difficult time,” lenges because he had four dogs. he said. “Only time Santos was initially appointed in New Spain coach Julen Lopetegui does not want to make wholesale changes will tell if he’ll ARCELONA coach Luis Enrique League campaign and nearly finished continue or not September, 2014, with Portugal at a low as he attempts to rejuvenate La Roja and take them to the 2018 World Cup. is focused on winning “every without the La Liga crown after a slump with Argentina. As a ebb and led them through the Euro 2016 Btitle” in his third campaign in in April that allowed Real Madrid to fan, I would like him qualifiers with seven straight wins, all charge at the club and is not worried re-enter the title race. to continue to play by single-goal margins. but did not play. about his contract, which runs out at “Our first season was incredible, the for Argentina, At the finals, Portugal scraped through Adriana Garcia He made one international appear- the end of the season. second had some dramatic moments, but from their group with three draws before beat- a selfish ance in March, 1994, when he appeared “The future doesn’t worry me in the but with a happy ending,” Enrique said. ing Croatia in extra time, Poland on pen- standpoint, as a substitute in a 0-2 friendly loss least. I’m obsessed with the present,” “This third season will be that of con- I’m open alties, Wales in 90 minutes and hosts to Croatia. Enrique, 46, said last week as the Spanish solidating a unique group and a spe- to any France 1-0 in extra time in the final, EW coach Julen Lopetegui wants Lopetegui took Spain to the Under- champions began pre-season training. possibility.” thanks to a strike by Eder. Spain to go through an “evolu- 19 European Championship title in “I’ll leave Barca when they sack me Still unbeaten after 14 competitive Ntion” not a “revolution” as he Estonia in 2012 and repeated the or when I no longer have the enthu- Barcelona coach Enrique games with Portugal, the former Greece tries to bring the good times back to feat with the U-21s at the Euros siasm needed to do the job,” he said. coach said as soon as they returned the former world champions. in Nyon, Switzerland, the follow- “Once the season ends, I’ll evaluate. has won seven trophies home from the final, he agreed to meet The 49-year-old was put in charge last ing year. This is my last season (on my contract) of a possible nine in his Portuguese federation President Fernando week on a two-year contract and will That success paved the way for and if I don’t continue coaching, it’ll two years in charge. Gomes in the Algarve, where they were lead the team as they attempt to qual- him to take over at Porto in May, be down to a lack of energy.” both on holiday. ify for the 2018 World Cup. Spain face 2014, but he was sacked in January Reports in Spain said that Enrique “That’s what we did after a turbulent, a tricky qualifying campaign in which this year after their Champions would be offered a new deal in January. cial club. tiring week of unleashing emotions,” they face Liechtenstein, Italy, Albania, He won the treble in his first season “I’ll try to bring back all the titles and said Santos. “We sat down, had a cof- Israel and Macedonia in Group G. Their at the Camp Nou and in his second do so while making the fans, we’ve many fee and easily reached an agreement. first qualifier is home to Liechtenstein There’s no better mirror campaign, he successfully defended around the world, have a good time.” “We’ve a key word which is ‘winning’ on September 5. their La Liga title and retained the Barca have added Samuel Umtiti, and I promise to fight a lot for this. “The appointment fills me with pride to look at than that of King’s Cup. Denis Suarez and Lucas Digne to the “Fear? If I was afraid, I wouldn’t be and it’s a huge responsibility I happily Del Bosque. He has He has won seven trophies of a pos- squad and are looking to reinforce their here. In any case, I’ve four dogs at home. take,” said Lopetegui. done an exemplary job. sible nine in his two years in charge. already formidable attacking line that It’s not part of my dictionary. “We aren’t going to throw away the However, he goes into this season on consists of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez “Pressure? That’s for cookers. I’m too many wonderful things this national the back of a disappointing Champions and Neymar. old to worry about that,” he added. team has given us. We’re very proud League elimination at the group stage. of the past, but we’re looking at the Lopetegui praised predecessor Vicente present and the future. del Bosque who coached Spain for eight “We aren’t going to do a revolution, years before stepping down after Euro but an evolution based on our ideas,” 2016. He had led the team to their first Argentina eye Pochettino, Simeone as coach said Lopetegui. “There’re players in the World Cup title triumph in 2010 as well squad who’re in their prime, many of as the European Championship them...we’re going to bring back the crown two years later. AURICIO Pochettino and Diego Naming a new coach is a matter of coach Argentina and would be enthusiasm to the people.” “There’s no better mirror to Simeone are among those Ar- urgency, with 2018 World Cup quali- Perez’s last stop will be popular choices. After early exits from the 2014 World look at than that of Vicente Mgentina want to talk to about fiers against Uruguay and Venezuela Perez, president of first divi- Cup and Euro 2016, the Spanish feder- del Bosque,” said Lopetegui the national team coach vacancy fol- scheduled in early September. Barcelona for holding sion club Belgrano, will not be ation has picked a coach it knows well said. “He has done an exem- lowing last month’s shock resignation The crisis at competitive inter- talks with Lionel Messi visiting Tottenham Hotspur from managing the country’s youth plary job and has set the of Gerardo Martino. national level was exacerbated last and Javier Mascherano. manager Pochettino, another teams from 2010 to 2014. bar very high.” Armando Perez, head of an Argentinian month when Argentina lost the Copa former Argentina player widely Lopetegui played for Castilla, He added that he planned FA (AFA) Regularisation Committee — America final on penalties to Chile, regarded as a future national Longrones and Rayo Vallecano and to call on most of the play- the four-member team put in place by Messi said he was quitting the team month because he wants to hear coach, in London but plans was a back-up keeper at Real Madrid ers used by Del Bosque, world body FIFA to get the AFA’s house and Martino resigned a week later, personally from Atletico Madrid’s to talk to him from Spain about his and Barcelona. He was a member of but would also open the in order — also plans to talk to Lionel ostensibly over problems in naming a Simeone and former Chile boss Jorge availability. Spain’s squad at the 1994 World Cup, door to emerging talent. ššJulen Messi with a view to asking the team’s side for next month’s Olympic Games Sampaoli, now at Sevilla, their views His last stop will be Barcelona Lopetegui former captain to reverse his decision in Rio de Janeiro. on the national team. for talks with Messi and Argentina to quit international football. Perez plans to fly to Europe next Both have said their ambition is to vice-captain Javier Mascherano. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 13

Barca coach expects Messi to bounce back

Argentina eye Pochettino, Simeone as coach

AURICIO Pochettino and Diego Naming a new coach is a matter of coach Argentina and would be Simeone are among those Ar- urgency, with 2018 World Cup quali- Perez’s last stop will be popular choices. Mgentina want to talk to about fiers against Uruguay and Venezuela Perez, president of first divi- the national team coach vacancy fol- scheduled in early September. Barcelona for holding sion club Belgrano, will not be lowing last month’s shock resignation The crisis at competitive inter- talks with Lionel Messi visiting Tottenham Hotspur of Gerardo Martino. national level was exacerbated last and Javier Mascherano. manager Pochettino, another Armando Perez, head of an Argentinian month when Argentina lost the Copa former Argentina player widely FA (AFA) Regularisation Committee — America final on penalties to Chile, regarded as a future national the four-member team put in place by Messi said he was quitting the team month because he wants to hear coach, in London but plans world body FIFA to get the AFA’s house and Martino resigned a week later, personally from Atletico Madrid’s to talk to him from Spain about his in order — also plans to talk to Lionel ostensibly over problems in naming a Simeone and former Chile boss Jorge availability. Messi with a view to asking the team’s side for next month’s Olympic Games Sampaoli, now at Sevilla, their views His last stop will be Barcelona former captain to reverse his decision in Rio de Janeiro. on the national team. for talks with Messi and Argentina to quit international football. Perez plans to fly to Europe next Both have said their ambition is to vice-captain Javier Mascherano. 14 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 15 Olympics countdown

start of the Games,” said Arcain. The United States Olympic Committee Zero tolerance towards doping (USOC) and British Olympic Association (BOA) said the need for final adjustments As we get ready to receive the world’s best athletes for was normal and that they were work- the Rio 2016 Games, we feel it’s very important that ing with the local organising commit- we underline our stance on doping. First and fore- tee to ensure everything was in place. most, Rio 2016 supports the International Olympic “As is the case with every Games, we’re Committee’s (IOC) zero-tolerance policy regarding working with the local organisers to athletes that seek to cheat through doping. Secondly, address minor issues and make sure we’ve a firm commitment to protect clean athletes. the village is ready for Team USA ath- They’re the best examples for future generations. We’ll letes,” the USOC said in a statement. work hard with the IOC and our other partners in VILLAGE The British team was one of the first our obsession to deliver clean Games, giving our full effort to present delegations on site and said it had been a Games that Brazilian society deserves and that’ll open on August 5 holding daily meetings with Rio 2016 with a magic celebration of sport and transformation. and other national Olympic committees. Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In a statement, the BOA said, “We’re IS ŠŠFrom left, Janeth confident that our accommodation is Arcain, Carlos Arthur Nuzman and Eduardo Paes ready to receive athletes and will be of open the Olympic Village. the highest standards within the vil- OPEN lage. While we’ve encountered some maintenance difficulties, this isn’t uncommon with new build structures of this Rio to follow IOC to The Olympic Village officially opens its doors to athletes. type and we’ve been working hard to over- come them.” ensure a clean event HE Olympic Village in Rio, like a the Netherlands entered the village food, including the best of Brazilian gas- Australia’s Chef warm and caring host, opened its last Sunday. tronomy, and a dazzling array of tropi- de Mission Kitty Tdoors to the athletes and it will Host city’s Mayor Eduardo Paes, Rio cal fruit to help power up the athletes. Chiller said IO 2016 is committed to clean and zero tolerance for doping. This is act as the perfect backstage for them 2016 President Carlos Arthur Nuzman “The village sums up the Olympic she was con- Olympic Games and will follow the decision of the IOC and the inter- to prepare earnestly for the gruelling and two-time Olympic medal-winning spirit, with all people living together fident that Rthe decisions on Russian athletes national federations and we’ll follow battles at the Games. The corners basketball player Janeth Arcain, who in peace at the same space,” said Paes. they would made by the International Olympic it,” said Nuzman. and corridors of the fantastic facility is the mayor of the village, opened the Nuzman also responded to questions be able to enter Committee (IOC) and international “We, the organisers, will welcome all will also listen to some swearing, facility. about the decision of the Australian the village on sports federations, Local Organising athletes who reach Rio to compete,” whispers and mindgames as it will “We’re very pleased to arrive at this Olympic Committee to temporarily Wednesday and Committee President Carlos Nuzman added Nuzman. be the home away from home of the accommodate their athletes in hotels stressed that said last Sunday. The IOC’s decision last Sunday fol- champions, who have already until some issues were resolved. “every village Nuzman was speaking after the IOC’s lowed the recent release of an independ- started moving in. We’re pleased to arrive “There’re some adjustments that we’re has teeth- ent report commissioned by the World The village, at this moment which, dealing with and that’ll be resolved in ing prob- Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on dop- which consists we can say, marks the a short while,” said Nuzman. “Every lems”. We’ve always supported ing in Russian sports. of 31 buildings Olympic Village, because of their mag- zero tolerance for doping. The IOC said the Russian Olympic and 3,604 apart- start of the Rio Games. nitude, needs some adjustments until it Committee might not enter any athlete ments, will host more becomes perfect. The important thing is This is the decision of the implicated in the WADA report or who than 17,000 athletes and that everything will be resolved before IOC and we’ll follow it. has ever been sanctioned for doping, officials. Built in the Recreio moment which, we can say, marks the the Games, without disturbing the ath- even if he or she has served the sanc- dos Bandeirantes neigh- start of the Rio Games,” said Nuzman. letes.” tion. It said the presumption of inno- bourhood towards the west The complex also features leisure Arcain also commented on the sit- Executive Board decided against a blan- cence cannot be applied to Russian ath- of Rio, it is close to Barra areas, cycle paths, a huge gym and giant uation. ket ban of Russian athletes, but said letes because of the exceptional circum- Olympic Park, the main dining hall with an area of 27,000sqm “I’m a spokesperson between the they would not be allowed to compete stances revealed by the report. venue cluster. and the capacity to cater to 5,000 at a athletes and Rio 2016, in Rio unless they could prove to their Any Russian athlete accepted for Rio Nearly 200 athletes from time, serving up to 60,000 meals and I guarantee that sport’s international federation that they will be subject to rigorous testing pro- 20 countries including per day. we’ve the necessary were clean from doping. The IOC has gramme. Great Britain, The guests will be offered a structure to make insisted on that as well as approval by an In June, the International Association Canada and wide range of international sure everything is arbitrator from the Court of Arbitration of Athletics Federations had banned perfect before the for Sport. the Russian track and field team from “We’ve always supported clean Games competing at the Rio Games.

On its way to Rio, the Olympic Torch Relay reached Brazil’s largest city of Sao Paulo, where famous sports Stars and arts personalities as well as unsung heroes from ordinary life carried it through its streets. and unsung Legendary footballer Pele held the Olympic flame at the museum named after him in Santos. heroes carry One of the first torchbearers in Sao Paolo was Brazilian boxing great Eder Jofre, a bantamweight Torch in Sao Paolo and featherweight fighter in history. The 80-year- old showed he was still in fine shape and seemed inspired by the chance to be a part of history again. The Torch Relay is close to completing a journey around the huge country and will be carried into the Maracana Stadium on August 5 for the Opening Ceremony. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 15 Olympics countdown

On its way to Rio, the Olympic Torch Relay reached Brazil’s largest city of Sao Paulo, where famous sports Stars and arts personalities as well as unsung heroes from ordinary life carried it through its streets. and unsung Legendary footballer Pele held the Olympic flame at the museum named after him in Santos. heroes carry One of the first torchbearers in Sao Paolo was Brazilian boxing great Eder Jofre, a bantamweight Torch in Sao Paolo and featherweight fighter in history. The 80-year- old showed he was still in fine shape and seemed inspired by the chance to be a part of history again. The Torch Relay is close to completing a journey around the huge country and will be carried into the Maracana Stadium on August 5 for the Opening Ceremony. 16 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 17 Olympics countdown

The tale of the taper!

OXERS have the tale of the tail off to give the body more time to tape, Olympic swimmers have rest before the burst of competition. Bthe tale of the taper. With swimmers often entered for Their path to peak performance multiple distances and disciplines, FINAL FLING! is a tale of fortitude, stamina, sheer no one size fits all and getting it right hard work and also body shaving to is no easy task. It is a time of careful USA’s champion swimmer Michael Phelps comes out of retirement, transform the hairy men in briefs into calculations. smooth-skinned warriors of the pool. “When you taper swimmers, it’s like and is bound for Rio Games to impress again and leave on a high. As Michael Phelps, the 18-time a haircut. You never know if it’s any Olympic gold medallist preparing to good until it’s too late,” says Phelps’s make another splash in Rio, wrote in coach and mentor Bob Bowman. AVING ended his career once in with his estranged father and in May relays as he looks to add to his aston- his 2008 book No Limits. At the European Championships London on what he considered his fiancee Nicole gave birth to their ishing tally of 18 gold medals. “When the facial hair goes away, that’s in London in May, some competi- Ha sour note, Michael Phelps son Boomer. While still an undeniable force, Phelps how you know I’m getting serious.” tors had been through national tri- enters the Rio de Janeiro Olympics pool While Phelps has been a hero for a no longer competes with the aura of Tapering is the process, also common als and were back into hard training for his second swansong determined generation of American swimmers, he invincibility that once surrounded him. to distance athletes, where weeks and while others were tapered for Olympic to bow out on his own terms. has now finally become something of a He conceded that his times would have months of hard training are allowed to qualifiers. Inspired, motivated and sober, Phelps mentor and elder statesman of the team. to dramatically improve, but is confi- heads to Rio with the chance to add to Now, chosen as co-captain of the men’s dent his longtime coach Bob Bowman his record total of 22 medals and to pen team for the first time, he is eager to will have a plan to get him to the the happy ending he feels he denied wall first. himself four years earlier. “I’ve trusted that man since I At the 2012 London Olympics, which Inspired, motivated and was 11 years old. I’m sure he the American also declared would be has already come up with Le Clos hopes to tide over emotion his last, Phelps won four gold and six sober, 31-year-old Phelps some kind of plan to fig- medals, but walked away filled with hopes to add to his ure out what we’re the regret that he simply went through record total of 22 medals. going to do,” he HAD le Clos’s much-anticipated to his success and for memorable TV their battles. I also hope they’ll be in the motions rather than embracing added. re-match with superstar Mi- interviews in London that revealed a Rio,” said Le Clos, who is hoping for the moment. Cchael Phelps in Rio de Janeiro’s close family bond. gold in the 100 and 200M butterfly “Going into London, I wanted to get assume the leadership mantle in Rio. Olympic pool is clouded by a family Bert had surgery for prostate cancer and also competing in the individ- šŢCate Campbell in and out as fast as I could. I came “This time around, I just want to be health scare that hangs heavily over in June while Chad’s mother Geraldine ual medley. back because I wanted to do this for able to help some of the younger guys,” the 24-year-old South African. Le Clos, who also won silver in the me. Being able to fall in love with the said Phelps. Le Clos announced earlier this month 100M butterfly at London, has had vac- Rivals are wary of sport again is something that I’ve always The growing maturity has not that both his parents were being treated The South African illating form through the Olympic cycle. wanted to do. I did it on my terms,” diminished the fierce compet- for cancer, casting an emotive shadow He heads to Rio ranked fourth in the Aussie Campbell said Phelps. itiveness, however. over his preparations for Brazil, where swimmer’s father world in 200M butterfly ahead of sixth- Like many athletes, when his career Having qualified for the 200M butterfly duel is arguably and mother are being placed Phelps and 12th in 100M behind HE 100M freestyle world record Cate finished, Phelps appeared lost. Rio in three events, the must-see event at the Aquatics treated for cancer. the second-ranked American. Campbell set earlier this month He talked of becoming a professional he will also be a Stadium in Barra da Tijuca. But Le Clos is a proven performer Tis a testament to her class and golfer, but eventually found himself candidate Le Clos narrowly pipped the American on big stages, having won the 100M determination, but the Australian will testing the waters again. for the in the race at London, a dramatic vic- recently had a double mastectomy and at last year’s World Championships not chase the time in pursuit of gold That return was interrupted by a tory that catapulted the youngster and is undergoing chemotherapy. in Kazan and taken silver in the 200. at the Rio Olympics, according to her second drunk-driving arrest in 2014 his father Bert into the spotlight. “It hasn’t been an easy time, but I’m Phelps was Le Clos’s idol as the South long-serving coach. and a stint in rehab, which laid the Bert became almost as famous as his training hard for Rio. More than any- African’s career took off, but there is now Campbell’s 52.06-second swim at the foundation for his transforma- son with his demonstrative reaction thing else, I want my parents to win something of an edge to their rivalry. Brisbane Grand Prix on July 2 shaved tion from party boy to fam- just one one-hundredth of a second off ily man. Britta Steffen’s seven-year-old mark, but He reconnected ŢŢChad Le Clos landed a heavy psychological blow to her rivals, including her world champion sister Bronte. None have come close to German Steffen’s time, which was set in a now- banned synthetic suit in 2009. Bronte is a distant second in the world rankings, her best time of the year more than half a second slower than her older sister’s at 52.58 seconds. Simon Cusack, mentor to both Campbell sisters, was bursting with pride after Cate tore up the Brisbane Aquatic Centre, but was also quick to remind her that the world record would mean little on the Going into London, I wanted to get in and out as starting block at Rio. fast as I could. I came back because I wanted to do “Whilst it’s really nice to have the mark, this for me. Being able to fall in love with the sport it’s no guarantee of what’s going to hap- again is something that I’ve always wanted to do. I pen at the Games,” the 39-year-old said. did it on my terms. “Winning a gold medal comes down Michael Phelps to one moment in time and not only do you need great preparation, you do sometimes need a little bit of luck on your side,” he added. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 17 Olympics countdown

The tale of the taper!

Le Clos hopes to tide over emotion

HAD le Clos’s much-anticipated to his success and for memorable TV their battles. I also hope they’ll be in re-match with superstar Mi- interviews in London that revealed a Rio,” said Le Clos, who is hoping for Cchael Phelps in Rio de Janeiro’s close family bond. gold in the 100 and 200M butterfly Olympic pool is clouded by a family Bert had surgery for prostate cancer and also competing in the individ- šŢCate Campbell health scare that hangs heavily over in June while Chad’s mother Geraldine ual medley. the 24-year-old South African. Le Clos, who also won silver in the Le Clos announced earlier this month 100M butterfly at London, has had vac- Rivals are wary of that both his parents were being treated The South African illating form through the Olympic cycle. for cancer, casting an emotive shadow He heads to Rio ranked fourth in the Aussie Campbell over his preparations for Brazil, where swimmer’s father world in 200M butterfly ahead of sixth- the 200M butterfly duel is arguably and mother are being placed Phelps and 12th in 100M behind HE 100M freestyle world record Cate the must-see event at the Aquatics treated for cancer. the second-ranked American. Campbell set earlier this month Stadium in Barra da Tijuca. But Le Clos is a proven performer Tis a testament to her class and Le Clos narrowly pipped the American on big stages, having won the 100M determination, but the Australian will in the race at London, a dramatic vic- recently had a double mastectomy and at last year’s World Championships not chase the time in pursuit of gold tory that catapulted the youngster and is undergoing chemotherapy. in Kazan and taken silver in the 200. at the Rio Olympics, according to her his father Bert into the spotlight. “It hasn’t been an easy time, but I’m Phelps was Le Clos’s idol as the South long-serving coach. Bert became almost as famous as his training hard for Rio. More than any- African’s career took off, but there is now Campbell’s 52.06-second swim at the son with his demonstrative reaction thing else, I want my parents to win something of an edge to their rivalry. Brisbane Grand Prix on July 2 shaved just one one-hundredth of a second off Britta Steffen’s seven-year-old mark, but ŢŢChad Le Clos landed a heavy psychological blow to her rivals, including her world champion sister Bronte. None have come close to German Steffen’s time, which was set in a now- banned synthetic suit in 2009. Bronte is a distant second in the world rankings, her best time of the year more than half a second slower than her older sister’s at 52.58 seconds. Simon Cusack, mentor to both Campbell sisters, was bursting with pride after Cate tore up the Brisbane Aquatic Centre, but was also quick to remind her that the world record would mean little on the starting block at Rio. “Whilst it’s really nice to have the mark, it’s no guarantee of what’s going to hap- pen at the Games,” the 39-year-old said. “Winning a gold medal comes down to one moment in time and not only do you need great preparation, you do sometimes need a little bit of luck on your side,” he added. 18 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 19 Olympics countdown

ŢŢAn aerial view of the Rio Olympic Park. Of shoes, stroke and more

is easier to find in certain games, such Mariette Le Roux as football.

S or I is the big question It comes as no surprise that the arms ASTER, Higher, Stronger. Scientists are key to success in the crawl stroke. Future too are doing their bit to make But it’s not muscle alone, a recent study Fthe Olympic motto real. Here found — the “shape” of the stroke is key. are some potentially performance- Seeking to settle a long-standing boosting discoveries, just in time for argument, scientists from Japan and the Rio Games. Australia compared the so-called I and Bizarre knuckleballs S-shaped downstrokes in the freestyle Shoes or no shoes! The knuckleball, a bizarre zig-zag ball front crawl. In the decades since Ethiopian Abebe flight that has stumped many a batsman Among their tools, a robot arm exe- perfect! Bikila (Olympic gold, marathon: 1960) and goalkeeper, has been demystified. cuting different strokes, allowing the and South Africa’s Zola Budd (5,000M Scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique team to measure forces on the hand The legacy left by Rio Games should enable world record: 1985) raced barefoot into in Paris have figured out why knuckle- and flow fields in the water around it. sporting history, debate has raged over balls bamboozle players in some games The I stroke sees the arm follow a Brazil’s future generations to fulfil their dreams. the wisdom of runners spurning shoes. such as football, volleyball or baseball, straight line through the water, from Many athletes insist that sneakers but not others such as table tennis. the front where it enters the water, to alter their natural gait and hamper per- Unlike “spin” used in cricket by turning the back where it exits. OR many Brazilian athletes, the Experimental School, which will be Guimaraes. formance. Some have reverted to run- the ball with the fingers or wrist, knuck- The S stroke, by contrast, draws a chance to compete at a home hosted at Carioca 3, and have places for “It’ll offer ning without shoes while others have leballs must be launched with the least double-bellied curve — the arm enters FGames in Rio will be the highlight 850 full-time students after the Games. several sport- turned to minimalist “barefoot shoes”. amount of spin to achieve their unpre- the water near the head, strokes out- of their career, but for future generations The City Hall authorities have already ing profession- Statistics suggest that increasingly dictable side-to-side motion. ward, back inward, and out again at of the country’s sportsmen and women, started activities at three other Olympic als the opportu- souped-up kicks have not reduced Using a wind tunnel and high-speed the hip as it exits. the 2016 Olympics will just be the start Experimental Schools, which combine nity to participate injury rates. cameras, the French team observed that The S stroke, popular in the 1960s of the journey towards fulfilling their a standard teaching curriculum with in the preparations In a recent study published in the all spinless balls follow a zig-zag trajec- and 70s, has largely fallen out of favour. dreams elsewhere. top-level sports training. of elite athletes. It’ll Journal of Sport and Health Science, tory — a major surprise. But the new study found it may still After the Games, six of the nine ven- “The project in itself will be a mark also provide a great Spanish scientists asserted that barefoot “This was the case even for sports in have a place. ues in the Olympic Park will be trans- of development for Olympic sports chance for the develop- running can “considerably” decrease which knuckleballs were thought not to “S stroke is better suited for swim- formed into what will be Brazil’s first in Brazil because it’ll give the federa- ment of budding talents the risk of being hurt. exist, such as squash and basketball,” ming middle and long distances while Olympic Training Centre (OTC), pav- throughout Brazil.” said Baptiste Darbois, who co-authored the I stroke is better for short distances,” ing the way for future Brazil athletes. The facility along with Pan- the study in the New Journal of Physics. said study lead author Hideki Takagi of The complex will also include several Post Games, six venues American Judo Centre in Bahia and The team then turned to maths for the University of Tsukuba’s School of venues at the Deodoro cluster such as the Olympic Development Centre an explanation. Health and Sport Sciences. the equestrian centre, hockey centre in the Olympic Park will in Fortaleza will become part of the They found that when the shooting and BMX cycling track. A fundamen- be transformed into National Training Network in prepar- distance is too short, as in handball or tal part of Rio’s sporting legacy, the OTC Olympic Training Centre. ing the next generation of Olympians. basketball, or when the zig-zag width will be one of the most modern in South “The Olympic legacy isn’t only in is much smaller than the ball diameter, America and provide top-level sports Rio de Janeiro, but in all the regions as in tennis and table tennis, the effect facilities for 12 disciplines including tions the opportunity to train their ath- of Brazil. This network will be unified, LEGACY INITIATIVES will not be strong enough to befuddle tennis, fencing, judo, badminton, wres- letes in an elite sports centre with the and organised and planned through- the receiver. Deodoro area (canoe projects across major With One Voice, the tling and athletics. same infrastructure conditions as those out the country,” said Sports Minister A knuckleball must also hit just the slalom and BMX cycling) sectors of the Brazilian The centre will incorporate two of found in developed countries,” Leonardo Picciani. will be open to the economy to reduce homeless catch eye right velocity at which “drag crisis” kicks the three arenas, including Carioca 1, said Rio 2016 Committee in and the layer of air around the ball public after the Games, carbon emissions and Many people walk by the homeless without which was inaugurated earlier this year Head of Sport Agberto providing leisure areas deliver climate benefits becomes turbulent — a sweet spot which Ţ looking, but in Rio de Janeiro, street dwellers with an international women’s basket- ŢChildren play in for the local population. beyond the Games. water near Olympic became the stars as they stood outside the ball tournament. The legacy plans won rings placed at The handball venue will General Electricals Olympic city’s main theatre and sang. the approval of Brazil’s basketballers. Madureira Park. be converted into four (GE), another Olympic Standing on the steps of the ornate Brazil national team forward Iziane schools. partner, will leave the Municipal Theatre, about 60 homeless people Castro said, “We were missing a training city of Rio de Janeiro charmed the public. The Aquatics Stadium A mother and son come together for first time with better, more They were participating in a project called centre of excellence. We demand a lot will be converted into efficient lighting in With One Voice, started by the British NGO from our athletes and with this training two public water sports public spaces including Streetwise Opera at the 2012 London Olympics centre, it’s already a step towards hav- facilities, each equipped HE Rio Olympics will be the eighth Tsotne Machavariani shot a personal best Rio’s largest public park as a way of highlighting the artistic talents of with 50M pools. ing the right conditions to compete Flamengo. society’s most desperate. Games for Georgian shooter Nino in the 10M air pistol at the European With just days to go for the Summer Games in with the best in the world.” The Olympic Park will TSalukvadze, but it will be the first Championship in February to get an GE is also transforming Rio, a few of the city’s homeless are again being As well as Carioca 1 and 2, the provide the location for time when she will be joined by a very Olympic qualifying spot. the technology at Rio given a chance to shine with concerts, theatre OTC will have an Olympic-standard a new Olympic school. special team-mate — her own son. “It’s a double joy for me, because I’ll de Janeiro’s Souza and artists’ workshops. athletics track and two beach vol- It is believed to be the first such case participate in the Olympics for the first Rio will have Aguiar Hospital by In the front row of the impromptu choir was leyball courts. It will also have approximately 70 new providing radiology 58-year-old Elizabeth Miguel. in Olympic history when a mother and time in my life and I’ll compete in Rio accommodation built from hotels. imaging systems. She has been on the streets since March her son will compete side by side. alongside my mother,” said Machavariani. the nomadic structure of the 27, a date she remembers well because it “I’m very happy and proud that I’ll be Salukvadze said she believed that fam- The city will benefit The Rio transport was Easter Sunday. That was when she found šŢNino Salukvadze and Tsotne International Broadcast Centre, from a vastly improved network now has a competing alongside my son. We’ll do our ily relations did not matter in sports and herself unable to pay her rent and suddenly Machavariani with a capacity of 166 twin waste management host of improved or best to perform well,” said Salukvadze, should not cool sport ardour. was homeless. bedrooms. system. new facilities including who is 47. “But, frankly speaking, I’m a mother Miguel said she was determined to recover, an additional metro Along with high-perfor- adding: “Being in the street forces me to get Salukvadze was 19 when she won a team of the now defunct Soviet Union. after all and will be a fan of my son Olympic partner Dow is line, new roads, an mance and amateur athletes, back my old life.” gold medal in the women’s 25M sport- At the 2008 Beijing Olympics she won in Rio,” she said. implementing energy- enhanced rail network the 40,000sqm training cen- Streetwise Opera founder Matt Peacock ing pistol competition and silver in the a bronze medal for Georgia in a 10M efficient and low-carbon and modernised said the open-air concert reflected that the tre will be open to students technologies and international airport. 10M air pistol competition at the 1988 air pistol event. at the neighbouring Olympic homeless have more than basic needs. Seoul Olympics when she represented the Salukvadze’s 18-year-old son www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 19 Olympics countdown

ŢŢAn aerial view of the Rio Olympic Park. Of shoes, stroke and more

is easier to find in certain games, such Mariette Le Roux as football.

S or I is the big question It comes as no surprise that the arms ASTER, Higher, Stronger. Scientists are key to success in the crawl stroke. too are doing their bit to make But it’s not muscle alone, a recent study Fthe Olympic motto real. Here found — the “shape” of the stroke is key. are some potentially performance- Seeking to settle a long-standing boosting discoveries, just in time for argument, scientists from Japan and the Rio Games. Australia compared the so-called I and Bizarre knuckleballs S-shaped downstrokes in the freestyle Shoes or no shoes! The knuckleball, a bizarre zig-zag ball front crawl. In the decades since Ethiopian Abebe flight that has stumped many a batsman Among their tools, a robot arm exe- Bikila (Olympic gold, marathon: 1960) and goalkeeper, has been demystified. cuting different strokes, allowing the and South Africa’s Zola Budd (5,000M Scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique team to measure forces on the hand world record: 1985) raced barefoot into in Paris have figured out why knuckle- and flow fields in the water around it. sporting history, debate has raged over balls bamboozle players in some games The I stroke sees the arm follow a the wisdom of runners spurning shoes. such as football, volleyball or baseball, straight line through the water, from Many athletes insist that sneakers but not others such as table tennis. the front where it enters the water, to alter their natural gait and hamper per- Unlike “spin” used in cricket by turning the back where it exits. formance. Some have reverted to run- the ball with the fingers or wrist, knuck- The S stroke, by contrast, draws a ning without shoes while others have leballs must be launched with the least double-bellied curve — the arm enters turned to minimalist “barefoot shoes”. amount of spin to achieve their unpre- the water near the head, strokes out- Statistics suggest that increasingly dictable side-to-side motion. ward, back inward, and out again at souped-up kicks have not reduced Using a wind tunnel and high-speed the hip as it exits. injury rates. cameras, the French team observed that The S stroke, popular in the 1960s In a recent study published in the all spinless balls follow a zig-zag trajec- and 70s, has largely fallen out of favour. Journal of Sport and Health Science, tory — a major surprise. But the new study found it may still Spanish scientists asserted that barefoot “This was the case even for sports in have a place. running can “considerably” decrease which knuckleballs were thought not to “S stroke is better suited for swim- the risk of being hurt. exist, such as squash and basketball,” ming middle and long distances while said Baptiste Darbois, who co-authored the I stroke is better for short distances,” the study in the New Journal of Physics. said study lead author Hideki Takagi of The team then turned to maths for the University of Tsukuba’s School of an explanation. Health and Sport Sciences. They found that when the shooting distance is too short, as in handball or basketball, or when the zig-zag width is much smaller than the ball diameter, as in tennis and table tennis, the effect will not be strong enough to befuddle With One Voice, the the receiver. A knuckleball must also hit just the homeless catch eye right velocity at which “drag crisis” kicks in and the layer of air around the ball Many people walk by the homeless without looking, but in Rio de Janeiro, street dwellers becomes turbulent — a sweet spot which became the stars as they stood outside the Olympic city’s main theatre and sang. Standing on the steps of the ornate Municipal Theatre, about 60 homeless people charmed the public. They were participating in a project called A mother and son come together for first time With One Voice, started by the British NGO Streetwise Opera at the 2012 London Olympics as a way of highlighting the artistic talents of HE Rio Olympics will be the eighth Tsotne Machavariani shot a personal best society’s most desperate. Games for Georgian shooter Nino in the 10M air pistol at the European With just days to go for the Summer Games in TSalukvadze, but it will be the first Championship in February to get an Rio, a few of the city’s homeless are again being time when she will be joined by a very Olympic qualifying spot. given a chance to shine with concerts, theatre special team-mate — her own son. “It’s a double joy for me, because I’ll and artists’ workshops. In the front row of the impromptu choir was It is believed to be the first such case participate in the Olympics for the first 58-year-old Elizabeth Miguel. in Olympic history when a mother and time in my life and I’ll compete in Rio She has been on the streets since March her son will compete side by side. alongside my mother,” said Machavariani. 27, a date she remembers well because it “I’m very happy and proud that I’ll be Salukvadze said she believed that fam- was Easter Sunday. That was when she found competing alongside my son. We’ll do our šŢNino Salukvadze and Tsotne ily relations did not matter in sports and Machavariani herself unable to pay her rent and suddenly best to perform well,” said Salukvadze, should not cool sport ardour. was homeless. who is 47. “But, frankly speaking, I’m a mother Miguel said she was determined to recover, adding: “Being in the street forces me to get Salukvadze was 19 when she won a team of the now defunct Soviet Union. after all and will be a fan of my son back my old life.” gold medal in the women’s 25M sport- At the 2008 Beijing Olympics she won in Rio,” she said. Streetwise Opera founder Matt Peacock ing pistol competition and silver in the a bronze medal for Georgia in a 10M said the open-air concert reflected that the 10M air pistol competition at the 1988 air pistol event. homeless have more than basic needs. Seoul Olympics when she represented the Salukvadze’s 18-year-old son NASSER AL ATTIYAH

Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com

DSP/Vinod Divakaran DSP/Vinod Divakaran 22 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 23 Olympics countdown Weight of expectations! Young Qatari weightlifter Fares Ibrahim is A big moment for confidence personified as he heads to Rio. us, says Ibrahim

BRAHIM Hassouna, who missed out hope to win gold,” he said. on a podium at the Los Angeles Olym- N Ganesh Fares is currently ranked third in the Ipics, is determined to materialise it world in the Under-20 category. His best through his son Fares. performances so far are 201kg in clean “It’s a big moment for Fares to represent and jerk, and 155kg in snatch. He had Qatar at the Olympics. Being his father EHIND closed doors of a dim-lit also broken the record with a 184kg lift and coach, I’m extremely happy that he’ll hall in a villa at Duhail, young lifter at the age of 16. be following in my footsteps all the way BFares Ibrahim attaches plates one Fares was expecting to get a wild card, to Olympics. I’ve always behaved like a after the other to the barbell during train- but he did not wait for it and made the professional coach to him during our ing, as if adding weight of expectations Rio cut by winning a bronze at the Junior trainings and he has taken it in the right on himself. A watercolour painting of the World Championships in Georgia earlier sense. I think that has helped us come Doha skyline forms the backdrop of his this month. But he knows Olympics will thus far,” said Ibrahim, who had repre- practice, but the 18-year-old’s confidence be a different stage altogether. sented Egypt at the Los Angeles (1984) seems to have soared way higher than “If you ask my feeling, it’s a combina- and Barcelona Games (1992). its tallest tower, with his infectious smile tion of ecstasy and nervousness. It’s the Ibrahim said Fares would aim for a reflecting exactly that. It, seemingly, lights dream of every lifter, and every sportsper- top-six finish at Rio. up the entire room. son for that matter, to go to the Olympics. “Fares is the youngest lifter among all Fares brims with enthusiasm as he gets I’ll be the youngest lifter in my category, ššFares Ibrahim with his brother Hassouna, left, father Ibrahim, masseur Hussein Al Sattawi, right, and training partner Mohammed Salman. the competitors in the 85kg category. We şşFares Ibrahim ready to leave for Rio on August 1, carry- and it makes me proud and happy to started off keeping a top-six finish in mind. ing the hopes of a nation on his young have qualified for the event,” he said. We’ll take it step by step, and try to fin- Though Fares started training at a young ish among the medal bracket. It’s going age, his father and coach Ibrahim started to be really tough, but we’re determined It’s the dream of every pushing him hard only after he turned 15. ‘Fares is a promising lifter’ to give our best,” said Ibrahim, whose “In fact, he was a bit reluctant to push another son Hassouna, also representing lifter, and every athlete for me early on. The hard training started only Qatar, won the 94kg category at the Third that matter, to perform at three years ago. Realising that I had the ARES Ibrahim has all the attrib- the sport more popular in the country, International Qatar Cup Weightlifting the Olympic Games. potential to become a champion, he set utes to become Qatar’s champion he said, “We always speak about the Championship in Doha last year. me some big goals and convinced me to Fweightlifter in the coming years, If you chalk out a good size of population. But a small country “After the achievements made by Fares work hard and adopt a healthy lifestyle. according to Mohammed Jaloud, who strategy, then you can like Nauru, which has less than 15,000 and other lifters, the Qatar Weightlifting shoulders. Though he is the youngest “As a teenager, it was difficult to do is the general secretary of both Asian win more medals at the people, has produced some talented Federation has promised us to give bet-

DSP/Vinod Divakaran DSP/Vinod lifter in 85kg category, Fares is hardly away with things like moving around with and Arab federations. Olympics. It’s QOC’s task. boxers. That means Qatar can produce ter facilities and organise more training overawed by the occasion. friends and munching food of my liking, “Fares is a promising lifter. He’s just 18 so many. camps. We’re keen on raising the bar on “I’ve prepared very well during the last but as time went on, I started focusing years old. I hope he finishes among the “In football, you’ve a 23-member Qatar weightlifting,” added Ibrahim. DSP few months. I hope all that’ll help me put more on my goals, which enabled me to top five in the 85kg category at the Rio team going to the Olympics for one up a strong performance at Rio,” Fares look at everything positively,” said Fares. Games,” Jaloud told Doha Stadium Plus. category. And now, Qatar are doing gold medal. In weightlifting, there’re told Doha Stadium Plus. It can add to one’s nervousness if his “Faris has been in good form this year well, thanks to some good lifters like 15 gold and 45 other medals up for the “It’s not about the medal alone. It’s father doubles as coach. Fares too admits and won six medals including a bronze Fares and a few hard working coaches. grabs in total. Sports powerhouses like important that I concentrate well and it with a wry smile when asked about it, at the World Junior Championships I think Qatar can only improve from China and the US aren’t depending on come up with a strong show, which’ll be a but on a serious note, Ibrahim, himself in Georgia. I’m sure he’ll keep Qatar’s here,” said Jaloud. team events like football alone. They’re big step in achieving my long-term goals. an Olympian (1984 and 1992), has been flag flying high in the years to come,” Asked what Qatar must to do to make into several disciplines. ŠšIbrahim “The Rio Games, that way, is quite a calming influence on his son. he added. “If you chalk out a good strategy, then Hassouna vital, but I know where I’m standing at “It can be tough that he controls both The official said Qatar weightlifting you can win medals at Olympics. It’s the the moment right now. So it doesn’t make my life and career, but the good thing had progressed over the years. task of the Qatar Olympic Committee. me nervous. I would do my best to make about it’s that I can fully lean on him as “Weightlifting found its footing in You shouldn’t develop a sport at the Qatar proud, but I feel I would be fully he takes care of my schedule, diet and Qatar in the late 90s. The country’s first cost of other. If you’re a father, you ready and mature in time for the lifestyle. It makes my life a lot easier,” said Olympic medal in the sport came at can’t give all food to one child and Tokyo Games in 2020, Fares, who thanked Qatar Weightlifting the 2000 Sydney Games when Said make the rest of your children starve,” Fares Ibrahim is a talented where I Federation head Mohammed Yousef Al Saif Asaad bagged a bronze in 105kg said Jaloud. DSP weightlifter. We’re very happy Mana for supporting him all the way. DSP that he has made it to the Rio Olympics. His qualification Fares is a promising lifter. He’s just 18 years proves that we’re progressing old. I hope he finishes among the top five in the right direction. We in the 85kg category at the Rio Games. He hope it’ll inspire more has been in good form this year and won six youngsters to take up the medals including a bronze at the World Junior sport in the near future. Championships in Georgia. I’m sure he’ll keep Saeed Mubarak Al Khayarin, Qatar Qatar’s flag flying high in the years to come. Weightlifting Federation Executive Asian Weightlifting Director. Mohammed Jaloud, Federation General Secretary. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 23 Olympics countdown Weight of expectations! A big moment for us, says Ibrahim

BRAHIM Hassouna, who missed out on a podium at the Los Angeles Olym- Ipics, is determined to materialise it through his son Fares. “It’s a big moment for Fares to represent Qatar at the Olympics. Being his father and coach, I’m extremely happy that he’ll be following in my footsteps all the way to Olympics. I’ve always behaved like a professional coach to him during our trainings and he has taken it in the right sense. I think that has helped us come thus far,” said Ibrahim, who had represented Egypt at the Los Angeles (1984) and Barcelona Games (1992). Ibrahim said Fares would aim for a top-six finish at Rio. “Fares is the youngest lifter among all ššFares Ibrahim with his brother Hassouna, left, father Ibrahim, masseur Hussein Al Sattawi, right, and training partner Mohammed Salman. the competitors in the 85kg category. We started off keeping a top-six finish in mind. We’ll take it step by step, and try to finish among the medal bracket. It’s going to be really tough, but we’re determined ‘Fares is a promising lifter’ to give our best,” said Ibrahim, whose another son Hassouna, also representing Qatar, won the 94kg category at the Third ARES Ibrahim has all the attrib- the sport more popular in the country, International Qatar Cup Weightlifting utes to become Qatar’s champion he said, “We always speak about the Championship in Doha last year. Fweightlifter in the coming years, If you chalk out a good size of population. But a small country “After the achievements made by Fares according to Mohammed Jaloud, who strategy, then you can like Nauru, which has less than 15,000 and other lifters, the Qatar Weightlifting is the general secretary of both Asian win more medals at the people, has produced some talented Federation has promised us to give bet- and Arab federations. Olympics. It’s QOC’s task. boxers. That means Qatar can produce ter facilities and organise more training “Fares is a promising lifter. He’s just 18 so many. camps. We’re keen on raising the bar on years old. I hope he finishes among the “In football, you’ve a 23-member Qatar weightlifting,” added Ibrahim. DSP top five in the 85kg category at the Rio team going to the Olympics for one Games,” Jaloud told Doha Stadium Plus. category. And now, Qatar are doing gold medal. In weightlifting, there’re “Faris has been in good form this year well, thanks to some good lifters like 15 gold and 45 other medals up for the and won six medals including a bronze Fares and a few hard working coaches. grabs in total. Sports powerhouses like at the World Junior Championships I think Qatar can only improve from China and the US aren’t depending on in Georgia. I’m sure he’ll keep Qatar’s here,” said Jaloud. team events like football alone. They’re flag flying high in the years to come,” Asked what Qatar must to do to make into several disciplines. ŠšIbrahim he added. “If you chalk out a good strategy, then Hassouna The official said Qatar weightlifting you can win medals at Olympics. It’s the had progressed over the years. task of the Qatar Olympic Committee. “Weightlifting found its footing in You shouldn’t develop a sport at the Qatar in the late 90s. The country’s first cost of other. If you’re a father, you Olympic medal in the sport came at can’t give all food to one child and the 2000 Sydney Games when Said make the rest of your children starve,” Saif Asaad bagged a bronze in 105kg said Jaloud. DSP

Fares is a promising lifter. He’s just 18 years old. I hope he finishes among the top five in the 85kg category at the Rio Games. He has been in good form this year and won six medals including a bronze at the World Junior Championships in Georgia. I’m sure he’ll keep Qatar’s flag flying high in the years to come. Mohammed Jaloud, Asian Weightlifting Federation General Secretary. 24 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 25 Olympics countdown

ššSheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani SANDSTORMERS! Riding high on confidence Qatar beach volleyball team looks to make its maiden appearance at the Games truly memorable.

ATAR’S six riders are set to make age of five. “Equestrians interact with told Doha Stadium Plus before leav- history in Rio by becoming a living things and our success depends EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ing for Rio. Qpart of the country’s first-ever on them.” At the Olympics, 24 teams are drawn horse jumping team to compete at an Qatar’s riders and their horses share into six groups. Qatar are in Group F, Olympics. a special bonding, thanks to the long Sajith B Warrier which also includes USA, Spain and And Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani, time they have spent together. Austria. Bassem Hassan Mohammed, Ali Al “During our training camp in Holland, Pereira, who shifted his base to Qatar Rumaihi, Khalid Al Emadi, Faleh Al we used to stay in the stables from around three years ago, is upbeat about the Ajmi and Hamad Al Attiyah are work- 8am up to 5pm,” said Faleh. “So we

S BEACH volleyball commemo- prospect of competing at Copacabana Divakaran DSP/ Vinod ing hard to prove that they are not just basically spent most of our times with rates its 20th anniversary as beach. ššMohammed Ali Al Mohannadi also-rans in Rio. the horses and have a very strong con- Aan Olympic sport, debutants “Copacabana is considered to be the Qatar, coached by Barcelona Olympics nection with them.” Qatar look for their own share of capital of world beach volleyball. I’ll gold medallist Jan Tops, qualified with a joy at the Games in Rio. have family and lots of friends cheer- stunning performance at the Furusiyya Qatar’s Jefferson Pereira 2015 FEI Nations Cup Jumping Series in It was an indescribable and Cherif Younousse, who made Eager to take beach Abu Dhabi, where they outperformed feeling to qualify for the Olympic cut by winning the Asian Qatar are in Group F, experienced teams from Egypt, Jordan, Volleyball Confederation’s Continental Saudi Arabia and the UAE to grab the Rio. We worked hard alongside USA, Spain Cup in Australia, are relishing the pros- volleyball to masses lone berth at stake. and we succeeded. pect of playing at the exotic Copacabana and Austria, at the “It was an indescribable feeling to Beach. Olympics tournament. qualify for Rio,” said Sheikh Ali. “We The pair have been in good form of EACH volleyball is yet to become growing Olympic sports and we real- worked hard to qualify and we suc- Khalid, 22, said, “We train six times late as they had also triumphed at the truly popular in the country, but ised it had a lot of potential in our coun- ceeded. It was never easy because we a week for three hours daily.” FIVB World Tour’s inaugural Kish Island ing for me. It would be a great occa- Bthe Qatar Volleyball Association try. We worked hard and the results faced a strong challenge and there was Apart from the Olympic podium and Open in Iran and reached the quar- sion and I want to make our debut (QVA) is striving hard to take it to the are starting to show. It’s phenomenal only one qualifying spot.” the glory that comes with it, the team terfinal of the World Championships memorable,” said Pereira. masses. to send a team to Olympics in such a Qatar’s victory at the FEI Nations Cup also hopes their participation in Rio in the Netherlands. Cherif echoed his team-mate’s views. Though the country had its first tryst short time,” said Al Mohannadi. came close on the heels of their gold inspires the next generation of riders, To get accustomed to the conditions, “We worked so hard to reach this with the sport at the 2006 Asian Games, The QVA, which regularly holds train- medal win at the 2014 Asian Games or athletes from any other sport. Pereira and Cherif left early for Brazil stage. We had to leave our families it picked up only after the launch of the ing camps, is perhaps the only beach in Incheon. “Qatar has never had an equestrian and are putting finishing touches to behind and go abroad to train. The Qatar Beach Volleyball Academy (QBVA) volleyball body in the region that organ- “There’re always difficulties in any team competing in the Olympics. We their preparations at the Barra de sacrifices we made have paid off as at the Al Gharafa Sports Club in 2013. ises a league. It has also been hosting a sport, and in equestrian, the horse believe our presence in Rio will push Tujiuca Beach in the host city. we’ll be part of history. We’re optimis- And the qualification for Olympics becomes the challenge,” said 29-year- young athletes to take up equestrian- Twenty six-year-old Pereira, a Rio tic of a decent show,” said Cherif. in three years’ time is a credit- old Bassem, who started riding at the ism,” said Al Rumaihi. DSP native, and Cherif, who is five years It remains to be seen whether the duo able achievement, accord- Beach volleyball is one younger than him, are excited. makes it to the knockout stage or not. ing to QVA General “This season, we’ve had some great But, for sure, the credit goes to them Secretary Mohammed Ali of the fastest growing results against strong opponents and for having taken Qatar beach volley- Al Mohannadi. Olympic sports and we ŢŢCherif Younesse, Qatar will draw a vicarious pleasure as we hope to continue that in Rio,” Cherif ball to the world’s ultimate stage. DSP “The country doesn’t realised it had potential. left, and Jefferson Shine 10 talented young athletes from Rio de Janeiro Pereira. have a history as such in begin of their journey towards realising their dream the sport. But we took it as a makes Rio of becoming Olympic champions. challenge. Beach vol- FIVB World Tour event for four years. The group of youngsters from disadvantaged leyball is one While the GCC Beach Games was organ- boys smile backgrounds have been selected to train at Doha’s of fastest ised last year, the Arab Games have world-renowned ASPIRE Academy, thanks to the Copacabana and Brazilian flavour! become more or less an annual affair. Qatar Olympic Committee’s (QOC) Shine project. They will travel to Doha towards the end this year Qatar may not be endowed with for a week-long training camp. The athletes will ATAR beach volleyball is rich in prove themselves at the international in Qatar and make it more popular. We’ve exotic beaches like Thailand’s Phuket receive the same specialised coaching and sport Brazilian flavour. The country’s level,” said Costa. to plan for future now itself and must or Rio’s Copacabana which double as science support that has contributed to the success QNo.1 player — Jefferson Pereira He brings a wealth of experience to start raising the level of the game. I want the sport’s venues, but that has not of Qatar’s world champions Mutaz Essa Barshim — is of Brazilian origin and coach Pedro the job, having begun coaching in 1998 to thank the Qatar Volleyball Association deterred Qatar’s ambitions. and Ashraf Amjad, both graduates of the academy. Paulo Costa is also from that country. and worked at various levels with inter- for trusting me,” he said. “A great beach isn’t a pre-requisite for The Shine project aims to use the opportunity of Beach volleyball is a way of life in Brazil national body FIVB. Despite most of the experts rating the hosting a beach volleyball event. The the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to provide support and assistance that will help Brazil’s talented and Costa believes Qatar can emulate Prior to his Qatar stint, Costa coached Karon beach in Phuket, Thailand, as FIVB World Tour stops at places like athletes realise their full potential. the south American nation. Paraguay at the 2014 Youth Olympics in the best, Costa believes Copacabana Moscow which don’t have a beach. The QOC Secretary General Dr Thani “Beach volleyball came alive in Qatar Nanjing, China. He wants Qatar to build has a charm of its own. main criteria is that the venues must Abdulrahman Al Kuwari said, “The Qatar with the FIVB World Tour four years ago. on the Olympic qualification. “Copacabana is decked up for be close to the city and easily acces- Olympic Committee established Now Qatar is sending a team to Olympics, “Qualifying for Olympics isn’t a small Olympics. It has a distinctive Brazilian sible. Our facilities at Gharafa Shine because we believe in the boasts an academy of its own and has achievement. We must use this opportu- character. The atmosphere is going perfectly fit the bill,” he power of sport to transform a lot of young players who’re keen to nity to build a strong base for the game to be amazing,” he said. DSP added. DSP lives.” DSP www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 25 Olympics countdown

ššSheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani SANDSTORMERS! Riding high on confidence

ATAR’S six riders are set to make age of five. “Equestrians interact with history in Rio by becoming a living things and our success depends Qpart of the country’s first-ever on them.” horse jumping team to compete at an Qatar’s riders and their horses share Olympics. a special bonding, thanks to the long And Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani, time they have spent together. Bassem Hassan Mohammed, Ali Al “During our training camp in Holland, Rumaihi, Khalid Al Emadi, Faleh Al we used to stay in the stables from around Ajmi and Hamad Al Attiyah are work- 8am up to 5pm,” said Faleh. “So we

DSP/ Vinod Divakaran DSP/ Vinod ing hard to prove that they are not just basically spent most of our times with ššMohammed Ali Al Mohannadi also-rans in Rio. the horses and have a very strong con- Qatar, coached by Barcelona Olympics nection with them.” gold medallist Jan Tops, qualified with a stunning performance at the Furusiyya 2015 FEI Nations Cup Jumping Series in It was an indescribable Eager to take beach Abu Dhabi, where they outperformed experienced teams from Egypt, Jordan, feeling to qualify for Saudi Arabia and the UAE to grab the Rio. We worked hard volleyball to masses lone berth at stake. and we succeeded. “It was an indescribable feeling to qualify for Rio,” said Sheikh Ali. “We EACH volleyball is yet to become growing Olympic sports and we real- worked hard to qualify and we suc- Khalid, 22, said, “We train six times truly popular in the country, but ised it had a lot of potential in our coun- ceeded. It was never easy because we a week for three hours daily.” Bthe Qatar Volleyball Association try. We worked hard and the results faced a strong challenge and there was Apart from the Olympic podium and (QVA) is striving hard to take it to the are starting to show. It’s phenomenal only one qualifying spot.” the glory that comes with it, the team masses. to send a team to Olympics in such a Qatar’s victory at the FEI Nations Cup also hopes their participation in Rio Though the country had its first tryst short time,” said Al Mohannadi. came close on the heels of their gold inspires the next generation of riders, with the sport at the 2006 Asian Games, The QVA, which regularly holds train- medal win at the 2014 Asian Games or athletes from any other sport. it picked up only after the launch of the ing camps, is perhaps the only beach in Incheon. “Qatar has never had an equestrian Qatar Beach Volleyball Academy (QBVA) volleyball body in the region that organ- “There’re always difficulties in any team competing in the Olympics. We at the Al Gharafa Sports Club in 2013. ises a league. It has also been hosting a sport, and in equestrian, the horse believe our presence in Rio will push And the qualification for Olympics becomes the challenge,” said 29-year- young athletes to take up equestrian- in three years’ time is a credit- old Bassem, who started riding at the ism,” said Al Rumaihi. DSP able achievement, accord- Beach volleyball is one ing to QVA General Secretary Mohammed Ali of the fastest growing Al Mohannadi. Olympic sports and we Qatar will draw a vicarious pleasure as “The country doesn’t realised it had potential. Shine 10 talented young athletes from Rio de Janeiro have a history as such in begin of their journey towards realising their dream the sport. But we took it as a makes Rio of becoming Olympic champions. challenge. Beach vol- FIVB World Tour event for four years. The group of youngsters from disadvantaged leyball is one While the GCC Beach Games was organ- boys smile backgrounds have been selected to train at Doha’s of fastest ised last year, the Arab Games have world-renowned ASPIRE Academy, thanks to the become more or less an annual affair. Qatar Olympic Committee’s (QOC) Shine project. They will travel to Doha towards the end this year Qatar may not be endowed with for a week-long training camp. The athletes will exotic beaches like Thailand’s Phuket receive the same specialised coaching and sport or Rio’s Copacabana which double as science support that has contributed to the success the sport’s venues, but that has not of Qatar’s world champions Mutaz Essa Barshim deterred Qatar’s ambitions. and Ashraf Amjad, both graduates of the academy. “A great beach isn’t a pre-requisite for The Shine project aims to use the opportunity of hosting a beach volleyball event. The the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to provide support and assistance that will help Brazil’s talented FIVB World Tour stops at places like athletes realise their full potential. Moscow which don’t have a beach. The QOC Secretary General Dr Thani main criteria is that the venues must Abdulrahman Al Kuwari said, “The Qatar be close to the city and easily acces- Olympic Committee established sible. Our facilities at Gharafa Shine because we believe in the perfectly fit the bill,” he power of sport to transform added. DSP lives.” DSP 26 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 27

HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani-owned colt Tayf triumphs Tayf emerged as the winner in the Prix Dormane (Group 3 Pure Arabian bred), which was run at La in France Teste de Buch, southwestern France, last week. It At a glance was Tayf’s first win at this level. DSP

Adel storms ATHLETICS back into title contention Qatar’s Haroun, Ibrahim bag gold Qatar’s Adel Hussein Abdulla stormed back into title ATAR bagged two gold medals ASPIRE Academy product Ibrahim contention by winning the support category (T2) of the at the World Under-20 Champi- Ibrahim virtually ended virtually ended the men’s discus final FIA World Cup for Cross- Qonships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, as a contest with his very first throw Country Rallies at Baja Aragon. last week. the men’s discus throw even though his next three attempts Driving a Patrol Y62 with the Abdalelah Haroun warmed up for the final as a contest with ended as fouls. support of the Qatar Motor Rio Olympics by winning the 400M with his very first throw. The initial attempt proved good and Motorcycle Federation a season’s best effort of 44.81sec while enough for Ibrahim to beat Poland’s and Nissan Middle East, Adel and his French co-driver Jean- Mohammed Ibrahim Moaaz also fin- Oskar Stachnik (62.83) and Belarus’ Hleb Michel Polato finished with ished on top of the podium with his London (45.27) and Botswana’s Karabo Zhuk (61.70). a lead of 13min, 51sec over 63.63M effort in discus throw. Sibanda (45.45). “I can’t even describe my feeling,” said Spain’s Josep Sole. Haroun was quick to start off the “It was the first time I had started a Ibrahim, who looks to emulate the suc- Another Spaniard Cesar blocks and the world indoor silver med- race so fast. I almost killed myself in the cess at the senior level. Sequiera finished third. allist kept his momentum in the home race, but now I’m very happy,” said an “Next year, I’ll surprise you,” added Adel closed the gap with straight to finish ahead of USA’s Wilbert elated Haroun. the 17-year-old. DSP ššAbdalelah Haroun series leader Yasir Seaidan Photo/ Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Photo/ after the Saudi Arabian retired ššNasser Saleh Al Attiyah drives through a puddle of water at the Baja Aragon. due to transmission problems. “What a fantastic rally. It’s mission accomplished for us,” CUE SPORTS MOTORSPORT said Adel. “The aim was to win the race and cut the gap with the championship leader. That’s what I did. The difference is Waleed to spearhead now just two points. The result is a major boost for me. I’m looking forward to win the Qatar’s challenge T2 World Championship,” he Nasser fourward! added. DSP OP cueist Waleed Majed will Qatari driver Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah storms to his fourth succesive spearhead Qatar’s challenge in Waleed is the only Qatari TStage 2 of the 25th World 9-Ball cueist to have made it to win at the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies in Spain. Pool Championship, which begins at the Al Arabi Sports Club on Saturday. the round of 16 of the Stage 1, which got under way last WPBA-sanctioned event. ATAR’S Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah championship to 88 points over his “It’s a difficult race and, perhaps, the Monday, is played on a single elimi- stormed to victory at the Baja nearest rival Yazeed Al Rajhi of Saudi hardest of all Bajas. It was important nation, race-to-seven format, and it QAragon, the fifth round of the Arabia. to continue the winning momentum will decide the 12 qualifiers who will Chinese Taipei’s K Pin Yi is the defend- FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, The win also helped him erase the and claim maximum points on offer. join the directly-seeded 116 players ing champion of the event, which the in the Teruel region of central Spain. disappointment of pulling out mid- It’s a fantastic result. I’m looking for- in Stage 2. Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation The Overdrive Racing Team driver and ward to retaining the world title,” said Divakaran DSP/Vinod Waleed is the only Qatari to have made (QBSF) is hosting for the seventh straight ššQatar’s Borja Vidal scores against Poland. his French navigator Matthieu Baumel Nasser, who took a break from Olympic it to last 16 of the World Pool Billiards year. dominated the three-day event and Nasser extended his lead Games shooting preparations to drive Association (WPBA) sanctioned event. “All arrangements are in place and finished 19sec ahead of ace Spaniard the Toyota Hilux. HANDBALL He accomplished it at the 2014 edition, we’re using 16 latest model Wiraka tables Carloz Sainz of the Total Puegot team. in the championship to It was also Toyota’s maiden victory which the Netherlands’ Niels Feijen won. for the championship. The cream of Finland’s former World Rally 88 points over his Saudi in Spain’s premier off-road rally. Other Qatari cueists in the fray for the players are in the fray and we hope the Championship driver Mikko Hirvonen, rival Yazeed Al Rajhi. Nasser’s brother Khalifa and Belgian double elimination, race-to-nine Stage competition will help our youngsters who competes under the Mini All4 Racing navigator Stephane Prevot, driving Qatar prepare with 2 include Bashar Hussein, Ali Al Obaidly, gain some valuable experience,” said banner, brought up the last spot on another Toyota Hilux for the Overdrive Abdullatif Al Fawal, Ali Abdulhadi and QBSF General Secretary Mohammed the podium. way through last year’s rally due to a Racing Team, could finish only 13th. Mohammad Saeed. Salem Al Nuami. DSP For the record, it was Nasser’s fourth mechanical problem. Former Dakar winner Joan Nani wins against Poland successive win at the World Cup this Nasser’s previous win at Aragon was Roma, also in a Toyota, had a forget- season after Abu Dhabi, Qatar and in 2008 in a BMW, with Swedish Tina table debut in the series as he retired Italy. He thus extended his lead in the Thorner being the co-driver. midway through the rally. DSP ššAdel Hussein Abdulla ATAR fine-tuned their preparations for the Rio Games in style World Championship Qby beating Poland 24-20 and 29-26 in the international friendlies runners-up Qatar have BASKETBALL played at the Qatar Handball Associa- been in good form of tion Hall at Duhail last week. late, posting many wins. World Championship runners-up Qatari colts conquer Asia Qatar have been in good form of late and they had defeated Japan in two Qatar’s pivot Borja Vidal was the friendlies earlier this month. They had standout performer in both matches ATAR reigned supreme in the Meanwhile, talented Yee Tong Heng also won an international tournament while skipper Abdulrazzaq Murad and 2016 FIBA Asian Under-18 3x3 helped Malaysia beat Japan 21-14 in in Doha in April, beating formidable Zarko Markovic excellently comple- QChampionship in Cyberjaya, the third-place play-off. South American teams Argentina and mented him. Malaysia last Sunday. Ten teams — Indonesia, Japan, Brazil. Qatar will now play Tunisia The world champions capped their Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Philippines, “We’re peaking at the right time. I (Wednesday), Hungarian club side unbeaten run in the final with a 21-9 Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Sri hope we can sustain the momentum Halvard (Thursday) and Asian pow- rout of formidable Philippines in front Lanka and Vietnam — vied for hon- at the Olympics,” said Qatar coach erhouse Iran (Saturday) before leav- ššMembers of Qatar team celebrate their triumph. of a packed crowd. ours in the tournament. DSP Valero Rivera. ing to Rio on August 1. DSP ššWaleed Majed www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 27

ATHLETICS Qatar’s Haroun, Ibrahim bag gold

ATAR bagged two gold medals ASPIRE Academy product Ibrahim at the World Under-20 Champi- Ibrahim virtually ended virtually ended the men’s discus final Qonships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, as a contest with his very first throw last week. the men’s discus throw even though his next three attempts Abdalelah Haroun warmed up for the final as a contest with ended as fouls. Rio Olympics by winning the 400M with his very first throw. The initial attempt proved good a season’s best effort of 44.81sec while enough for Ibrahim to beat Poland’s Mohammed Ibrahim Moaaz also fin- Oskar Stachnik (62.83) and Belarus’ Hleb ished on top of the podium with his London (45.27) and Botswana’s Karabo Zhuk (61.70). 63.63M effort in discus throw. Sibanda (45.45). “I can’t even describe my feeling,” said Haroun was quick to start off the “It was the first time I had started a Ibrahim, who looks to emulate the suc- blocks and the world indoor silver med- race so fast. I almost killed myself in the cess at the senior level. allist kept his momentum in the home race, but now I’m very happy,” said an “Next year, I’ll surprise you,” added straight to finish ahead of USA’s Wilbert elated Haroun. the 17-year-old. DSP ššAbdalelah Haroun

CUE SPORTS Waleed to spearhead Qatar’s challenge

OP cueist Waleed Majed will spearhead Qatar’s challenge in Waleed is the only Qatari TStage 2 of the 25th World 9-Ball Pool Championship, which begins at cueist to have made it to the Al Arabi Sports Club on Saturday. the round of 16 of the Stage 1, which got under way last WPBA-sanctioned event. Monday, is played on a single elimination, race-to-seven format, and it will decide the 12 qualifiers who will Chinese Taipei’s K Pin Yi is the defend- join the directly-seeded 116 players ing champion of the event, which the in Stage 2. Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation DSP/Vinod Divakaran DSP/Vinod Waleed is the only Qatari to have made (QBSF) is hosting for the seventh straight ššQatar’s Borja Vidal scores against Poland. it to last 16 of the World Pool Billiards year. Association (WPBA) sanctioned event. “All arrangements are in place and HANDBALL He accomplished it at the 2014 edition, we’re using 16 latest model Wiraka tables which the Netherlands’ Niels Feijen won. for the championship. The cream of Other Qatari cueists in the fray for the players are in the fray and we hope the double elimination, race-to-nine Stage competition will help our youngsters Qatar prepare with 2 include Bashar Hussein, Ali Al Obaidly, gain some valuable experience,” said Abdullatif Al Fawal, Ali Abdulhadi and QBSF General Secretary Mohammed wins against Poland Mohammad Saeed. Salem Al Nuami. DSP

ATAR fine-tuned their preparations for the Rio Games in style World Championship Qby beating Poland 24-20 and 29-26 in the international friendlies runners-up Qatar have played at the Qatar Handball Associa- been in good form of tion Hall at Duhail last week. late, posting many wins. World Championship runners-up Qatar have been in good form of late and they had defeated Japan in two Qatar’s pivot Borja Vidal was the friendlies earlier this month. They had standout performer in both matches also won an international tournament while skipper Abdulrazzaq Murad and in Doha in April, beating formidable Zarko Markovic excellently comple- South American teams Argentina and mented him. Brazil. Qatar will now play Tunisia “We’re peaking at the right time. I (Wednesday), Hungarian club side hope we can sustain the momentum Halvard (Thursday) and Asian pow- at the Olympics,” said Qatar coach erhouse Iran (Saturday) before leav- Valero Rivera. ing to Rio on August 1. DSP ššWaleed Majed 28 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 29 Cycling

FIVE KEY MOMENTS

Briton Adam Yates took a rare over the top of the final climb and kilometre to go, I thought I’ve got to opportunity to streak clear and while Nairo Quintana, his expected keep going forward,” said Froome. His steal a few seconds on the seventh main rival, hesitated, Froome bike was broken badly, but not his stage. But his progress was halted adopted an awkward, crouched champion spirit. He simply set off on in stunning fashion as the inflatable position on his bike while pedalling foot until a replacement bike could archway indicating the final kilometre furiously to snatch 23sec from his be proffered. And again, he increased collapsed on him. A fan had main challengers, winning the stage his lead. accidentally dislodged a pin and the and claiming the yellow jersey that arch came crashing down, knocking he would never relinquish. GERAINT’S BICYCLE Yates off his bike and leaving him A rare moment of drama for Froome, with a bloody chin. “I’ve got stitches TAMING THE WIND SKY IS THE LIMIT! in my chin and my legs are sore, but I potentially more penalising than his got pretty lucky,” said Yates. Froome consolidated not only his fall on Ventoux. Froome hit the deck Team Sky’s Chris Froome underlines his status as one of the lead in the race but his growing RUNNING MAN again, this time on a slippery descent reputation as the complete rider as rain fell on the 19th stage. But DARING DESCENT as he broke away alongside world The image that will ensure this Tour again he did not panic, and Geraint strongest riders at the Tour de France with a third title in four years. Arguably the eighth stage was the champion Peter Sagan in the final lingers long in the memory is that Thomas came to his aid, handing one that set the tone for what was 12km of the 11th stage. “All day my of the yellow-shirted and yellow- over his bicycle for Froome to ride the to follow as Froome demonstrated team-mates protected me, right to helmeted Froome running, bike-less, final 25km to the finish, bloodied and become the first rider to retain his title which despite not winning the team a never-before-seen dexterity. The the end of the stage. When I saw to the finish line on the iconic Mont bruised. “I thought straight away I’ve Ventoux. Pandemonium reigned in Julien Pretot since Spaniard Miguel Indurain in 1995. award, had proved they were the strong- renowned time-trialer and climber Sagan go away I thought, ‘I’ve to to change bikes again and get going proved just as agile on a breakneck follow him and maybe together the final kilometre of the 12th stage again. I had no doubts, I looked for American Lance Armstrong won est throughout the Tour. descent to the finish of the stage we can get there’,” said Froome. He as encroaching fans blocked the road my team-mates and friends. (Geraint) seven titles in succession from 1999, “To my team-mates, this is your yel- in Bagneres-de-Luchon. “It was predictably lost the sprint finish to to the finish, forcing a photographer’s Thomas gave me his bike right away. when we went over the top of the Sagan but his mastery of the perilous motorbike to stop short. Richie Porte That’s the race, it goes on and doesn’t but was erased from the winners’ list low jersey too. I wouldn’t be here if it DEFLATEGATE crashed into the back of it, with RITON Chris Froome cemented after admitting to doping. wasn’t for your sacrifice. This is one mountain, I thought, maybe I can crosswinds, helped by faithful stop,” said Froome. He lost a handful With the top contenders watching make a difference. I tried, it was lieutenant Geraint Thomas, allowed Froome and Bauke Mollema following of seconds to fellow rivals but actually his status as one of the greatest Froome dedicated his win to his young special team and I’m proud to be a part each other like hawks and generally incredible as I had never won a stage him to snare another 12 more suit. “I heard on the radio our car was gained time on Mollema, thus again, BTour de France challengers when child before remembering those who of it,” he said. remaining close together, young like that,” said Froome. He attacked seconds. a long way back, there was just a despite adversity, extending his lead. he secured his third title last Sunday died when a man drove a truck through Froom built his success on an impresi- after a three-week rocky ride. a Bastille Day crowd on the seafront at ively strong Team Sky, arguably the big- Germany’s Andre Greipel won the the Riviera city, during the Tour. gest assembled in recent Tour history. 21st and last stage, a 113km ride from “My son, Kellan, I dedicate this vic- Frenchman Romain Bardet finished WHAT THEY SAID Chantilly ending on the Champs Elysees second overall 2:52 behind Froome, who in Paris. had a 4:05 lead going into the last stage. Team Sky rider Froome survived Froome became the Colombian Nairo Quintana, runner- two crashes and even a jog up in 2013 and 2015 who was expected up a mountain road first rider to retain his to push Froome to the limit, ended up to add to his 2013 title since Spaniard a disappointing third, 3:08 off the pace. and 2015 tri- Miguel Indurain in 1995. Pole Rafal Majka won the polka dot umphs and jersey for the mountain classification and his Tinkoff team-mate, Slovakia’s This was by tory to you,” said Froome. world champion Peter Sagan, clinched far the most “This Tour has obviously taken place a fifth green jersey for the points clas- enjoyable Tour against the backdrop of terrible events sification. as a team. It’s in Nice and we pay tribute to those Sagan, who won three stages, was been a great who have lost their lives. also voted the most aggressive rider three weeks “These events put sport into per- while Adam Yates showed Britain was and we’ll come spective, but it also shows the value of full of resources, ending up fourth over- back to do it all over again next sport to free society,” he added. all and winning the white jersey for the year. And he also praised his Sky outfit best Under-25 rider. Dave Brailsford, Team Sky Manager.

HONOURS I just can’t YELLOW GREEN POINTS POLKADOT WHITE YOUNG YELLOW TEAM describe it. Froome confident of JERSEY JERSEY MOUNTAINS RIDERS JERSEY HELMETS 3,535 I’m just super JERSEY kilometres is the proud of total distance what we’ve emulating Wiggins achieved. Let’s say you’ve ups STAGE WINNERS 1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) and downs during a Grand O SOONER had Chris Froome But should he add Olympic time- 2. Peter Sagan (SVK) Tour. The team kept believing wrapped up a third Tour de trial gold, as Wiggins did, to his three Chris Froome (GBR) Peter Sagan (SVK) Rafal Majka (POL) Adam Yates (GBR) Movistar (ESP) 3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) in me. NFrance on the road covering Tour titles, he would have a strong argu- Team Sky Tinkoff-Saxo Tinkoff-Saxo Orica-Bike 4. Mark Cavendish (GBR) 3,500km, than his thoughts turned to ment to be considered the better of the Exchange 5. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) Andre Greipel, final stage winner. Olympic gold. two and Britain’s greatest cyclist of all. 6. Mark Cavendish (GBR) 7. Steve Cummings (GBR) Four years ago, when Froome was And now Rio is what dominates his STANDINGS ROLL OF HONOUR 8. Chris Froome (GBR) a super-domestique at Team Sky, his thoughts. RIDERS Last 10 winners 9. Tom Dumoulin (NED) It has been an team leader Bradley Wiggins followed “Yes, I’m hoping to do the time- 1. Chris Froome (GBR/Sky) 89hr 4min 48sec 2016 Chris Froome (GBR) 10. Michael Matthews (AUS) incredible few up Tour glory with Olympic success. trial at the Rio Olympics. I think it’s a 2. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) at 4:05 2015 Chris Froome (GBR) 11. Peter Sagan (SVK) 2014 Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) 12. Thomas De Gendt (BEL) weeks. The Wiggins went on to be recognised course that suits me well, with almost 3. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) 4:21 4. Adam Yates (GBR/ORI) 4:42 2013 Chris Froome (GBR) 13. Tom Dumoulin (NED) strength of in his home country as the Sportsman 1,000M of climbing and almost 60km in 14. Mark Cavendish (GBR) 5. Richie Porte (AUS/BMC) 5:17 2012 Bradley Wiggins (GBR) the team was 15. Jarlinson Pantano (COL) of the Year. length,” said the 31-year-old Kenyan- TEAMS 2011 Cadel Evans (AUS) phenomenal, Froome, whom many believe could born athlete. 1. Movistar 267hr 20min 45sec 2010 Andy Schleck (LUX) 16. Peter Sagan (SVK) 17. Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) we had five have won that 2012 Tour had he not “It’s going to be an extremely tough 2. Sky at 8:14 2009 Alberto Contador (ESP) 3. BMC 48:11 2008 Carlos Sastre (ESP) 18. Chris Froome (GBR) climbers. But there were no been riding for, rather than against, event. I took bronze at the last Olympics 4. AG2R La Mondiale 56:50 2007 Alberto Contador (ESP) 19. Romain Bardet (FRA) egos and everything was all Wiggins, has never enjoyed the same in London. It would be absolutely incred- 5. Astana 1:16:58 (Note: in 2010 Schleck awarded victory after Contador 20. Jon Izagirre (ESP) about Froome. şşChris place in the British fans’ affections as ible to win a medal again this year,” stripped of win for doping) 21. Andre Greipel (GER) Froome his maverick compatriot. he added. Peter Sagan, Green jersey winner. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 29

FIVE KEY MOMENTS

WHAT THEY SAID

This was by far the most enjoyable Tour as a team. It’s been a great three weeks and we’ll come back to do it all over again next year. Dave Brailsford, Team Sky Manager.

HONOURS I just can’t YELLOW GREEN POINTS POLKADOT WHITE YOUNG YELLOW TEAM describe it. JERSEY JERSEY MOUNTAINS RIDERS JERSEY HELMETS 3,535 I’m just super JERSEY kilometres is the proud of total distance what we’ve achieved. Let’s say you’ve ups STAGE WINNERS 1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) and downs during a Grand 2. Peter Sagan (SVK) Tour. The team kept believing Chris Froome (GBR) Peter Sagan (SVK) Rafal Majka (POL) Adam Yates (GBR) Movistar (ESP) 3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) in me. Team Sky Tinkoff-Saxo Tinkoff-Saxo Orica-Bike 4. Mark Cavendish (GBR) Exchange 5. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) Andre Greipel, final stage winner. 6. Mark Cavendish (GBR) 7. Steve Cummings (GBR) STANDINGS ROLL OF HONOUR 8. Chris Froome (GBR) RIDERS Last 10 winners 9. Tom Dumoulin (NED) It has been an 1. Chris Froome (GBR/Sky) 89hr 4min 48sec 2016 Chris Froome (GBR) 10. Michael Matthews (AUS) incredible few 2. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) at 4:05 2015 Chris Froome (GBR) 11. Peter Sagan (SVK) 3. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) 4:21 2014 Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) 12. Thomas De Gendt (BEL) weeks. The 4. Adam Yates (GBR/ORI) 4:42 2013 Chris Froome (GBR) 13. Tom Dumoulin (NED) strength of 5. Richie Porte (AUS/BMC) 5:17 2012 Bradley Wiggins (GBR) 14. Mark Cavendish (GBR) the team was 15. Jarlinson Pantano (COL) TEAMS 2011 Cadel Evans (AUS) phenomenal, 1. Movistar 267hr 20min 45sec 2010 Andy Schleck (LUX) 16. Peter Sagan (SVK) 2. Sky at 8:14 2009 Alberto Contador (ESP) 17. Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) we had five 3. BMC 48:11 2008 Carlos Sastre (ESP) 18. Chris Froome (GBR) climbers. But there were no 4. AG2R La Mondiale 56:50 2007 Alberto Contador (ESP) 19. Romain Bardet (FRA) egos and everything was all 5. Astana 1:16:58 (Note: in 2010 Schleck awarded victory after Contador 20. Jon Izagirre (ESP) stripped of win for doping) 21. Andre Greipel (GER) about Froome. Peter Sagan, Green jersey winner. 30 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 31

England beat Pakistan by 330 runs to win the second England draw Test at Old Trafford and level the four-match series 1-1. Pakistan, set a mammoth 565 to win, were bowled out for level with 234 in their second innings with a day left in the match. Joe Root, who made a Test-best 254 in England’s first At a glance Pakistan innings, was adjudged the man of the match.

MOTORSPORT CRICKET Ashwin leaves Windies in a spin

NDIA’S captain Virat Kohli lauded a “It was a complete performance. We’re complete performance by his team India can take heart very happy with the way we executed Iafter they thrashed West Indies by an our plan,” said Kohli, who played no innings and 92 runs inside four days in from the way their small part in the victory with his first the first Test in Antigua. five-pronged bowling career double century. SHIFTING GEARS! Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin col- attack rattled the rivals. lected seven for 83 in the second innings as the home team collapsed to 231 all BRIEF SCORES Lewis Hamilton seizes championship lead India 566 for eight declared (Virat Kohli 200, out after being forced to follow-on. India ensured they would not lose Ravichandran Ashwin 113, Shikhar Dhawan 84, Amit “I got a good long spell. Rhythm is with a first-innings total of 566 for eight Mishra 53) beat West Indies 243 (Kraig Brathwaite from Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg after 74, Shane Dowrich 57 not out; Umesh Yadav 4-41, the most important thing for me,” said declared and they will take greater heart Mohammed Shami 4-66) and 231 (Marlon Samuels his win in the Hungarian Grand Prix. man-of-the-match Ashwin, who had from the way their balanced five-pronged 50, Carlos Brathwaite 51 not out; Ravichandran ššRavichandran Ashwin celebrates the win with team-mates. scored a century in India’s first innings. bowling attack rattled the opposition. Ashwin 7-83) by an innings and 92 runs.

RIPLE Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the THungarian Grand Prix last Sun- TENNIS GOLF day to seize the championship lead from team-mate Nico Rosberg for the Valourous Vegas first time this season. Monfils survives Karlovic scare The Briton took the chequered flag redeems himself less than 2sec ahead of the German, who had lined up on pole position at the AEL Monfils ended a two- at Canadian Open Hungaroring but lost out to Hamilton at and-a half-year title drought the start in the key moment of the race. Gby overcoming Ivo Karlovic ENEZUELAN Jhonattan Vegas Hamilton, who has now won in ššLewis Hamilton 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in the Citi Open in closed with three straight bird- Hungary a record five times, leads Washington. Vies for a one-stroke win at the Rosberg by six points after 11 of the The win was Monfils’ first since Canadian Open, earning redemption season’s 21 races. The Briton has won in Hungary, finished fourth after sound- February, 2014, in Montpellier, France, after a nightmarish finish in his previ- five of the last six races, including the ing off over the team radio about slower and came at a place where two of the ous event. last three. cars holding him up as he lapped them. players he looked up to — Yannick Noah Vegas, who blew a six-shot halfway “The start was everything. This is a Red Bull’s Max Verstappen held off and Arthur Ashe — had won before him. lead at the Barbasol Championship great result for the team,” said Hamilton, Ferrari’s feisty Kimi Raikkonen for “I grew up with those names. Definitely recently, closed in style this time with for whom it was the 48th of his career fifth. The Finn had started 14th but to have my name next to them, it’s price- an eight-under-par 64. and fifth of the season. a long first stint saw him challenging less. It meant a lot for me. I’m very happy He finished at 12-under 276 to edge Till the latest win, he had shared the Dutchman. and proud,” said Monfils. Spanish Tour rookie Jon Rahm (67), the record for Hungary GP victories The next race is in Germany on July 31. Karlovic, a winner at the recent Scot Martin Laird (67) and US Open with seven-time champion Michael Hall of Fame Tennis Championships ššGael Monfils returns to Ivo Karlovic during the final. champion Dustin Johnson (69). Schumacher. RESULTS in Newport, came close to becoming The 31-year-old recorded his second “I grew up watching Michael so to 1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1:40:3 the oldest man to win back-to-back ATP PGA Tour victory, his previous success have a similar number, and now one 2. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes at 1.9sec singles tournaments since 43-year-old claimed his fourth ATP title by seeing claimed his first clay-court title with a coming in the Bob Hope Classic in 2011. more than he had here, is incredible,” 3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Red Bull 27.5 Ken Rosewall in 1973. off Slovakia’s Andrej Martin 6-4, 6-1 in 6-4, 7-5 victory over Dutchman Robin His victory earned him a last-minute 4. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Ferrari 28.2 said Hamilton. He was serving for the match while the Croatia Open in Umag. Haase in the Swiss Open in Gstaad. spot in the final major of the year, the 5. Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull 48.6 Australian Daniel Ricciardo fin- leading 5-4 in the second set, but Monfils Fourth seed Fognini, 29, took the Top seed Lopez, who finished runner- PGA Championship starting at Baltusrol ished third for Red Bull after pushing STANDINGS broke and prevailed in the tie-break. opening set with a break in game 10, up in Switzerland 10 years ago, broke in New Jersey on Thursday. the Mercedes pair hard enough at one DRIVERS CONSTRUCTORS The break was the first time Karlovic before easing through the second by Haase’s serve in the fifth game as he Brandt Snedeker, the 2013 winner, 1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 192 1. Mercedes 378 point for the champions to tell Hamilton 2. Nico Rosberg (GER) 186 2. Ferrari 224 failed to hold serve on 54 occasions in a double break to take the victory in took the opening set and then fought managed only a 71 to finish in a tie to pick up the pace. 3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 115 3. Red Bull 223 the tournament. just 70 minutes. back from 0-3 down in the second to for fifth at 10-under with German Alex Ferrari’s four-time world champion 4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) 114 4. Williams 94 Meanwhile, Italian Fabio Fognini Elsewhere, Spain’s Feliciano Lopez wrap up a fifth ATP Tour title. Cejka (69), American Ricky Barnes (68) Sebastian Vettel, also a previous winner 5. Sebastian Vettel (GER) 110 5. Force India 74 ššThe chequered flag is being waved as Lewis Hamilton crosses the finishing line. and Steve Wheatcroft (69). Meanwhile, Cristie Kerr birdied the par-5 16th hole to give the United States the title-clinching victory at the LPGA ATHLETICS Konta eclipses Venus International Crown team matches, edging South Korea by a point. The Americans captured the tro- Farah steals the show in London for her first WTA title phy with 13 points oto 12 for South Korea and 11 each for England and Taiwan. O FARAH returned to the scene 12.59.29, the fastest time in the world Earlier champion sprinter Usain Bolt REAT Britain’s Johanna Konta But Venus, seeking her 50th career of his 2012 Olympic glory and this year. delivered on his top billing by winning captured her first WTA title, title, won six of the next seven games Mcompleted his preparations for Fellow Briton Andrew Butchart out- the men’s 200M in 19.89sec. Gbeating former world No.1 Venus to knot the match at a set apiece. the defence of his distance double in kicked veteran American Bernard Lagat American sprint hurdler Kendra Williams 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 at the Bank of Konta, who fired 12 aces to three from Rio with a crushing sub-13min victory for second place but they were effec- Harrison broke a 28-year-old 100M West Classic hard-court tournament Venus, did not let the seven-time Grand in the 5,000M at the London Diamond tively in a separate race, coming in hurdles world record. in Stanford, California. Slam champion’s resurgence rattle her. League meeting last week. 15sec behind. The clock initially showed a modest Konta, seeded third, appeared on Meanwhile, Germany’s Laura ŠšJhonattan The Briton was never threatened in a Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers, was 12.58sec. However, it was corrected her way to an emphatic victory in her Siegemund clinched her first WTA Vegas celebrational procession, running solo relaxed as she won the 200M in 22.13sec. to 12.20, one hundredth of a second first career final after racing to a 4-1 title at the Swedish Open in Bastad for the second half of the race and put- In the 100M Marie-Josee Ta Lou of faster than the mark set by Bulgaria’s lead with two breaks of serve in the after defeating Katerina Siniakova of ššMo Farah ting in a late burst to cross the line in Ivory Coast was the surprise winner. Yordanka Donkova in 1988. ššJohanna Konta second set. the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-1 in the final. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 31

England beat Pakistan by 330 runs to win the second England draw Test at Old Trafford and level the four-match series 1-1. Pakistan, set a mammoth 565 to win, were bowled out for level with 234 in their second innings with a day left in the match. Joe Root, who made a Test-best 254 in England’s first Pakistan innings, was adjudged the man of the match.

CRICKET Ashwin leaves Windies in a spin

NDIA’S captain Virat Kohli lauded a “It was a complete performance. We’re complete performance by his team India can take heart very happy with the way we executed Iafter they thrashed West Indies by an our plan,” said Kohli, who played no innings and 92 runs inside four days in from the way their small part in the victory with his first the first Test in Antigua. five-pronged bowling career double century. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin col- attack rattled the rivals. lected seven for 83 in the second innings as the home team collapsed to 231 all BRIEF SCORES India 566 for eight declared (Virat Kohli 200, out after being forced to follow-on. India ensured they would not lose Ravichandran Ashwin 113, Shikhar Dhawan 84, Amit “I got a good long spell. Rhythm is with a first-innings total of 566 for eight Mishra 53) beat West Indies 243 (Kraig Brathwaite 74, Shane Dowrich 57 not out; Umesh Yadav 4-41, the most important thing for me,” said declared and they will take greater heart Mohammed Shami 4-66) and 231 (Marlon Samuels man-of-the-match Ashwin, who had from the way their balanced five-pronged 50, Carlos Brathwaite 51 not out; Ravichandran ššRavichandran Ashwin celebrates the win with team-mates. scored a century in India’s first innings. bowling attack rattled the opposition. Ashwin 7-83) by an innings and 92 runs.

TENNIS GOLF Monfils survives Karlovic scare Valourous Vegas redeems himself

AEL Monfils ended a two- at Canadian Open and-a half-year title drought Gby overcoming Ivo Karlovic ENEZUELAN Jhonattan Vegas 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in the Citi Open in closed with three straight bird- Washington. Vies for a one-stroke win at the The win was Monfils’ first since Canadian Open, earning redemption February, 2014, in Montpellier, France, after a nightmarish finish in his previ- and came at a place where two of the ous event. players he looked up to — Yannick Noah Vegas, who blew a six-shot halfway and Arthur Ashe — had won before him. lead at the Barbasol Championship “I grew up with those names. Definitely recently, closed in style this time with to have my name next to them, it’s price- an eight-under-par 64. less. It meant a lot for me. I’m very happy He finished at 12-under 276 to edge and proud,” said Monfils. Spanish Tour rookie Jon Rahm (67), Karlovic, a winner at the recent Scot Martin Laird (67) and US Open Hall of Fame Tennis Championships ššGael Monfils returns to Ivo Karlovic during the final. champion Dustin Johnson (69). in Newport, came close to becoming The 31-year-old recorded his second the oldest man to win back-to-back ATP PGA Tour victory, his previous success singles tournaments since 43-year-old claimed his fourth ATP title by seeing claimed his first clay-court title with a coming in the Bob Hope Classic in 2011. Ken Rosewall in 1973. off Slovakia’s Andrej Martin 6-4, 6-1 in 6-4, 7-5 victory over Dutchman Robin His victory earned him a last-minute He was serving for the match while the Croatia Open in Umag. Haase in the Swiss Open in Gstaad. spot in the final major of the year, the leading 5-4 in the second set, but Monfils Fourth seed Fognini, 29, took the Top seed Lopez, who finished runner- PGA Championship starting at Baltusrol broke and prevailed in the tie-break. opening set with a break in game 10, up in Switzerland 10 years ago, broke in New Jersey on Thursday. The break was the first time Karlovic before easing through the second by Haase’s serve in the fifth game as he Brandt Snedeker, the 2013 winner, failed to hold serve on 54 occasions in a double break to take the victory in took the opening set and then fought managed only a 71 to finish in a tie the tournament. just 70 minutes. back from 0-3 down in the second to for fifth at 10-under with German Alex Meanwhile, Italian Fabio Fognini Elsewhere, Spain’s Feliciano Lopez wrap up a fifth ATP Tour title. Cejka (69), American Ricky Barnes (68) ššThe chequered flag is being waved as Lewis Hamilton crosses the finishing line. and Steve Wheatcroft (69). Meanwhile, Cristie Kerr birdied the par-5 16th hole to give the United States the title-clinching victory at the LPGA Konta eclipses Venus International Crown team matches, edging South Korea by a point. The Americans captured the tro- for her first WTA title phy with 13 points oto 12 for South Korea and 11 each for England and Taiwan. REAT Britain’s Johanna Konta But Venus, seeking her 50th career captured her first WTA title, title, won six of the next seven games Gbeating former world No.1 Venus to knot the match at a set apiece. Williams 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 at the Bank of Konta, who fired 12 aces to three from West Classic hard-court tournament Venus, did not let the seven-time Grand in Stanford, California. Slam champion’s resurgence rattle her. Konta, seeded third, appeared on Meanwhile, Germany’s Laura ŠšJhonattan her way to an emphatic victory in her Siegemund clinched her first WTA Vegas first career final after racing to a 4-1 title at the Swedish Open in Bastad lead with two breaks of serve in the after defeating Katerina Siniakova of ššJohanna Konta second set. the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-1 in the final. 32 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 33 Movers&Shakers Kaleidoscope Cilic and Ivanisevic part ways after three years HUGE CREDIT

ORLD No.12 Marin Cilic ššCristiano Ronaldo GOES TO VISA! has split with coach Goran WIvanisevic after three years. “I’m no longer working with my coach Ronaldo’s CR7 to ĈĈThe payment network is judo and athletics, and march with Goran Ivanisevic,” said Cilic, who won set to sponsor refugee the Olympic flag just before host Total support for the 2014 US Open under the former tickle taste buds team at Rio Olympics Brazil at the Opening Ceremony on Wimbledon champion. August 5. African football ššAndre Gomes The pair last worked together at EAL Madrid star Cristiano Ron- ISA Inc, operator of the The team includes five athletes Wimbledon, where Cilic surrendered aldo inaugurated his own hotel world’s largest payments from South Sudan, two from Syria, FRICAN football’s top club a two-set lead to lose to Roger Federer R‘CR7’ in Madeira after his initials V network, said it had signed two from Democratic Republic of and national team compe- Barcelona swoop in the quarterfinal. and shirt number while the airport in sponsorship deals with all 10 mem- Congo and one from Ethiopia. All A titions are to be sponsored “We started to work together in his home island was renamed in his Twitter all set for bers of the International Olympic are required to have official refu- by French oil and gas company Valencia’s Gomes September, 2013, and had a lot of suc- honour. Committee’s (IOC) refugee team, gee status, according to the United Total, the Confederation of African cess during that period, especially win- Just weeks after leading Portugal to the bigger reach essentially becoming their first cor- Nations. Football (CAF) announced last week. ARCELONA have swooped for ning the US Open in 2014. It was a huge Euro 2016 title in France, the national porate sponsor. VISA’s chief marketing innovation CAF said Total would take over Portugal international Andre privilege to work with Goran, I enjoyed team skipper appeared on a terrace of with NBA deal The IOC introduced its inaugu- and brand officer Chris Curtin said from mobile phone company BGomes of Valencia. our work all this time and he helped the red-coloured building overlooking ral refugee team in June to draw sponsoring refugee athletes ties into Orange as headline sponsor of its The 22-year-old attacking midfielder me to reach many goals. the sea, wearing a white baseball cap. WITTER and the National global attention to the plight of refu- the concept of acceptance that is 10 competitions for the next eight had been linked with Real Madrid and “Unfortunately, the road we were Meanwhile, the president of the Basketball Association (NBA) gees. The athletes (six men and four one of the creative threads behind years, starting with the Africa Cup of Manchester United after impressing sharing on this journey is separating Madeira region, Miguel Albuquerque, T announced a deal to stream women) will compete in swimming, the company’s Olympic campaign. Nations in Gabon in January. in his two seasons at Valencia, having and I wish only the best for Goran in confirmed that the local airport would live content, but not games, to users The value of the sponsorship joined them from Benfica. the future,” added Cilic. ššMarin Cilic be named in Ronaldo’s honour. of the social media platform. deal was not disclosed, but CAF “Agreement with Valencia for Andre The deal will deliver a weekly NBA said it hoped to provide impetus to Gomes. The player will both sign and be pre-game show with first-of-its-kind develop football on the continent. presented as a new player next week,” elements created specifically for “This partnership is a major mile- the Catalan club tweeted. integration with Twitter conversa- stone in our ongoing search for Barcelona have not revealed any more Dortmund rope in Goetze and Schuerrle tion. additional resources to accelerate details about the transfer, but Marca “The weekly pre-game show will African football’s development, bring reported that Gomes will sign a five- be featured exclusively on Twitter its governance up to date, upgrade year deal and join the Spanish cham- IDFIELDER Mario Goetze Manchester City. for logged-in and logged-out users. its sports infrastructure and advance pions for $55.12m. has rejoined his boyhood Goetze had also scored Germany’s Ahead of the 2016-17 season, the its performance globally,” said CAF Gomes, under contract with Valencia Mclub Borussia Dortmund on winning goal against Argentina in the NBA will announce an additional President Issa Hayatou. until June 2020, started 27 league games a four-year deal from Bayern Munich. 2014 World Cup final in Brazil. to-be-determined show that’ll also for the club in the 2015-16 campaign. The 24-year-old won two Bundesliga Meanwhile, Dortmund have also stream exclusively on Twitter,” said a A Euro 2016 champion with Portugal, titles with Dortmund before joining signed VfL Wolfsburg forward Andre joint statement by the two parties. Gomes will become Barca’s fourth sign- Bayern in 2013, but failed to nail down Schuerrle on a five-year contract. The deal adds to the live sports ing this summer following the arrivals a starting place in three seasons under The 25-year-old Germany inter- content on Twitter as it seeks to Ferrari to sport Ray-Ban! of Samuel Umtiti, Denis Suarez and coach Pep Guardiola, who has since national had joined Wolfsburg from expand its audience beyond a core Lucas Digne. ššMario Goetze, left, and Andre Schuerrle joined English Premier League side Chelsea in February, 2015. base of celebrities, politicians and journalists. ASHION major Luxottica Group, With this sponsorship, the Ferrari Financial terms of the deal were the owner of iconic sunglasses racing red and the Ray-Ban red not disclosed. F brand Ray-Ban, has entered merge into one single colour. Earlier this year, Twitter had struck into a sponsorship agreement with “We’re honoured to become part a deal with the National Football Ferrari. of the Ferrari family — a brand that Zimbabwe have appointed The Nigerian Football federation Southampton striker Shane League to stream Thursday night As per the deal, the logo of world’s embodies the same characteristics Graeme Cremer as captain of (NFF) has confirmed the Long has signed a new four-year American football games, and most popular eyewear brand Ray- that give Ray-Ban its iconic status,” a 16-man squad for the two- permanent appointment of contract that will keep him at St Test cricket series against New caretaker coach Salisu Yusuf to Mary’s until 2020. The 29-year- also streamed content from the Ban will appear on SF16-H Ferrari’s said Luxottica Group’s Executive Zealand beginning on Thursday. the senior team, but have been old, who joined Southampton Wimbledon tennis tournament. Formula One car livery. Chairman Leonardo Del Vecchio. The 29-year-old spinner replaced forced to backtrack over their from Hull City in 2014, did well Brendan Taylor in the role for announcement of Frenchman for the side last season, scoring Zimbabwe’s first Test since Paul le Guen as technical 13 goals in all competitions and they lost three matches in advisor. The NFF has asked its helping them qualify for the Bangladesh in late 2014. It will be development committee to come Europa League. Long also played the first Test at Bulawayo since up with a name for the post of all four games of Ireland’s New BMW models arrive November, 2011. technical advisor soon. Euro 2016 campaign.

LFARDAN Automobiles wel- of the BMW M3. The new model comed the BMW M4 GTS combines powerful, motor sports- National Basketball Association’s South Korean Turkish weightlifter Park and BMW M2 models to inspired looks with high-per- two-time Most Valuable Player In-Bee would not Sibel Ozkan has A Qatar recently. formance technology to further Stephen Curry pulled out of defend her Women’s been stripped of the Olympic the Rio Olympics, due to the British Open golf title because of silver medal she won in Beijing Bringing motor racing genes enhance the capabilities and appeal injury he suffered during the a nagging left thumb injury. The in 2008 after testing positive for wrapped in an exciting design and of the BMW M4. play-offs. the American’s plans 27-year-old has been dogged by a banned substance in a doping coupled with unlimited usability, the Joining it is the BMW M2 Coupe — were derailed when he sprained the injury all season and has not test conducted eight years later. models offer a combination that has the model that made its Middle East the medial collateral ligament played on the LPGA Tour since The 28-year-old was caught defined the character of the M auto- debut at the Qatar Motor Show. in his right knee, an ailment missing the cut at the Women’s after the International Olympic mobiles from the start. It continues the tradition of the he worked through but many PGA Championship. She is now Committee ordered samples believe he could never truly focusing on representing her from Beijing and 2012 London The BMW M4 GTS is a special edi- compact high-performance BMW recover from. country in Rio Olympics. Games to be re-tested. tion limited to 700 units to com- sports cars that started over 40 years memorate the 30th anniversary ago with the BMW 2002 turbo. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 33 Kaleidoscope HUGE CREDIT GOES TO VISA!

ĈĈThe payment network is judo and athletics, and march with set to sponsor refugee the Olympic flag just before host Total support for team at Rio Olympics Brazil at the Opening Ceremony on August 5. African football ISA Inc, operator of the The team includes five athletes world’s largest payments from South Sudan, two from Syria, FRICAN football’s top club V network, said it had signed two from Democratic Republic of and national team compe- sponsorship deals with all 10 mem- Congo and one from Ethiopia. All A titions are to be sponsored bers of the International Olympic are required to have official refu- by French oil and gas company Twitter all set for Committee’s (IOC) refugee team, gee status, according to the United Total, the Confederation of African bigger reach essentially becoming their first cor- Nations. Football (CAF) announced last week. porate sponsor. VISA’s chief marketing innovation CAF said Total would take over with NBA deal The IOC introduced its inaugu- and brand officer Chris Curtin said from mobile phone company ral refugee team in June to draw sponsoring refugee athletes ties into Orange as headline sponsor of its WITTER and the National global attention to the plight of refu- the concept of acceptance that is 10 competitions for the next eight Basketball Association (NBA) gees. The athletes (six men and four one of the creative threads behind years, starting with the Africa Cup of T announced a deal to stream women) will compete in swimming, the company’s Olympic campaign. Nations in Gabon in January. live content, but not games, to users The value of the sponsorship of the social media platform. deal was not disclosed, but CAF The deal will deliver a weekly NBA said it hoped to provide impetus to pre-game show with first-of-its-kind develop football on the continent. elements created specifically for “This partnership is a major mile- integration with Twitter conversa- stone in our ongoing search for tion. additional resources to accelerate “The weekly pre-game show will African football’s development, bring be featured exclusively on Twitter its governance up to date, upgrade for logged-in and logged-out users. its sports infrastructure and advance Ahead of the 2016-17 season, the its performance globally,” said CAF NBA will announce an additional President Issa Hayatou. to-be-determined show that’ll also stream exclusively on Twitter,” said a joint statement by the two parties. The deal adds to the live sports content on Twitter as it seeks to Ferrari to sport Ray-Ban! expand its audience beyond a core base of celebrities, politicians and journalists. ASHION major Luxottica Group, With this sponsorship, the Ferrari Financial terms of the deal were the owner of iconic sunglasses racing red and the Ray-Ban red not disclosed. F brand Ray-Ban, has entered merge into one single colour. Earlier this year, Twitter had struck into a sponsorship agreement with “We’re honoured to become part a deal with the National Football Ferrari. of the Ferrari family — a brand that League to stream Thursday night As per the deal, the logo of world’s embodies the same characteristics American football games, and most popular eyewear brand Ray- that give Ray-Ban its iconic status,” also streamed content from the Ban will appear on SF16-H Ferrari’s said Luxottica Group’s Executive Wimbledon tennis tournament. Formula One car livery. Chairman Leonardo Del Vecchio.

New BMW models arrive

LFARDAN Automobiles wel- of the BMW M3. The new model comed the BMW M4 GTS combines powerful, motor sports- A and BMW M2 models to inspired looks with high-per- Qatar recently. formance technology to further Bringing motor racing genes enhance the capabilities and appeal wrapped in an exciting design and of the BMW M4. coupled with unlimited usability, the Joining it is the BMW M2 Coupe — models offer a combination that has the model that made its Middle East defined the character of the M auto- debut at the Qatar Motor Show. mobiles from the start. It continues the tradition of the The BMW M4 GTS is a special edi- compact high-performance BMW tion limited to 700 units to com- sports cars that started over 40 years memorate the 30th anniversary ago with the BMW 2002 turbo. 34 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 35

Spot shots Ĉ HANDBALL — QATAR VS POLAND DSP/ Vinod Divakaran DSP/ Vinod www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 35

Ĉ HANDBALL — QATAR VS POLAND DSP/ Vinod Divakaran DSP/ Vinod 36 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 37

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SPORT THIS WEEK TOP TWEETS BLAST FROM THE PAST INSTAGLOW

Ĉ QATAR ENGLAND waynerooney 4d 1966 Win FIFA World Cup at home WEDNESDAY, JULY 27 THURSDAY, JULY 28

CUE SPORTS HANDBALL World 9-Ball Pool Qatar vs Halvard club, friendly, Championship, 12noon at 9.30pm at Qatar Handball Al Arabi Sports Club (till Association Hall. August 5). SATURDAY, JULY 30 HANDBALL HANDBALL Qatar vs Tunisia, international friendly, 3pm at Qatar Qatar vs Iran international Handball Association Hall. friendly, 9.30pm at Qatar Handball Association Hall. India’s first victory by an innings in the Caribbean, and their biggest one outside Asia, was aided by skipper Virat Kohli’s maiden double ton and an all-round performance by Ravichandran Ashwin, who scored Stallions off to a winning a century and took seven wickets. 120k likes Ashwin’s effort also saw him replace waynerooney #Repost @waynerooneyfoundation Wayne Pakistan’s Yasir Shah atop the Test doing some work with the NSPCC. Learn more about bowling rankings. Twitter world was our partnership here: waynerooney.com/foundation start on England tour abuzz with encomiums applauding the Indian duo. f1 1d Doha-based Stallions Cricket Stallions restricted the hosts to During their fortnight-long Academy began their summer 72 for eight. Skipper Akash Bose, tour, Stallions will play against tour of England on a winning note, Navjot Saroa, Kalith Amarasinghe clubs sides as well as schools and Sachin Tendulkar with their Under-14 team beating and Pratham Mittal took two academy teams. @sachin_rt Lincolnshire-based Outcasts wickets apiece for the visitors, who Indica Amarasinghe sent the Congrats to @imVkohli led Cricket Academy by four wickets. won with nine balls to spare. details and photograph. #TeamIndia on a wonderful win. Great performance @ashwinravi99 Ĉ &wonderful debut for @ INTERNATIONAL anilkumble1074. Keep it up!

KP WEDNESDAY, JULY 27 GOLF Al Naimi attends CMAE programme @KP24 EPGA and USPGA at PGA CRICKET Clinic by @imVkohli at the moment! Championship; LPGA at Sri Lanka vs Australia, 1st Test Women’s British Open (till The best in the game at the Qatar International Golf Club’s Deputy at Pallekele (till Saturday). Sunday). moment with AB! When he bats, I General Manager Mohammed Al Naimi FRIDAY, JULY 29 have to watch! was among the four GCC nationals NGLAND used home advantage well and, under manager Alf who took part in the Club Managers MOTORSPORT Wisden India Ramsey, won their only FIFA World Cup on July 30, 1966, by Association of Europe’s (CMAE) Rally of Finland (till Sunday). @WisdenIndia Edefeating West Germany 4-2 in extra time in the final. For Kohli, the pitch was ultra placid. Management Development Programme. SATURDAY, JULY 30 7 3 Geoff5 Hurst, who became the first player to score a hat-trick in a The programme was aimed at For the rest, it was anything but a final, levelled the scores in 18th minute after West Germany went up educating delegates on standardising CRICKET belter. #WIvIND 6 5 4 2 through7 Helmut Haller in the 12th. The hosts then took lead, courtesy best practices in golf clubs across the West Indies vs India, 2nd Test 8 6 of Martin Peters in the 78th, but Wolfgang Weber equalised a minute 50.8k likes world. The competencies emphasised at Kingston (till August 3). Mithun Manhas before the end. f1 Dab: alternative angle #F1 #Formula1 included governance, strategy and @Iammithunmanhas 5 2 #LewisHamilton #HungarianGP #Mercedes #Hamilton leadership, risk management and SUNDAY, JULY 31 What a performance @ashwinravi99 In the 101st, Hurst’s shot hit underneath the crossbar and ricocheted facilities management. The CMAE course !! Way to go. 17 five wkts haul in 33 1 as9 England were awarded a goal, which is being debated even today. chrisfroome 1d was attended by 34 delegates from Asia tests..... Keep going. 9 Hurst struck7 again in the final minute to complete his hat-trick. and Europe. FOOTBALL Chris Brookman sent the details and Champions League, 3rd 3 2 photograph. qualifying round, 1st leg. 4 8 1 5 9 HORSERACING Glorious Goodwood (ends 6 7 4 July 30) SUDOKU-535 TENNIS 7 3 5 ATP at Toronto Masters; WTA at Montreal (till Sunday). Sudoku is a number- 6 5 4 2 7 Ђ THURSDAY, JULY 28 ЂWhich player knocked defending cham- placing puzzle Solution-534 pion and world No.1 Novak Djokovic out of the CRICKET based on a 9x9 recent Wimbledon Tennis Championships? 8 6 Zimbabwe vs New Zealand, 1st grid with several 8 4 3 2 6 5 1 9 7 Test at Bulawayo, (till Monday). MOTORSPORT given numbers. 5 2 German Formula One Grand The object is to 2 6 5 7 9 1 8 3 4 Prix place the numbers Name MONDAY, AUGUST 1 1 to 9 in the empty 9 1 7 4 3 8 2 5 6 1 9 squares so that each SEND YOUR ANSWER TO TENNIS 1 9 2 8 5 7 4 6 3 row, each column 9 7 [email protected] Phone No ATP at Atlanta; WTA at and each 3x3 box 4 5 8 3 2 6 7 1 9 Florianapolis and Nanchang contains the same (till August 7). and be the lucky winner to get number only once. 3 7 6 9 1 4 5 8 2 3 2 e-mail TUESDAY, AUGUST 2 61.6k likes three months’ subscription of 5 8 9 6 7 2 3 4 1 4 8 1 5 9 chrisfroome Best day ever!! #TDF2016 DSP magazine for free. FOOTBALL 7 3 1 5 4 9 6 2 8 Champions League third qualifying round, 2nd leg. 6 2 4 1 8 3 9 7 5 6 7 4

8 4 3 2 6 5 1 9 7 2 6 5 7 9 1 8 3 4 9 1 7 4 3 8 2 5 6 1 9 2 8 5 7 4 6 3 4 5 8 3 2 6 7 1 9 3 7 6 9 1 4 5 8 2 5 8 9 6 7 2 3 4 1 7 3 1 5 4 9 6 2 8 6 2 4 1 8 3 9 7 5 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | Wednesday, July 27, 2016 37

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SPORT THIS WEEK TOP TWEETS BLAST FROM THE PAST INSTAGLOW

ENGLAND waynerooney 4d 1966 Win FIFA World Cup at home

India’s first victory by an innings in the Caribbean, and their biggest one outside Asia, was aided by skipper Virat Kohli’s maiden double ton and an all-round performance by Ravichandran Ashwin, who scored a century and took seven wickets. 120k likes Ashwin’s effort also saw him replace waynerooney #Repost @waynerooneyfoundation Wayne Pakistan’s Yasir Shah atop the Test doing some work with the NSPCC. Learn more about bowling rankings. Twitter world was our partnership here: waynerooney.com/foundation abuzz with encomiums applauding the Indian duo. f1 1d

Sachin Tendulkar @sachin_rt Congrats to @imVkohli led #TeamIndia on a wonderful win. Great performance @ashwinravi99 &wonderful debut for @ anilkumble1074. Keep it up!

KP @KP24 Clinic by @imVkohli at the moment! The best in the game at the moment with AB! When he bats, I have to watch! NGLAND used home advantage well and, under manager Alf Wisden India Ramsey, won their only FIFA World Cup on July 30, 1966, by @WisdenIndia Edefeating West Germany 4-2 in extra time in the final. For Kohli, the pitch was ultra 7 placid.3 Geoff5 Hurst, who became the first player to score a hat-trick in a For the rest, it was anything but a final, levelled the scores in 18th minute after West Germany went up belter. #WIvIND 6 5 4 2 through7 Helmut Haller in the 12th. The hosts then took lead, courtesy of Martin Peters in the 78th, but Wolfgang Weber equalised a minute 50.8k likes Mithun Manhas 8 6 before the end. f1 Dab: alternative angle #F1 #Formula1 @Iammithunmanhas 5 2 #LewisHamilton #HungarianGP #Mercedes #Hamilton What a performance @ashwinravi99 In the 101st, Hurst’s shot hit underneath the crossbar and ricocheted !! Way to go. 17 five wkts haul in 33 1 as9 England were awarded a goal, which is being debated even today. chrisfroome 1d tests..... Keep going. 9 Hurst struck7 again in the final minute to complete his hat-trick. 3 2 4 8 1 5 9 SUDOKU-535 6 7 4 7 3 5

Sudoku is a number- 6 5 4 2 7 placing puzzle Solution-534 based on a 9x9 8 6 grid with several 8 4 3 2 6 5 1 9 7 given numbers. 5 2 The object is to 2 6 5 7 9 1 8 3 4 place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty 9 1 7 4 3 8 2 5 6 1 9 squares so that each 1 9 2 8 5 7 4 6 3 row, each column 9 7 and each 3x3 box 4 5 8 3 2 6 7 1 9 contains the same 3 7 6 9 1 4 5 8 2 3 2 number only once. 61.6k likes 5 8 9 6 7 2 3 4 1 4 8 1 5 9 chrisfroome Best day ever!! #TDF2016 7 3 1 5 4 9 6 2 8 6 2 4 1 8 3 9 7 5 6 7 4

8 4 3 2 6 5 1 9 7 2 6 5 7 9 1 8 3 4 9 1 7 4 3 8 2 5 6 1 9 2 8 5 7 4 6 3 4 5 8 3 2 6 7 1 9 3 7 6 9 1 4 5 8 2 5 8 9 6 7 2 3 4 1 7 3 1 5 4 9 6 2 8 6 2 4 1 8 3 9 7 5 38 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com Hearsay WE WON’T LET YOU GET AWAY FROM THE GAME Conte wants five more players for title challenge

HELSEA’S new coach Antonio After the signings of Michy Batshuayi Cagliariyxyxyxyxyx hope yxy to Conte has told team owner and N’Golo Kante, another striker lurexy xy Adebayor xyxyxxyy CRoman Abramovich he needs and centre-back are top of their list. five more signings to make the Blues The Blues have had two offers for yxyxyxyERIE A new yxyxy boys Cagliari are challengers again. Alvaro Morata turned down while hoping to lure out-of-contract In a two-hour meeting with Romelu Lukaku has also been linked. Sveteran striker Emmanuel Ade- Abramovich, director Marina Everton will demand £75m for the bayor to the club. Granovskaia and technical director striker according to reports in media. Adebayor is without a club after scor- Michael Emenalo, Conte said Chelsea’s Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci, Napoli’s ing just one goal for Crystal Palace in a squad needed improvement if they Kalidou Koulibaly and Roma’s Kostas six-month spell in the English Premier wanted any chance of winning sil- Manolas are all on the radar for the League (EPL) last season. verware. Apparently the club owner defence. Roma’s Radja Nainggolan Cagliari have been targeting Atalanta looked less than impressed afterwards. remains a central midfield target. striker Marco Borriello, but are also keen on Adebayor if the move for the former Roma marksman fails to work out. The 32-year-old played the best of his career in the EPL with Arsenal and Manchester City. Turkish Turan is on But the striker fell out of favour at Roberto Mancini’s City following the arrival of Edin Dzeko, Carlos Tevez and his way out of Barca Mario Balotelli. Publishers: ASPIRE Printing, Publishing and Distribution He moved on loan to Real Madrid in P O Box: 24598, Doha, Qatar. January, 2011, and although he returned Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 ARCELONA have made Arda But, in the wake of Andre Gomes’ €55m to City, the Togo international was sub- e-mail: [email protected] Turan available for transfer, signing with the La Liga champions, it sequently sent on loan to Tottenham Baccording to media reports. appears the 29-year-old’s days with the the following season. Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 The move comes only six months after club are numbered, with Arsenal said www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar e-mail: [email protected] the winger made his debut for the club to be one of a number of clubs inter- following a protracted €34m move from ested in signing the Turkish attacker. Atletico Madrid that was held up by There are also rumours that Juventus Barca’s transfer ban. want to sign Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano if Paul Pogba is sold to Manchester United. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports say Robin van Persie has offered himself TO OUR PUBLICATION to Barcelona. The former Arsenal and Manchester United striker is reportedly keen to leave Subscribe Turkish club Fenerbahce, but his high Yes, send to me salary proved a stumbling block to a Premier League return earlier in the Name: ...... summer. Agent fee stalls Man City on Messi alert Pogba’s transfer Company: ...... Manchester City are on Lionel Messi alert after Address: ...... RENCH midfilederPaul Pogba’s Hammers look at a former Barcelona president claimed there is a conspiracy to get rid of the player. world record £100m move is being Telephone: ...... Croat Mandzukic The outrageous claim was made by former Fheld up by a row over his agent Barca president Joan Laporta, who said there Mino Raiola’s £25m fee. Fax: ...... EST Ham United’s chase are certain powers at the Camp Nou who are That is how much Raiola wants for bro- for a star striker has led intent on removing Messi. kering the transfer between Manchester e-mail: ...... Wthem to Juventus’ Mario City privately believe there is no chance of United and Juventus. the little Argentina genius ever leaving Barca, Mandzukic . but they are also confident that if anything United and Raiola are happy for both Payment can be made by cash, cheque or DD payable to Estad Al Doha. With talks over a deal for AC Mi- ever did go wrong for him, City would be his clubs to pay £12.5m, but Juve refuse to lan forward Carlos Bacca stalling, the next destination. pay the agent a penny from the money Hammers are reportedly looking at Messi had a great relationship at Barcelona they will get from United for Pogba. Mandzukic or Simone Zaza. with current City manager Pep Guardiola, The Italians are said to be angry at the SIX MONTHS ONE YEAR QR 50 (26 ISSUES) QR 100 (52 ISSUES) Gonzalo Higuain’s much-touted ar- and the player is also close friends with Blues way Raiola conducted himself through- rival at Turin from Napoli will likely chief executive Ferran Soriano and football out negotiations and believe he engi- directorTxiki Begiristain. SEND THIS TO impact the playing time of Mandzukic Meanwhile Messi, sporting a new hairdo, neered this deal for his own gain. and Zaza, with Slaven Bilic’s London- joined his Barcelona team-mates at a training Juve’s stance means the Red Devils The Distribution Manager, Doha Stadium Plus ers reportedly set to swoop for one session at England’s St George’s Park. Barca may be forced to pick up the tab for P O Box: 24598, Tel: +974 44138527/44138567, Fax:+974 44138592/44138597, e-mail: [email protected] of the forwards with the promise of play Celtic in a friendly on Saturday. all of the agent’s fee. first-team football. WE WON’T LET YOU GET AWAY FROM THE GAME

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RUN-UP

TO RIO PER EDIT M IO U N B AUGUST Doha Stadium Plus, Qatar’s first and only English sports weekly, is ready to take you along in its journey through the Rio Olympics. DSP will enable you to get 3 the pulse of some of the best athletes of Qatar and rest of the world as they gear up for the Summer Games. Grab your copy of the bumper edition to read views, interviews and much more.

AUGUST 5 TO 21

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