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MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016 SPORTS Pakistan legend Jahangir expects British Open breakthrough KINGSTON UPON HULL: A new era Gawad rose to a career-high world num- and perhaps also on how well sport’s most popular player and its most Camille Serme, the titleholder from could emerge at this year’s British Open, ber seven after capturing the Swedish Mohamed El Shorbagy, his conqueror in talented. Three years ago he became France, Raneem El Welily, the Egyptian predicts legendary Pakistan squash Open the following month, and Mosaad five games in last year’s final, handles the first Egyptian in almost 50 years to who succeeded David as number one player Jahangir Khan, who won the is at world number four after reaching the pressure of a title defence. win, but he has been unable to compete last year, and her compatriot Nour El world’s oldest tournament a record ten the World Open final. “El Shorbagy’s still quite young even for four months because of a chronically Sherbini, a 20-year-old who has beaten times. “They are good talents coming up,” though he’s been around for a few years troublesome hamstring. both David and Massaro this year. Jahangir believes the new wave of Jahangir said. “They all know what the so he may have more hunger than the That is only one in a catalogue of ail- players could break through at the tour- guys at the top of the rankings have to others as well,” Jahangir said of the 25- ments which have threatened Ashour’s Seeds nament in the Airco Arena starting struggle with. And they are younger year-old Egyptian. Successfully defend- stop-start career, but if he is fit enough Men today. than the others and hungrier.” ing the Tournament of Champions title in he is more than good enough to win Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY x1), “There were a lot of upsets in the A spectacular exception to this is New York in January should have aided El again. Gregory Gaultier (FRA x2), Nick Matthew World Open last year (in November) and Gregory Gaultier, the Frenchman who Shorbagy’s self-belief, though he needed (ENG x3), Omar Mosaad (EGY x4), Ramy we weren’t expecting them,” said 52- has become world champion for the another five games in a hard final with DAVID EYES SIXTH TITLE Ashour (EGY x5), Miguel Angel year-old Jahangir. “I think a new era is first time at the age of 32, belatedly Nick Matthew. This may quieten those Meanwhile, Malaysian Nicol David, Rodriguez (COL x6), Simon Roesner (GER quite near. There could be a lot of achieving what many thought was past who claim the Englishman is too old to 32, is seeded number two as she bids to x7), Mathieu Castagnet (FRA x8) upsets at the British Open too.” him. win a fourth British Open at 35. capture the title for a sixth time. Jahangir identified three Egyptians Gaultier expects to return to compe- If Matthew does this he will have Although David lasted a record 103 Women as possible challengers-Ali Farag, a 23- tition next week after nine weeks out achieved a notable record. He is 18 months as world number one she only Laura Massaro (ENG x1), Nicol David year-old Harvard graduate, Karim with a ruptured ankle, as he bids for a months older than the Australian Geoff captured one title last year, and now (MAS x2), Raneem El Welily (EGY x3), Gawad, 24, and Omar Mosaad, a steadily third British Open title. Hunt when he became the oldest British Laura Massaro, a fellow 32-year-old from Nour El Sherbini (EGY x4), Camille Serme improving 28-year-old. Whether Gaultier achieves this may Open champion of the professional era England is the top seed. (FRA x5), Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY x6), Farag beat three top ten players on depend on how well he understands his in 1981. Another attempting to return These two could face significant chal- Amanda Sobhy (USA x7), Nouran Gohar the way to the Detroit title in January, body and mind after such an absence, from injury is Ramy Ashour, perhaps the lenges from at least three other players- (EGY x8). —AFP ATHLETICS BRIEFS Carter wins shot put gold from American duo Ashley Spencer and PORTLAND: Michelle Carter of the Quanera Hayes to take the tape in United States snatched a dramatic last 51.45sec at the Oregon Convention throw victory in the women’s shot put at Center. Spencer claimed silver while the World Indoor Athletic Championships Hayes finished with a bronze. Adekokya, here Saturday. Carter, the bronze medal- 23, controversially switched allegiances to list at last year’s World Championships in Bahrain in 2014 despite complaints from Beijing, took the gold with a throw of athletics authorities in her native Nigeria. 20.21m. Anita Marton of Hungary won In 2014 while representing Bahrain she the silver with Valerie Adams of New won the 400m and 400m hurdles at the Zealand claiming bronze. Carter attrib- 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South uted her gold medal-winning last throw Korea. to the power of prayer. “It came from a prayer,” she laughed. “I just had to focus Berian wins 800m gold for USA on what I knew I could and needed to do. Boris Berian of the United States pro- I was able to take some time and put duced a superb display of front-running everything together.” Kiwi star Adams-the to win the men’s 800m at the World two-time Olympic champion who had Indoor Athletics Championships on been chasing a remarkable fourth con- Saturday. Berian led from start to finish to secutive gold at the world indoors-said take the tape in 1 min 45.83sec, ahead of she was satisfied with her performance Burundi’s Antoine Gekeme and compatri- after only recently returning from injury. ot Erik Sowinksi who took bronze. The win “I’ve been out for a while due to injuries, was the biggest of 23-year-old Berian’s so it feels really good to be back,” she said. unusual career. The college dropout was “Everyone expects a miracle, but you working in a McDonald’s as recently as have to work hard.” 2014 before resurrecting his career last season. “My game plan was simple-get Maslak defends 400m crown the lead and hang on,” Berian said after Reigning champion Pavel Maslak of his victory. “It is so exciting to have two the Czech Republic won the 400m at the Americans (in the top three),” he added. World Indoor Athletics Championships here Saturday to successfully defend his Dong strikes gold for China title. The talented 25-year-old surged past Dong Bin became only the third ath- Bralon Taplin of Grenada in the home lete from China to win a gold medal in PORTLAND: United States heptathlon winner Ashton Eaton, center, stands with Ukraine’s Oleksiy Kasyanov, left, who finished second, and straight to win in 45.44sec. Abdalelah the history of the World Indoor Athletics Germany’s Mathias Brugger, second from right, who finished third, during the World Indoor Athletics Championships, Saturday, in Portland, Haroun of Qatar took silver in 45.59, while Championships here Saturday after claim- Ore. — AP Deon Lendore of Trinidad and Tobago ing victory in the triple jump. The 27-year- won bronze. Maslak’s win makes him the old from Changsha led the competition first man in more than a decade to win from start to finish, taking gold with a Eaton captures 3rd straight back-to-back 400m indoor world titles. best leap of 17.33m at the Oregon Convention Center. Germany’s Max Hess Adekoya wins 400m gold took silver with 17.14 while Frenchman world indoor heptathlon title Oluwakemi Adekokya of Bahrain pow- Benjamin Compaore won bronze. Only ered to victory in the women’s 400m at two other Chinese athletes — sprint hur- the World Indoor Athletics champi- dler Liu Xiang in 2008 and shot putter Sui PORTLAND: His gold medal was nice. His onships here Saturday. The Nigerian-born Xinmei in 1991 have won gold at the wife’s meant even more. sprinter held off a fierce late challenge world indoors before. — AFP That is what Ashton Eaton told the home- town crowd on Saturday night, drawing quite a few “Ahhs.” Then again, he did win by a very comfortable margin - again. Alonso flips car after Eaton captured his third straight hep- tathlon title at the world indoor track and dramatic collision field championships, taking all the suspense out of the competition with another dominat- MELBOURNE: Fernando Alonso thanked closing his eyes at the impact, but was alert ing performance. the advances in Formula One technology throughout and his thoughts immediately The only real drama was whether he could for being able to walk away from a horrific went to family back home. “I was flying, so break his own indoor world mark, but an crash at the Australian Grand Prix yester- you see the sky then the ground, then the exhausted Eaton didn’t have a burst in the day. About a third of the way through the sky, then the ground,” Alonso said. 1,000 meters, the final event of seven. He fin- race, the right front tire on the Spaniard’s “You want to stop but it doesn’t stop. It ished with 6,470 points - 175 behind the McLaren collided with the left rear on keeps going and going and going. It was Esteban Gutierrez’s Haas as the Mexican quite scary, but at the last moment the car indoor mark he set four years ago in Istanbul.