Manchesterr United makeke Last 16, Mourinho slams criticscs PAGE 18 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018 Bounedjah’s double seals QSL win as Al Sadd close gap on Al Duhail PAGE 18 VOLLEYBALL QATAR MASTER 2018 SHEIKH JOAAN HEADS QATAR OLYMPIC COMMITTEE DELEGATION AT ANOC GEN ASSEMBLY IN TOKYO HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al Thani, President, Qatar Olympic Committee, and First Vice President of Qatar Olympic Committee Dr. Thani bin HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al Thani, President, Qatar Olympic Committee, is in Tokyo, Japan, heading the Abdulrahman al Kuwari at the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General Assembly in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday. QOC delegation at the Association of National Olympic Committees (NOC) General Assembly. Bach heaps praise on ‘well-prepared’ Tokyo for 2020 Olympic Games REUTERS had a relatively pain-free ride. TOKYO International Olympic One area where questions Committee President remain is over Tokyo’s ability INTERNATIONAL Olympic Thomas Bach’s words are to host a Summer Games in Committee (IOC) President sure to warm the hearts of scorching temperatures, which Thomas Bach says he cannot reached a record 41.1 degrees remember a host city being Games organisers, who Celsius in July this year. as well prepared as Tokyo, a have overcome a swathe of With average summer little more than 600 days initial fears to get prepara- temperatures in the Japanese before the start of the 2020 tions on track ahead of the capital higher than 30 degrees Summer Games. competition, which begins Celsius since 1998, according The German visited the to the Japanese Meteorologi- offices of Tokyo 2020 Olym- on July 24, 2020. cal Agency, organisers have pic and Paralympic organis- been searching for counter- ers on Wednesday, lavishing measures. praise on the hosts for their Tokyo 2020 is.” Few hard policies have readiness to host the summer Bach’s words are sure to actually been announced and showpiece. warm the hearts of Games or- there remains uncertainty “We see already now, two ganisers, who have overcome over start times for the men’s years before these Olympic a swathe of initial fears to get and women’s marathons but Games, all the ingredients for preparations on track ahead of Bach was not concerned. successful Olympics Games the competition, which begins “The measures are being are in place,” said Bach, who on July 24, 2020. prepared and there is a closer is in Tokyo to attend an IOC In 2015, Tokyo 2020 cooperation with the organis- Executive Board meeting that scrapped their initial Games ing committee,” he added. “We begins on Friday. logo due to allegations of pla- had a special working group “We’re really very im- giarism and the original de- with medical people, with pressed about progress in the sign for a new Olympic sta- medical scholars. They are preparations that we have dium was also changed due to proposing some measures.” been experiencing here. overwhelming costs. Bach is due to give a speech “I cannot remember any However, since budget on the second day of the Olympic city being so well cuts of $300 million were an- Association of National and so much advanced two International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach delivers a speech at the XXIII Association of National Olympic Committees nounced in December 2017, Committees General Assem- years before the Games as (ANOC) General Assembly in Tokyo on Wednesday. (AFP) Tokyo 2020 organisers have bly on Thursday. Norway’s Carlsen beats US rival to retain chess crown AFP LONDON THREE-TIME chess champion Magnus Carlsen on Wednes- day successfully defended his world title after demolishing US hopeful Fabiano Caruana in a winner-takes-all finale. The 27-year-old Norwe- gian won three successive rap- id-chess tiebreakers in a dis- play of intuition and guile that overwhelmed the 26-year-old American in London. The fearless performance will go a long way to cement- ing his claim to be history’s greatest player – a title some World chess champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway (left) attends a press conference after his victory over still award to Soviet-Russian challenger Fabiano Caruana of the US in a tie-break games of the 2018 World Chess Championship in Fabiano Caruana (right) and Magnus Carlsen during Round 12 of their World Championship final. (REUTERS) legend Garry Kasparov. London on Wednesday. (AFP) Kasparov himself appeared tion of him being the favourite Caruana admitted that zart of chess” by The Wash- in awe of Carlsen’s display in this format.” The first US contender appeared to be rattled by the in rapids,” Kasparov tweeted he was “relieved” to still be ington Post after becoming a a format that has seen many since Bobby Fischer beat the Miami-born yoga lover in a after Monday’s match. in the contest after Monday’s grandmaster at the age of 13. Grandmasters before him wilt Carlsen’s tactics Soviet Union’s Boris Spassky memorable game 10. “Tiebreaks require tre- 12-match scare. “I think I have very good under the mental strain. The games marked a com- at height of the Cold War in Carlsen was only too happy mendous nerves and he seems “I’m mainly relieved. chances,” Carlsen told report- “Carlsen’s consistent level plete departure from the 1972 is the game’s second- to agree to draws in the final two to be losing his.” When you feel like you’re sort ers after Monday’s game. of play in rapid chess is phe- string of draws played out in ranked player. matches – the last one from a But Carlsen seemed de- of on the brink of defeat, or at The 27-year-old defend- nomenal,” Kasparov tweeted. their original 12-match series Caruana has spent most of winning position that saw Kasp- termined to decide things least you have a very danger- ing champion, who collected “We all play worse as we which began on November 9. his career in Carlsen’s shadow arov shake his head in disbelief. in Wednesday’s rapid-chess ous position, then of course a winner’s prize of 550,000 play faster and faster, but his Yet those tense tugs of but is rated only three points “In light of this shocking tiebreakers – a format that it’s quite good.” euros ($626,065), and his ratio may be the smallest ever, war were a testament to the below the Norwegian’s leading draw offer from Magnus in a saw him beat Sergey Karjak- But Carlson never ap- bespectacled opponent had perhaps only a 15 percent prodigious skills of the Amer- 2,835 points. superior position with more in in the 2016 title match in peared to lose faith in skills drawn 12 out of 12 classical drop off. Huge advantage in ican Italian. Chess experts said Carlsen time, I reconsider my evalua- New York. that saw him dubbed the “Mo- games through November. Sports Thursday, November 29, 2018 17 AVC BEACH VOLLEYBALL QATAR MASTER 2018 Qatar’s Younousse and Tijan make a fiery start Schools Olympic Program’s girl competitions get significant praise TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK unveiled a number of talented DOHA female athletes and played a vital role in boosting both the THE girl schools competitions Qatar sport movement and in the basketball, handball, Qatar’s Women Sport Com- volleyball and tennis of the mittee to greater heights. prestigious Schools Olympic The SOP is held annually Program (SOP) received an as a collaborative effort of Qa- overwhelming praise from tar School Sports Federation SOP’s Organising Committee (QSSF) and the Ministry of on Tuesday. Education and Higher Educa- The SOP technical com- tion, with hundreds of student mittee has lauded the girls’ athletes competing from all perfect performance in all over Qatar. competitions, saying that the The SOP committee aims girls enjoyed high sport spirit to spread a culture of sports and fair competition in the through Qatar’s schools and SOP events. to engage the entire com- Ali al Hitmi, the vice- munity in active and healthy president of SOP’s Organising lifestyle while retaining local Committee, said the program values and traditions. Toughen up! Clarke warns Aussies nice Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan (left) in action against their Thai rivals Kitti Duangjinda and Surin Jongklang in their AVC Aspire Beach Volleyball Qatar Master 2018 open- guys don’t win ing match at the Aspire Park on Wednesday. The Qatari duo won 21-7, 21-11. (HANSON K JOSEPH) AFP SYDNEY Weather hits Qatar’s top pair show their class, win opener in 24 minutes; Aussies also make a strong start India’s preparations FORMER captain Michael RAAJIV TRIPATHI Clarke has slammed attempts THE start of India’s only DOHA to improve Australian cricket’s warm-up match for the Test image in the wake of a cheat- series against Australia was QATAR’S Cherif Younousse ing scandal, insisting the delayed by torrential rain on and Ahmed Tijan gave viv- national team “won’t win a Wednesday, with the four-day id glimpses of why they are game” without its infamous clash against a Cricket Aus- ranked 10th in the world. In abrasive attitude. tralia XI looking unlikely to their opening Pool A match, A scathing independent get underway before Thurs- the Asian Games and Asia review into the ball-tampering day. Storms battered the champions cruised to a scandal released last month New South Wales coast on 24-minute straight-set win in revealed a bullying culture Wednesday morning, flood- the AVC Aspire Beach Volley- within the sport and criticised ing streets, railway stations ball Qatar Master 2018. cricketers for “playing the and homes as the extreme At the Aspire Park on mongrel” against opponents.