SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2017 SPORTS Liverpool 2022 Commonwealth Games bid open to Manchester help MANCHESTER: Liverpool’s bid to host Melbourne have also shown interest in spokesman said: “We welcome the Manchester and possibly other cities from individual cities which will be the 2022 Commonwealth Games could taking on the 2022 event. The 2018 announcement that the government is regarding cooperation for 2022, in assessed to ensure they offer value for include using existing facilities in Games will be held on the Gold Coast, supporting a UK bid to host the 2022 order to efficiently make use of existing money. The process will end later in the Manchester or other cities, a source Queensland. Commonwealth Games. Manchester, facilities. Manchester, which is just 30 year when the government will decide close to the bid told Reuters yesterday. Liverpool has already begun putting which hosted a memorable games in miles from Liverpool, has a top-class if the UK will put forward a formal bid,” The British government has asked its together a bid team headed by former 2002 with a successful legacy, has velodrome and swimming venue. read the statement. cities to draw up detailed plans to stage English Football Association chief exec- always considered itself part of the A statement from Britain’s Birmingham has set up a bid organi- the Games, as it prepared a bid to take utive and current Rugby Football Commonwealth Games family and Department of Culture, Media and sation, whose effort is expected to be over the event from dropped host League chair Brian Barwick. remains happy to help if called upon to Sport on Friday said such cooperation backed by the City Council’s cabinet. Durban. The South African city lost the Manchester successfully hosted the do so”. While, there is no suggestion of would be accepted as part of the The Commonwealth Games right to hold the games following a trail Commonwealth Games in 2002 and has a formal, jointly-branded proposal, the process. Federation is due to decide where the of missed deadlines and financial prob- yet to formally declare an interest in the source close to Liverpool’s bid said they “The government will consider mul- 2022 Games will be staged later this lems. Australian cities Sydney and 2022 event. A Manchester City Council would be open to discussions with ti-city proposals, as well as applications year. — Reuters MOTOR RACING IndyCar drivers welcome Alonso’s Indianapolis bid LEEDS: IndyCar drivers will throw out the “He’ll do well but I’m going to do every- welcome mat for Fernando Alonso on his thing I can to make him not do well.” Indianapolis 500 debut next month but Scott Dixon, the New Zealander who have warned the double Formula One won at Indianapolis in 2008 from pole posi- champion not to expect any support on tion and has also tested Formula One cars, the track. said he was looking forward to racing “He’s going to get passed and pass more Alonso. “I think everybody here is welcom- cars in one month than he will in his entire ing him with open arms,” the four times Formula One career combined,” Graham IndyCar series champion told Reuters. Rahal, son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby, Alonso is visiting the IndyCar paddock this told Reuters at Barber Motorsports Park. weekend to watch the Indy Grand Prix of Alonso announced last week he would Alabama on the Barber Motorsports Park miss the showcase Monaco Grand Prix on road course. May 28 to race in the Indy 500 on the same His first shakedown in his Andretti day. The Spaniard, who is having a difficult Autosport Dallara Honda will come on May F1 season with uncompetitive McLaren, 3 in an all-day practice session at the 2.5 has set his sights on becoming only the mile (4km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway. second driver to achieve the famed ‘Triple Fellow Spaniard Oriol Servia expects Crown’-the Formula One title, Indy 500 and Alonso will be up to the task. Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race. “He’s super-talented and he likes fast If the 35-year-old can triumph at the corners, that’s what the (Indianapolis) Brickyard, a sensational outcome for some- Speedway is,” he told Reuters in a tele- one who has never raced on oval circuits, phone interview. Alonso would still have to win the French Alonso’s biggest challenge is likely to be classic to complete the triple and there are learning how to handle a car in the traffic no plans for that as yet. and turbulence of a tightly-bunched 33-car “It’s great to have someone here of his field. “If you grow up in Europe the Indy 500 calibre,” Brazilian three times Indy 500 win- sounds like Mars, you don’t know how risky ner Helio Castroneves said. it is,” said Servia. — Reuters BASKETBALL Thunder, Celtics earn crucial victory, Clippers stun Jazz HERNING: This file photo taken on May 03, 2012 shows Italian cyclist Michele Scarponi posing with his 2011 Tour of Italy trophyafter receiving the winner’s pink jersey following the disqualification of Alberto Contador in Herning on May 3, 2012. Veteran Italian cyclist Michele Scarponi LOS ANGELES: Russell Westbrook pro- the Rockets, who had a chance to win at was killed yesterday in a road accident while out training on his bike, his Astana team and Italian media said. — AFP duced yet another triple-double and the the buzzer only for James Harden to miss a Oklahoma City Thunder held on for a cru- three-point attempt. CYCLING cial 115-113 victory over the Houston Westbrook’s second missed free throw Rockets in the NBA playoffs on Friday. With in the waning seconds had kept the door the win on their home court, the Thunder open for the Rockets, who had tied it at avoided falling into an 0-3 hole in their 111-111 with 52 seconds to play on a Former Giro winner Scarponi best-of-seven Western Conference first- Harden three-pointer. Westbrook respond- round series, narrowing the deficit to 2-1. ed with his first three-point attempt of the Eastern Conference top seeds Boston game. It didn’t fall, but teammate Steven dies after collision with van also clawed back from an 0-2 deficit, beat- Adams was there for the tip-in that put the ing the Bulls in Chicago 104-87 after drop- Thunder back in front. ping the first two games of their series at MILAN: Michele Scarponi, who won the Giro home. “That was our only goal for this CLIPPERS RALLY d’Italia in 2011, died after a collision with a van FIGURE SKATING game was (to) just get the win no matter In Salt Lake City, Los Angeles point while training yesterday. He was 37. what for us to have a chance to make it a guard Chris Paul scored 24 of his 34 points Scarponi was training near his home of series,” the Celtics’ Jae Crowder said. in the second half as the Clippers rallied for Filottrano, near Ancona, when he was hit by a “You go down 0-3 and it’s really, really a 111-106 victory over the Utah Jazz. van at a crossroad, Team Astana said. According Japan win Team Trophy tough for you to fight back, but we just The Clippers took a 2-1 lead in the to Italian media reports, the Astana cyclist died wanted to take it one game at a time and series, despite losing Blake Griffin to a toe on the spot and was unable to be revived by as Medvedeva shines get this game and give ourselves a chance.” injury late in the second quarter. emergency services which arrived promptly. Al Horford scored 18 points, Isaiah Griffin scored 11 points and pulled Team Astana called it “a tragedy too big to be TOKYO: World champion Evgenia flawlessly executed 11 jumps, seven of them Thomas and Crowder added 16 each as five down six rebounds before departing, and written” in a statement. “We left a great champi- Medvedeva displayed elegance and athleti- triples. Boston players scored in double figures. Clippers coach Doc Rivers said immediately on and a special guy, always smiling in every sit- cism to win the ladies’ free programme at the Her routine began with a dynamic triple Dwyane Wade scored 18 points and after the game that the extent of Griffin’s uation, he was a real mile stone and a landmark World Team Trophy in Tokyo yesterday, with flip-triple toe combination to the music from Jimmy Butler chipped in 14 for Chicago, injury was unclear. for everyone in the Astana Pro Team,” it added. host nation Japan grabbing the overall title. the movie “Extremely Loud and Incredibly but the Bulls offense looked stagnant with- “We should have more news tomorrow,” Scarponi is survived by a wife and twin sons, The Russian teenager’s artistry captivated Close”. After a succession of spins and steps, out point guard Rajon Rondo, who is side- Rivers said. DeAndre Jordan scored 17 who are only four years old. He had returned rivals and fans, renewing her own world the two-time world champion blasted off and lined indefinitely with a broken thumb. points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Luc home after finishing fourth in the Tour of the record score to 160.46, soaring ahead of her nailed a powerful triple Salchow triple-toe Butler connected on just seven of his 21 Mbah a Moute added 15 points for the Alps on Friday in Trento.