P 6 | FOOTBALL P 18 | VOLLEYBALL JAISH PUT IT PAST SADD THE bAND OF bROTHERS Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah The presence of Stevanovic brothers Milos contributes a brace as El Jaish down and Marko makes Jaish a team capable of Al Sadd in the Qatar Stars League. ending the domination of Rayyan and Arabi. WEDNESDAY, DEcEMbER 16, 2015 | Vol X | No.46 | QR 2.00 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com Follow us on INTRIGUING bATTLESHosts France earn a generous draw while holders Spain are clubbed along with the Czech Republic, Turkey and Croatia at next year’s European Championship. PAGES 12-13 UK ...................................... £1 UAE ...............................Dh 5 Europe ............................. €2 Yemen..................75 Riyals P 24 | MOTORSPORT P 20 | POSTER Oman ...............200 Baisas Sudan ...................1 Pound Bahrain ..................200 Fils KSA .......................... 2 Riyals Egypt .............................LE 2 Jordan ....................500 Fils Lebanon ..........3,000 Livre Iraq .................................... $1 Mohamed Issa has ROMELU Kuwait ....................250 Fils Palestine ......................... $1 EXCLUSIVE Morocco ......................Dh 6 Syria .............................LS 20 INTERVIEW the licence to thrill! LUKAKU www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, DEcEmbEr 16, 2015 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com 3 OPINION » The writer can be contacted at: Editor-in-Chief Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi [email protected] Managing Editor Kumar Ravi Senior Editor/Writer Aswin Abraham Senior Sports Writer N Ganesh Sports Writers Sajith B Warrier Mohammad Amin-ul Islam Sarath Pookkat Photographers Mohan Work towards further progress, Vinod Divakaran Fadi Al Assaad Mohammed Dabboos A K BijuRaj dedicate ourselves to achieve it Graphic Designers Abhilash Chacko Gopakumar K HErE’S a festive atmosphere everywhere as the administrators. As we gear up to host the World Joice Michael people of Qatar are set to celebrate the National cup, we’re witnessing an unprecedented level of Technical support Shaheen Mohammed TDay. Activities have already started at many infrastructure development, including magnificent Abdul Naser M places, signifying our heritage and history. The Katara stadiums, training facilities, highways, metro rail and cultural village, Qatar Foundation, Aspire Zone, Al hotels, all matching up to global standards. Shaqab, Darb Al Saai, the nerve centre of activities in In the health, education and energy sectors too, Al Sadd, and several sports clubs have all lined up a we’ve achieved great heights and our country’s slew of events. international rating, based on several indices, is among P.O. box: 24598, Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 44138065, Fax: +974 44138597 corniche, where the spectacular National Day Parade the elite. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com will take place, is all lit up. competitions in extreme National Day is a time to express our gratitude to the Editorial: Tel: +974 44138522, Fax: +974 44138593 sports at Katara, a Twenty20 cricket match at the Asian wise leadership of the Father Emir HH Sheikh Hamad e-mail: [email protected] Town Stadium, and free horse-riding tips and an bin Khalifa Al Thani and the Emir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 Arabian Horse Show at Al Shaqab are bound to attract Hamad Al Thani, under whom we made tremendous e-mail: [email protected] Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 sports lovers. progress. They’ve given the guidance and helped us e-mail: [email protected] Seven years from now, it’ll be on our National Day make great strides by providing opportunities to follow that the FIFA World cup final will be played and I’m our passion and dream. sure it’ll be a day written in golden letters in our Obviously, this is the time to renew our commitment www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus country’s history. to work towards further progress and dedicate www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar When we look back, we realise that our country’s ourselves to achieve this goal. founding fathers went through several trials and my heartiest congratulations and warm greetings to www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar tribulations. Unlike modern times, nothing was given HH the Father Emir, HH the Emir and all my honourable on a platter. It’s the fruits of their labour that we’re compatriots. enjoying today. We can’t rest on our laurels. We Publishers: ASPIrE Printing, Publishing and Distribution need to put in more efforts and also push the new Printed at ASPIrE Printing Press generation to achieve further progress and prosperity. On the sports front, we’ve been able to make huge © Stories and photographs appearing in this publication may not be reproduced progress, both as competitors as well as organisers, Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi without the permission of ASPIrE Printing, Publishing and Distribution. and today we’ve world-class athletes and top Editor-in-chief INSIDE P 11 | FOOTBALL P 22 | BASKETBALL P 30 | CRICKET NO ONE COVERS Battelines drawn! The Bulut Proof! Bigger & better Lekhwiya are clubbed alongside Dusan Domovic bulut plays the Hosts and inaugural champions Al Nassr, Zobahan and winners captain’s role to perfection as the India will kick off the Super 10 QATAR SPORTS BETTER of the play-off between UAE’s Novi Sad Al Wahda retain the stage of Sixth World Twenty20 bunyodkar and Al Shabab in FIbA 3x3 All Stars title. with a tie against New Zealand. next year’s AFc champions League group stage. P 26 | CHESS P 29 | HANDBALL Publishers: ASPIRE Printing, Publishing and Distribution Game of knights Qatar, South Korea P O Box: 24598, Doha, Qatar. Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 and the kings! in same group e-mail: [email protected] World No.1 magnus carlsen will champions Qatar are drawn Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 e-mail: [email protected] be the cynosure of all eyes at the alongside South Korea, Oman, second edition of Qatar masters. Japan, Syria and macau at the www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar 17th Asian championship. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, DEcEmbEr 16, 2015 3 OPINION » The writer can be contacted at: Editor-in-Chief Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi [email protected] Managing Editor Kumar Ravi Senior Editor/Writer Aswin Abraham Senior Sports Writer N Ganesh Sports Writers Sajith B Warrier Mohammad Amin-ul Islam Sarath Pookkat Photographers Mohan Work towards further progress, Vinod Divakaran Fadi Al Assaad Mohammed Dabboos A K BijuRaj dedicate ourselves to achieve it Graphic Designers Abhilash Chacko Gopakumar K HErE’S a festive atmosphere everywhere as the administrators. As we gear up to host the World Joice Michael people of Qatar are set to celebrate the National cup, we’re witnessing an unprecedented level of Technical support Shaheen Mohammed TDay. Activities have already started at many infrastructure development, including magnificent Abdul Naser M places, signifying our heritage and history. The Katara stadiums, training facilities, highways, metro rail and cultural village, Qatar Foundation, Aspire Zone, Al hotels, all matching up to global standards. Shaqab, Darb Al Saai, the nerve centre of activities in In the health, education and energy sectors too, Al Sadd, and several sports clubs have all lined up a we’ve achieved great heights and our country’s slew of events. international rating, based on several indices, is among P.O. box: 24598, Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 44138065, Fax: +974 44138597 corniche, where the spectacular National Day Parade the elite. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com will take place, is all lit up. competitions in extreme National Day is a time to express our gratitude to the Editorial: Tel: +974 44138522, Fax: +974 44138593 sports at Katara, a Twenty20 cricket match at the Asian wise leadership of the Father Emir HH Sheikh Hamad e-mail: [email protected] Town Stadium, and free horse-riding tips and an bin Khalifa Al Thani and the Emir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 Arabian Horse Show at Al Shaqab are bound to attract Hamad Al Thani, under whom we made tremendous e-mail: [email protected] Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 sports lovers. progress. They’ve given the guidance and helped us e-mail: [email protected] Seven years from now, it’ll be on our National Day make great strides by providing opportunities to follow that the FIFA World cup final will be played and I’m our passion and dream. sure it’ll be a day written in golden letters in our Obviously, this is the time to renew our commitment www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus country’s history. to work towards further progress and dedicate www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar When we look back, we realise that our country’s ourselves to achieve this goal. founding fathers went through several trials and my heartiest congratulations and warm greetings to www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar tribulations. Unlike modern times, nothing was given HH the Father Emir, HH the Emir and all my honourable on a platter. It’s the fruits of their labour that we’re compatriots. enjoying today. We can’t rest on our laurels. We Publishers: ASPIrE Printing, Publishing and Distribution need to put in more efforts and also push the new Printed at ASPIrE Printing Press generation to achieve further progress