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Wednesday, June 7, 2017 CRICKET Ramadan 12, 1438 AH Wood, Ball impress GULF TIMES as England reach CT semi-fi nals SPORT Page 3 TENNIS French favourite Kiki dumped at Roland Garros Bacsinszky checks into semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Mladenovic; Ostapenko ousts 11th seed Wozniacki

Reuters Paris

hants of “Kiki-Kiki-Kiki” resonated around Court Philippe-Chatrier yesterday, Cbut the echoes of that sonic support are all that remain of France’s big hope for a French Open champion. Home favourite Kristina ‘Kiki’ Mlad- enovic failed to handle the atmosphere, the wind or the rain, as well as Timea Bacsinszky who checked into the semi- fi nals with a 6-4 6-4 win. Thirteenth-seed Mladenovic had played with tears in her eyes. She left the arena in a similar state. Bacsinszky was thrilled. “I knew she would be a formidable opponent,” the 30th seed grinned. “We had everything today: a hurricane, and sand storms, nice weather, and almost snow... it was really complicated to stay focused throughout the day. “I am knackered.” Addressing the French crowd she said: “I am sorry, thank you for the at- mosphere.” She now has time to regroup before meeting 19-year-old Jelena Ostapenko who ousted Caroline Wozniacki. The world number 47 recovered from losing the fi rst fi ve games of a rain-rav- Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky serves to France’s Kristina Mladenovic (right) during their French Open quarter-final at Roland Garros in Paris yesterday. (AFP) aged match to outclass 11th seed Woz- niacki 4-6 6-2 6-2 on Court Suzanne lived aff air, with Bacsinszky breaking Lenglen. twice either side of a held service game, The 19-year-old, playing in the Rain pushes Nadal, Djokovic to lead 4-3 and serving. main draw in Paris for only the second quarter-fi nals to today Mladenovic was playing with tears in time, is the fi rst teenager to get to the her eyes. semi-fi nals at Roland Garros since Ana Torrential rain forced Rafael Nadal take on compatriot Pablo Carreno The Frenchwoman won the fi rst Ivanovic in 2007. and Novak Djokovic’s quarter-finals Busta, while title-holder Djokovic point of the game, but the pair were Mladenovic had high hopes of be- at the French Open to be delayed faces sixth seed Dominic Thiem in a then called off court again as the skies coming the fi rst French champion since until today. Play was held up for over repeat of last year’s semi-final. darkened. Mary Pierce in 2000, but never really three hours yesterday before finally As a result of the downpours, all four Mladenovic slammed her racket clicked on Court Philippe-Chatrier. resuming at 1845 local time (1645 men’s quarter-finals will be played into her bag and left the arena as the While not looking especially anxious, GMT) with the first two women’s today with Andy Murray against Kei rain started spitting, and groundsmen she had looked emotional throughout. quarter-finals at Roland Garros. Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka facing hauled the big, orange tarpaulin across Mladenovic dropped serve straight Nine-time champion Nadal is due to Marin Cilic. the court. away. The expected sonic wave of sup- They returned around half an hour port had not yet materialised, although later. A backhand bunted wide gave at each change of ends more and more serve but, leading 5-4, Bacsinszky fi red “There’s no clay left on this court,” Bacsinszky a 5-3 lead, and forced Mlad- spectators fl ooded in, sated by their sa- down an ace to seal the set. a vexed Mladenovic shouted to herself enovic to serve to stay in the hunt. cred French lunches. Always rigidly upright, with a towards the end of that fi rst set. She held to force Bacsinszky to serve “Kiki-Kiki-Kiki” rumbled around the clenched right fi st to celebrate a point Bacsinszky simply got on with busi- it out, and the Swiss was equal to the stadium, and the 24-year-old levelled won, and a long, blonde, plaited pony- ness, cracking groundstrokes from side task, ensuring she gets to play in the matters up with a break of her own. tail swinging down her back, there are to side. semi-fi nals tomorrow — her birthday. Eighty kilometre per hour winds many similarities between Mladenovic The pair held serve to open the sec- Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko Quirkily enough, while Bacsinszky gusted throughout the grounds as both and Pierce, the last homegrown cham- ond set and, with Mladenovic facing a turns 28 on Thursday, her opponent players, skidding through clouds of pion. break point in the third game, the play- It was more than three hours before for a 3-1 advantage. Ostapenko turns 20 the same day. clay, picked grit out of their eyes. But so too are there hints of the same ers were called off court after the dark play could resume, and, when it did, Once more that “Kiki-Kiki-Kiki” Two birthdays, one present — some- The conditions were far from per- brittle fragility that occasionally hi- grey clouds fi nally broke and heavy rain Mladenovic fought off that break point chant was the soundtrack to Court one will be crying into their cake. fect. Both players struggled to hold jacked Pierce’s game. swept the stadium. to nose into the lead, then broke herself Philippe-Chatrier, but it was a short-

FOCUS Davis Cup changes to bring stars back on board

AFP of-fi ve sets. The changes are expected to be ap- star Gerard Pique revealed he was part Paris Other changes will see the fi nalists in proved at the the next annual general of a consortium planning a World Cup both the Davis Cup and Fed Cup wom- meeting of the ITF in Ho Chi Minh City, of tennis tournament to rival the Davis en’s tournament guaranteed the choice Vietnam in August. Cup. avis Cup matches will be of hosting their fi rst-round tie in the World number one Andy Murray and The plans which would see the whole played on a best-of-three set following year. nine-time French Open champion Ra- tournament take place in one location basis instead of the traditional The ‘dead rubber’ policy will also fael Nadal didn’t play in the Davis Cup have reportedly been backed by Mur- fi ve, organisers announced be amended to reduce the number of quarter-fi nals this year. ray, Djokovic and Nadal. Tuesday,D as a number of changes were meaningless rubbers. Nadal also skipped the opening Nadal has been one of the Davis Cup made to the 117-year-old event. “The Davis Cup and Fed Cup are two round. schedule’s most vocal critics. The team tournament has struggled of the most iconic team competitions Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka “For many years they have been stat- to get the sport’s top players to com- in sport, but there is no doubt change opted out of the fi rst-round tie against ic,” Nadal said of the ITF when speaking mit to it on a regular basis in an already is needed to ensure that we maximise the United States where Switzerland about the proposed new tournament in crammed tennis schedule. their full potential,” said International lost 5-0. April in Madrid. In a series of reforms, it was an- Tennis Federation president David Spain’s Rafael Nadal (left) and Britain’s Andy Murray (right) didn’t play in the Davis Novak Djokovic, however, has played “They haven’t moved with the times nounced that all singles matches will be Haggerty. Cup quarter-finals this year. both ties for Serbia and has vowed or looked for new solutions.” played as best-of-three sets. “While still needing annual gen- to feature in September’s semi-fi nal Djokovic also backed the plans af- However, Davis Cup ties will retain eral meeting approval, we are confi dent for the long-term future of our compe- fi xed venue fi nals for Davis Cup and Fed against France even though it starts just ter saying he had met personally with the three-day format, with doubles still that our national associations will see titions and our sport.” Cup have been received and are being fi ve days after the end of the US Open. Pique “several times” and hoped the played on the Saturday over the best- that to vote for these reforms is to vote The ITF also said that bids to host assessed. Earlier this year, Spanish football tournament “would come to life”. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, June 7, 2017 CRICKET

CHAMPIONS TROPHY Pakistan’s Rumman replaces Pakistan pride at stake injured Wahab

Birmingham, United Kingdom: Pakistan’s Rum- man Raes has been approved against South Africa as a replacement for the in- jured Wahab Riaz at the ongo- ing Champions Trophy one- We’ll be thinking firmly of coming back and beating South Africa: Pakistan coach Arthur day tournament in Britain, the International Cricket Council AFP announced yesterday. Birmingham, United Kingdom Pakistan’s coach Mickey Arthur Wahab suff ered a tourna- (left) speaks to batsman Babar ment-ending ankle injury Azam during a training during Pakistan’s crushing ickey Arthur has no doubt session at Edgbaston. (Reuters) 124-run defeat by title-holders Pakistan will be “up for the India in their opening match fi ght” when they face his at Edgbaston on Sunday. native South Africa in the Rumman, also a left-arm MChampions Trophy after a humiliating fast bowler like Wahab, has defeat by arch-rivals India. Pakistan’s represented Pakistan in two crushing 124-run loss to title-holders Twenty20 Internationals to India in their tournament opener at date. The 25-year-old has also Edgbaston on Sunday was labelled the taken 123 wickets in 42 first- “Mother of all mismatches”. class matches. Yet, worryingly for Pakistan coach But Pakistan captain Sar- Arthur, there is the potential for an even fraz Ahmed indicated left-arm more lopsided match when they return pacer Junaid Khan, already to Edgbaston today — and that’s not with the squad, would replace simply because South Africa are top of Wahab for his side’s second the International Cricket Council (ICC) Group B fixture against South one-day international rankings while Africa at Edgbaston today. Pakistan are eighth. “Obviously Wahab is not play- Pakistan were outplayed in every ing. Junaid Khan is in,” Sarfraz department by an India side who were told reporters at Edgbaston nowhere near their best. Having con- yesterday. ceded 319 for three as India’s top order A miserable match for ran riot, Pakistan were dismissed for Wahab, flayed for a hugely just 164, having never once threatened expensive 87 runs in 8.4 a rain-adjusted target of 289 in 41 overs. overs, ended when he fell It led former Pakistan captain Shahid in his delivery stride and Afridi, to slam the current team’s “clue- sustained an injury that saw less” batting and “abysmal fi elding”. him leave the field. It also Now, in the space of just a few days, Pa- meant he was unable to bat kistan must somehow raise their game as Pakistan, chasing a revised to beat a South Africa side who defeated target of 289 in 41 overs in a Sri Lanka by 96 runs at the Oval on Sat- rain-aff ected match, slumped urday in their opening Group B fi xture if to 164 for nine after India had they are to have any chance of reaching piled up 319 for three. the semi-fi nals. Junaid was left out of the Arthur suggested too many Paki- clash with arch-rivals India stan players had suff ered ‘stage fright’ despite taking four for 73 in a against India in front of a capacity warm-up match against crowd of more than 24,000. “My issue that’s what I think our players can do. to have a stand-in already with them in Africa, the Proteas’ have a ‘spy’ of their Africa captain AB de Villiers of Tahir’s Bangladesh. Pakistan need is fear,” he said. “My issue is getting out So, we’re going to be up for the fi ght.” Junaid Khan, who took four for 73 in a own in Pakistan-born Imran Tahir. performance, which also included a to beat top-ranked South there and really looking to take the game Pakistan will be without Wahab Riaz warm-up match against Bangladesh. The leg-spinner, who changed al- run-out. “He takes wickets and he is Africa, who beat Sri Lanka in on. The worrying thing for me...is we after he was ruled out of the rest of the Left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir legiance after falling in love with his also economical most of the time,” add- their opening match, if they just do the basics wrong. We drop sim- tournament on Monday with an an- provided rare moments of respite amid South African wife, played a key role in ed the skipper, who was equally delight- are to have any chance of ple catches. We don’t run well enough kle injury sustained when falling in his the India run-spree with a return of Saturday’s match. ed by Amla’s “amazing innings”. reaching the semi-finals of between wickets. We don’t understand delivery stride against India. But given none for 32 in 8.1 overs. Despite a fi ne hundred by South Af- The cliche of Pakistani ‘unpredict- a tournament featuring the when to bowl our variations.” by that stage the left-arm paceman had Yet, concerningly, the left-arm fast rica’s opener Hashim Amla, Sri Lanka ability’ may be wearing thin, at least world’s leading eight one-day But Arthur, a former coach of both conceded a whopping 87 runs in 8.4 bowler was unable to complete his full were well-placed to chase down a target in ODI cricket. South Africa, however, nations. The Pakistanis con- South Africa and Australia, was ada- wicketless overs, his absence may not allocation of overs because of cramp, of 300 at 116 for two. have a nasty habit of not playing to their clude their group campaign mant all was far from lost. “We’ll be be that big a blow. despite being repeatedly on and off the But man-of-the-match Tahir’s re- potential in ICC tournaments and de against Sri Lanka in Cardiff on thinking fi rmly of coming back and Pakistan have applied to the ICC for fi eld on what was a cool day. If Arthur turn of four for 27 turned the tide. “It Villiers promised they were not about to June 12. beating South Africa,” he said. “Because an injury replacement, but they appear has some ‘inside knowledge’ on South was close to ten out of ten,” said South “get ahead of ourselves”.

T20 SERIES FOCUS Windies complete Afghan whitewash Sangakkara wants AFP ‘arrogant’ Sri Lanka Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis West Indies' Marlon Samuels (right) plays a shot during the third and final T20 match against Afghanistan at the Warner Park in to challenge India arlon Samuels was at his most Basseterre, St. Kitts, on Monday. (AFP) imperious with an unbeaten Reuters for the cricket governing body 89 to guide the West Indies London website. “They should express to a seven-wicket victory their talent and play a really Mover Afghanistan in the fi nal fi xture of the positive brand of cricket. If they three-match T20 International series at young Sri Lanka team are able to do this, then they have Warner Park in St Kitts on Monday. must play with ar- a chance of pulling off an upset, Replying to the tourists’ total of 146 for rogance if they are to but it will not be easy an India six, the right-hander’s highest-ever T20 upset holders India in team that so confi dently over- International innings took the home side tomorrow’sA Champions Trophy whelmed Pakistan on Sunday.” to the target with four balls to spare and match at the Oval, former cap- The prospect of a return for completed a 3-0 series sweep. Samuels’ tain Kumar Sangakkara has said. Mathews represents a major innings occupied 66 deliveries and was The islanders had a nightmare boost for the squad but San- embellished with three sixes and nine start to their campaign, losing gakkara stressed they badly fours. He deservedly won both the “Man regular skipper Angelo Mathews needed to resolve their shock- of the Match” and “Man of the Series” to a calf injury before going down ingly poor over rate. awards in a format of the game in which to South Africa in their Group B “If Angelo, Sri Lanka’s best he has excelled in the latter stage of his opener. batsman and captain, is deemed long international career. As if that was not bad enough, unavailable for this vital clash, it “I know my role in this team and it was stand-in skipper Upul Tharanga could severely hamper the team’s important to stay out there and ensure we was then slapped with a two- chances of winning against In- got the target,” he said after victory was match suspension for the team’s dia,” the former wicketkeeper- completed in partnership with Jason Mo- slow over rate in the Proteas de- batsman added. hammed. “Partnerships are important to feat. They next face the formida- “Even if Angelo is considered any run chase and it was good that a cou- ble task of taking on a rampant fi t, the threat of slow over-rate ple of us worked together eff ectively.” India side who crushed arch-ri- will be a major concern. Having Afghanistan, who now prepare to take vals Pakistan on Sunday despite Tharanga suspended is a huge on the West Indies in three One-Day In- not being at their best. waste. With quite an experienced ternationals in St Lucia starting on Fri- “I would personally like this and senior bowling attacked led day, were left to rue a costly miss by their young Sri Lanka side to walk out by (seamer) Lasith Malinga, a most experienced player that allowed at The Oval and play with the ar- team constituting two spinners, Samuels to be the match-winner. rogance and abandon of youth,” it is unacceptable that Sri Lanka Having topscored with 38 after his Sangakkara wrote in his column was over by 39 minutes.” team chose to bat fi rst, Mohammad Nabi dropped a sharp caught-and-bowled chance off ered by the batsman when he eff ort against a home side that appeared hopeful that this experience will serve us Brathwaite 1-0-3-0, R. Powell 3-0-20-1, S. was just on 40. Thereafter his batting was to be lacking in intensity with the series well for the one-day matches to come.” Narine 4-0-27-0 (1w) fl awless and not even the belated intro- already wrapped up following comfort- duction of the main bowling threat, leg- able wins in the fi rst two matches at the SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES INNINGS spinner Rashid Khan, could contain him. same venue. AFGHANISTAN INNINGS C. Walton c sub (Shenwari) b Zadran 0 Samuels featured in half-century part- Wicketkeeper-batsman Shafi qullah Noor Ali b Williams 35 E. Lewis lbw Nabi 19 nerships with opening batsman Evin Shafaq chipped in with 25 to ensure the J. Ahmadi lbw Badree 0 M. Samuels not out 89 Lewis and Mohammed, whose unbeaten West Indies were left with a challenging A. Stanikzai c Williams b Powell 13 L. Simmons c Najibullah b Khan 15 23 ensured there was no middle-order target. Kesrick Williams was again the M. Nabi c Powell b Williams 38 J. Mohammed not out 23 wobble that could have opened the door most successful of the home bowlers, fi n- K. Janat c Lewis b Taylor 8 Extras (w-1) 1 to a consolation win for the visitors. ishing with three for 34 to lift his wicket Shafiqullah b Williams 25 Total (3 wkts, 19.2) 147 “It was important for us to complete tally in the series to eight. Najibullah not out 10 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Walton), 2-61 (Lewis), the sweep because if we hadn’t done so There was a bit of concern though at G. Naib not out 0 3-82 (Simmons) there would have been all sorts of things the end of his spell as he appeared to be Extras (lb-3, w-7) 10 Did not bat: R. Powell, C. Brathwaite, S. Nar- said about our team,” said West Indies suff ering the discomfort of a back injury Total (6 wkts, 20 overs) 146 ine, J. Taylor, S. Badree, K. Williams captain Carlos Brathwaite. “They may be when he bowled Shafi qullah with the fi - Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Ahmadi), 2-45 (Noor Bowling: S. Zadran 3.2-0-27-1 (1w), M. Nabi minnows in international cricket but we nal ball of his four-over allotment. “This Ali), 3-57 (Stanikzai), 4-96 (Nabi), 5-108 4-0-33-1, A. Hamza 4-0-24-0, K. Janat 4-0-41- respect them and there was no way we was very disappointing but it is still a step (Janat), 6-138 (Shafiqullah) 0, R. Khan 4-0-22-1 were going to take them for granted.” in the right direction for us to be playing Did not bat: R. Khan, S. Zadran, A. Hamza Result: West Indies won by 7 wickets Earlier, Nabi’s innings and 35 from teams like the West Indies,” said Afghani- Bowling: J. Taylor 4-0-33-1 (1w), S. Badree Man of the match: M Samuels (WI) Noor Ali Zadran led Afghanistan’s batting stan captain Asghar Stanikzai. “We are 4-0-26-1 (1w), K. Williams 4-0-34-3, C. Toss: Afghanistan Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 7, 2017 3 CRICKET

SPOTLIGHT Wood, Ball impress as England reach Champions Trophy semis New Zealand chasing 311 for victory were bowled out for 223 after captain Williamson top-scored with 87

AFP good. We're not satisfi ed with that, we have a Cardiff , United Kingdom long way to go before we perform to our poten- tial," he said.

ark Wood took the key wicket of SCOREBOARD Kane Williamson, while Jake Ball ENGLAND INNINGS struck twin blows as England J. Roy b Milne 13 booked their place in the semi-fi nals A. Hales b Milne 56 Mof the Champions Trophy with an 87-run win J. Root b Anderson 64 over New Zealand at Cardiff yesterday. E. Morgan c Ronchi b Anderson 13 New Zealand, set 311 for victory, fi nished on B. Stokes c Milne b Boult 48 223 all out with 39 balls left. They were in the J. Buttler not out 61 hunt while captain Williamson, fresh from a M. Ali c Boult b Anderson 12 hundred in the Blackcaps’ opening rain-marred A. Rashid lbw b Santner 12 no result against Australia, was making 87. L. Plunkett c Southee b Milne 15 But fast bowler Wood made the key break- M. Wood c Taylor b Southee 0 through to dismiss the star batsman. Then, as J. Ball c Boult b Southee 0 happened after Williamson’s departure against Extras (lb5, w11) 16 Australia, the Blackcaps lost a cluster of wick- Total (all out, 49.3 overs) 310 ets. Wood’s fellow paceman Ball was named Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Roy), 2-118 (Hales), 3-134 man-of-the-match for a miserly return of two (Morgan), 4-188 (Root), 5-210 (Stokes), 6-230 (Ali), for 31 in eight overs up front. 7-260 (Rashid), 8-309 (Plunkett), 9-310 (Wood), Victory saw England into the last four of a 10-310 (Ball) tournament featuring the world’s top eight one- Bowling: Southee 9.3-0-44-2 (2w); Boult 10-0-56-1; day international sides after an eight-wicket Milne 10-0-79-3 (4w); Anderson 9-0-55-3 (3w); Sant- defeat of Bangladesh at the Oval last week, re- ner 8-0-54-1 (1w); Neesham 3-0-17-0 gardless of the result of their last Group A match against arch-rivals Australia at Edgbaston on NEW ZEALAND INNINGS Saturday. M. Guptill c Root b Stokes 27 Two years ago, New Zealand thrashed Eng- L. Ronchi b Ball 0 land by eight wickets on home soil at the 2015 K. Williamson c Buttler b Wood 87 World Cup in Wellington. But this decisive win R. Taylor c Root b Ball 39 was a measure of England’s progress in the 50- N. Broom lbw b Rashid 11 over format since that chastening defeat. J. Neesham c Hales b Plunkett 18 England were in danger of falling short of C. Anderson c Hales b Plunkett 10 300 after Joe Root (64), Alex Hales (56) and Ben M. Santner st Buttler b Rashid 3 Stokes (48) all got out when well set. But Jos A. Milne c Rashid b Plunkett 10 Buttler’s dashing unbeaten 61 helped take them T. Southee c Roy b Plunkett 2 to 310 all out. New Zealand lost their fi rst wicket T. Boult not out 0 just four balls into their innings when Luke Ron- Extras (b4, lb8, w4) 16 chi was clean bowled for a golden duck by Ball. Total (all out, 44.3 overs) 223 Martin Guptill (27) and Williamson dug in Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Ronchi), 2-63 (Guptill), 3-158 before the former edged an intended drive off (Williamson), 4-168 (Taylor), 5-191 (Neesham), 6-194 all-rounder Stokes to Root at a wide slip. Both (Broom), 7-205 (Rashid), 8-211 (Anderson), 9-223 Williamson, posting his fi fth fi fty in as many (Milne), 10-223 ODIs against England, and Taylor were hit on Bowling: Ball 8-2-31-2; Wood 9-0-32-1; Plunkett 9.3- the helmet by fast bowler Liam Plunkett, who 0-55-4; Stokes 8-0-46-1 (3w) Rashid 10-0-47-2 (1w) fi nished with four for 55. But Williamson still Result: England won by 87 runs drove Wood back over his head for four at a Car- Man-of-the-match: Jake Ball (ENG) diff ground rivalling Wellington as a windswept venue. Taylor, without being at his fl uent best, off ered sound support in a stand of 95. POINTS TABLE England captain Eoin Morgan, shuffl ing his pack, recalled Wood and the Durham quick duly England’s Jake Ball (right) celebrates after dismissing New Zealand opener Luke Ronchi during the ICC Champions Trophy match in Cardiff . (Reuters) Read as: played, won, lost, tied, no result, delivered the wicket his side badly needed when points, net run-rate a rising ball took Williamson’s glove and diving midwicket. After just 30 minutes’ play, the Hales slapped Milne high over long-off be- is they bat deep, with a lot of power. To be able to GROUP A wicket-keeper Buttler clung on to the catch. match was halted at 11:00am local time (1000 fore he was bowled next ball by Milne. Root, restrict them was not a bad eff ort but I thought England 2 2 0 0 0 4 +1.06 It was the end of Williamson’s 98-ball in- GMT) as a national minute’s silence in memory deprived of the strike during a stand of 54 with they got to an above par score." he said Australia 2 0 0 0 2 2 n/a nings featuring eight fours. And when Taylor of the victims of Saturday’s terror attack in Lon- Stokes, saw his innings end when he played on "I think in all areas England outplayed us to- Bangladesh 2 0 1 0 1 1 -0.40 (39) holed out off Ball to midwicket, New Zea- don was observed. trying to carve Anderson, while Stokes uppercut day. It was very tough out there but credit to the New Zealand 2 0 1 0 1 1 -1.74 land were 168 for four in the 34th over. Jimmy Jason Roy hit Adam Milne for four to go to Trent Boult straight to Milne at third man. way they went about their business. We were Neesham hit a six off Plunkett but fell next ball 13 but was then bowled round his legs by the Buttler extravagantly ‘fl icked’ Boult for six trying to get the partnership, get momentum. GROUP B when he found Hales in the deep. pacemen. His exit meant the struggling Surrey and fl at-batted another off Milne. Plunkett We were trying to increase the run rate to make India 1 1 0 0 0 2 3.02 Leg-spinner Adil Rashid justifi ed his selec- opener had managed just 47 runs in his last sev- joined in by pulling Milne for a six that brought the last 10, 15 overs a good opportunity to chase South Africa 1 1 0 0 0 2 1.92 tion in place of the injured Chris Woakes with en innings at this level. Root, fresh from his ca- up England’s 300. New Zealand captain Wil- down the total," he added. Sri Lanka 1 0 1 0 0 0 -1.92 two for 47 in 10 overs, with Plunkett ending the reer-best 133 not out against Bangladesh, twice liamson conceded England 'outplayed’ his team. England captain Eoin Morgan was pleased to Pakistan 1 0 1 0 0 0 3.02 match when Tim Southee was caught at deep drove left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner for six. "I think the nature of the English batting line-up reach the semis: "Being in the semis is pretty

ROUND-UP FOCUS Woakes in race to be fi t 'Australia will be ready for England'

AFP for fi rst South Africa Test London AFP London teve Smith insists Australia’s bats- men will be ready for their do or die Champions Trophy showdown with ngland paceman Chris Woakes says he England despite their lack of action faces a race against time to be fi t for the inS the tournament. Smith’s side endured the fi rst Test with South Africa at Lord’s on frustration of having Monday’s clash with July 6th. The 28-year-old has a left side Bangladesh abandoned due to rain, just days strainE which he suff ered in England’s opening after their opening fi xture against New Zea- Champions Trophy match with Bangladesh last land was also washed out. Thursday. He told Press Association Sport with On both occasions, it has been Austral- the recovery time generally four to six weeks he ia who were batting in the early stages of was ‘up against it’ in being fi t for the fi rst of the their innings when bad weather ended play. four-Test series. “It’s a left side strain and there is Against Bangladesh, they had reached 83-1 a tear in the muscle,” he said. in pursuit of 183 to win and required only four “It’s a grade-two injury, which is not terrible more overs to be bowled to ensure they would news, but it’s not great news at the same time. take maximum points via the Duckworth- They say it’s roughly a four to six-week injury, Lewis rule used in rain-aff ected matches. and it’s more likely to be towards the six when I With two points from their two matches, am back playing competitive cricket. Australia will have to beat hosts England in “I’m on day fi ve of recovery now, and the phys- Birmingham on June 10 to reach the semi- ios say for the fi rst 10 to 14 days there’s not a lot fi nals. “I think it makes the equation pretty we can do other than rest it. You don’t rule it out, simple for us,” Smith said. but I’m probably up against it for the fi rst Test. “We have to beat England and then I think Sometimes these things heal quicker, sometimes we’re through. I haven’t really read into any- they take longer, so we have to play it by ear.” thing else that’s happened. I guess we’ve just With two points from their two matches, Australia will have to beat hosts England in Woakes, who has played 17 Tests and 63 One got to beat England.” Birmingham on Saturday to reach the semi-finals. (Reuters) Day Internationals, said he wouldn’t risk return- In the circumstances, Australia could have ing too early just so he could play in the Test. “It’s done with their batsmen being in good form “I thought all our bowlers were a lot bet- had just carried on, perhaps they may have also one of those things you can’t rush back — if before the crunch encounter with their old ter today. We hit some good areas early on had a diff erent opinion. It’s disappointing you do, it can just ping again. You have to make rivals. But, asked if their lack of time at the and challenged the defence of Bangladeshi not to get a win but can’t do much about the sure you’re right before you come back,” he said. crease could undermine them against Eng- batsmen,” Smith said. “Everyone that bowled weather and we can’t control that.” “The timing of it is frustrating, it’s terrible, but land, Australia captain Smith said: “I’m sure I thought did a pretty good job today, and it Beaten by England in their opening match, it’s one of those things.” they will be okay. was nice that we were able to turn things Bangladesh are without a win and look likely Chris Woakes will take four to six weeks to “You know, most of the guys have been around from the way things went in the fi rst to be eliminated in their last game against KENT SNAP UP PAKISTAN LEGGIE SHAH recover from side strain. playing a lot of cricket, anyway, having been game against New Zealand.” New Zealand. Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Ace Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah will weave at the IPL and things like that. I think once Starc’s blistering spell was some consola- Mortaza remains hopeful of a miracle. his magic for Kent in four second tier champion- ing 20 wickets consistently in red-ball cricket they get out in the middle, things will just tion for Smith, but he was still left to rue the “You never know. I think even in 2015 ship matches, the county announced on Monday. (county championship) will be key to our promo- click into place, and yeah, hopefully we can weather and what he felt was the umpires’ World Cup, we got one point from Australia The 31-year-old — who has taken 149 wickets tion chances and a bowler of Yasir’s calibre will play well in Birmingham.” quick decision to go off , thus denying Aus- and went through. It really helped us,” he at an average of 29.91 in 26 Test matches — is to help to us achieve that and rotate our attack at a On the bright side for Smith, his bowlers tralia a chance for those vital four overs. “Of said. “This time we have a chance. We have stand in for Kent’s foreign player signing New key period in the season.” were more eff ective against Bangladesh after course I didn’t want to go off . I was happy to to beat New Zealand and obviously we have Zealand paceman Adam Milne, who is away on Yasir could make his debut in the game with struggling to fi nd their rhythm in the New keep batting through the rain,” he said. to wait for a few results as well. Australia has Champions Trophy duty. Durham beginning tomorrow. Kent are currently Zealand match. Pace bowler Mitchell Starc But the umpires are there to make a deci- to win against England and we have a great “Yasir is one of the fi nest spinners in the second in the Division Two table, having won four was the cream of the crop with four wickets in sion and I think drinks was at the end of that chance to beat New Zealand and go through. world,” Kent head coach Matt Walker said. “Tak- of their opening fi ve games of the season. nine balls in rout the Bangladesh tail. over, which probably didn’t help. “If the game So let’s see what happens.” Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, June 7, 2017 SPORT

FORMULA ONE SPOTLIGHT Stroll sees bigger picture ahead of Mercedes hold fi rm home race

Reuters ment, Red Bull’s Max Verstap- London pen raised the bar by winning a race last year at the same age. The rules have also changed, troll has been excited with the cars harder to handle on driver equality, about racing on home and the new fatter tyres also soil from the moment proving tricky to get into the he was announced as performance window. aS Formula One driver last year but, as the Canadian Grand CHALLENGING YEAR Prix approaches, the teenager “I think we all have to look at is focusing on a bigger picture. it in the right way. I’m 18 years Without a point in six races, old, the team knows that. It’s says team boss Wolff the 18-year-old Williams driv- a challenging year in Formula er is wary of the need to break One, and I think the team looks the blank becoming an obses- at it as a bigger project than ‘Valtteri has been doing a great job and I don’t feel like we have to favour one over the other’ sion as he heads to Montreal’s just the next race,” said Stroll. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for “I think we’ve got to look at this weekend’s race. the bigger picture. “Of course Reuters “I do have my targets, in we’re going to go to Montreal London terms of what I need to im- and work as hard as we can and prove on. In terms of position, try and do the best we can ... but not really,” he told reporters if we just always think we need ormula One champions at Silverstone during a recent to score points, then we start Mercedes will continue event to mark the team’s 40th forgetting about the stuff we to give their drivers equal anniversary. actually have to do to get there.” treatment despite the “I don’t look at Canada Williams have gone well emergenceF of Sebastian Vettel as and say ‘I need to fi nish in the before in Montreal, with Fin- Ferrari’s clear title contender, team points’ because that would be land’s Valtteri Bottas - now at boss Toto Wolff said yesterday. the wrong approach. champions Mercedes - fi nish- Championship leader Vettel “I look at Canada and say ing third for the last two years. has won three of the six races so ‘what are my weaknesses? I It is an unfamiliar track for far, fi nishing second in the rest, need to improve in this area, Stroll but he hoped to use home and scored nearly twice as many this needs to happen and that energy in a positive way. points as team mate Kimi Raik- needs to happen.’ And then “I do strongly believe that konen. hopefully points will come.” tables will turn and things will Mercedes have also won three Stroll’s arrival in Formula start working out. And they races but they have been shared One has been accompanied, have been... there have been between Britain’s triple cham- inevitably for the son of one of positives as well,” he said. pion Lewis Hamilton, with two Canada’s richest men, by a fo- Qualifying in the top 10 in victories but now 25 points be- cus on his privileged upbring- China was one such plus point, hind Ferrari’s German, and Fin- ing and the ease of his entry to although he spun off on the land’s Valtteri Bottas. the sport. The fi rst Canadian in opening lap after a collision “We have two excellent driv- Formula One since 1997 world with Force India’s Sergio Perez, ers and we will hold true to our champion Jacques Villeneuve, and he fi nished 11th in Russia philosophy of letting them race who won his title in a Williams, after another early spin. each other to drive the team for- Stroll dominated last year’s “I don’t want to sound ward - even if sometimes it can European F3 championship. cocky, but I don’t doubt my be diffi cult because you can’t al- But Formula One is anoth- capabilities as a racing driver... ways have the one who is ahead er world entirely. While the and I still don’t doubt myself in the championship winning,” youngest driver on the grid has even though it’s been a tricky Wolff said in a team preview shown maturity and commit- start of the year,” said Stroll. of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix. Hamilton, who was only sev- enth in the previous race in Mo- World champion DeGale set for naco, has 104 points to Bottas’s shoulder surgery 75. Both Mercedes drivers have Britain’s IBF super-middleweight world champion James De- gone well in Canada in the past, Gale revealed yesterday he is set to undergo shoulder surgery Hamilton winning for the last but hopes to fight again by the end of the year. The 31-year-old two years at the Circuit Gilles — who won middleweight Olympic gold at the 2008 Games — Villeneuve and fi ve times in said he had been suff ering from the right shoulder complaint total - making it his most suc- for over a year. He was injured in the run-up to his victory over cessful circuit along with Rogelio Medina in April last year and was still suff ering from Hungary. the problem in January’s draw with Badou Jack. “It has been Bottas has also been on the Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton (L) and Valtteri Bottas (R) with team executive director Toto Wolff in Silverstone, UK. (Reuters) a frustrating few months since I drew with Badou Jack in New podium in Canada for the last York, and I had hoped to have announced my next opponent two years, with his previous by now,” DeGale told The Daily Mirror. team Williams. Kubica back in an F1 car for fi rst time since 2011 “But tomorrow (Wednesday) I will have surgery on my right Hamilton told reporters in Polish driver Robert Kubica test- later post. “Back in one of our with BMW-Sauber in Canada, last Kubica’s F1 career ended in the shoulder that will mean I will be out of the ring for a while. Monaco, where Ferrari fi nished ed a Formula One car in Spain cars after six years.” drove a Formula One car with same month as his last test when “I suff ered the injury several weeks before I fought Rogelio fi rst and second, that it was clear yesterday for the first time since The test took place amid consid- Renault in pre-season testing at he suff ered severe arm, leg and Medina but decided to fight through the pain, as I did earlier to him that the Italian team were a 2011 rallying accident that erable secrecy, with no advance the same circuit in February 2011. hand injuries in a near-fatal crash this year against Badou Jack. I was only operating at 60 to 70 favouring Vettel. partially severed his forearm. notice given to the media and Renault have left and returned during a minor rally in northern % however and that showed against Jack. Thankfully I’ve been “It’s clear to me that Ferrari The Renault team posted a little information provided about to the sport with their own team Italy that he had entered for fun. good enough to get away with not being at my best, but I was have chosen their number one teasing picture on Twitter of the the reasons for the private test. since then, with a current line-up He had been one of the sport’s almost found out in New York. driver,” he said. 32-year-old removing his helmet “So why did we keep it quiet? It of Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg brightest prospects before his “The operation is for ‘a scrape and tighten up’, or a ‘diagnostic “They are pushing everything after driving the 2012 Lotus E20 was a private test, for Robert,” and Britain’s Jolyon Palmer. accident, with a likely move to arthroscopy and ACJ stabilisation’ to give it its medical term. to make sure Sebastian will max- car at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo the team said, adding that the The latter has yet to score a Ferrari on the horizon. “Within eight to 10 weeks I should be able to spar. imise on all of his weekends.” circuit. Pole had completed 115 laps with point in six races this season Since his recovery he has com- I will definitely be able to fight before the end of the year.” The Briton added, however, “So guys...we need to come clean “the biggest smile” afterwards. with increasing media specula- peted in the world rally cham- Meanwhile Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin’s that he saw no need to change about something,” the caption Kubica, who in 2008 became tion about his future ahead of pionship and tested other cars, eagerly-awaited middleweight superfight will take place at Mercedes’ approach. said. “It’s true. It really is Robert the first Pole to win a Formula this weekend’s Canadian Grand including those used in Formula Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena on September 16, fight promot- “Valtteri has been doing a Kubica,” the team added in a One race when he triumphed Prix. E and GP3. ers confirmed on Monday. Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy great job and I don’t feel like we Promotions had suggested a range of venues from Dallas to have to favour one over the oth- Los Angeles were being considered for the fight, one of the er,” he said. structors’ (championship).” Wolff , who said in Monaco “We have to fi ght with all “You can no longer expect that most mouthwatering match-ups in years. However Golden “We have to work collectively Ferrari lead champions Mer- that Mercedes were now the un- that we are worth for every sin- when you look at a timesheet the Boy confirmed on Twitter that the fight would be held at the as a team more than ever before cedes by 17 points in the con- derdogs, acknowledged that it gle win, pole position, podium two Mercedes (cars) will be right 20,000-capacity T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. to beat the Ferraris in the con- structors’ standings. hurt. fi nish and every point,” he said. at the top.”

CYCLING Bouwman in disbelief aft er Dauphine stage win

AFP gets time tomorrow (Wednes- The six breakaway compan- Tullins, France day) in terms of the GC (overall) ions had set off early into the battle won’t necessarily have to stage and held a lead of almost go on the off ensive in the follow- seven minutes at one point. oung Dutchman Koen ing days,” said Froome. The peloton took too long to Bouwman was incred- “It’s an important milestone take up the chase and was led ulous after emerging in this week’s race, but it’s also home by Frenchman Arnaud from a six-man breaka- an important test in terms of the Demare, the winner of Monday’s wayY to win yesterda’s 184km Tour de France. second stage, 11 seconds behind third stage of the Criterium du “We’ve got a very similar kind Bouwman. “I’m very disap- Dauphine as the favourites kept of prologue in Dusseldorf, and pointed,” said Demare. “We were their powder dry. a similar time trial in Marseille caught out. The escapees were Belgian Thomas de Gendt held at the end of the Tour. It’s good very cunning. They accelerated onto the leader’s yellow jersey practice and a good hit out ahead when they needed to and the ahead of today’s 23.5km time- of that.” route, a downhill false-fl at, gave trial, which should see a major Bouwman, 23, proved strong- them an advantage.” shake-up in the overall stand- est in the sprint amongst es- ings. Three-time winner Chris capees with Lithuania’s Evaldas RESULTS Froome will expect to move into Siskevicius second and Frederik 1. Koen Bouwman (NED/Lotto yellow jersey contention ahead Backaert of Belgium third at the NL) 4hr 06min 06sec, 2. Evaldas of a weekend where the overall fi nish in Tullins. Siskevicius (LTU/DMP) same winner will be decided on sum- “I can’t believe it. My parents time, 3. Frederik Backaert (BEL/ mit fi nishes at Alpe d’Huez and and my girlfriend are watch- WGG) s.t., 4. Bryan Nauleau Plateau de Solaison. ing me on the television. I never (FRA/DEN) s.t., 5. Alexei Vermeu- And Froome said gaining time thought I would win here in such len (USA/LNL) s.t., 6. Quentin on his overall rivals, such as Ro- an important race as the Crite- Pacher (FRA/DMP) s.t., 7. Arnaud main Bardet and Alberto Conta- rium du Dauphine,” said Bouw- Démare (FRA/FDJ) at 11sec, 8. dor, would make a major diff er- man. “The aim of the day was Bryan Coquard (FRA/DEN) s.t., ence for the rest of the race. just to get in the breakaway but 9. Pascal Ackermann (GER/ “It’s going to be a huge dy- we worked really well together BOR) s.t., 10. Phil Bauhaus (GER/ Netherlands’ Koen Bouwman celebrates on the podium after winning the 184km third stage of the 69th edition of the Criterium du Dauphine namic of the race here. Whoever and managed to go all the way.” SUN) s.t. cycling race between Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and Tullins. (AFP) Gulf Times Wednesday, June 7, 2017 5 SPORT

NHL NBA Cavs seek answers as Warriors eye Predators stun perfect title run

AFP numbers but no titles while Cleveland Curry and others want to prove last year’s fi nals loss to Cleve- land, when the Cavaliers ral- eBron James and the lied from 3-1 down to win in Penguins to level Cleveland Cavaliers the greatest comeback in NBA desperately seek a way Finals history, was a bump in to beat the Golden State the road for a dynasty team. LWarriors, but they are running “We still remember what out of time to prove their NBA happened last year,” Warriors Finals rivals aren’t invincible. guard Klay Thompson said. The Warriors, on an NBA “It’s fresh in our minds.” record 14-game playoff win So while the Cavs cling to Stanley Cup series streak, lead 2-0 in the best- hope based on what they did of-seven championship series before, the problem is what entering today’s third game at else do the Cavs have up their ‘I liked the way the guys stayed focused from start to finish. And that’s the diff erence sometimes’ Cleveland. No team has ever sleeves against a team now rallied from a 3-0 defi cit to win powered by Durant that has an NBA playoff series. been unbeatable in the playoff s. AFP “We have to defend our “We’ll win the next game New York home court,” said Cavaliers and see what happens from forward Kevin Love. “It defi - there,” said Cavs forward Tris- nitely is a must win.” tan Thompson, who might be he Nashville Predators Golden State could become pulled from the starting lineup roared back into Stanley the fi rst NBA team to make an to add more scoring punch and Cup contention on unbeaten playoff run to the defensive versatility. Monday with a series- crown, having swept Portland, The Cavaliers had been 12-1 Tlevelling 4-1 victory over the Utah and San Antonio and over- in the playoff s this year until Pittsburgh Penguins. powered the Cavaliers twice at facing the Warriors. Calle Jarnkrok, Frederick home to open the fi nals. “We defi nitely have a sense Gaudreau, Viktor Arvidsson “We’re going to go home and of what they’re capable of,” and Filip Forsberg scored as the watch the fi lm to see ways we Love said. “We’re hoping it’s Predators swept to a deserved can be better,” James said. “Do going to be a diff erent story at win at Nashville’s Bridgestone things, I don’t want to say dif- home. We’re plain and simple Arena to tie the best-of-seven ferently because you work so going to have to play better.” series at two apiece. hard to get to this point, but Cavs guard Kyrie Irving, Nashville, who dropped the make a couple of changes to see who had 19 points in game two, opening two games of the series if we can be a lot better defen- needs one of his best games to before romping to a 5-1 win in sively and off ensively.” help counteract the Warriors’ Game 3 on Saturday, picked up Warriors forward Kevin Du- production. “I would imagine where they left off at the week- rant, who left Oklahoma City Kyrie’s going to come out and end to overwhelm the defending for Golden State last July in have a great game,” Love said. champions. hopes of winning his fi rst NBA The Warriors have domi- Netminder Pekke Rinne had crown, had LeBron-like num- nated the third quarter in both another inspired night for the bers — 33 points, 13 rebounds, games and built a big lead the Predators, saving 23 of 24 shots six assists, fi ve blocked shots Cavaliers could not threaten, a including an incredible double and three steals — in a 132-113 script Irving said the Cavs must save in the second period to deny romp Sunday in game two. rewrite to win. “We just have both Sidney Crosby and Jake Asked the diff erence between to sustain eff ort over the en- Guentzel what would have been this year and last year, James tire game. We understand how a game-tying goal. simply said, “K.D.” and added, dangerous they are,” he said. Jarnkrok fi red the Predators “They are a diff erent team.” “Down 0-2, going home, into the lead in the fi rst period, The Cavaliers forced 20 you have to live with those tucking away a rebound from turnovers compared to a fi nals odds. You have to remain non- close range. Pittsburgh chal- record-tying four in game one, wavering whatever the outlook lenged for goaltender interfer- for all the good it did them. looks like.” ence but Jarnkrok’s goal was “We forced them to 20 Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue deemed good. turnovers and they still beat said a full 48 minutes of de- The Penguins responded us pretty good, so we got to be fensive focus will be needed to swiftly however with Crosby much better too,” James said. contain the Warriors. “Having getting the visitors back on lev- Two-time NBA Most Valu- awareness — can’t relax, can’t el terms, coolly fi nishing past able Player Stephen Curry fall asleep,” he said. Rinne after sending the Preda- added 32 points, 10 rebounds Their off ense is constant tors’ goalie the wrong way. and 11 assists in his fi rst fi nals movement, so you got to be Gaudreau then sent Nashville triple double. locked in, you can’t take a peek into the lead with a clever wrap- Durant wants to prove he’s somewhere and lose your man. around. Initially it looked as if a champion after years of big They make you pay.” his shot had been cleared but a replay review showed the puck had crossed the line to send the Predators 2-1 up. Rinne’s double save brought the home fans to their feet soon afterwards and the stadium erupted shortly after that when Mike Fisher and Arvidsson com- Filip Forsberg (No 9) of the Nashville Predators celebrates with his teammates after scoring an open net goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins bined superbly to double the during the third period in Game Four of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday. (Getty Images/AFP) lead. Fisher’s desperate lunging pass sent Arvidsson through on Predators coach Peter La- ence sometimes. Now every- more than once. “It’s hard to win aways. There were a lot of things goal and the Swedish star fi n- violette singled out netminder thing matters, every pass mat- when you score one goal,” Sul- from a process standpoint that ished with aplomb to trigger de- Rinne for praise before attribut- ters, every check matters, every livan said. “Having said that, I we really liked. lirium. ing the victory to a team eff ort. face-off matters. And I thought thought tonight, of all the games “I think we just got to stay With time ticking down in the “Pekke was excellent to- our guys were sharp from start we played, we generated the with it. We believe we got guys third period, Forsberg then ap- night, outstanding,” Laviolette to fi nish.” most chances and the highest that can score goals and can fi n- plied the coup de grace, steering said. “But I liked the way the Pittsburgh coach Mike Sulli- quality. It didn’t go in the net for ish.” Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (R) dribbles past the puck into an empty net from guys stayed focused from start van bemoaned his team’s failure us. We had a number of grade A Game 5 takes place in Pitts- Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving during the first half in game two of long range to make it 4-1. to fi nish. And that’s the diff er- to breach the Nashville defence opportunities, a couple of break- burgh tomorrow. the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports

MLB Surging Washington Nationals beat Dodgers 4-2

By Bill Shaikin years. But he also put them into The Dodgers got four hits entered Monday’s game on a Los Angeles Times a 4-0 hole, even with mag- against Gonzalez. Two were by relative roll. In his previous 10 nifi cent hit-saving plays from the lone left-handed batter in innings, he had given up one run third baseman Logan Forsythe, their starting lineup, Seager. and fi ve hits. he Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and right Gonzalez is something of a He started well Monday, had not seen Gio Gonzal- fi elder Yasiel Puig. worker bee in Washington’s breaking the bat of the fi rst hit- ez in nine months. It had The Dodgers closed within 4-2 star-studded rotation. Max ter, Trea Turner. He also struck been a warm afternoon in the sixth inning, and Seager Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg out Bryce Harper, Ryan Zim- Tat Dodger Stadium. The surging doubled to start the eighth, head the rotation, a combined merman and Daniel Murphy in Washington Nationals won that bringing the potential tying run $385 million worth of excellence. succession. game, closing within one victory to the plate against left-handed Tanner Roark started for the US He got two strikes on the next of eliminating the Dodgers from reliever Enny Romero. in the semi-fi nals of the World hitter, Anthony Rendon, then the 2016 playoff s. Seager never even got to third Baseball Classic. threw three balls. On the next The Nationals never did get base. With Cody Bellinger, And then there is Gonzalez, a pitch, Rendon homered. that victory. They went home for Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Ut- former fi rst-round pick who was In the fourth inning, the the winter, and they did not get ley marooned on the bench, the traded four times by age 26. He Nationals grouped three hits another look at the Dodgers until inning ended with Franklin Gu- found a home with the Nationals, against Ryu, the last a two-run, Monday. tierrez striking out and Enrique with whom he won 21 games his two-out single by Matt Wieters. It was a cool evening at Dodg- Hernandez grounding out. fi rst year, but he has faded into Ryu put his head down in appar- er Stadium. Gonzalez started, Gutierrez, whose sole role on relative obscurity since then. ent unhappiness, pausing before again. The Nationals piled up the Dodgers is to hit left-hand- Except against the Dodgers, running to back up the play. four runs against an under- ers, is batting .226 against them. that is. He has started seven The Nationals took a 4-0 lead whelming Dodgers starter, He also has one hit in 14 at-bats games against them, including in the fi fth inning, when Harper again. The Nationals won, again. with runners in scoring position. that game in October. He has lost singled home Turner, who had The score this time was 4-2. In the ninth inning, against once, and his ERA against them singled and moved into scoring The fi rst meeting of what might the team with the most combus- is 1.89. position on a wild pitch by Ryu. be the two best teams in the Na- tible bullpen in the majors, the On Monday, he gave up two tional League went to the Na- Dodgers did use Utley and Bell- runs and four hits in six innings. RESULTS tionals. There was no shame in inger as pinch-hitters. Ryu (2-6) gave up four runs and Astros 7 Royals 3 the defeat. The Nationals have Utley struck out, but Bellinger Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Los seven hits in seven innings. Cubs 3 Marlins 1 scored the most runs in the ma- doubled. Oliver Perez got Yas- Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports Among the non-Clayton Ker- Giants 7 Brewers 2 jor leagues. mani Grandal for the last out, shaw group of Dodgers starting Phillies 11 Braves 4 The Dodgers’ starter, Hyun- becoming the sixth Washington lineup with right-handed bats mined to get the platoon advan- Gonzalez and Utley - and Hern- pitchers, where a bad start or Reds 4 Cardinals 2 Jin Ryu, completed the seventh pitcher to record a save this sea- against the left-handed Gonzal- tage that they benched all three andez made his major league de- two might result in banishment Nationals 4 Dodgers 2 inning for the fi rst time in three son. The Dodgers stacked their ez (5-1). They were so deter- of their fi rst basemen - Bellinger, but at the position. to the 10-day disabled list, Ryu Athletics 5 Blue Jays 3 Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, June 7, 2017 SPORT

RUGBY GOALS Jones aims to make Lions’ Howley England self-reliant

Reuters Bengaluru

ngland head coach Eddie slaps down Jones said he aims to foster re- sponsibility and self-reliance in the squad to build a top qual- ityE team ahead of the 2019 World Cup in Japan. England have been accused of in- fl exibility and sticking to gameplays too strictly and Jones, who previously ‘Warrenball’ talk coached the Brave Blossoms, is confi - dent that nurturing independence is ‘Our gameplan is in its infancy... but hopefully you’ll see us improve on that’ the key to dealing with issues on and off the fi eld. AFP “We very much want to have two lev- Auckland els of management, one is the staff , one is the players,” Jones told British media. “We want the players to be responsible, ritish and Irish Lions attack self-driven, self-reliant. coach Rob Howley slapped “We just had a units meeting and makes June’s tour of Argentina a must- down talk of ‘Warrenball’ tac- the players ran it... They are the sort of win for the home nation. tics yesterday as he admitted things we are doing to constantly de- “Argentina didn’t have a great 2016, theB tourists were a “work in progress”. velop the leadership of the players, to they know they are playing an under- Howley said he had no idea what develop their thinking about the game, strength England side so all the pres- was meant by ‘Warrenball’, the term develop more responsibility about be- sure is on Argentina and when you are used to describe head coach Warren ing active... under pressure you can do one of two Gatland’s preference for powerful, di- “I have still got a few years to go but things,” Jones said. rect running. we are moving in the right direction “You can become even more adven- This week Gatland — who has led to making the head coach redundant, turous or you can revert back to type... Wales to three Six Nations titles, and which is what we want,” Jones added. Our preparation has got to be so that we the Lions to victory over Australia in England are missing several key are prepared for either of those.” 2013 — has bristled at suggestions that players who were called up to the Brit- The two-Test series in Argentina be- he only had one coaching style. ish and Irish Lions tour or are injured, gins on June 10 and concludes a week “I don’t know what ‘Warrenball’ and Jones believes that their absence later. means,” Howley said, ahead of today’s second tour match against the Auck- land Blues. “I haven’t got a clue. We want to Bolt to run 100m at Golden Spike bring a southern hemisphere-style rugby chaos to our game. The players Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt will run the 100m at the Golden Spike are enjoying the speed and intensity in on June 28, his first European start before August’s world championships, training. organisers said yesterday. “Last weekend, he confirmed he was ready to race,” “Our gameplan is in its infancy at Miroslav Cernosek, head of the TK Plus agency, said in a statement. This will the moment, but hopefully you’ll see be Bolt’s ninth — and last — appearance at the event in the eastern Czech steel us improve on that when we play the hub of Ostrava. The 30-year-old nine-time Olympic gold medallist has said he Blues.” will retire from international competition after the world championships in The Lions, bidding for only their British and Irish Lions’ Sam Warburton (right) competes for the ball with New Zealand Provincial Barbarians’ Bryn Gatland London. Other big names at the Golden Spike include reigning 800m Olympic second Test series win over the All during their match at Toll Stadium in Whangarei on Saturday. (Below) Head coach Warren Gatland. (AFP) champion David Rudisha of Kenya, Britain’s four-time Olympic champion Mo Blacks, started their tour slowly with Farah and South Africa’s 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk. a 13-7 win over the New Zealand Pro- ers play what’s in front of them,” he training which Howley said had taken vincial Barbarians on Saturday. said. him by surprise. Two changes to French touring party in SA Gatland fi red back, “What do you “We have to adapt and play what “That’s how the majority of inter- mean by one type of game?” when we see. The one thing the players have national sides play now, from chaos,” France drafted experienced fly half Francois Trinh-Duc and lock Paul Jedrasiak asked this week if he had only one really enjoyed is rugby chaos, it’s very Howley said. into their touring party in South Africa to replace the injured duo of Camille coaching style — the physical, direct unstructured. “We’ve got a hugely motivated Lopez and Arthur Iturria, the French rugby federation said on Monday. Trinh- approach favoured by Wales. “We are all aware of the pace of the squad and we’re trying to put match Duc, a 30-year-old who has 58 caps, made a return in March against Wales af- England coach Eddie Jones is one game in the southern hemisphere. speed into training. We did an offl oad ter breaking his arm against Samoa last year but was originally left out of the high-profi le critic of such route-one “Clearly our game isn’t fully in place drill on Monday and the contact was 35-man squad for the three Tests. He was scheduled to arrive in Johannesburg tactics, commenting before the tour: yet, as you saw by the performance at pretty explosive. It got pretty heated. yesterday after it was decided to rest Lopez following Sunday’s French Top “I think you struggle to beat the All the weekend. We know we need to im- “We’re mindful of injuries, but we 14 final, where he helped Clermont Auvergne beat Toulon 22-16 at the Stade Blacks like that.” prove in the next couple of weeks.” want to put the players under pres- de France in Paris. Lopez’s teammate Iturria was injured in the match and will The Lions threw away at least three sure. It became highly competitive. be replaced by Jedrasiak, who came on for Clermont early on in the final. The CHAOS THEORY try-scoring chances in their opening The players want to give everything, 24-year-old Jedrasiak has won six caps, the last against Italy in March. Howley said the Lions’ game plan is match and Howley knows they must but sometimes you have to manage still evolving, but he insisted he wants improve if they are to beat the Blues. that.” Injured Vermeulen to miss France series his team to play off -the-cuff when playing 15 on 15 and it’s a work in The tourists, who blamed jetlag for Gatland has named an all-new side needed. progress. The one thing we need to do their sluggish opening performance, for the second tour match, captained Injured South Africa loose forward Duane Vermeulen has been ruled out of a “Our daily programme involves is have a framework whereby the play- have since produced an intensity in by Wales hooker Ken Owens. three-Test home series against France, starting on Saturday in Pretoria. The 30-year-old hurt his shoulder last Sunday playing in the French Top 14 final for Toulon, who were beaten 22-16 by Clermont. Assistant coach Johann van Graan told reporters in Pretoria yesterday that Vermeulen had joined the Springboks camp but, after an examination by the team doctor, was referred to a specialist. Fasting Sonny Bill passed fi t to face the Lions “He is a world-class forward and a fantastic asset to have in your side. However, we have some brilliant loose forwards in our squad,” said Van Graan. Vermeulen, All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams really good and he looked very fresh to play,” Rogers added. “His commu- expected to name the former rugby who moved to France from the Cape Town-based Western Stormers two years safely came through training yester- out there this morning. nication is very good and brings a lot league international and heavy- ago, has been capped 37 times and scored two tries. day and will line up for the Auckland “We’re pleased he’s in and look for- of comfort to those around him.” weight boxing champion in his squad Blues against the British and Irish ward to seeing him go.” A convert to Islam, Williams is fasting for the Lions series tomorrow. MotoGP set for Thailand debut in 2018 Lions today. Williams, twice a World Cup winner during daylight hours for the month Hansen is juggling quite a lengthy Williams has been sidelined with a with New Zealand, will be just one of of Ramadan but does not think it will injury list with Jerome Kaino, Kieran Thailand’s sports authority says it has secured rights to host a MotoGP race next knee injury and Blues coach Tana a handful of All Blacks in the Blues hinder his eff ectiveness. Read, Liam Squire, Ben Smith, Ryan year, after years of lobbying to bring top motorcycle racing to the kingdom. The Umaga bracketed him with TJ Faiane side and give the Lions backline a “Getting through the field-based Crotty and Dane Coles all currently Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) said on its Facebook page that MotoGP own- in his team pending the captain’s run thorough test of the defence, not footy is easy, and I just push back the sidelined by setbacks of varying ers Dorna Sports gave them the green light after talks on Saturday in Florence, at Eden Park for the Lions’ second least from his ability to off load the weights until I break fast,” he told degrees of seriousness. Italy. The race will be staged in Buriram, a provincial Thai city in the impover- tour match. ball from the tackle. reporters on Monday. “The first week To that group yesterday was added ished rice farming northeast that has been transformed into a sporting hub. “The “Sonny has come through really well,” “The key thing for Sonny is he comes is the toughest, but after that the first-choice lock Brodie Retallick, who talks took three hours and concluded with Dorna Sports being willing to give Blues assistant coach Alistair Rogers with a certain skillset and attributes body starts to get used to it. I just try was ruled out of this week’s Super Thailand rights for three years beginning in 2018 up to 2020,” said the state- told local media. “He came through and we want to see that, as long as and do the best I can.” Rugby clash between the Waikato ment. It stated the first race weekend would be held between October 5-7, 2018, yesterday pretty good. When he it sticks within what we’re trying to Williams’s fitness is good news for All Chiefs and Wellington Hurricanes but there has been no confirmation of the deal from MotoGP or owners Dorna cooled down last night he was feeling achieve and the patterns we’re trying Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who is because of concussion symptoms. Sports yet. The SAT said it expected to receive “written confirmation” shortly.

BOTTOMLINE AZF engages players with special needs in TT competition

By Sports Reporter competition for the visually impaired Doha for the second year in a row. We hope to continue this fruitful partnership with AZF and we look forward to future spire Zone Foundation (AZF), events.” in collaboration with the Qa- Separately, the RSF’s football tour- tar Paralympic Committee, nament will kick off today at Aspire on Monday evening success- Zone’s warm-up track, with 16 teams fullyA organised the fi fth consecutive in participation. The men’s and ladies’ Table Tennis competition for people volleyball tournaments will also take with special needs. Organised as part of place at Volleyball Hall in Aspire Dome AZF’s Ramadan Sports Festival (RSF), and the Ladies Sports Hall in the Ladies the event provided an opportunity for Club respectively. all community members to take part in The RSF is an annual sporting event sporting activities during Ramadan. that runs for two weeks during the holy Over 36 participants competed in month. Over 1,300 members from the three categories at the one-day event: local community are set to participate visual impairment, physical impair- in 11 sports tournaments across Aspire ment (sitting/standing) and hearing Zone’s world-class sporting facilities. impairment. AZF organised table ten- This year’s festival is sponsored by nis competitions for the visually-im- Ooredoo and Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana paired for the second year in the RSF. Co. Ikrami Fouad secured the top spot in second place and Abdullah al-Ishaq Ibrahim Mesad came in second while Al-Mulla, and Qatar Paralympic Com- strive to encourage active participation The festival is an example of the in the visually-impaired category after in third. Mohamed Shehab was third. mittee member and Table Tennis Tour- in sport all year-round, particularly year-round programme of activities showcasing a commendable perform- Meanwhile, participant Mostafa Winners were announced by AZF’s nament director Hussain Haddad. during Ramadan,” al-Kuwari said. hosted by AZF, which is designed to ance, followed by Abdulrahman Sami Ameen won the fi rst place in the physi- Venues and Events director Mohamed “We’re proud to provide logistical Haddad added: “AZF is keen to en- cater to all members of the communi- in second place and Ali Metaab in third cal impairment category (standing), Mubarak al-Kuwari, Events manager support for this great tournament be- gage everyone in sport and the table ty. Aspire Zone has become one of the place. followed by Mohamed Musa in second Abdullah Aman al-Khater, RSF organ- cause we’re dedicated to off ering a vari- tennis competition was carefully se- most popular destinations for Qatar’s Khalid al-Yafei secured the top spot and Faisal Al Baridi in third. ising committee member Al Anoud ety of exciting sporting events that ap- lected because it is fun for everyone. residents to take part in sporting activ- in the physical impairment category In the hearing-impaired category, al-Misnad, Qatari Cultural and Social peal to everyone in Qatar, irrespective This year, we have proudly organised ity as well as enjoy a wide range of cul- (sitting), followed by Ismail Mohamed participant Saeed Saleh won top spot, Center for the Deaf chairman Abdullah of nationality, age, gender or ability. We another very successful and enjoyable tural activities. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 7, 2017 7 FOOTBALL

SPOTLIGHT NEW COACH Advocaat hopeful of Dutchman Bosz Dutch WC chances unveiled as new

Dortmund coach The new coach of the Dutch team Dick Advocaat (R). AFP staff by Fred Grim, who tem- ‘I am proud to be able to work at such a big club. Borussia is one of the 10 biggest Noordwijk aan Zee, Netherlands porarily took over after Blind’s sacking. clubs in Europe, with a young team and the legendary ‘Yellow Wall’’ Advocaat, known for being a ick Advocaat began his disciplinarian, has also coached third stint in charge of the United Arab Emirates, South the Netherlands yes- Korea and Russia as well as brief- terday, voicing hopes ly Serbia and Belgium. theD fl agging national side could The Netherlands, three-time still beat the odds and qualify for World Cup runners-up, have the next year’s World Cup. suff ered a tough time in recent The 69-year-old Advocaat years, failing to qualify for Euro has been brought in, with Dutch 2016 in France and now facing legend Ruud Gullit as his assist- the prospect of a humiliating ant, on a rescue mission to turn World Cup no-show. around the team’s fl agging bid to Their next qualifying match is make the fi nals in Russia. on Friday against Luxembourg in “We are in a diffi cult situation, Rotterdam, and “we hope that we but still everything is open and can make a good start,” Advocaat possible,” Advocaat acknowl- said, adding he was still trying to edged at a press conference on investigate what went so wrong. his fi rst day. “The most important thing is Advocaat, who previously the game on Friday, and prob- managed the Dutch national side ably the players understand the from 1992 to 1994 and 2002 to importance of that game,” he 2004, takes over from Danny said. “I believe we can do it, oth- Blind, who was sacked in March erwise I wouldn’t have accepted after the Dutch were beaten 2-0 the post.” by Bulgaria. He also pointed to upcoming That defeat left the once- games when the Netherlands play proud Dutch facing an uphill France away on August 31, and struggle to reach the World Cup then Bulgaria on September 3. fi nals. A friendly against Ivory Coast They are fourth in Group A, six on Sunday in which the Dutch points behind leaders France and trounced the west African side three behind Sweden in second 5-0 will have helped boost team with fi ve matches to play. spirit, along with a 2-1 victory Only the group winners qual- over Morocco in a friendly on ify automatically, with the run- May 31. ners-up potentially advancing to “That shows that our team is a two-legged play-off . not as bad as some people think,” Advocaat, who was previously Gullit said, adding he hoped his at Turkish club Fenerbahce, will experience would benefi t the also be joined on the coaching players.

Turkey’s Turan quits named as the successor to international football sacked Stefano Pioli in the Borussia Dortmund’s new coach Dutch Peter Bosz poses with a jersey after a press conference yesterday in Dortmund. aft er bust-up coming days. The 58-year-old Italian told AFP “Beyond our sporting ambitions, the Bosz, 53, arrives from Ajax aft er Dortmund fi nished second in the Bun- Turkey captain Arda Turan media at Milan’s Malpensa Berlin feeling we got straight away that we can leading the Dutch side to the fi nal desliga behind Bayern Munich in Tuchel’s announced his retirement airport he had “shaken hands” build something together here was de- of the Europa League, where they fi rst campaign in charge but he was said from international football on a deal with Inter and would cisive,” said club CEO Hans-Joachim lost 2-0 to Manchester United last to be deeply unhappy at the decision to yesterday, hours after being soon put pen to paper on what utchman Peter Bosz has been Watzke at a press conference. month sell Mats Hummels, Henrikh Mkhitaryan kicked out of a training camp is expected to be a three-year named as the new coach of German media reports say Dortmund and Ilkay Gundogan last year. by coach Fatih Terim for alleg- contract. Borussia Dortmund, the German agreed to pay Ajax fi ve million euros ($5.6 Giovanni van Bronckhorst, whose Fey- His side never seriously challenged for edly verbally and physically “I’m happy to be the coach of giants announced yesterday. million, £4.4 million) to bring in Bosz, enoord side pipped Ajax to the Dutch the league title in the season just fi nished, abusing a journalist. Inter,” Spalletti said. D“Peter Bosz is the new BVB Head with SID, an AFP subsidiary, saying the title, had also been linked with the Dort- and while they beat Eintracht Frankfurt “I think the time has come...I “The signature? Everything’s Coach. Contract will last until 2019,” compensation paid is “the highest in the mund job, as had Cologne’s Peter Stoeger in the German Cup fi nal, they went out am ending my career with in order. We’ve done things Dortmund said on their Twitter account, history of the Bundesliga” for a coach. and David Wagner, a former member of of the Champions League in the quarter- the national team,” said the old fashioned way and announcing the appointment. “I am proud to be able to work at such the BVB coaching staff who has just taken fi nals at the hands of Monaco in April. the 30-year-old Barcelona shaken hands on it.” Bosz, 53, arrives from Ajax after lead- a big club,” said Bosz in perfect German. Huddersfi eld Town into the English Pre- That tie was overshadowed by a bomb midfielder, capped 96 times, ing the Dutch side to the fi nal of the Eu- “Borussia is one of the 10 biggest mier League. attack on the Dortmund team bus ahead at a brief press conference in Pioli takes over at ropa League, where they lost 2-0 to Man- clubs in Europe, with a young team and But instead Bosz got the nod, ending of the fi rst leg, which Monaco won 3-2 at Slovenia, broadcast on Turkish Fiorentina chester United last month. the legendary ‘Yellow Wall’,” added the his one-season stint at Ajax, where he ar- the Signal Iduna Park. television. Briefl y a player in Germany with new coach in reference to the vast South rived last year after a brief spell in Israel The decision to play that match just 24 Turan had been told to leave Former Inter Milan and Lazio Hansa Rostock in the 1990s, he replaces Stand at the Signal Iduna Park. with Maccabi Tel Aviv. hours after the attack, in which defender the Turkey team’s camp in coach Stefano Pioli has Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked despite Switzerland’s Lucien Favre, formerly He had previously been in charge at Marc Bartra was badly injured, report- Slovenia where they are agreed terms to take over at Dortmund winning the German Cup — in charge at Borussia Moenchenglad- Vitesse Arnhem, while his playing career edly increased tensions between Tuchel preparing for a 2018 World Fiorentina on a two-year deal, their fi rst major silverware in fi ve years bach, had been linked with a return to also took in spells in France and Japan and and Watzke. Cup qualifier against Kosovo the Serie A club announced — and fi nishing third in the Bundesliga in the German game with Dortmund but his saw him win eight caps for the Nether- Dortmund eventually lost the tie 6-3 on Sunday, the daily Hürriyet yesterday. the season just fi nished. current side Nice refused to let him go. lands as a midfi elder. on aggregate. and news channel NTV earlier Pioli was sacked three games reported. before the end of a roller- He was reported to have coaster Serie A campaign with BOTTOMLINE lambasted veteran sports Inter that saw a quality-packed journalist Bilal Mese during a Nerazzurri side go from Cham- flight after a 0-0 friendly draw pions League qualification against Macedonia in Skopje contenders to missing out on on Monday. European football altogether. Turan was furious at articles But Fiorentina, where written during Euro 2016 Pioli played 156 times between Manchester United world’s which claimed the Barcelona 1989 and 1995, were quick to winger had a falling out with make the 51-year-old coach an Terim over player bonuses. off er following the departure “What kind of a country is of Portuguese coach Paulo this? They allow you onto this Sousa. “Fiorentina announces most valuable club, says Forbes plane. F*** those who allowed the club has reached agree- AFP income of $288 million, $107 the Premier League’s multi-bil- you onto this plane,” Turan ment with Stefano Pioli, who New York million more than Real. lion-dollar television deal which reportedly ranted at Mese, will take over as first team Barcelona were placed at makes the English league by far calling him “shameless”. coach,” said a statement by number two on the 2017 rankings, the wealthiest in the world. Eyewitnesses claimed Turan Fiorentina on yesterday. anchester United with a value of $3.64 billion while United’s coff ers have also grabbed Mese by the throat “The new coach will sign a have overtaken Real — fi rst place for the past four swollen due to an array of glo- and was about to hit him when two-year deal, with the option Real Madrid as the years — had slipped to third with a bal commercial tie-ups and a kit other players intervened. of a third.” world’s most valu- value of $3.58 billion. deal with Adidas worth a report- “Do I feel remorse? No, I don’t Mable football team, US magazine The top fi ve was completed by ed $90 million a year. feel any remorse. I am quite Pepe unhappy with Forbes announced on yesterday Bundesliga giants Bayern Mu- The fi nancial might of English calm,” added Turan. Real Madrid exit in its annual global list ranking nich ($2.71 billion) and English football is refl ected in the fact “I really love my country. I re- the sport’s wealthiest clubs. Premier League side Manchester that six of the top 10 most valu- ally love my flag. I have always Portugese defender Pepe United’s enduring brand ap- City ($2.08 billion). able clubs hail from the Premier said: “If that’s what you want, I confirmed he has had off ers peal and aggressive sponsor- United’s ascent to top spot League. will retire.” from Premier League clubs ship strategies had helped the comes despite a relatively fal- Arsenal were ranked sixth in after announcing he will leave Premier League side reclaim low period in the club’s on-fi eld the list with a value of $1.93 bil- Spalletti agrees to take Real Madrid when his contract top spot for the fi rst time in fi ve fortunes. lion, just ahead of Chelsea ($1.85 over as Inter coach expires this summer. years, with a worth estimated at The Red Devils have not won billion) and Liverpool ($1.26 bil- “What Madrid have done is $3.69 billion (3.27 billion euros), the domestic title since Alex Fer- lion). Former Roma coach Luciano spectacular, but there are Forbes said in its survey. guson retired in 2013 and could Italian giants Juventus — Spalletti said yesterday he has things that I still don’t un- Although Real Madrid have only muster a sixth place fi nish beaten by Real Madrid in last agreed to take over at Inter derstand,” the Brazilian-born enjoyed unparalleled success in the Premier League under new weekend’s Champions League Milan as he flew to China to centre-back told Spanish radio in the Champions League — File picture of Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho. manager Jose Mourinho. fi nal — came in ninth with $1.26 meet the Serie A club’s owners station Cope. clinching unprecedented back- The club did claim victory billion. ahead of his imminent ap- “I don’t know why I have dis- to-back titles on Saturday for a lion during the 2015-2016 sea- keting acumen,” Forbes Media in the Europa League however, Tottenham rounded out the pointment. appeared from the team. record 12th crown — United have son, $77 million more than both assistant managing editor Mike a win which guaranteed their top 10 with a value of $1.06 bil- Spalletti, who led Roma to “An era has come to an end and, roared past the Spanish giants in Barcelona and Real Madrid. Ozanian said in a statement. entry to next season’s money- lion. runners-up spot behind from now, a new one will start, the commercial stakes. “Manchester United’s return The Forbes survey found Unit- spinning Champions League. French side Paris Saint-Ger- Juventus in Serie A last week, but Real Madrid’s way of doing According to Forbes, United to the top spot is a testament to ed to be the most profi table team Off the fi eld though United’s main were 11th on the list with a is expected to be off icially things hasn’t been correct.” generated revenues of $765 mil- their powerful brand and mar- in the world with an operating fortunes have soared, fuelled by value estimated at $841 million. Wednesday, June 7, 2017 GULF TIMES SPORT

MOTORSPORT Gala prize ceremony for QSTK and QTCC winners ‘We are very happy to see new Qatari faces in our championships and this was one of our goals. There are some areas to improve and we are going to work for next season and make these championships bigger and better’

Abdullah al-Qubaisi (C) won the Rookie of the Year award in QSTK600.

QSTK 600 riders pose with the QMMF president Abdulrahman al-Mannai and LCSC vice president and general manager, Khalid al-Remaihi during the ceremony. QTCC winner Abdullah al-Khelaifi (C) receives his cheque.

By Sports Reporter increase the number of rounds next This season has been very formance here. The riders have im- me the Moto2 wild card in the middle Doha season. “I am really happy with the busy at the circuit, with a many proved a lot from the offi cial test till the of the year. I will try to be better pre- season. For next season, we will see if weekends with multiple events end of championship,” said al-Sulaiti. pared and physically more fi t to win the we can accommodate seven rounds taking place. There has been an “About my win, I am really happy QSTK600 title,” added al-Naimi. atar Superstock 600 and in each championship. The weather increase of family and commu- since it is my fi rst personal champion- Nasser al-Malki was happy with Qatar Touring Car Cham- makes our season short but we will nity events. We hope to encour- ship. Of course it was not easy. I had this third-place fi nish after not having pionship winners’ awards see if we can squeeze more the rounds. age more people to come to the a bit fi ght with the others and Mishal competed for two years. “This year was were presented on Monday This season has been very busy at the circuit and bring their families,” was a strong challenger but we were very hard for me since I haven’t been inQ a prize giving ceremony held at Ritz circuit, with a many weekends with stronger and managed to end the sea- riding for two years. I am happy to fi n- said al-Remaihi Carlton organised by Losail Circuit multiple events taking place. There has son in fi rst position. I am really happy ish third but this is not enough for me Sports Club (LCSC) and Qatar Motor been an increase of family and com- al-Hajri. about the rest of the riders, specially as I always want to be fi rst. For the next and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF). munity events. We hope to encourage Al-Khelaifi was also awarded as the Abdullah al-Qubaisi, the youngest year I have a good plan to be ready and The trophies were presented by more people to come to the circuit and QTCC winner. He had a great season, Qatari who has shown promising skills we’ll see what we can do for next sea- QMMF president, Abdulrahman al- bring their families,” said al-Remaihi. winning 10 out of the 12 races and he and is a rider to watch out for. I hope he son,” said al-Malki. Mannai and by LCSC vice president and The prize giving ceremony started was very happy to receive the tro- continues to focus and improves even The Rookie of the Year trophy was general manager, Khalid al-Remaihi. with a certifi cate of appreciation to phies. “I am very happy to see all the further. For the next season I hope to for the 17-year-old rider al-Qubaisi QMMF president al-Mannai was the media and to the sponsors of the drivers and riders again. It was a very see more riders joining us. I hope to who fi nished the championship in a pleased with the increased partici- championship. nice gesture from QMMF and LCSC come back stronger and try to domi- commendable fourth place. “I want to pation of Qataris in the champion- In QTCC, there were two awards for to host this prize ceremony and it will nate from the beginning and defend congratulate all the winners and also ship. “We are very happy to see new the drivers’ representatives — Abdul- help promote our championship for the title,” he added. my team for their great job. Also, I want Qatari faces in our championship lah al-Khelaifi and Mansour al-Hajri new participants next season. All the The runner, al-Naimi, who fi nished to thank QMMF and LCSC for their and this was one of our goals. Also, — for their eff ort to get more drivers rounds have been a very exciting and just fi ve points behind al-Sulaiti was support and happy to be the Rookie of we tried to reduce the cost for our involved in this championship and to challenging for all the participants and happy with the fi ght he gave to al- the Year and fi nish the championship competitors and we are happy with educate the other participants regard- we hope that we can make a stronger Sulaiti in the title clash. “First of all I in fourth overall. I hope to improve the results. Of course, there are some ing the regulations. and more competitive championship want to thank Ooredoo for being my more next year to fi nish in a better po- areas to improve and we are going to Shady al-Mohandes was awarded next year,” he said. sponsor, and QMMF and LCSC for or- sition,” said al-Qubaisi. work for next season and make these as the Best Improved Driver and Mah- In the QSTK 600, the winner of the ganising this amazing championship. There was also an award for Ali al- championships bigger and better,” moud al-Khalaf received two trophies, championship was Saeed al-Sulaiti We started at the beginning with good Shammari, as the most improved rider al-Mannai said. Rookie of the Year and third overall. and was very happy for winning this results, winning the fi rst four races. We of the season. “This season was very “The concept of the QSTK cham- Al-Hajri also received the trophy for championship after a thrilling tus- had good competitors in this champi- QSTK600 champion Saed al-Sulaiti strong for me because I also took part pionship, same standard bike for all having fi nished second in the champi- sle with Mishal al-Naimi. “First of all, onship and Saeed was very strong from with his winning bike. in Bahrain and Dubai championships the competitors, brings more compe- onship. “I am glad to fi nish second and congratulations to everyone — com- the middle of the season. I lost my also. I had an accident in the fi rst round tition and we’ll try to unify the same to get the driver representative award. petitors, riders and marshals — for leading position from the fourth round The championship was very good from in Dubai and broke my shoulder and I for the cars although it is more dif- I want to thank to QMMF and LCSC this successful championship. Also, when I crashed with Saeed. From this start until the end,” said al-Naimi. couldn’t be 100% fi t in some rounds of fi cult in terms of cost and we need to for this opportunity. This is my fi rst I want to thank Ooredoo as my spon- point I lost the championship but this “I am already thinking ahead for QSTK. Overall I am happy with my re- take it gradually. But the continuity is car racing championship and I learned sor, QMMF and LCSC for their support is racing and these things happen but the next season. I have many things sult and next season I hope to be more very important and we are not going to a lot. I hope to do better next year and in this championship and my team for I am happy with my result and per- planned and I hope I can also race in ready and more focused in the Qatar make too many changes,” he added. in the next season this championship having helped me achieve this title. I formance. Saeed deserves the cham- the World Super Superbike champion- championship and give more,’ said al- Al-Remaihi was looking forward to will become bigger and stronger,” said am really happy about everyone’s per- pionship. He has worked very hard. ship. I want to thank QMMF for giving Shammari.

QATAR STARS LEAGUE Frustrating season for Lamouchi’s El Jaish By Sports Reporter epitomised in the side’s 4-2 win over sible 12 in the month, slowly showing Doha Umm Salal in the fi fth round of the QSL the form that led them to lead the way season. Lamouchi’s boys were simply in the QSL standings during the start too strong for Umm Salal and inspired of the season. However this all changed l Jaish are the next side under by hat-trick hero Romarinho brushed following the news came that the club the spotlight as we look at the aside Salal with ease. is set to merge with Lekhwiya to form progress of the teams in the However a narrow 2-1 defeat to bitter the Duhail, the team dropped off losing QSL during the 2016/2017 QSL rivals Lekhwiya kick started a ten-game their fi nal three games of the campaign. season.E It’s safe to say that it’s been a streak in the league which saw the Sol- This was shown clearly in their 5-1 frustrating season for Sabri Lamouchi’s diers only pick up three victories. This defeat to Lekhwiya, in which Jaish failed side who were the pace setters in the run certainly curtailed Jaish’s title am- to show up and put in a lacklustre dis- league before dropping off in the sec- bitions as they slipped out of the race play. Now with the club’s future con- ond half, thanks in part to a host of in- for the QSL falcon shield. More frus- fi rmed, Jaish players and management Mohamed Sayyar (second left) with Al juries and suspensions for the side. trating for Jaish was the host of long have a nervy summer ahead waiting on Khor off icials during the unveiling. The 2016/2017 QSL season started term injuries they picked up during the their next destination in the QSL. well for El Jaish. Boosted by their ex- run coupled with suspensions which stadium. Present at the signing was Al ploits in the AFC Champions League, severely depleted the side. AL KHOR ANNOUNCE SIGNING OF Khor club offi cials along with senior the soldiers started the campaign well Come January, and Jaish did move to MIDFIELDER SAYYAR Khor player Naif al-Buraiki. before their rivals and that certainly bolster their ranks with the loan sign- QSL side Al Khor has announced the Sayyar enjoyed an impressive season contributed to their early success. Nine ings of Sayaf al-Korbi and Majdi Siddiq signing of former Al Shahania mid- with Shahania last season, and was one of games into the season and Jaish were from Al Sailiya. However the duo failed fi elder Mohammed Sayyar at a press the key players in the side. The 26-year- leading the standings, notching eight to to make a real impact for the side in conference on Monday afternoon. old will be looking to make and impact victories in the process and playing a the second half of the season. The Qatari midfi elder has signed a in the fi rst team at Al Khor, who will be brand of exciting football. Jaish recovered slightly in February one year deal with the Knights, and was staring the season with a new coach in This period of Jaish dominance was File picture of El Jaish players during a QSL match. and picked up seven points from a pos- unveiled to the local media at Al Khor the form of Laurent Banide.