SPORT The Times Thursday, September 5, 2013 11 Paul M’poku Fifteen years down the forces Minsk line graces repeat success FC to feel Belarusian national team wins all-round gold for group exercises at 32nd Rhythmic Gymnastics sorrow World Championship, hosted by Kiev, repeating 1998’s success in this Olympic sport By Igor Leshin Kiev is the first in this event since the 1998 World Cham- Minsk squad fails to enter pionships in Seville, Spain, Europa League Group when Olga Zaitseva, Galina Stage after losing to Malashenko, Anna Glazkova, Belgium’s Standard Liege Tatiana Belan, Irina Ilyenk- in playoff round ova and Anastasia Zvariko It seems that Minsk and claimed victory. Standard really are football On the final day of the teams from different planets. World Championship in In the minority, the Belarusian Kiev, our Belarusian graces squad, under Vladimir Skrip- claimed silver medals in the chenko, managed a 0:2 loss in separate group exercise with , and 1:3 defeat in the 3 balls and 2 ribbons, which return match in Liege. All goals finished the programme of were scored in the first half, the Rhythmic Gymnastics with Standard Liege clearly World Championship. Bela- stronger from the outset. Im- rusians Alexandra Narkevi- mediately, Vladimir Bushma’s ch, Marina Goncharova, Yana goal was twice invaded, to the Lukovets, Valeria Pishchelina, delight of almost 26,000 fans. Anna Dudenkova and Maria In the third minute, the crowd Kotyak earned 15,550 points, at the Maurice Dufrasne Sta- behind (18,183); Italy dium, in Liege, witnessed the was third (17,166). first goal — scored by Paul- In the medal standings, Jose M’poku. Three minutes was ranked among later, forward Igor De Camar- REUTERS the best squads of the 32nd go brought the score to 2:0. Gold medallist team of Belarus greet their supporters during award ceremony World Championship, oc- After two minutes, FC Minsk By Yegor Glebov left little chance to their op- larus’ score of 35,708 points most the same team to Kiev; cupying third place. Bela- striker Vitaly Kibuk managed ponents, easily taking gold. was unrivalled, with Italy tak- the only change was the in- rusians gymnasts boasted his team’s only goal and, in Alexandra Narkevich, In the 10 clubs disci- ing a surprise silver (34,733) troduction of Yana Lukovets. 5 awards — 1 gold, 1 silver the 35th minute, Bia Mujangi Marina Goncharova, Yana pline, Belarus won the high- and Russia settling for bronze 2012 Olympic silver medal- and 3 bronze: the latter were brought the score to 3:1. Lukovets, Valeria Pishchelina, est number of points: 17,783. (34,225). ists Alexandra Narkevich and earned by Melitina Stanyuta Anna Dudenkova and Maria With 3 balls and 2 hoops, they Earlier in 2013, Belarus Marina Goncharova took in separate exercises with the Kotyak, trained by Honoured also led, with 17,925 points. won several medals at the part also. ball and the ribbon, as well as Coach Tatiana Nenasheva, In the all-round event, Be- FIG World Cup and took al- The team’s gold success in in the individual all-round. Ready for new season Belarusian By Igor Grishin rowers reaping Head coach Skripchenko commented, “From the very HC Dinamo Minsk (KHL) beginning, we gave our rivals claims victory over Ak desired awards a head start; by the 6th minute, Bars Kazan (KHL) in the score was already 0:2. We match for 5th place at By Igor Leshin 1km K2 and C4 crews on didn’t expect such a frustrat- international the first day of the final ing kick off and it was naturally tournament in : Silver and two bronze rounds, the Belarusian team difficult to recover from that. Latvian Railways Cup awards won by has a total of five medals We did manage a return goal The victory is the first Belarusian sportsmen on from Duisburg. and had a chance to equalise, for Dinamo Minsk against a final day of World Rowing Meanwhile, in Korean but missed the net. In the sec- KHL team in the current off- Championship, for kayak Jinju, our Belarusian fe- ond half, I think the team re- season. With no trophies or and canoe events, in male double skulls took laxed a little and played better, tournament prospects were German Duisburg bronze. Yekaterina Karsten with some good attempts at at stake, the squads created The Belarusian men’s K2 and Yulia Bichik took 3rd goal, putting our rival’s goalie no real scoring opportuni- 500m saw Roman Petrush- place in the 2km final at the through his paces. Opportuni- ties until almost the end of enko and Vadim Makhnev World Championship for ties to score were missed but the first half, when Dinamo take 2nd place. The 2012 rowing and canoeing, with I’m grateful to my players for claimed a goal. Ak Bars Dinamo enjoyed many opportunities to score against Ak Bars Olympic silver medalists a time of 6 minutes and 55.9 the second half. We’ve acquired equalised in the second half, Bars was actually fighting HC Dinamo Minsk came finished with a time of 1 seconds. Lithuania’s Do- good international experience, thanks to forward Chris for 5th place with Dinamo. third at an international minute and 32.711 seconds, nata Vištartaitė and Milda which is vital for those who’ve Burk, assisted by former Di- Kazakhstan’s ‘snow leopards’ tournament in memory behind the Portuguese duo Valciukaite took gold with not played at such a level previ- namo player were left in last place in the of Ruslan Saley in Minsk, of Emanuel Silva and Joao their time of 6 minutes and ously — as well as for our junior — a Minsk fan favourite. Latvian Railways Cup. losing to HC Khabarovsk Ribeiro (1 minute 32.622 51.82 seconds while Fiona team as a whole. I enjoyed the The 1:1 deadlock con- The win in Riga was the Amur (1:2) and HC Spar- seconds). Bourke and Zoe Stevenson atmosphere at the stadium and tinued almost until the end first for HC Dinamo Minsk tak Moscow (1:5), while de- The men’s C2 of Dmitry from New Zealand claimed it was pleasant for our players of the game; in the 59th over a KHL club before feating HC Grodno Neman Ryabchenko and Aleksandr a worthy bronze (6 minutes to experience European foot- minute, Dinamo forward the start of KHL Season 6, (3:1). Volchetsky took bronze for and 51.86 seconds). Our ball. We’ll continue to grow and Dmitry Meleshko received although the Riga tourna- Dinamo Minsk will soon the 200m sprint, with a time sportswomen considerably we’d like to return to the Eu- a pass from Andrey Stas, ment is now over for the take to the ice at Riga Arena of 36.654 seconds, behind improved on their semi-fi- ropa League, reaching past this then outwitted Russian Minsk club. Goalies Kevin again, taking on HC Dina- Germany (36.331 seconds) nal time of 7 minutes and round next time.” Konstantin Barulin to score Lalande (Minsk) and Kon- mo Riga for the first match and Russia (36.551). Our K4 16.03 seconds. FC Minsk had a small the decisive goal. A change stantin Barulin (Ak Bars) in the KHL Championship. crew of Margarita Tishkev- Similar Belarusian wins chance of qualifying for the of goalkeeper didn’t help were voted the match’s top Head coach Alexander An- ich, Nadezhda Popok, Olga this year include two top Group Stage of ’s second the Kazan team, although players. At the Group Stage, drievsky awaits an answer Khudenko and Marina tournament bronze medals most important tournament Ak Bars was considered a Dinamo Minsk lost to HC from Belarus national team Litvinchuk also took bronze, by Yekaterina Karsten and but Fate sent Monaco in place favourite for the finals not SKA St. Petersburg (0:3) forward Alexey Kalyuzhny over a distance of 500m. Yulia Bichik — at the Euro- of disqualified Turkish Fener- long ago. After losing to and HC Praha Lev (2:4). as to whether he’ll now join Taking into account two pean Championship in Ol- bahçe S.K. — Cyprian APOEL. , Ak Almost two weeks ago, the squad. silver awards won by men’s ympic double skulls.