THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 SPORTS

Bilic demands more Russia regains Rossi will try to race in from Arnautovic FIFA Council seat Spain with a broken leg

LONDON: West Ham United’s record signing Marko Arnautovic has plenty GENEVA: Russia has regained its place on the FIFA Council, six LONDON: Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi will try to make a race return in of ability but needs to venture outside of his comfort zone more often, months after Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko was blocked from Spain this weekend, three weeks after breaking his leg in an off-road manager Slaven Bilic has said. The Austrian playmaker set up goals for re-election. UEFA member federations yesterday elected Alexei training accident, if MotoGP doctors give him the green light. The 38- Angelo Ogbonna and Diafra Sakho before Arthur Masuaku Sorokin, CEO of the 2018 World Cup organizing committee, by accla- year-old Italian great was back on track in testing on Monday, sealed West Ham’s 3-0 League Cup win over Bolton mation as one of their delegates to FIFA’s strategy-setting commit- 18 days after suffering a double fracture, and did another Wanderers at the London Stadium on Tuesday. Despite his tee.The seat, which runs through 2021, was vacant since May when 20 laps on a road bike at Italy’s Misano circuit on Tuesday. contribution, Bilic demanded more from Arnautovic, who Mutko was formally forced to step down. Mutko’s candidacy was He underwent a medical in Italy on Wednesday and decid- West Ham prised from Stoke City for a reported fee of 25 blocked by FIFA’s then governance committee chairman, Miguel ed that while his leg had not fully healed, the result was million pounds ($33.80 million) in the off season. “I could Maduro, because of a conflict of interest with his government work. ‘positive’. “At the end I decided I will leave for Aragon and have asked for more. I want him to do more. He’s got Maduro, who was ousted by FIFA weeks later, said last week that the will try to ride my M1 this weekend,” he said in a that quality and that something extra,” Bilic told British world soccer body’s leaders put pressure on him to protect Mutko’s Yamaha statement. “If I will be declared fit to media after the game. “I like him as a player but position. Meeting with British lawmakers, Maduro said he was told ride, I’ll have the real answer after FP1 (first sometimes he gets happy with the few things that his ruling on Mutko’s eligibility could threaten FIFA President free practice on Friday), because riding that he does when I want him to push the bor- Gianni Infantino’s hold on power and “would be a disaster” for the the M1 will be a much bigger challenge. ders,” the manager added. — Reuters World Cup. —AP We’ll see.” —Reuters

Zain’s team with champions during the press conference. Zain strategic partner of Kuwait’s National Jet Ski team

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunica- ence held at the Kuwait Sea Sport Club head- World Jet Ski Championship. The company fur- ticipations, most notably many first place titles capabilities in excelling in different fields. tions company in Kuwait, announced its strate- quarters, Zain explained that this partnership ther expressed its keenness on encouraging of last year’s World Jet Ski Championship, held As a leading telecommunications company gic partnership of the Kuwait National Jet Ski falls under its solid Corporate Sustainability Kuwaiti athletes to represent Kuwait in the vari- in the United States. The company expressed in Kuwait, Zain is constantly looking to identify team for the seventh consecutive year. The and Social Responsibility strategy towards the ous internationally renowned championships. its pride in all National teams that raise the and support excellence across the sports sec- company’s sponsorship will extend during the youth and sports sectors as well as supporting The National Jet Ski team is authorized by Kuwaiti flag high by achieving top internation- tor. The company will continue to put Kuwaiti team’s participation in the upcoming World Jet Kuwaiti athletes. Zain expressed its utmost the Kuwait Sea Sport Club to officially repre- al titles, and it further confirms its commitment National teams and individual athletes at the Ski Championship 2017 that will be held in confidence in the talents of the Kuwaiti youth, sent Kuwait in regional and international Jet towards Kuwaiti champions, which resembles forefront of its priorities and pledges to contin- October at the Orlando, United States. expressing its wishes of the best of luck to the Ski championships. The team champions won the company’s endless confidence of the com- ue motivating them to achieve all the recogni- During its participation in the press confer- team on their upcoming participation in the a number of prominent titles during past par- petencies of these young athletes and their tion they deserve.

NHL NHL hoping to make inroads in China with preseason games

SHANGHAI: As the Vancouver Canucks held their first practice in Shanghai before their exhibition game with the Los Angeles Kings, a dense fog settled over the ice. The humidity in the arena was high and the players could bare- ly see the puck. Large dehumidifiers were rolled in and the mist eventually cleared, but the NHL has perhaps a bigger visibility prob- lem in China - a country with little tradition of winter sports, hockey included. The league is hoping to turn that around with a major push in the country, beginning with its first two pre- season games between the Canucks and Kings in Shanghai and Beijing this week. The timing couldn’t be better for the NHL. PHOENIX: NBA players Markieff, left, and arrive with Gerald Bowman, With Beijing set to host the 2022 Winter right, at Superior Court for the second day of their aggravated assault trial, Tuesday Olympics, the government is putting a massive in Phoenix. The twins and Bowman are charged with assaulting Erik Hood outside a emphasis on developing winter sports. Hockey recreation in 2015 in Phoenix. —AP training programs and youth leagues are expanding across China, and the nation’s first Man testifies in trial professional team, the Kunlan Red Star, plays in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. With interest on the rise, the NHL believes it over NBA players assault now has an opportunity to crack a market that has traditionally been more fixated on basket- PHOENIX: The man accusing NBA play- suggested Hood knew he had no chance ball and soccer. ers Marcus and Markieff Morris of aggra- of having a professional relationship with “You don’t quite know what to expect the vated assault was pressed Tuesday by the players after the 2011 incident, but first time the game is coming here, but I’ve SHANGHAI: In this Sept 19, 2017 photo, the Vancouver Canucks’ players practice at the foggy Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China. The National Hockey League is looking to build its defense lawyers about his financial Hood insisted their relationship was not always believed that hockey is a game you visibility in China. It will hold its first two preseason games in the nation of 1.2 billion people motives in the case. An Arizona grand based on the twins making it to the NBA. need to see live,” Los Angeles Kings coach John jury indicted the Morris brothers on The Morris brothers were drafted this week, with the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings facing each other in Shanghai Stevens said after Wednesday’s practice. “And and Beijing. — AP felony aggravated assault charges. They back-to-back in the first round of the once you see it live, you become hooked as a are accused of helping three other peo- 2011 NBA draft. The 6-foot-9 twins fan.” A glance at the numbers shows just how playoffs. The NHL also has an influential part- year-old Song has committed to play at Cornell ple beat Erik Hood outside a Phoenix became teammates in 2013 when far the NHL has to go. According to the ner on the ground in Zhou Yunjie, the billion- this season. On Monday, the Vancouver recreation center on Jan. 24, 2015. Marcus was traded to the Suns. Hood International Ice Hockey Federation, China has aire founder of a Chinese drinks packaging Canucks signed 21-year-old Sun Zehao to an Two of the other co-defendants stressed in court that he wasn’t looking just 1,101 registered players, compared with company who has devoted significant time amateur tryout contract to serve as the team’s pleaded guilty Sept. 13 to the same at any of the defendants differently from nearly 556,000 in the US and more than and resources to building the game he fell in third goaltender for the China preseason charges. The Morris brothers and the each other. 631,000 in Canada. love with as a youth in Beijing. Zhou’s compa- games. “He’s working with our goalie coach,” final defendant, Gerald Bowman, have Hood initially identified both Marcus And the fan base in a nation of more than ny, ORG Packaging, is the presenting partner Vancouver coach Travis Green said. “He liked pleaded not guilty. Hood told Phoenix and Markieff Morris as assailants, but tes- 1.2 billion people is still in its infancy. On for this week’s exhibition games. “Hockey was how quick (Sun) was, how competitive he was. police he was leaving a high school bas- tified that he couldn’t be sure whether Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, the actually quite common in northern China back . I just think it’s a great experience for him.” The ketball game when he was approached Markieff had physically assaulted him or NHL has just 47,000 followers, some of whom in the ‘60s and ‘70s, so there is a foundation NHL should also get a boost in China as excite- by a friend of the Morris brothers. Hood was just in the vicinity. are obviously new to the sport. (One posted a among the kids in those areas,” Zhou told The ment builds for the 2022 Olympics. The league said the man was speaking to him when Defense attorneys pressed Hood on question about the temperature of the arena Associated Press at his company’s newly angered its players by deciding not to interrupt he was punched in the back of the head. his knowing about the NBA players’ sub- and what was suitable to wear to the game.) opened hockey training base in a Beijing sub- its season to allow them to take part in the Hood tried to run but fell down before stantial assets and asked if he was intent The NBA, which hosted its first preseason exhi- urb, which includes a fully stocked gym, physi- 2018 Games in South Korea in February. That five men, including the Morris twins, on having a claim on at least one of the bition games in China in 2004, boasts more cal therapy room and a hotel for players stance may change for 2022 in the much larger punched and kicked him repeatedly, Morris twins for his financial gain. Hood than 33 million followers on Weibo. attending training camps. Chinese market. To some, skipping the authorities said. All five left in a Rolls denied that claim. “We’re learning a lot about how to market Zhou said China’s hockey revival should Pyeongchang Olympics is a missed opportuni- Royce Phantom, according to police. Eckstein reviewed text messages Hood here and we’re learning a lot about how tickets focus on both universities and a professional ty to gain a bigger foothold in China. “With Hood, 36, testified he wanted justice for sent to multiple people indicating the are sold,” says David Proper, the NHL’s executive league, using the North American, northern 2022 coming up, winter sports are taking the the incident that left him with a broken Morris twins would have to pay him mil- vice president of media and international strat- European and Russian systems as models. leading focus of all sports in China right now - nose and other injuries. lions in financial damages for the case. egy. “We’re just viewing this as Year 1 of a mul- “It will take time before ice hockey really more so than football,” said Mark Dreyer, The Morris brothers have known The Morris brothers face the possibility of ti-year project and in Year 1 we may not knock becomes like a religion with young people as it founder of the China Sports Insider website. Hood since they were promising teenage prison time and discipline from the NBA, it out of the park . but we can still build over is in the West,” he said. “But ice hockey will defi- “They’ll be promoting the Korea Olympics AAU players, but Hood testified they had including a minimum 10-game suspen- time.” nitely catch on with lots of kids.” more than ever before.” a falling out in 2011. Hood testified that sion, if they are found guilty. Marcus was One thing that will certainly help is devel- For now, the league is focused on taking its his relationship with the brothers traded to the in July, and INFLUENTIAL PARTNER oping a home-grown star similar to first baby steps in China, giving spectators in became strained because of a misinter- Markieff is now with the Washington Media exposure certainly helps. State in and Li Na in tennis. There are Shanghai and Beijing a good show. “It’s going preted text message he sent their moth- Wizards. The two-week trial also threat- broadcaster CCTV now televises five games per promising signs on this front, too. to be pretty cool, especially for people who er. He said there was nothing “improper” ens to disrupt the start of their 2017 NBA week to Chinese audiences and the Internet Song Andong became the first China-born have never really experienced it before,” Kings happening with him and their mother. season, with training camp set to begin giant Tencent streams 14 games per week on player to be drafted in the NHL two years ago, forward Tanner Pearson said. “It’s going to Defense attorney Timothy Eckstein for both players on Sept 26. — AP its digital platforms, including the Stanley Cup selected by the New York Islanders. The 20- hopefully start something good here.” — AP