FIFA CONGRESS FIFA Has a Woman Secretary General for Fi Rst Time
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FOOTBALL | Page 2 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 5 Barca on the Stoinis scalps brink of title four to set up in fi nal day Punjab win showdown over Mumbai Saturday, May 14, 2016 TENNIS Sha’baan 7, 1437 AH Resilient Djokovic GULF TIMES fends off Nadal, Murray wins SPORT Page 11 VOLLEYBALL Arabi fl y high with Emir Cup hat-trick, domestic treble ‘We were confident that if play according to our strengths we will win the title...our service disrupted Jaish’s plan’ By Yash Mudgal Doha l Arabi once again proved their supremacy in the domes- tic volleyball circuit as they clinched their 22nd Emir Cup Atitle with a straights set 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-17) victory over El Jaish yes- terday. At the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, Arabi played to their strengths to stop the Armymen from winning their second title of the season and in the process, Maaouia Lajnef’s boys completed an Emir Cup title hat-trick. Recently-crowned league champions Arabi had defeated Al Rayyan in last year’s fi nal and Police the year before that. Yesterday’s win also completed a do- mestic treble for Arabi, with Super Cup and the league already in the bag. The architect of Arabi’s victory, Ital- ian Ivan Zaytsev, who scored 16 points, was all praise for his teammates. “We are really happy to win the Emir Cup third time in a row. It is a very good win for us. The credit goes to team work. It is always good to see your teammates fi ghting together,” Zaytsev, who was declared Player of the Match for his stellar display, told Gulf Times. “We were confi dent that if play ac- cording to our strengths we will win the title. I think our service disrupted Jaish’s game plan,” he said. With the victory, Arabi also avenged their Qatar Cup semi-fi nal loss to Jaish. “Yes, for sure, we are happy to beat Jaish after losing to them in Qatar Cup,” he said. Arabi controlled the opening set right from the start. Using superb serv- ice and clever net play, especially by Renan Rebeiro, Ibrahim Mohamed and Al Arabi players and off icials celebrate their win in the Emir Cup volleyball with the winners’ trophy at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena yesterday. PICTURES: Jayaram Ahmed Bassam, they enjoyed the lead and shot fi ve points clear (15-10). spiked the ball into the net and Arabi ance in the season. I am indeed satisfi ed fi nal we will not be able to bounce back This, coupled with sound defence, grabbed a commanding 2-1 lead. Arabi with our report card of the season, we as we were physically exhausted having was more than enough to keep Arabi completed the rout, working diligently featured in three fi nals in the seasons played a long season. So today, you saw rolling and Jaish under pressure. on widening the gap in the third set. and emerged winners in one of them,” we tried to make a comeback but did not Arabi looked more fl uent and dan- Jaish and Arabi were clashing for a Belhadj said. have the physical energy to do so,” the gerous with all-round volleyball in the title for the second time this season. Belhadj gave full credit to Arabi for Tunisian said. second set. After some initial resist- Earlier, they were pitted in the season- their win, but he was disappointed with Jaish’s Cuban star Robertlandy Si- ance, Arabi moved fi ve points ahead opening QVA Cup fi nal, which the Ar- the hectic schedule of the season. mon scored match-high 17 points. again at 19-14. Camejo and Simon mymen won 3-1, after rallying from one “Arabi played well, they deserved to Qatar Olympic Committee secretary sparked a rally and Jaish came within a set down. win, full credit to them. Our strength has general Dr Thani al-Kuwari and Qatar point of drawing level (22-21), but two Though Jaish lost their second fi nal been to fi ght back when we are down. We Volleyball Association president Khalid brilliant smashes, especially the sec- of the season, their coach Zohair Belh- could not do it today. I had said on the eve Ali al-Mawlawi presented the awards. ond one off a fi ne retrieve by Rebeiro, adj was all praise for his boys. of the fi nal that we are ‘physically down’. Al Arabi Club took home QR500,000, brought them up to 24-21. Then Simon “I am happy with team’s perform- We knew that if Arabi played well in the while El Jaish collected QR250,000. Al Arabi’s Tunisian coach Maaouia Lajnef and Italian player Ivan Zaytsev with the QOC secretary general Dr Thani al-Kuwari, Qatar Volleyball Association president Khalid Ali al-Mawlawi with the El Jaish players and off icials. Emir Cup trophy. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, May 14, 2016 FOOTBALL FIFA CONGRESS FIFA has a woman secretary general for fi rst time AFP will bring a fresh wind to FIFA, some- traordinary congress in February to all the issues, or criticisms, or what- es prickly votes over the admission of Mexico City body from outside, not somebody from overcome a deep corruption crisis. ever, which happened around the last Gibraltar and the former Serbian prov- inside, not somebody from the past but “Today we pass from the words to the World Cup bidding process, it is abso- ince of Kosovo, taking the world body somebody new.” actions, from the proclamations to the lutely crucial for FIFA’s credibility that to 211 members. IFA named a Senegalese UN Samoura will take her post by mid- facts,” said Infantino, who was elected we have a bullet-poof bidding process diplomat as its fi rst ever female June after undergoing an eligibility in February after his predecessor Sepp in place for 2026,” Infantino said. Indonesia ban lifted, Kuwait secretary general yesterday, a check administered by an independent Blatter was brought down by the scan- He noted that human rights require- remain under suspension surprise and historic move an- review committee. dal. “You will see us reborn” through ments will be examined during the nouncedF at a congress to overhaul the “Today is a wonderful day for me, this congress, he added. process for the fi rst time and that bid- FIFA yesterday lifted Indonesia’s scandal-plagued organisation. and I am honored to take on the role In another step towards restoring ders that fail technical requirements year-long ban from international com- Fatma Samoura, 54, comes from of FIFA’s secretary general,” Samoura, trust, the North and Central American will be excluded. But the scandals keep petitions but confi rmed the suspen- outside the football world, having who has also worked at the World Food and Caribbean football confederation haunting world football. sions of Kuwait and Benin over govern- worked with the United Nations for 21 Program, said in a statement. “I also (CONCACAF), which has been in the On Monday, Infantino’s former boss, ment interference in the sport. FIFA years. She is currently based in Nigeria look forward to bringing my experi- eye of the corruption storm, elected a Michel Platini, said he will step down president Gianni Infantino said at a for the UN Development Program. ence in governance and compliance new president on Thursday. Canadian as head of European football body congress in Mexico City that Indonesia FIFA president Gianni Infantino, to bear on the important reform work football chief Victor Montagliani be- UEFA after failing to overturn his ban was reinstated after the government who announced her appointment dur- that is already underway at FIFA.” came CONCACAF’s fourth president from all football-related activity over sent a letter notifying that it had lifted ing the annual congress in Mexico City, The former secretary general, Jer- in fi ve years after his three predecessors allegations that he received a dubious sanctions on its national football body. said his future number two was “a great ome Valcke of France, was sacked in were ensnared in corruption allegations, two million Swiss franc ($2 million, 1.8 But the FIFA congress voted to confi rm person” with experience managing big January and banned from football for serving as interim secretary general with the last one arrested in December. million euros) payment from FIFA. the suspensions of Kuwait and Benin. organisations, budgets and staff . 12 years over misconduct in television since then. FIFA’s new council, meanwhile, re- Earlier this month, FIFA banned two FIFA suspended the Kuwait Football “We have to be serious when we say deals and World Cup ticket sales—one FIFA offi cials gathered in the Mexi- sumed on Tuesday the process to select top executive members from Chile and Association (KFA) last October after we embrace diversity and we believe in of the many scandals that hit FIFA. can capital to formally implement the host of the 2026 World Cup, which Colombia for life over bribes. fi nding the government had interfered gender equality,” Infantino said. “She Germany’s Markus Kattner had been changes that were adopted at an ex- had been frozen since last year. “After In other decisions, the congress fac- in the group’s aff airs. LA LIGA SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP Outgoing Celtic Barcelona on the boss has no regrets brink of title in fi nal day showdown ‘It is essential for us to keep a clean sheet because we know from middle to front we can make the diff erence.