20 | Monday, September 21, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS

Flip the script SOCCER Bakambu is a Beijing believer

Hotshot insists ly as we have to play a game every three or four days,” he said. “And Guo’an can prove mentally, I’m also a little tired doubters wrong because we’ve been in this lock­ down environment for so long. in CSL title fight “But we are professional players, so we need to try our best to over­ By SHI FUTIAN come these difficulties. We are [email protected] tired and our rivals are tired too. We are all playing under the same Cedric Bakambu has warned conditions.” Beijing Guo’an’s critics not to dis­ Guo’an head coach Bruno Gene­ count the capital club as title con­ sio is endeavoring to keep his tenders despite its shaky recent squad fresh as the knockout stage form. approaches. Last season’s runner­up Guo’an “The schedule is very tight and has been second­best to Shanghai we are reaching the end of the first SIPG in Group B of the reformatted phase of this season. So the players Chinese Super League and trails are tired physically and mentally,” the 2018 champion by four points Cedric Bakambu said the Frenchman through a with two round­robin games left to translator. play. “We have to prepare properly on Draws against lesser­ranked ing to press the panic button. two fronts: First, to manage the opponents Wuhan Zall and Hebei “The season has not finished yet. training load. Second, to manage China Fortune have been particu­ For the team and me, we haven’t the players’ match minutes. So we larly alarming for Guo’an fans, reached our goal yet,” he said. “The can make sure all the players are in however Congolese striker Bakam­ fans’ expectations on us are very their best condition on the pitch.” bu is confident his team can move high, which brings a certain pres­ Off the pitch, Bakambu says vid­ up a gear in the knockout stage, sure. But we will still try our best eo games and cards are his relaxa­ which begins Oct 16. on the pitch. No game is easy and tion methods of choice, with others “It’s not right to say our club is in we need to respect each of our spending their downtime shooting trouble, and I don’t quite feel that opponents. pool or participating in the table we are facing huge difficulties,” the “It’s a shame we did not win the tennis competitions the CSL has 29­year­old told media through an title last season. We lost points in organized in the bubbles. interpreter over the weekend. some very important matches. Bakambu has led the forward “We lost to Shanghai SIPG and This year we still hope we can win line brilliantly for Guo’an, hitting drew some games, but we are still the championship, and we have the net nine times after featuring in second place. So, generally the strength to achieve that. We in all 11 matches so far. That’s a sta­ speaking, for me we have so far must take action on the pitch and tistic made all the more impressive done a good job this season. to show our title credentials.” by Genesio’s plentiful supply of “We’re still very hopeful of win­ Due to the COVID­19 pandemic, quality attackers, including natu­ ning the title. We will fight togeth­ the kickoff of the 2020 CSL season ralized Brazil­born star Alan, who er. We may have not peaked yet, but was delayed until July, with match­ is on loan from Evergrande. at the same time we don’t have es being played in a tournament­ “Actually this competition for major problems.” style format at bio­secure venues in places is very positive and very Many observers, though, would Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and important inside our squad,” said beg to differ. Guo’an’s propensity to Dalian, Liaoning province. Bakambu. self­combust by conceding late The condensed campaign has “I partnered with Alan, Wang goals was horribly exposed in the taken a heavy physical toll on Ziming and Zhang Yuning. Squad 3­3 draw with Hebei, which was 3­1 teams, who also have to cope with depth is really vital and we’re all down with two minutes left before adhering to strict lockdown regula­ here to win the league title. grabbing a point with two injury­ tions at the host venues. “The media noise may have Fulham’s Denis Odoi lets fly with an overhead kick in front of Leeds United’s Ezgjan Alioski during Sat­ time strikes. Bakambu admits the shortened affected me slightly, but as a profes­ urday’s English Premier League match at Elland Road in Leeds. On a day of high drama, newly promot­ Similar failings cost Guo’an the season has been a draining experi­ sional I just need to focus on my job ed Leeds edged Fulham 4­3 to earn its first top­flight victory since 2004, while Everton went top of the CSL title to Guangzhou Evergran­ ence for all concerned. and I’ll try my best not to be table as a Dominic Calvert­Lewin hat­trick helped the Toffees topple 10­man West Brom 5­2. REUTERS de last year, but Bakambu is refus­ “Actually, I do feel tired physical­ distracted.”

TENNIS Equality’s the name of the game in Billie Jean King Cup

By CHINA DAILY goes back to its founding, when she Osaka a ‘fantastic’ figurehead was a member of the United States Tennis great Billie Jean King team that won the inaugural tour­ hopes the renaming of the Fed Cup nament in 1963 at Queen’s Club in Women’s tennis is very fortunate to in her honor can help the competi­ London. have US Open champion Naomi Osaka tion expand to more countries. Then 19 years old, she recalled as its new figurehead, according to one On Thursday, the International prodding her teammates: “This is of the sport’s greatest trailblazers, Billie Tennis Federation announced that history being made. We have to win Jean King. the Billie Jean King Cup will it, so we always know we were the Not only did the 22­year­old Japanese become the first major global team first. Come on! They said, Oh god, player win a second title at Flushing competition to be named after a not you again. We know what the Meadows last week, she also became a woman, with the prize fund set to deal is.” champion for equality, taking a lead in match the corresponding men’s King said she “absolutely” will highlighting racial injustice. competition, the Davis Cup. attend next year’s finals (April The 76­year­old King likens Osaka’s Naomi Osaka As well as being a legend of the 13­18) in the Hungarian capital, off­court stance to that of the Original 9, sport, 12­time major winner King is unless COVID­19 dictates a group of players led by King who an icon for gender equality thanks otherwise. fought tirelessly to start a professional about what is happening around her and to her pioneering work on the The 2020 finals for both the Fed women’s tennis tour, which in turn led to that will keep her focused,” King told women’s circuit in the 1970s. Cup and Davis Cup were scrapped the creation of the WTA in 1973. Reuters ahead of the renaming of the Now the 76­year­old hopes the because of the pandemic, although “She is already huge on and off the Fed Cup in her honor last week. Billie Jean King Cup can bring qualifying nations will maintain court. She is very humble and really “She is fantastic for the sport. But more positive change to the court The Fed Cup has been renamed the Billie Jean King Cup in honor of their places for the 2021 finals. looks at you when you talk to her and don’t forget Serena and Venus (Williams) by increasing the competition’s the tennis and equality icon — pictured (center) with Martina Nav­ King said she’s “so fortunate” to takes in the information and comes up also spoke out and continue to speak out global reach. ratilova (right). ITF TENNIS VIA REUTERS be honored by the ITF. She recalled with an authentic response,” King said of for women of color and Venus fought for “I’d like to get more countries the late tennis journalist Bud Col­ Osaka, whose mother is Japanese and equal prize money. (involved),” King said. “We have 116, ation (WTA) in 1973. that will bring the 12 best countries lins proposing a Fed Cup name father Haitian. “People forget because they go on to the guys have 142. The cultures are Those groundbreaking efforts and regions together over one week change years ago. “In many ways Naomi is a product of the new one. But Naomi is really special different in a lot of countries. We’re mean today’s top players can enjoy in Budapest to compete to become “He said it had a horrible name. I the Original 9. Think about that, she is and I really think she will be an amazing going to have a lot of work ahead of lucrative prize funds and multimil­ world champion. had heard then that they were talk­ what we fought for. That if you’re good leader through the years because she us to break things down. lion­dollar endorsement deals. Prize money is increasing to $12 ing about naming me, or Chris enough you will have a place to compete, cares. We are very fortunate to have her “There is nothing quite like the “Today, the players are living our million for players plus another $6 Evert, or maybe another player,” wherever you are from. Naomi is a prod­ in our sport.” feeling of representing your coun­ dream, and we’re thrilled for them,” million for competing national fed­ King said. uct of our wishes and dreams.” King has long wanted the WTA and try and being part of a team, which King told Associated Press. “Wom­ erations — bringing it on par with “It never came to fruition Osaka instigated a one­day shutdown men’s ATP Tour to combine to create is why this competition is so special en’s tennis is the leader in women’s the Davis Cup. through the years. I know how of the Western and Southern Open the one body, and has watched recent devel­ and important to me. sports. We are also leaders in the “We feel it’s long overdue,” ITF lucky I am and blessed.” week before the US Open, pulling out of opments in which world No 1 Novak “It is an honor to have the wom­ fight for justice and equality.” president David Haggerty said. “All ITF vice­president Katrina her semifinal in protest at the police Djokovic has formed a breakaway play­ en’s world cup of tennis carry my Newly crowned US Open cham­ major team competitions, includ­ Adams described the renaming as shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, in ers’ union with interest. name and a responsibility I will not pion Naomi Osaka said the ing the Davis Cup, are named after “a significant moment in our sport” the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin. She believes the sport’s various orga­ take lightly. Our job is to share this renamed tournament will “mean a men, and we think it’s really fitting and added: “The Davis Cup is Before each of her seven matches at nizations should unite. vision with future generations of lot more” now. that the women’s world cup of ten­ named after a man (Dwight Davis), the US Open she wore face masks print­ “I’ve always been a teams person,” young girls, because if you can see “For me, she’s truly an inspira­ nis would be named after someone so it is absolutely right that the ed with the names of black Americans King said. “I think together we are it, you can be it.” tion and she always texts me really as iconic as Billie Jean King, who women’s world cup of tennis is who have suffered racial injustice. stronger. My wish will always be that we This week marks the 50th anni­ nice messages,” the 22­year­old Jap­ changed the face of women’s named after a woman. Already a sporting icon, Osaka’s fight are one association. I’m not sure about versary of the creation of the Vir­ anese star said of King. “It’s always sports.” “Given all she has achieved in our for equality has focused even more the Djokovic split. I’m not sure it’s going ginia Slims Circuit, which was very nice to see someone so respect­ King’s most famous match came sport and her tireless efforts to attention on her, but King believes she to happen. But I just hope the ATP and established by King and eight other ed just care so much about the in 1973 when she beat 55­year­old champion equality around the can shoulder the responsibility of being a WTA get together. It would be great. This players known as the ‘Original 9’ game.” Bobby Riggs 6­4, 6­3, 6­3 in the world, I can’t think of a more wor­ voice for tennis. could drive it, I don’t know.” and which ultimately led to the cre­ The rebranding also follows the milestone ‘Battle of the Sexes’. thy recipient of this honor than Bil­ “She seems to be able to compart­ ation of the Women’s Tennis Associ­ introduction of a new finals format Her association with the Fed Cup lie Jean King.” mentalize things and she cares deeply REUTERS