Early lead not enough for Al Rayyan in AFC Champions League page 19

Tuesday, april 23, 2019

Pant’s heroics guide Delhi to ipl page 19 the top of IPL table Chennai vs hyderabad Sizzling Samba sets Asian record Two gold medals for Qatar on second day; three more meet marks tumble & Safronova emerges fastest woman

Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba (centre) clears a hurdle on the way to winning the final of the men’s 400m hurdles during the second day of the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships ’s powers ahead to win the women’s at the Khalifa International Stadium in on Monday. (Photographs: Hanson K Joseph) 100m final on Monday.

Ayeni Olusegun the seventh hurdle, I had to Doha change my steps from 13 to 14. results Records continue to tumble I had to deal with a head wind The Doha meet saw three Monday’s results Men’s Shot Put Cool, assured and like a in the first metres of the race Men’s 400m Hurdles 1. Tejinder Singh Pal Toor India (20.22 SB) new championship records predator, Abderrahman Sam- that’s why I wore my sunglass- 1. Abderrahman Samba Qatar (47.51 MR) 2. Wu Jiaxiang (20.03 PB) set on Day 1 but it was just a ba exploded to his first Asian es,” Samba said. 2. Chen Chieh CHN (48.92 PB) 3. Ivan Ivanov Kazakhstan (19.09) start of more intriguing fin- Athletics Championship gold Despite 47.51 being good 3. Jabir Plliyalil Madari India (49.13 PB) ishes. On Monday, Samba set Women’s Hammer Throw medal setting the meet record enough for the championship Women’s 400m Hurdles 1. Wang Zheng China (75.66 CR, SB) a new 400m hurdles record at the iconic Khalifa Interna- record, Samba who recorded 1. Lan Thi Quach Vietnam (56.10 SB) 2. Luo Na China (72.23) but the story of the day be- tional Stadium on Monday. his personal best time of 44.60 2. Aminat Jamal Yusuf Bahrain (56.39 SB) 3. Akane Watanbe Japan (63.54) longed to Kazakhstan’s Olga The 2018 world number one in 400m in Pretoria, South Af- 3. Laxmanbhai Gayakwad India (57.22) Safronova who ran to a new Women’s finished with 47.51 in 400m rica back in March, believes he Men’s 800m 1. Lu Minjia China (6.38 SB) 100m women’s mark in the hurdles ahead of Chen Chieh can go faster in his speciality 1.Abubaker H Abdalla Qatar (1:44.33 PB, WL) 2. Ayaka Kora Japan (6.16) heats with 11.21s before blitz- of Chinese Taipei and India’s event. 2.Ebrahim Alzofairi Kuwait (1:6.88) 3. Yue Xin Ya (6.15) ing to another record in the Jabir Madari. “The 47.51 is a good time, 3.Jamal Hairane Qatar (1:7.27) final with 11.17. Women’s 100m The second day of the four- but I can run faster. I worked Men’s Javelin Throw 1. Olga Safronova Uzbekistan (11.17 CR, SB) “I pushed hard in the end, day continental meet was good hard in South Africa and I am 1. Cheng Chao-Tsun CHN Taipei (86.72m CR, WL) 2. China (11.28) gave everything I had and I for hosts Qatar as they finished sure I can run faster. Maybe (I 2. Shivpal Singh India (86.23 PB) 3. China (11.37) have the gold medal. That’s my with two more medals, includ- can) improve my time. I com- 3. Ryohei Arai Japan (81.93 second best race ever following Men’s 100m ing a gold medal from 800m pete in every race with joy, Men’s Triple Jump 1. Yoshihide Kiryu Japan (10.10) my race in Rio. The Khalifa Sta- runner Abdubakar Haydar I don’t have any pressure. I 1. Rulsan Kurbanov Uzbekistan (16.93m PB) 2. Muhammad Lalu Zohri (10.13 PB, NR) dium is great and the facilities Abdalla. want to improve my time more Qatar’s gold medallist Abubaker Haydar Abdalla (right) and Jamal 2. Zhu Yaming China (16.87 PB) 3. Wu Zhiqiang China (10.18 PB) are great too,” Safronova said “I am happy to win here at than one second and I feel I Hairane (bronze medallist) celebrate on the podium. 3. Xu Xiaolong China (16.81) after her mid-blowing race. home. I have been training for can still go lower,” he added. In the men’s javelin final, this and it shows on the track. Qatari 800m duo of Ab- Abdalla’s victory means he hard and in the end I was Cheng Chao-Tsun set a new This win gives me a feeling I dalla and Jamal Hairane now holds both the indoor rewarded with a new per- final yet,” Abdalla said. medals. We didn’t manage to championship record and can win the World Champi- claimed a gold and a bronze and outdoor continental titles, sonal best and the world lead. On his part, Jamal who fin- do that but of course, we feel world lead with 86.72 throw in onship here,” said a smiling as Kuwaiti Ebrahim Alzofairi following his victory in Teh- Now my target is the World ished third said the team had happy with what we have. his first attempt to clinch gold Samba. pocketed the silver to cancel a ran at the 2018 Asian Indoor Championships here in Doha. their sights on a clean sweep. Now, a world championships while India’s Shivpal Singh “The plan was to push Qatar sweep, leaving Abdirah- Championships. Hopefully I can make it as I “We followed our coach’s plan final is my target this season,” took silver and Japan’s Ryohei hard in the first 300m. After man Saeed Hassan in fourth. “From gun to tape, I ran haven’t qualified for a major with the aim to sweep the he said. Arai finished third. Xavi, Bounedjah spark Sadd’s superb win over Pakhtakor

The winning goal for Al Close victory takes the former Sadd came three minutes be- fore the end of the 90 through champions to the top of Group D Bounedjah. The 2018 AFC Champions AFC.com Krimets’ cross found him in League top scorer dispossessed Doha space inside the Al Sadd box. Pakhtakor defender Azamov Khamdamov volleyed from and exchanged passes with Goals from Xavi and Bagh- close range, but his ball passed Xavi before slotting home his dad Bounedjah earned Qa- just wide of the upright. second in this edition of the tar’s Al Sadd a hard-fought 2-1 Farrukh Sayfiev crossed for competition. home victory over Uzbekistan’s Marat Bikmaev whose header Pakhtakor on Matchday Four was tipped over the bar by Saad Al Sadd needed just 10 of the 2019 AFC Champions al Sheeb in the 29th minute. minutes to take the lead League Group D on Tuesday. Just a minute later, Pakhta- through Xavi who, just as The two teams had played kor got their equaliser. Kham- out a 2-2 draw a fortnight ago damov’s in-swinging cross was in the previous game, in Tashkent and a single point nodded on by Sherzod Azamov curled a free-kick into the separated them before kick-off, into the path of Krimets at the top corner. as Pakhtakor topped the group far post and the Pakhtakor cap- with five points. tain headed it into the back of Al Sadd top Group D with Al Sadd needed just 10 min- the net to draw his side level at this victory, which takes their utes to take the lead through the half-hour mark. Xavi of Al Sadd Club races ahead with the ball during a Group D tally to seven points. Mean- Xavi who, just as in the previ- Xavi nearly scored off his match against Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in the AFC Champions League while, Pakhtakor freeze at five ous game, curled a free-kick third free-kick in two matches in Doha on Monday. points, slipping down to third into the top corner of Sanjar in the 75th minute. The Spanish place, with Al Ahli now mov- Kuvvatov net. midfielder rifled from 30 yards Uzbek goalkeeper was again pass inside the box and fired ing to second with six points Dostonbek Khamdamov out, but Kuvvatov stretched to well-positioned to deny Xavi. but Kuvvatov punched the ball and Persepolis rounding the Al Sadd players celebrate their 2-1 victory in the crucial group match had a golden chance to equal- make the save at the top corner. This time the Al Sadd captain away to safety, keeping his side group off with four points at in the AFC Champions League in Doha on Monday. ise for Pakhtakor when Egor Two minutes later, the received Hassan al Haydos’ in the game once again. the bottom.