SSHOOTINGHOOTING | Page 6 MOTORSPORT | Page 7 Al-Shammari Hamilton sees claims 10m Air bright and Pistol gold at diverse future Amir Cup for changing F1 Friday, November 20, 2020 FOOTBALL Rabia II 5, 1442 AH Li Shenglong stars GULF TIMES in Shanghai win over Sydney SPORT Page 2 FIBA WORLD TOUR Team Lusail confi dent going into 3x3 Doha Masters ‘We believe that we will be ready to make it to the end’ World No.1 Liman face Manila in tough opener By Sports Reporter Doha orld No.1 Liman tle against No.9 seed Manila seed NY Harlem (USA), No.6 (Serbia) and Manila Chooks TM, who are led by Phil- Lausanne Katapult (Switzer- WChooks TM (Philip- ippines’ best 3x3 players Joshua land) and No.14 Utena Uniclub eam Lusail members, pines) face off in a much- Munzon and Alvin Pasaol. (Lithuania). The New Yorkers Qatar’s entry at the FIBA anticipated clash on Day 1 of the At last year’s exciting Doha made the semis of the last two 3x3 World Tour Doha Doha Masters as the FIBA 3x3 Masters, eventual runners- Masters but are no guarantee to Masters, will go out on World Tour resumes today. up Liman were stunned by get out of such a loaded group. Tthe court today, the fi rst day of Featuring four of the top-five Munzon-led Pasig Chooks on Not to be overshadowed by the event, with one thing on their ranked teams in the world, Day 1 and will be keen to avoid their compatriots, No.4 seed mind and that is to lift the trophy the loaded Doha Masters will another boilover. Home team Princeton (USA) will make their tomorrow night at Al Gharafa provide excitement for hungry Lusail will be hoping to make debut on this year’s World Tour Beach Games Area. 3x3 fans with the World Tour it more than a two-horse race and will be striving to make up The players of head coach having been on hold since the in Pool A. for lost time. Mohamed Salim Abdulla, a gold first three Masters of the season Defending champions Riga They will be without walking medal winner for Qatar at FIBA were played in Hungary in late (Latvia) will be the team to bucket Robbie Hummel but still 3x3 World Championships, will August-early September. beat from Pool B and look to have loads of talent, including have the home court advantage The event in Qatar — a site of add to the title they won at the high-flyer Kareem Maddox and and defi nitely have the will to several famous 3x3 moments Hungary Masters. pick-and-roll savant Damon succeed. — will also provide opportuni- The return to Doha should bring Huff man. Lusail only assembled the ties for several teams to secure happy memories for Karlis Las- Princeton will have to be ready team a couple of days ago for this coveted places at next month’s manis who took flight last year from the get go against in- tournament led by Greek All Star World Tour Final. to claim MVP and deliver Riga form No.5 seed Ub (SRB) who guard Kostas Vasileiadis, who Fuelled by the return of su- their first ever Masters victory. spectacularly finished second joined Al Sadd club this season. perstar Stefan Stojacic, Liman The No.2 seed will be hot at the Hungary Masters, but will Mame Souleye Ndour and Ous- dominated in Hungary with favourite against No.7 Jed- be missing two key pieces in seynou Mbow will contribute victories at the Debrecen and dah (Saudi Arabia) and Yoyogi Miroslav Pasaljic and Strahinja with their vast experience and Europe Masters. The in-form Crayon.EXE (Japan). Stojacic. The third team in the the talented Hamza Maher Radi Serbs headline Pool A but are If there is a group of death, it’s group will come from qualifica- will add his enthusiasm. expected to face a tough bat- surely Pool C featuring No.3 tion. (FIBA) For Vasileiadis, the 36-year- old player from Salonica, Greece, this will be his fi rst shot at 3x3. “It is fun. It’s completely diff er- ent from 5x5. It is a little diff er- ent, but basketball is… basket- ball, same passion, same eff ort everywhere! We have started to get to know each other and be ready for tomorrow’s tip off . “We want to win this tourna- ment! We believe that we will be ready to make it to the end. We made a lot of shots in practice, Team Lusail players Mame Souleye Ndour (left), Kostas Vasileiadis (second from left), Ousseynou Mbow the coach has prepared systems (second from right) and Hamza Maher Radi (right) pose with head coach Mohamed Salim Abdulla (centre) for us.” ahead of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Doha Masters. Only a few lucky fans will be able to watch the tournament, promise that we will give every- that we have come together as only our second day together, but as FIBA and the local organising thing for you. It will be a spectacu- a group. Some teams have been I believe that we should play well. committee, keeping in line with lar tournament,” Vasileiadis said. participating on the tour for It is a great time for basketball in the Ministry of Public Health in- Coach Abdulla added, “I a long time. But I believe that Qatar.” structions, will only allow 30% of hope that everybody can play good things should be expected Team Lusail will open their the arena capacity. hard and enjoy the game of from us.” campaign today at 5pm against “I hope for the people that will basketball. I trust my team and The head of the team, Talal Liman in a Pool A match. The come and for those that will sit at my players. They are all pro- Zaid Aldosari, said, “The players game against Manila Chooks will home to enjoy these games live. I fessionals. It is the first time are practising well, it might be follow at 8:35pm on the same day. FOCUS Generation Amazing partners with IFRC to deliver football for development programme worldwide eneration Amazing has includes working with refugees hance our global programmes its football for development derprivileged communities.” signed a partnership and displaced persons in Iraq, and play a key part in showing programme with participants The pilot project recognises agreement with the In- Myanmar, Uganda and Argen- the role that sport plays in ad- in an eff ort to teach key life that football has an exception- ternational Federation tina as a means of inspiring and vancing the United Nations Sus- skills, such as communication ally important role to play in Gof Red Cross and Red Crescent providing them with key life tainable Development Goals and and leadership. The project will bringing people together and Societies (IFRC) to jointly de- skills through football to lead Qatar National Vision 2030.” include the establishment of promoting inclusion, health, liver football for development healthy and active lifestyles, and Chapagain said: “We are so football pitches and classrooms, leadership, discipline and team- programmes to vulnerable youth to work within their communi- proud to be part of this pro- with the attendees judged on the work. Both Generation Amazing in several countries across the ties to promote social inclusion. gramme and excited to see work skills learnt both on the football and the IFRC further recognise Middle East, Asia, Africa and “We very much look forward starting on the ground. In this pitch and in the classroom. that football can be a key cata- South America. to this partnership with IFRC, Covid year, when young peo- Generation Amazing Execu- lyst for engaging young people The announcement follows the world’s largest humanitar- ple have been facing increased tive Director, Mushtaq al-Waeli, and contributing towards devel- an offi cial signing ceremony in ian network, and the unique pressure on their mental health said: “As young participants opment and peace. Doha in March that was attend- opportunity it presents to build and major disruptions to their navigate their leadership jour- The partnership will kick off ed by SC Secretary-General HE robust evidence in support of education, this kind of initiative ney, they will learn powerful in December 2020 and aims Hassan al-Thawadi, and IFRC the transformative power of could not be more important.” skills such as discipline, healthy over the coming years to benefi t secretary-general Jagan Chapa- football to improve the lives of The collaboration between living and teamwork. They will thousands of young people in gain. Also in attendance were vulnerable and at-risk youth in Generation Amazing and the also engage with their local net- an eff ort to transform their per- representatives from Qatar’s challenging contexts,” said al- IFRC will begin with a pilot works in meaningful ways. By sonal situations and create an Ministry of Foreign Aff airs and Thawadi. project involving the Genera- doing so, they will create change external ripple of change in their Qatar Red Crescent. “Generation Amazing has tion Amazing football for devel- in their schools, neighbour- communities. This forms part of The partnership will focus on built a meaningful history of opment methodology and the hoods and the broader commu- Generation Amazing’s mission empowering and educating vul- impactful programming over IFRC’s Youth as Agents of Be- nity by implementing solutions to positively impact the lives nerable youth that are subjected the past ten years and we believe havioural Change initiative. in some of the most challenging of more than 1 million youth by to exclusion or violence.