Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015

Chelsea ties up with India’s Wipro in fan engagement drive

MUMBAI: Reigning English Premier League champions Chelsea FC will team up with Indian IT services group Wipro Ltd to help improve its digital media strategy, the two said a day after rival Manchester United made a simi- lar announcement. Wipro will work to improve fan engagement on game days and at other times and Chelsea Managing director Christian Purslow said the deal could also help the club build on its popularity in India, “where we have over 50 million passionate supporters and where there is great potential to further our fan base”. No financial details were given. On Wednesday Manchester United said it signed a partnership deal with Indian IT firm HCL Technologies to improve its website and app, helping design and build digital platforms capable of better engaging with fans. Indian IT companies have been investing heavily in building their digital services abilities, leaning on technolo- gies like cloud computing, social media and mobile phones as their clients move towards these platforms. — Reuters

Germany aim to settle Poland score in qualifier SEOUL: FIFA vice president Chung Mong-Joon bows following a press conference in Seoul yesterday. South Korean FIFA presidential candidate Chung Mong-Joon accused the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) of breaking the world govern- ing body of football’s rules to favour rival candidate Michel Platini. — AFP BERLIN: World champions Germany take on Poland in today’s key Euro 2016 qualifier with the hosts out to avenge last year’s historic defeat to their neighbours and go top of Group D. S Korea’s Chung accuses AFC The Germans have a score to settle in Frankfurt in the first of their two qualifiers before playing Scotland in Glasgow next Monday. Joachim Loew’s side find themselves in the usual posi- of ‘undermining’ FIFA election tion of being second in the table, just a point behind leaders Poland, who beat them 2-0 in the corresponding fixture in last October, while Scotland are third. The Germans are SEOUL: South Korean FIFA presidential candi- account for almost half the 209 members that pendently and with no influence from third making no secret of their desire to take six points from their two date Chung Mong-joon has accused the Asian will decide the next boss of soccer’s embattled parties.” Chung said he had notified the FIFA games to wrest back control of the group from neighbours Football Confederation (AFC) of sending unso- world governing body, with Asia holding 46 Ad-hoc Electoral Committee and the FIFA Poland. licited letters to its members urging them to votes and Africa 54. “Given that the Ethics Committee about the letters and asked “It’s business time now,” said Germany forward Thomas support his rival Michel Platini at next year’s Confederations exercise tremendous influence for an investigation. “We also requested the Mueller, with Germany set to name a near full-strength side. “This election. over its member associations in organizing Ad-hoc Electoral Committee to promptly insti- is no friendly - we’re getting straight into it with what is suppos- In a statement released yesterday and read football tournaments and through administra- tute remedies sufficient to address the preju- edly the hardest game. “After losing 2-0 last time, we have a score out at a news conference in Seoul, Chung said tive oversight, it is clear that the fairness of the dice and harm already sustained by other to settle against Poland, and that should tell you everything. “And the letters asked members to sign a form FIFA presidential election has been seriously potential candidates,” Chung said. after that, the away game in Scotland - it doesn’t get much more pledging their support for Platini, the head of compromised,” Chung said. “This includes the nullification of any ‘sup- interesting.” “They are first, we are second, of course, we want to European soccer’s governing body UEFA. “According to FIFA Statutes, only the mem- port’ for the candidature of Mr Platini received pass them in the table, but it’s going to be tough work, we know Chung said the letters were in breach of ber associations possess the right to propose through the form letters sent by the AFC, the that. “We need to play the sort of football again which we haven’t FIFA’s election guidelines and threatened to candidates for the office of FIFA President, and Senior Official of CAF and/or any other seen for a while.” “undermine the fairness” of the poll, which will each member should make its decision inde- Confederation.” — Reuters be held on Feb. 26, 2016 to decide the succes- Under pressure sor to outgoing incumbent Sepp Blatter. Germany suffered a blow yesterday when Borussia Dortmund “Sheikh Salman, President of the Asian winger Marco Reus withdrew with a toe injury as the 26-year-old’s Football Confederation (AFC), has publicly sup- bad luck continues having missed six of their last 10 internation- ported Michel Platini, President of the UEFA,” als-plus last year’s World Cup-with ailments. the statement said. “We have learned that the As German daily Die Welt pointed out, a poll of Germans sug- AFC has sent unsolicited letters to almost gest the euphoria of the Brazil triumph has faded with only 13 every AFC member association. Most of the percent believing their side will win the Euro 2016 title in France. AFC member countries including China, Japan, The top two teams from each group qualify automatically, but Mongolia, India, and Singapore received this Germany will want to make sure they finish in their accustomed letter. South Korea and Jordan, however, did top spot. Having suffered a post-Brazil hangover, Loew’s side not.” Chung, the 63-year-old billionaire scion want to rediscover the form that carried them to last year’s World of South Korea’s Hyundai industrial conglom- Cup triumph. Poland arrive in Frankfurt looking to complete the erate, formally announced last month that he double over their neighbours to stay top of the group before they was running for the FIFA presidency. Jordan’s play bottom side Gibraltar in Warsaw next Monday, having Prince Ali bin Hussein is also among the poten- mauled the minnows 7-0 away in September last year. tial candidates. Mueller’s Bayern team-mate will lead Platini has long been the bookmakers’ Poland’s attack and the hotshot striker says Germany will be favourite to succeed Blatter and Sheikh showing his side a lot more respect than they did when the teams Salman has publicly declared his support for last met. “My team-mates from Bayern told me after the first the Frenchman. There was no immediate match they would do everything to take revenge in the second response from the AFC yesterday relating to game,” said Lewandowski. “I live in Germany and I can tell nobody Chung’s statement about the letters. A is even contemplating missing out on the Euro finals. “The only spokesman for the FIFA electoral committee question is whether they will finish top of the group or runners- declined to comment. Chung, who has been a up. “Germany look at us differently now”. “They respect us. I don’t vocal critic of both Blatter and Platini, said a think they will swarm all over us from the beginning as they similar letter was circulated among African know we could hit them on the counterattack.” members but the Confederation of African Poland will be without defender Michal Pazdan, who has an Football (CAF) intervened and “deemed its elbow injury, while is struggling after a knock to the behavior highly improper and took measures head in training. As defender Kamil Glik put it: “We have nothing to rectify the situation”. SAITAMA: Japan’s forward Keisuke Honda (L) controls the ball in front of to lose in Frankfurt. We want to confirm our qualities.” — AFP Although there has never been an Asian or Cambodia’s forward Kouch Sokumpheak (R) during their 2018 FIFA World Cup African FIFA president, the two regions qualifying football match in Saitama yesterday. — AFP