42 Friday

Sports Friday, April 19, 2019 Ireland captain Best to retire after World Cup ‘I have been fortunate to play and captain Ulster Rugby’ LONDON: Ireland and Ulster captain Rory Best Pro12 with Ulster in 2006 and has scored 23 has announced he will retire from professional tries in 219 appearances for the club following rugby after the World Cup in Japan later his his debut in 2004. “In my 15 years at this brilliant year. Best, 36, has been capped 116 times by his club, I have been lucky to have met, played country and won the Six Nations four times, in- alongside, been coached by and supported by cluding Grand Slams in 2009 and 2018. many great people, and I would like to thank “It is with mixed feelings that I announce my every individual for the time they have invested retirement from Ulster Rugby as of the end of in me since 2004,” added Best. this season,” Best told Ulster’s website. “This “I grew up supporting Ulster Rugby, have feels like the right time for me to go out on my been fortunate to play and captain Ulster Rugby, terms, a luxury for which I feel very privileged. and now look forward to supporting Ulster “I am very excited for the end of the season with Rugby in the future with my family.” Ulster op- Ulster Rugby and for the upcoming World Cup with erations director Bryn Cunningham said Best Ireland, both of which I hope to finish with a mas- would be remembered as “one of the greatest sive high, playing at the top of my game.” legends of Ulster and Irish rugby”. The hooker has led Ireland to as high as sec- “No player representing Ulster Rugby has ond in the world rankings during an international had a more profound impact in the professional career which began in 2005, and captained the era than Rory,” said Cunningham. “During a team to their first win against world champions match, players turn to Rory for leadership and New Zealand in 2016. direction. He has been our all-encompassing tal- Best also toured with the British and Irish ismanic figure for more than a decade. “Rory will Lions in 2013 and 2017, although he was not se- justifiably go down as one of the greatest leg- Rory Best lected for a Test match. At club level, he won the ends of Ulster and Irish Rugby.” — AFP

Late Sheikh Sabah Patriots to kick Joshua-Miller fight Al-Salem Al-Humoud off 2019 season off after tourney begins against Steelers denies license By Abdellatif Sharaa LOS ANGELES: The New England Patriots will open their LOS ANGELES: Jarrell Miller was denied a license to box by KUWAIT: The tournament of the 2019 campaign with a blockbuster clash against the Pitts- the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) over a late Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al- burgh Steelers, the National Football League revealed failed drug test on Wednesday, scuppering his planned June 1 Humoud Cup began yesterday Wednesday as the schedule for the league’s centenary sea- bout with world champion . with club, National Guard, UAE son was unveiled. In a statement quoted by US media outlets, the NYSAC said and Bahrain shooters participating. In a break with recent tradition, the Patriots will not be in- Miller was barred from fighting in the state following the news Competition will continue until volved in the opening game of the season, which this year of his positive doping case. “The New York State Athletic Saturday, April 20 (Tomorrow). will see the Bears face the Green Bay Packers on Commission has denied Jarrell Miller’s professional li- Assistant Treasurer at Kuwait September 5. Instead, the reigning Super Bowl champion Pa- cense application for a violation relating to the use of a pro- Shooting Sport Club Adnan triots will host the Steelers at their Gillette Stadium home on hibited substance. We have no further comment at this time,” Nasser Al-Ibrahim said, the tour- September 8 in a battle of veteran quarterbacks Tom Brady the commission said. nament is one of the important and Ben Roethlisberger, the league said. Miller, who is undefeated in his 24 professional fights, was events the club is keen on organ- An NFL statement said the league’s 100th season would due to take on the Briton at for the izing each year, and always wit- aim to serve up a regular “Game of the Week” which would WBA, IBF and WBO titles on June 1. However on Tuesday it Adnan Nasser Al-Ibrahim ness strong competition between reference a famous game played, a fierce rivalry or matchup emerged Miller had tested positive for a banned substance fol- participating shooters. Al- of original teams. lowing a test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Asso- Ibrahim said Kuwait shooting continues its efforts and participation Season highlights include a rematch between the Patriots ciation (VADA) on March 20. in local, regional and international championships, where Kuwaiti and the Kansas City Chiefs, two teams who have scored a “We have been informed by VADA that there has been an shooters made, and make great achievements, the latest of which combined 152 points in their last two regular season meet- adverse finding in Jarrell Miller’s sample collected on March the qualifying of skeet shooter Mansour Al-Rashidi to the Tokyo ings. The league’s international fixtures includes four games 20th, 2019,” Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, tweeted. Miller 2020 Olympics by winning the gold medal of the skeet event during in London and one in Mexico City. The Oakland Raiders will previously served a nine-month ban from the California State the World Cup competition in UAE, being the second shooter to face the Chicago Bears on October 6 at the new London Athletic Commission after testing positive for methylhexa- qualify after Abdelrahman Al-Faihan. home of English Premier League side Tottenham. neamine when in 2014. Al-Ibrahim, on behalf of KSSC chairman and board members The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Carolina Pan- During their promotional tour for the fight, Miller revealed thanked the family of the late Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud thers at the same venue on October 13 before the final two that both fighters had agreed to between 10 and 12 weeks of Al-Sabah for supporting the sport of shooting. He also lauded the games are staged at Wembley, with the Los Angeles Rams drug testing in the build-up to the bout. ESPN reported that support of KSSC Honorary President Sheikh Salman Sabah Al- playing the Cincinnati Bengals on October 27 and the Joshua still planned to make his US debut as planned in June Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah for shooters when they win in the Jacksonville Jaguars meeting the Houston Texans on No- for what will be his seventh title defence. name of the countries. vember 3. The Kansas City Chiefs meanwhile will face the Promoter Hearn said he was scrambling to find an alterna- Al-Ibrahim urged Kuwait’s shooters to exert their utmost ef- Los Angeles Chargers at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on tive opponent. “I am on the search for a new opponent,” Hearn forts during the tournament so that they can represent Kuwait and November 18. The regular season will conclude on De- said. “Literally anyone can get it. — AFP win. The closing ceremony of the tournament will be on Saturday cember 29. — AFP at 6:30 pm at the club’s premises.