TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 11 12

Sinner sets up Nadal clash Kutsyi ready to showcase in Rome second round Karting sprint champions crowned! Belarus MMA to the world Bahrain International Circuit awards winners of season titles in the Bahrain Rotax Max Challenge 2021 following fifth and final round Super Welterweight star Vadim Kutsyi to take on Daniyar Abdibaev at BRAVE CF 51 New champions include Fahad• Alkhaled, Fahad Almuqla, Luca Houghton • Kutsyi transformed and Shaikh Rashid bin himself into an icon BETTER Salman Al Khalifa for Belarusian MMA, and will now make his All four title winners end KNOW season• in style by taking global debut at home Jannik Sinner of Italy returns a backhand the victories in the last nalist Karatsev will play com- round of action at Bahrain TDT | Manama AFP | Rome patriot and Melbourne run- Vadim Kutsyi currently ner-up Daniil Medvedev for a International Karting Circuit nother huge Belarus holds a very impres- annik Sinner booked a sec- place in the last 16. Medvedev, name finally gets an op- sive 15-1 professional Jond-round showdown with who had a first-round bye, is TDT | Manama Aponent for his much-an- record and is riding an nine-time champion Rafael chasing a first win in Rome ticipated BRAVE Combat Fed- eight-fight win streak. Nadal at the Italian Open after in his third appearance at the ahrain International Circuit eration debut. Super Welter- Vadim will look to in- a 6-2, 6-4 win over Frenchman tournament. (BIC), “The Home of Motorsport weight star Vadim Kutsyi will crease those numbers Ugo Humbert yesterday. Taylor Fritz awaits defend- Bin the Middle East”, hosted the Micro Max podium winners led by Shaikh Rashid bin Salman Al Khalifa Action from the BRMC’s final round at Bahrain International Karting Circuit face off against Kyrgyzstan’s by taking on Daniyar The Italian teenager will ing champion Novak Djokovic fifth and final round of the Bahrain own Daniyar Abdibaev in a clash face the 20-time Grand Slam in round two after the Ameri- Rotax Max Challenge (BRMC) 2021 over races to finish with 175 points. Abdul- place along the 1.414-kilometre CIK-FIA Amongst the Mini Max competitors, on the main card of BRAVE CF Abdibaev winner for the second time, can brushed aside Dan Evans the weekend, and the newest series of qader Qasem was ranked second on 104 track of Bahrain International Karting Shanthosh Kumar took Qualifying by 51: The Future Is Here, which having impressed against Na- 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic and Nadal champions emerged at BIC’s world- points, and Sari Alzubi third on 100. Circuit. The 2021 championship-finale just 0.057s ahead of Louis El Nabul- goes down on June 4th. The of his countrymen, who have yet dal in last year’s French Open have accounted for 14 of the class karting track. Houghton won a tight battle for the was run with strict health protection si. But in the Pre-Final, it was Luca show will take place at the Fal- to lose a bout under the BRAVE quarter-finals despite losing in past 16 titles at the Foro Italico. Taking impressive victories in the BRMC Mini Max crown after finishing measures in place, in line with govern- Houghton in first place 0.345s ahead con Club, in Minsk, Belarus, and CF banner amongst them. straight sets. Kei Nishikori overcame season-finale were Fahad Alkhaled in with 150 points, with four Pre-Final ment regulations and guidance. of Kumar. Houghton then rode his mo- KNOW WHAT will be hosted in association BRAVE CF 51: The Future Is Nadal has a 9-2 record on Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-4 in a the Senior Max class, Fahad Almuq- and Final wins each. Gracie Rose Gran- mentum into the nine-lap Final to win with Rukh Sport Management. Here will be headlined by a clay this season but was beaten meeting of former top-10 play- la in the Junior Max category, Luca tham was the close runner-up with 135 Round five winners from pole in 8:56.736. Mohammed Al- Kutsyi is widely regarded as world-class Lightweight contest in the last eight at both previ- ers. Houghton in the Mini Max and Shaikh points, while Shanthosh Kumar was Lewis Smith got things off on the hasan was the runner-up with a 4.152s one of the most famous fighters between former world cham- ous Masters events, in Monte Reigning women’s French Rashid bin Salman Al Khalifa in the third on 130. right foot in the Senior Max category, Winning the titles amongst difference, and Gracie Rose Grantham in Belarus and one of its biggest pion Lucas ‘’Mineiro’’ Martins Carlo and Madrid. Open champion Iga Swiatek Micro Max. Shaikh Rashid clinched the BRMC beating Fahad Alkhaled by 0.152 sec- this season’s Entrants were third with a 5.043s gap. stars as well. The Super Welter- and former two-division Ger- Aslan Karatsev matched advanced when Alison Riske All four winners were also crowned Micro Max title with a near-perfect onds to pole position in Qualifying. In Forza Bahrain Racing in In the Micro Max class, Shaikh weight phenom has conquered man champion Marcel Grab- Sinner with his 20th win of retired in the first set of their the season’s champions in their respec- season, winning four Pre-Finals and the Pre-Final, Najashi Rashdan claimed Rashid bin Salman Al Khalifa asserted several titles on the regional inski. Also set for fight night is a the season. The Russian beat opening-round encounter, tive divisions. all five Final races. Khaled Alnajjar the win just 3.804s ahead of Yasmin Al- the Senior Max category, his dominance from start to finish. scene, transforming himself into and is riding an eight-fight win of top Kyrgyz fighters signing Lightweight bout between Sam Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6 (7/2), while Coco Gauff outlasted Alkhaled won the BRMC Senior Max was ranked second on 138 points and madani, while Alkhaled and Smith had BirelArt Bahrain in the Jun- After finishing first in both Qualifying an icon for Belarusian MMA, and streak. Vadim will look to in- a BRAVE CF contract. He will Patterson and Ylies Djiroun as 6-4 in the opening round. Only Yulia Putintseva 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. title with 167 points on the champi - Charlie Goddard third on 112. to settle for fourth and fifth, respective- ior Max and Mini Max, and and the Pre-Final, he overcame a tough will now make his global debut crease those numbers by taking join the likes of Abdisalam well as a Super Welterweight Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Petra Kvitova recovered onship standings, having claimed the Amongst the season’s title-winning ly. Alkhaled was then able to take the Praga ME in the Micro Max challenge from Khaled Alnajjar in the at home. on Abdibaev. Kubanychbek, Ryskulbek Ibrai- duel between Belarus’ other big Rublev have won more ATP from a dreadful start to over- Pre-Final and Final races in four of Entrants, Forza Bahrain Racing were Final, however, gradually powering to nine-lap Final to take the chequered He currently holds a very im- Daniyar, also known as mov, and Nemat Abdrashitov, star Denis Maher and Swedish matches this year (27). haul Magda Linette of Poland the five rounds held. Lewis Smith was winners in the Senior Max category, the lead by the third of 15 laps and hold- muqla was the aggressor all through the flag in 9:27.677, just 0.202s ahead of Al- pressive 15-1 professional record ‘’Dani’’, is the latest in a series and hopes to keep the good form Fernando Gonzalez. Australian Open semi-fi- 1-6, 6-0, 6-2. the runner-up with 128 points, while BirelArt Bahrain in the Junior Max ing on all the way to the chequered flag meeting, winning Qualifying and the najjar. Charlie Goddard finished third Najashi Rashdan finished third on 101 and Mini Max, and Praga ME in the to win in 13 minutes 49.652 seconds. Pre-Final before cruising to a pole-to- 0.732s behind. points. Micro Max. Rashdan followed 3.918s behind, while flag win in the 15-lap Final in 14:02.882. Following all the action, the podium Almuqla took the BRMC Junior Max The BRMC was part of this year’s Smith completed the season-ending Tye Mejia was second 3.712s off the ceremonies were held and the round’s class, sweeping through the campaign Bahrain Karting Sprint Championship. podium 6.319s back. winning mark, while Ahmed Alsesey winners and newly crowned champions Ravena has no regrets in Japan league debut Philippine 3×3 team training shifts to high gear and winning all five Pre-Final and Final All the action in the season-finale took In the Junior Max class, Fahad Al- came third 5.986s adrift. awarded. TDT | Manila TDT | Manila he Philippine team – known ilipino star Tas Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 – is Riffa coach praises players for achieving historic domestic double Bahrain’s Kalkidan Gezahegne FThirdy Ravena, who com- gearing up for the coming FIBA pleted his first season as an Olympic Qualifying later this Asian import with San-En Neo- month in a bid to clinch a place qualifies for Tokyo Olympics Phoenix in the Japan B. League, in the Tokyo Olympics. Riffa capped a sensational is coming home at the end of Head coach Ronnie Mags- 2020/2021• campaign with their My players are great people, this month. anoc is glad that the Filipinos great players. They are focused He sat out San-En’s last game have finally set their prepa - seventh King’s Cup trophy as well of the season, losing to Shin- ration in motion after a long as their 13th Bahrain league title 100 per cent, they are mentally shu Brave Warriors, 75-80, at respite due to the COVID-19 tough, and their lifestyles are very professional; they the Kotobuki Arena in Nagano, pandemic. TDT | Manama Japan to end the year with a Team members Joshua Mun- eat healthy, they follow their 12-47 slate, which placed them zon, CJ Perez, Leonard Santil- nutrition, they sleep early, they ninth in the Western Confer- lan, Moala Tautuaa and Karl iffa head coach Ali Ashoor has praised do their recovery, and all these ence and 19th overall in the 20- Dehesa hold twice-a-day prac- Rhis players for their unwavering com- things which they have to do team field. tices in their training bubble mitment and professionalism over the past The 6-foot-2 Ravena had a at Inspire Sports Academy in national football season, in which they se- themselves, they are doing it Kalkidan Gezahegne ... qualified for the Tokyo Olympics (file photo) bittersweet maiden season in Calamba, to make up cured an historic double after winning both 100 per cent TDT | Manama Games champion, having Japan, playing just 18 games for lost time after Chemistry will be key for Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 squad His Majesty the King’s Cup and the Nasser RIFFA CLUB MEN’S FOOTBALL TEAM HEAD COACH ALI ASHOOR won the women’s 1,500m and for San-En after he was plagued and its neighboring provinces bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League title. ahrain’s elite distance run- 5,000m at the Jakarta Asiad in with injuries and a bout with Ravena ... a bittersweet maiden season in Japan were put under enhanced com- early practices were difficult Ashoor says that he had stressed the im- drawn thrice and lost just once. Bner Kalkidan Gezahegne 2018. She is now one of Bah- COVID-19. munity quarantine. for the players as they were not portance of sacrifice and hard work from “We started the season with a very, very secured her qualification for rain’s top medal hopefuls in Overall, the league’s first na shared his thoughts on his The is grouped BETTER in top condition due to the long the very start of their 2020/2021 campaign, tough target, since we signed some na - this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Tokyo. signee under its Asian play- first year with the team. with Slovenia, France, Qatar, layoff. and his team did well to respond. Riffa head coach Ali Ashoor celebrates with the tional team players like Ali Madan, Mahdi Games on Saturday, after tak- Meanwhile, also at the Gold er quota system averaged 9.1 “Season’s finally over. Wish and the Dominican Republic in “They’ve been off the court “I always told my players that when we Nasser bin Hamad Premier League trophy at the end- Humaidan, Jassim Al Shaikh and Ahmed ing the women’s 10,000 metres Gala Fernanda Ribiero in Por- points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 I was able to play more games, Pool C of the tournament that for the past six weeks because sacrifice, when we work hard, play hard, of-season awarding last weekend Abdulla, so the expectation of us went high silver medal at the Gold Gala tugal on Saturday, Bahrain’s KNOW assists in his limited action due Season’s finally over. but such is life,” wrote Ravena. will be played in Graz, Austria of the community quarantine so focus, and put our plan and target, we will fight us.” and this put a lot of pressure on us,” Ashoor Fernanda Ribiero in Portugal. Dawit Fikadu won the bronze to injury. Wish I was able to “Thank you to the @neo - from May 26 to 30. we had to be patient until they get what we aim for,” Ashoor explains. “All Riffa’s success this past season had recalls. “But our players were very mentally Kalkidan clocked a time of medal in the men’s 10,000m. Ravena missed his club’s play more games, phoenix_official family and The Filipino troika is hoping got their legs underneath them the sweat in the training sessions, all the earned them their seventh King’s Cup tough and focused. 29 minutes 50.77 seconds to Fikadu completed the race last five games, including its but such is life boosters for accepting this to land one of three Olympic The Filipino troika is but so far, we like what we see running, all the fights we fought—when trophy as well as their 13th league crown. “We got points in each match, we took meet the entry standard of in 28:48.66, which unfortu- season-ending encounter with young and clueless kid from the slots available for the Olympic and we’ll take what we can get,” you do something special like that, you will Ashoor acknowledges, however, that the it match by match, three points by three 31:25.00 for the women’s race. nately did not meet the entry THIRDY RAVENA hoping to land one of Shinsu Brave Warriors to rest a Philippines with open arms! It qualifiers, but will go through a three Olympic slots said Magsanoc. always succeed. team felt pressure as the campaign started points, till we got the championship before Her time was also her per- standard of 27:28.00 for the sore left knee injury. was an experience I will never difficult obstacle in Pool C. “The launchpad that this “But at the same time, my players are to deliver some positive results, being one the end of the league by two matches, which sonal best in the distance. Olympics. Still, his father – Bong, the Bong said whatever happens, forget! #NoRegrets #WeAre- Slovenia is ranked third in the available for the Olym- team will have is the effort and great people, great players. They are fo- of the favourites in the Kingdom with a has not happened in Bahrain in a long time. Kalkidan, who was celebrat- The Kenyan pair of Rhonex former coach of TNT Tropang his son made an impact as he Phoenix,” he added. FIBA 3×3 world rankings while pic qualifiers, but will commitment they will show cused 100 per cent, they are mentally tough, squad stacked with Bahrain national team “We also tried our best in the King’s Cup ing her 30th birthday the same Kipruto and Shadrack Koech Giga in the Philippine Basket- kicked the door of the Japan pro Once home, he will take France is at No. 11. The top two go through a difficult not just in the training bubble and their lifestyles are very professional; players. to be focused because it is a knockout; 90 day, finished behind Gudaf were first and second, respec- ball Association (PBA) – under- league wide open for other Fili- things slow. teams in the pool will advance obstacle in Pool C but hopefully until our next they eat healthy, they follow their nutrition, Nonetheless, Riffa were able to wrap minutes, without extra time and going Tsegay of Ethiopia, who took tively, in 27:11.01 and 27:59.19. stands the wisdom behind his pino cagers to enter, especially The young Ravena would be in the quarterfinals. workouts.” they sleep early, they do their recovery, and the season up with a near-perfect record. straight to the penalties. All the players put first place in a world lead - A total of 16 participants com- late-season benching. now that COVID-19 is delaying going home to Manila later this “With their commitment The team took a momentary all these things which they have to do them- They swept through a tough schedule in the a target to win the King’s Cup, and at the ing time of 29:39.42. Doreen peted in the race. “The team didn’t force him the start of the PBA. month with nothing much on and sacrifice, I can say that the (Samahan ng Basketbol ng Pili- break from training to process selves, they are doing them 100 per cent. King’s Cup and ran away with the league end we got it. Chesang of Uganda came third Qualifying for the Tokyo to play so that his injury will “We’re proud of him,” he said. schedule other than to rest and players are really all-in,” said pinas) did its part to provide the necessary travel documents “I’m very lucky to coach these players crown in an 18-game campaign that saw “We started slowly in the beginning of in 32:09.82 out of the 10-run- Olympics for most of the track not get worse,” said Bong, who The former Ateneo stalwart recover. Magsanoc, a former star play- us with everything we needed to Austria but will be back in and we have to work harder in the next them win the title by 10 points from their the season and then match by match we im- ner field. and field events continues un- guided the Tropang Giga in the is still grateful for the oppor- “I told him to go home be- er in the Philippine Basketball including a safe training envi- Laguna after a few days. season because all the clubs will come to closest rivals, having taken 14 victories, proved a lot and we got a lot of confidence.” Kalkidan is a double Asian til late June. Philippine Cup that was played tunity to be an Asian import cause we already miss him,” Association (PBA). ronment in the bubble and the “We’ll continue our Zoom under a bubble setup in Clark for San-en, saying he had “no said his father. “It’s all about trying to just team did its best to maximize workouts but we also instruct- last year. regrets” in his professional de- “He is still recovering from find ways to be able to make up the great opportunity to train ed them to find a playing court Hon. Chairman Najeb Yacob Alhamer | Editor-in-Chief Mahmood AI Mahmood | Chairman & Managing Director P Unnikrishnan “That’s why they decided to but season in the Japan league. injury. He will come home at for lost time.” and be together.” where they could practice indi- Advertisement: Update Media W.L.L | Tel: 38444692, Email: [email protected] | Newsroom: Tel: 36458345, Email: [email protected] rest him.” Taking to social media, Rave- the end of May.” Magsanoc added: “The SBP Magsanoc admitted that the vidually,” said Magsanoc. Subscription & circulation: Tel: 36458394 | Email: [email protected] | Website: www.newsofbahrain.com | Printed and published by Al Ayam Publishing