HHORSEORSE RRACINGACING | Page 3 ATHLETICS | Page 6 New horse Duplantis, racing season Warholm target to begin on records in October 14 Rome today

Thursday, September 17, 2020 CYCLING Muharram 29, 1442 AH Roglic glimpses GULF TIMES Tour triumph from Alpine peaks SPORT Page 7 FOOTBALL / AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Xavi: We need to improve, there’s a long way to go Al Sadd played out a 3-3 draw against on Tuesday Duhail should have scored more against AFC Sharjah, says Almoez Striker Almoez Ali believes Al “We had a great performance created several scoring chances l Sadd SC head coach Duhail SC should have regis- and were the better side,” said but failed to convert them. We Xavi feels his team de- tered a more convincing victory Ali. “It was very important for must not make that mistake served to come out against UAE’s Sharjah in their us to win the match in order to again. with more than just a 2020 AFC Champions League increase our chances of qualify- “Our performance, in gen- Apoint from their Matchday Three Group C tie on Tuesday. ing to the next stage. eral, was not as what we had encounter against United Arab The champions registered “Sharjah are the UAE champions expected. We should prepare Emirates side Al Ain FC in the their second win in the group and they are a strong team but better for the next match and 2020 AFC Champions League, with the 2019 AFC Asian Cup we could have scored more fix the mistakes that we made which ended 3-3. top scorer opening the scoring goals. However, this match is tonight.” Kodjo Laba opened the scor- before Rami Rezaeian added over and we must focus on the The defeat means Sharjah are ing for Al Ain early on. 2019 AFC the second with Igor Coronado next (against Sharjah again on still in search of their first win, Footballer of the Year Akram Afi f pulling a goal back for Sharjah Friday).” with the UAE side rooted at the equalised on 35 minutes, shortly from the penalty spot. Sharjah goalkeeper Adel Al bottom of the Group C stand- before While Ali stressed that getting Hosani said the UAE side were ings on one point. hammered home a contender for the three points was important, punished for their mistakes. Al Duhail, with six points, are goal of the tournament to put Al he said Al Duhail’s superior “We didn’t have a good per- second with ’s Al Ain ahead before half time. performance meant they should formance at all in the first half,” Taawoun leading the standings A debut goal from Santi Cazorla have scored more goals at the said Al Hosani. “However, we and Islamic Republic of ’s followed by a Baghdad Bounedjah Education City Stadium. improved in the second half and Persepolis FC (four) third. (AFC) tap-in put Al Sadd ahead be- fore friendly fi re from Boualem Khoukhi put the game back on equal terms. The result meant Al Sadd slipped down to second place on fi ve points after Al Nassr man- aged a win against Sepahan FC, Al Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil while Al Ain took their fi rst point of the campaign yet remained bot- though; it was normal that all the said the former Al Taawoun boss. “We need to get maximum tom of the group, four points off chances we created would see us “This is an important point for points in the next game. The second place. through but that did not happen.” us, especially for our confi dence players need to rest the day after “We deserved more against For Al Ain, improving on Tues- because we were not at our best. the match, after the magnifi cent Al Ain, and we need to improve day’s result in the reverse fi xture We aimed to pressure Al Sadd’s eff orts they made today. We will ourselves,” said Xavi. “There’s will be vital if they are to avoid players and as soon as we took keep working to our schedule as still a long way to go in the AFC back-to-back group stage ex- possession, we attacked quickly. planned.” Champions League. We cre- its for the fi rst time since 2010 “They looked for spaces to ex- The two former champions ated a number of chances in the and 2011, and head coach Pedro ploit in our team. In the second will go head to head again on fi rst half, but we weren’t good Emanuel knows his side can ill- half, we conceded two goals in Friday in Matchday Four, when a enough. aff ord to waste time. quick succession and we made result will be needed for Al Ain “In the second half the team “We played against excellent some changes to get the points.” in order to keep their chances of was superb and did a lot better, opposition in our fi rst game in six “It’s hard to play every three progression alive while Al Sadd Al Duhail’s Almoez Ali (left) celebrates his goal during the AFC Champions League Group C match but we weren’t lucky enough months, we should be happy with days, but we have been ready for will look to keep pace with Al against Sharjah on Tuesday. (AFP) in front of goal. This is football our performance and the result,” this. Nassr at the top of Group D.

SPOTLIGHT Getting back to competition important, says Barshim as he targets Tokyo

atar’s high jump icon ship, as the fi rst athlete in his- and will include a review of all the or’s 2.45m record? Mutaz Barshim has tory to retain the High Jump competitions. When it comes to the High seen ups and downs. title put some sort of pressure Jump record, I think no time is a One moment he was on your future undertakings, After the Covid-19 crisis, good time to consider breaking jumpingQ to beat the world record, especially with regards to the athletes now have the added it. I think I need to be focused on and the next suff ering a career- Olympic year ahead? pressure of preparing for the my training, and my aim is to set threatening injury. But he has I believe that feeling pressure Olympics. What are your this fi gure as a target during my since successfully returned to is natural for a professional ath- thoughts on Tokyo Games, training. competition and even become lete. I even deem it essential for the challenges it poses for you the fi rst high jumper in history me in all the competitions I par- after London 2012 and Rio What is more important for to retain his world title, when he ticipate in. Nonetheless, I have to 2016? you right now? Focusing did so at home in Khalifa Interna- adapt to pressure, and prevent it I am currently focused on on the Olympics, or gradu- tional Stadium last year. from taking a toll on me, so as to competing in Tokyo. Tokyo 2021 ally returning to competition Then, what was supposed to channel it into positive results. is a great challenge to me person- through the World Indoor be an Olympic year, turned into a ally after London 2012 and Rio Championship and the Dia- pandemic year, and Barshim like Since Covid-19 has brought 2016. Yet, I do think of it as any mond League? most other athletes has been fo- all competitions to a halt, do other milestone in my career, and What’s important to me right cused on training harder for the you think you have more time I shall do my best. But must keep now is to go back to competing Olympics next year. to prepare for the next season, in mind that competing for gold in tournaments, in order to be The Red Bull athlete talks or is it just an additional load may be tough, but it is not im- physically fi t and prepared, as about his injury, the pandemic, in terms of training? possible. would be the case for any athlete the Olympics and more. Not competing in any champi- in my position. Excerpts: onship for a whole season is un- You work very hard with your doubtedly a negative thing, but I coach Stanislaw Szczyrba. What have you learned from After the coronavirus pan- will try to make the most out of it What kind of a relation do you the serious injury you suf- demic threw the tournament by training and exercising. have with him? fered? How did you manage to schedule into disarray, what I defi nitely have a strong bond turn suff ering into a sweeping are your plans for the 2021 You contributed a lot to rais- with coach Stanislaw Szczyrba, success? season? ing awareness on the impor- and it is not just a coach-athlete Injury has taught me that I have started with a return to tance of staying home to limit relationship. It goes beyond track nothing is impossible when there my usual routine and daily train- the spread of Covid-19. Did have to make the right decision, serving public health and safety ships, the , and fi eld, and is not limited to is will and hard work. I’ve got ing in preparation for the cham- the quarantine have negative and comply with the rules, even is given utmost importance at and other such competitions? training. We are friends, we dis- my friends and family’s support pionships that will pave the way eff ects on athletes? if it goes against our interests as both individual and community So far, we’re still carrying on cuss all matters of life. This has fa- to thank for helping me triumph to the Tokyo Olympics. I will stay The pandemic took a toll on athletes. The public health of the levels. with the routine training, which cilitated communication between over injury, as well as my patient focused on that till then. the world as a whole, and athletes community takes precedence in is the most important thing for us, and we now understand each and devoted team and coach who are no exception to that. Howev- such cases. Of course, staying Will you limit your activities us currently. We are yet to set other, which helps us succeed. have facilitated my strong come- Does your exceptional er, athletes have the duty to give home will do athletes no good, to the , or will a schedule for the 2021 season. back. But fi rst and foremost, I achievement at the 2019 back to society, by leaving a posi- but there is a positive side to it, you also compete in the World That will be decided with the Do you believe it is time to thank God for everything, as suc- Champion- tive impact. Sometimes we just as it sends the message that pre- Athletics Indoor Champion- coach and the management team, break Cuban Javier Sotomay- cess is actually a gift from above. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, September 17, 2020 FOOTBALL

TOP OF THE LINE PREVIEW QFA presents Football for All Award to MoPH Pakhtakor in QNA id-19) pandemic in the society. Doha He also hailed all their eff orts and work in returning foot- with another ball activity through the health he Board of Trustees protocol that was successfully of Qatar Football As- adopted and implemented and sociation (QFA) Award led to the return of competitions presented the Football and matches. chance against Tfor All Award for the 2019-20 For his part, Dr al-Rumaihi season to the Ministry of Public thanked and appreciated the Health, for its great eff orts and Board of Trustees of the Qatar contribution towards resump- Football Association Award for Al Hilal tion of football activity. this initiative. He stressed the AFC The best team in Asia is a tag Al General Secretary of the Board keenness of the Ministry and Doha Hilal’s Romanian head coach Raz- of Trustees of QFA Award, Has- all medical and administrative van Lucescu is keen to prove with san Rabiah al-Kuwari, handed staff to continue co-operation the reigning champions intent on over the award to the ministry with all parts of society in order akhtakor head coach keeping their 100 percent record in the presence of Director of to achieve goals and aspirations, Shota Arveladze believes so far in the competition and se- Health Protection and Control and praised the distinguished his side need to convert curing qualifi cation early on. of Communicable Diseases at and constructive co-operation more of their chances, “As is always the case, we want the Ministry of Public Health between the Ministry of Public Pahead of their Matchday Four to win this match. Both teams Dr Hamad Eid al-Rumaihi and Health, the Qatar Football Asso- fi xture against reigning champi- know each other better now, so Medical Director of the Com- ciation and Qatar Stars League. ons Al Hilal SFC in Group B of the focus is ever more important for municable Diseases Center Football for All Award is given 2020 AFC Champions League. us,” said Lucescu, who led Al Hi- (CDC) at Hamad Medical Cor- by the QFA Award Board of Trus- A free- lal to the 2019 AFC Champions poration (HMC) Dr Muna al- tees to organisations, groups or kick and a last-second strike League title just fi ve months af- Maslamani. individuals making a signifi cant from substitute Hattan Bahebri ter his arrival. Al-Kuwari extended thanks contribution towards football in sealed a 2-1 win for Al Hilal on “We are still in an early phase, and appreciation to the Minis- the local community. The win- Monday as Pakhtakor were re- the job is not done yet even try of Public Health and all its ners of the 2019-20 season are: General Secretary of the Board of Trustees of QFA Award, Hassan Rabiah al-Kuwari, handed over the award duced to 10 men following the though we have nine points out cadres and medical teams for Ministry of Public Health, Min- to the ministry in the presence of Director of Health Protection and Control of Communicable Diseases dismissal of keeper Eldorbek of a possible nine. Pakhtakor are their tireless work and eff orts to istry of Interior, Aspetar Hospi- at the Ministry of Public Health Dr Hamad Eid al-Rumaihi, and Medical Director of the Communicable Suyonov for handling the ball a big team both off ensively and address the coronavirus (Cov- tal and Qatar Red Crescent. Diseases Center (CDC) at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) Dr Muna al-Maslamani. outside of his area. defensively, they also possess a But with two victories from fair amount of physical strength their fi rst two games, Pakhta- but we also have the talent and AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE kor could still pip Al Hilal to the ability and want to win this top of the group with a two-goal match.” margin win, and if Shahr Khodro A win for the three time con- manage a win against Shabab Al tinental champions will see them Ahli in the other match join compatriots Al Ahli FC Saudi today, the Uzbek League cham- in the Round of 16, with a perfect pions could have a foot and a half head-to-head record against the in the Round of 16 come Match- Uzbek side. day Five. In another Group B match, Rezaeian revels “We did not change much in Shabab Al Ahli Dubai FC will look our programme following the to repeat their win against Shahr previous game,” said Arveladze. Khodro FC when they meet in a “It was mostly recovery and 6pm kick-off at Al Janoub Sta- preparation to face Al Hilal again. dium. We know each game is diff erent, The Dubai-based side had and we cannot do the same thing managed to scrape a 1-0 win in each game. We cannot keep against their Iranian opponents, in debut goal for wasting the chances we get, and thanks to a magnifi cent solo ef- we are here to prove we can com- fort from youngster Harib Ab- pete at the highest level. dallah Suhail, as Shabab Al Ahli Iranian international, who scored along with “We have quality at the back picked up their fi rst three points and up front, and we are deter- in the 2020 edition. Almoez in the 2-1 win over Sharjah on Tuesday, mined to come out with the three points.” TODAY’S MATCHES was adjudged Man of the Match “This level of competition Group A at Khalifa International Duhail needs players who are individu- Stadium AFC thing I can to fi ght for the name ally able to change the course of 6pm: Al Shorta (IRQ) vs Al Ahli Doha of Al Duhail and defend the col- the match such as Giovinco did FC (KSA) ours of the club. from the free-kick. “I trained a lot for free-kicks “Al Hilal are a good team who Group B at Al Janoub Stadium l Duhail SC got their and my teammates told me that I have excellent players, some of 6pm: Shahr Khodro (IRN) vs 2020 AFC Champions will score a free-kick soon. I am whom are goal machines, and Shabab Al Ahli (UAE) League off to a posi- happy that they believed in me. they are the best team in Asia, 9pm: Pakhtakor (UZB) vs Al Hilal tive restart with a 2-1 For us to be successful we have but we have quality too.” (KSA) winA over Sharjah FC in Group C to come together as a team, and I on Tuesday to keep pace with Al believe we did that today and we Taawoun at the top of the group. did well as a team. New signing Ramin Rezaeian “We must be even stronger in struck the pick of the goals to the next game. We played a good send Al Duhail 2-0 up early in game, but we will forget it and the second half after Almoez Ali focus on the next match.” had taken the lead for the Qa- For Sharjah, the result meant taris in the 40th minute. a fi rst win in the AFC Champi- An Igor Coronado penalty ons League since 2004 would would prove to be merely conso- have to wait, but head coach Ab- lation for Sharjah as coach Walid dulaziz Al Anbari is convinced Regragui’s men held out for the his side are going in the right three points. direction. The Iranian international had “Congratulations to Al Du- joined Al Duhail three weeks ago hail. We knew this would be a after enjoying a magnifi cent in- diffi cult match against a diffi cult dividual 2019-20 season, scor- team who are in form at the mo- ing 13 times from right wing de- ment,” said the 43-year-old. spite his former side Al Shahania “We played conservatively in fi nishing bottom of the Qatar the fi rst half, trying to make sure Stars League. we did not concede. It worked “I would like to congratulate well but we conceded in the my teammates on getting the 40th minute. Our plan was to three points. We know this is a start changing gradually, but the diffi cult competition and we are second goal made it diffi cult for happy to have won this match,” us. Al Duhail are a strong team said Rezaeian after being named and it was just not our night. Man of the Match at Education “We know Al Duhail have a lot City Stadium on Tuesday. of quality players, and we know “I am honoured to sign for Al the next match will be more dif- Duhail. It is a big move for me fi cult, but we are here to fi ght and I promised myself to give it until the end. We are satisfi ed everything when I arrived. My with our performance today re- goal is to stay here and do every- gardless of the result.”

Al Duhail’s Ramin Rezaeian (top) celebrates a goal with teammate Al Hilal’s Sebastian Giovinco (right) kicks to score during the AFC Almoez Ali during the AFC Champions League Group C match Champions League Group B match against Pakhtakor on Monday. against Sharjah on Tuesday. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil

SPOTLIGHT Marin hopes to carry momentum into Shorta match

AFC months before putting on a Man “We always want to win. The “We don’t want to dwell Doha of The Match performance, in- preparation until now has been too much on the first match,” cluding a late winner against Al focused on recovering as quickly said head coach Abdulghani Shorta on Monday. as possible for the next game. Shahd. arko Marin believes And with qualifi cation to the Today we will analyse the game “We would rather focus on the he can take his game Round of 16 guaranteed, Al Ahli and watch videos. We prepared next match and the group as a to new heights as the now eye the top spot in Group A well for the last game and now we whole. Winning against Estegh- 2020 AFC Champi- in hope it would help them avoid know even more about Al Shorta lal is the key, but that does not Mons League rumbles on with his reigning champions Al Hilal, who and will be totally focused on mean we should ignore tomor- Al Ahli Saudi FC eyeing a repeat eliminated them at the same stage winning.” row, but in order to guarantee of their 1-0 win over Iraq’s Al in 2019 and now hold the top spot Al Shorta go into Matchday qualifi cation we have to beat Es- Shorta when the two sides meet in Group B after three matches. Four with a point, but a win teghlal. in Group A today. “It was my fi rst offi cial match against Esteghlal in the follow- “Also remember it will be The former German interna- in six months, so of course there ing game will send them to the the fi rst game for Esteghlal, so tional winger joined Al Ahli from is a lot of room to improve,” said Round of 16 for the fi rst time they will be well rested. This is Red Belgrade in January, but the former Chelsea winger. in their history regardless of the reality of things and we are the Saudi Pro League’s Covid-19 “I feel that game by game I can the result of the today’s fi xture, well prepared for tomorrow, but enforced break followed by a get better physically and on the while beating Al Ahli would not we also have to think about the muscular injury meant he had pitch. I hope I can show that in be enough if they lose to the Ira- group as a whole not just tomor- not played competitively for six every match. nians next. row.” Gulf Times Thursday, September 17, 2020 3 SPORT

SPOTLIGHT New horse racing season to begin on October 14

By Sports Reporter World Cup in October in Paris and then Uqda Complex. Kaabi said, “We have been preparing for Doha winning His Highness The Amir Sword The operations at the state-owned the new programme since the last season (Group 1 PA) for a record third time in horse racing facility in Al Khor are being ended. With the new season, we have Doha for the Triple Crown. run by the QREC in co-ordination with not only sought to further the vision and he horse racing season in Qatar In the Thoroughbred feature, His the Ministry of Culture and Sports. the strategy of the QREC to develop rac- will begin on October 14, 2020, Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa The fi rst race meeting at Al Uqda will ing in Qatar and also host quality inter- according to the schedule re- al-Thani’s French King emerged vic- be the Al Huwaila Cup Day on Novem- national races, but also ensure we do so leased by the Qatar Racing and festival. tory for the second straight time. ber 25, 2020. in a safe environment in co-ordination TEquestrian Club (QREC) yesterday. In February this year, His Highness Qatar Oaks and Qatar Derby have The biggest race meeting at the new with the concerned authorities. All the Al Ghariya Cup Day on the dirt track Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s been scheduled for December 19-20, facility will be the Al Shaqab Rac- precautionary measures as required en- at Al Rayyan Park will be the fi rst of 49 Ebraz became the fi rst horse to win the 2020, while HH Sheikh Mohammed ing Trophy on February 3, 2021, with suring the safety of all participants and meetings that have been scheduled this Doha Triple Crown after he stamped his Bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy and HH the six-furlong feature Thoroughbred organisers are in place. season, which will conclude on April authority over three diff erent distances Sheikh Abdulla Bin Khalifa Al Thani carrying total prize money of “This season, 12 races will be held at 22, 2021. in three diff erent countries in a single Trophy will be run on December 26, QR200,000. The race meeting will Al Ukda. The fi rst race at the complex Qatar’s three-day horse racing fl ag- season. The Julian Smart-trained Pure- 2020, and January 7, 2021, respectively. also see a sprint race each for local will be Al Huwaila Cup on November ship event — His Highness Amir Sword bred Arabian fi rst won the Qatar Inter- Qatar Gold Sword meeting will be held Thoroughbreds and Arabians with 25, and in the future, more races will be Racing Festival — will run from Febru- national Stakes (Group 1 PA) in Good- on April 1, 2021. QR155,000 and QR175,000 on off er as held at the venue. The track is equipped ary 18-20, 2021, with the two USD1mn wood over a mile in July last year, before The racing season also includes as the total prize pot respectively. with the necessary infrastructure to features to be held on the last day of the starring at the 2000m Qatar Arabian many as 12 race meetings at the new Al QREC CEO Nasser bin Sherida al-Kaabi. QREC CEO Nasser bin Sherida al- successfully host race meetings.”

FOCUS GRIM Benfi ca dumped out of Champions Covid-19 League by PAOK Two-time European champions Benfica were dumped out of the Champions League in the qualifiers on Tuesday following pandemic a 2-1 defeat at PAOK Thessaloniki. The Portuguese giants, who Mourinho coy on won the old European Cup twice in the 1960s, were knocked out by goals from Dimitrios Giannoulis and Andrija Zivkovic. to cost Benfica finished second in the Portuguese top division but had a tough draw at PAOK, who finished second in the Greek Super League. They will not have a chance to overcome the defeat football because the third qualifying round is being contested with Spurs’ attempt to single-leg ties. Dynamo Kiev knocked out AZ Alkmaar with a $14bn this 2-0 win while Gent saw off Rapid Vienna 2-1. Villa land goalkeeper Martinez year: FIFA from Arsenal on four-year deal sign Real’s Bale Reuters Aston Villa have completed the signing of goalkeeper Emiliano Bern, Switzerland Martinez from Arsenal on a four-year deal, the Premier League club said in a statement yesterday. The 28-year-old spent 10 Bale’s agent has said that clubs are discussing a potential deal years at the club and played only 39 first-team matches for he Covid-19 pandemic is likely them in all competitions, including 23 in the 2019-20 campaign Reuters to cost club football $14bn this filling in for the injured Bernd Leno. He helped Mikel Arteta’s London, United Kingdom year worldwide, around one side finish eighth in the league and lift their 14th FA Cup trophy third of its value, a leading of- last month as they defeated Chelsea 2-1 in the final at Wembley. Tfi cial at global soccer body FIFA said British media said Villa paid 17mn pounds ($21.97mn) for the ottenham Hot- yesterday. Argentine shot-stopper, who had loan spells at Oxford United, spur manager Jose Olli Rehn, who heads the FIFA com- Sheff ield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Wolverhampton Mourinho refused to mittee set up to tackle the eff ects of the Wanderers, Getafe and Reading. confi rm yesterday pandemic, said that FIFA, along with fi - Twhether the north London nancial consultants, had estimated the club were in talks to re-sign club game to be worth between $40bn Leyton Orient book League Cup from Real Ma- and $45bn worldwide. clash with shirt sponsor Kane drid but said he tried to sign He said the fi gure of $14bn was based him when he was still a Spurs on the current scenario, where football Leyton Orient could come up against a familiar face and the player. is slowly restarting after a three-month sponsor of their playing kit in Harry Kane in the third round of Bale’s agent said on Tuesday hiatus earlier this year, but it would be the League Cup after Tuesday’s 3-2 victory over Plymouth Ar- that both clubs and the Welsh a “diff erent ball game” if the pandemic gyle earned them a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur. England winger’s camp were discussing did not let up. striker Kane, who made his senior debut with east London side a potential arrangement which “Football has been hit very hard by Orient in 2011 when he was on loan for half a season from Spurs, would see the 31-year-old re- the coronavirus pandemic,” Rehn, a said in May he would sponsor the League Two (fourth tier) club’s turn to the Premier League af- former EU commissioner and now gov- kit for the 2020-21 campaign. Orient’s home shirt displays a ter seven years with the Span- ernor of the Bank of Finland, told Reu- thank you message to healthcare workers on the frontline bat- ish champions. ters television. tling the Covid-19 pandemic while the away and third kits carry Mourinho said he tried to “It has created plenty of turmoil at logos of a children’s hospice and a mental health charity. sign Bale when he was in charge diff erent levels with some professional of Real Madrid from 2010 to clubs facing very serious diffi culties. 2013. The Wales international I’m also very concerned about youth Macclesfi eld, founded in 1874, was also regularly linked with academies and lower division clubs.” wound up over £500,000 debt a move to Manchester United Rehn said that football in South Amer- when Mourinho was at the ica had been especially hard hit, while Af- Macclesfield Town became the latest English football club to helm at Old Traff ord. rica and Asia were also a concern. “It is a go to the wall after a winding up order was granted yesterday “Gareth Bale is a Real Ma- real danger that the good work that has over debts of more than £500,000 ($650,000). The club, drid player and I don’t talk In this April 13, 2011, picture, the then Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho (centre) shakes hands been done developing football in Asia founded in 1874, were relegated from League Two last season about players from other with Tottenham’s Gareth Bale after the UEFA Champions League match in London. (Reuters) and Africa could be ruined, so we want due to a series of points deductions for the non-payment of clubs,” Mourinho told report- to soften the blow and maintain the de- wages. An insolvency hearing heard that the club owe nearly ers ahead of today’s Europa stinct and knowledge and the reporting the 23-year-old when a new signing com- velopment that has been done,” he said. £190,000 in tax and more than £170,000 to two other credi- League qualifi er against Bul- season I left, he brought Ga- Spain international is set to pletes the puzzle it’s great FIFA has allocated $1.5bn to help tors. A judge found he could see nothing which gave him “any garian side Lokomotiv Plov- reth to the club. That’s no se- make the switch for 30mn eu- for the team,” the Portuguese tackle the eff ects of the pandemic and comfort” that the club can pay the debts. Bury became the first div. cret and Gareth knows that.” ros ($35.62mn). manager added. Rehn said 150 of the 211 member asso- club expelled from the English Football League since 1992 last “It’s not my job to have Bale had said earlier this Mourinho added that he has “Three more weeks, the ciations had so far applied for funds. year after going bust, while Bolton, who were in the Premier contact with agents and I month that he would be open informed club chairman Daniel market is open both ways. I He said that, while football was slow- League just eight years ago, narrowly avoided the same fate. don’t want to comment. I to a move back to the Premier Levy about his transfer plans think in football you have to be ly re-awakening, another downturn don’t comment on hypotheti- League if Real Madrid sanc- “three or four times” and that always waiting for something could not be ruled out. cal stuff . tioned a transfer. players could also leave Spurs to happen. Let’s see what hap- “We cannot rule out worse develop- “I tried to sign him during Spurs have also been linked before the transfer window pens to us. I never liked to start ments and that would be another ball Man United women’s captain Zelem my time at Real Madrid and with Real left back Sergio closes on October 5. the competition with an open game if the pandemic were to continue tests positive for Covid-19 the president followed my in- Reguilon, with British media “A squad is a puzzle and transfer window.” in a severe form next year.” Manchester United women’s captain Katie Zelem has been withdrawn from England’s training camp after testing positive for Covid-19, the FA said yesterday. Zelem, 24, was named in coach Phil Neville’s 30-player squad last week for the Lioness- Werner happy to snub champions Liverpool for Lampard’s Chelsea es’ training camp at St George’s Park. The FA and the club said Reuters Chelsea signed the German “When I decided to leave Leip- to come to a club with a vision “It was a strange time when the midfielder will now self-isolate for 10 days as per the health London, United Kingdom striker, 24, in a reported 50mn zig I talked to diff erent clubs,” that fits my style of football. we didn’t meet each other. We protocol. “Manchester United’s Katie Zelem has withdrawn euros ($59.20mn) deal in June Werner told reporters. “There The whole Premier League fits met each other here for the from England’s September training camp having tested posi- as the London club looked to were some other clubs that I my style.” first time because of the virus,” tive for Covid-19... There are no plans to call up a replacement imo Werner said yester- rebuild their squad ahead of talked to... like Liverpool, who The Covid-19 pandemic pre- Werner added. for Zelem at this time,” the FA said in a statement. England day that he was in discus- the new season. have a great team. vented an early face-to-face “But he called me a lot, texted are scheduled to face twice world champions Germany in a Tsions with Liverpool Werner, who scored 34 goals for “But at the end I decided (to meeting with Lampard but me a lot and (sent) media friendly next month. over a close season transfer RB Leipzig last season, was heav- move to) Chelsea... Not only Werner described how the where he showed me where he but eventually chose Chelsea ily linked with a move to Premier because of the style of football Chelsea boss was constantly wants me to play and the style as they were the perfect fit for League champions Liverpool but but also because of what they in touch over the phone, even of football he wants to play... It’s Ten EFL games to pilot fan returns his game while manager Frank said he opted for Chelsea as he have shown to me. sending him videos of how he really important that he gave Lampard also played a key role was convinced he would thrive in “I loved playing at Leipzig but planned to use the Germany me a feeling of the system he Ten clubs in England’s Football League will be allowed to admit in making the decision. Lampard’s system. it was really important for me international this season. wants to play.” up to 1,000 fans in this weekend’s games as part of a pilot scheme to test the return of supporters, the EFL said yesterday. Among the games where fans will be allowed, Norwich City face Preston North End and Middlesbrough are up against LIGUE 1 Bournemouth in the second tier Championship. The hope is that more fans will be allowed to attend games from October. An initial test event was held at Cambridge United last week. The ten matches also include games in the third tier League Depay scores in Lyon win as Barca rumours fl ourish One and fourth tier League Two. AFP won by the Frenchman, when de Jong and Ronald Koeman Champions PSG lost both Australia tweaks national players’ Lyon, France Houssem Aouor was sent off for at Barca this week in a transfer their opening two fi xtures and a high challenge on Arnaud Sou- worth 25mn euros ($29.6mn). had been hit with a wave of coro- pay deal to refl ect Covid-19 impact qet just before the break in his However Lyon president Jean- navirus cases that aff ected seven emphis Depay fi rst league start since shaking Michel Aulas later said that his of their star players. Australia’s national soccer players have agreed to pay-cuts scored what might off the coronavirus. Barcelona counterpart Josep Thomas Tuchel’s side are also as part of an adjusted collective bargaining agreement (CBA) be his farewell goal Savanier doubled his hosts’ Maria Bartomeu told him the awaiting the result of Wednes- that takes into account the economic impact of the novel for Lyon on Tues- lead with a sharp low fi nish in Catalan giants could not aff ord day’s disciplinary commission, coronavirus, the players union said yesterday. The revised CBA, Mday in a 2-1 Ligue 1 defeat at the 59th minute, and they held Depay. which is set to reveal its punish- which applies to both the men’s and women’s teams, will carry Montpellier which could be his out against late pressure follow- “The president of Barcelona ments following the mass brawl through to the completion of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in fi nal match before a rumoured ing Depay’s spot-kick, which told me on Sunday that Barca are involving Neymar that marred Australia and New Zealand, Professional Footballers Australia move to Barcelona. came after Hilton was sent off really suff ering from the Covid the end of their 1-0 defeat to (PFA) said in a joint statement with Football Federation Aus- Netherlands attacker Depay vanier brace scored either side of for a late tackle on Rayan Cherki. crisis and were not able to make Marseille at the weekend. tralia (FFA). Australia’s home-based professional players have smashed home a penalty with half-time. Dutch daily De Telegraaf re- an off er,” Aulas said on . Marseille meanwhile will host yet to strike an adjusted pay deal with clubs, however, having eight minutes left as 10-man Rudi Garcia’s side were al- ported earlier on Tuesday that Yesterday, Paris Saint-Ger- Saint-Etienne on Friday in what already taken heavy cuts to allow the A-League season to finish Lyon failed to claw back a two- ready a goal down to Savanier’s Netherlands forward Depay was main were scheduled to host was supposed to the curtain rais- after a nearly four-month disruption due to the pandemic. goal defi cit created by a Teji Sa- 38th-minute penalty, which was set to join compatriots Frenkie Metz at the Parc des Princes. er to the 2020-21 season. Gulf Times 4 Thursday, September 17, 2020 CRICKET

REPORT SPOTLIGHT ‘Lazy’ criticism result of racial Carey, Maxwell lift stereotypes, says Khawaja

Reuters join a Cricket Australia working Sydney group looking at increasing di- Aussies to dramatic versity in the game. “When it comes to diversity... ustralia batsman Us- I think we’ve been okay at it but man Khawaja believes we’re still just not quite there,” criticism of him as a he said. “lazy” player is rooted “If you look at the landscape inA racial stereotypes and thinks in terms of multicultural crick- cricket needs to do more to at- eters around, we’ve got a few win over England tract players from more ethni- subcontinental cricketers (but) cally diverse backgrounds. we’ve still got a long way to go.” The lefthanded batsman, who The 33-year-old said that at- Australia win with two balls to spare; centuries for Carey and Maxwell turn tide was born in Pakistan and moved tracting players with similar to Sydney as a young child, was backgrounds to his would re- the fi rst Muslim to play for Aus- quire convincing their parents tralia when he made his Test that they could get an education debut in the fi nal match of the while playing the game, and do- 2010-2011 Ashes series. ing more to support the young- “I always had that ‘lazy’ un- sters at the grassroots. dertone when I was growing up “The racism has been both and I think part of that was my overt and casual but I had the relaxed nature but part of it was confi dence to speak up when also because I was Pakistani, and something didn’t feel right, and subcontinent people were seen I know not everyone does,” said as lazy, not doing the hard yards Khawaja. and whatnot,” he told cricket. “Kids need to be given sup- com.au. port. We need to let them know, “Running has never been nat- ‘Hey, you’re not the only person ural to me, so when we used to do going through this, we’ve been lots of fi tness testing I wasn’t as through this, we’ve seen this, good as everyone else. we’ve dealt with it and we’ve When you put that against pushed on. where I was from, that did play You can do the same thing’. against me. “Because when you do come “I like to think we’re starting up through the ranks now, they to move on from that, but there’s are all great people.They don’t defi nitely still that undertone...” care who you are or where you Khawaja has been asked to come from.”

Australia’s Glenn Maxwell (right) celebrates his century with Alex Carey during the third ODI against Australia in Manchester yesterday. (Reuters)

Reuters Scorecard of the Australia innings before Root, with Manchester, United Kingdom his part-time off spin, nicked out David ENGLAND AUSTRALIA Warner and Mitchell Marsh cheaply to remove the tourists’ top order. uperb centuries from Alex Carey J. Roy c Maxwell b Starc 0 D. Warner b Root 24 When Marnus Labuschagne was run and Glenn Maxwell inspired Aus- J. Bairstow b Cummins 112 A. Finch lbw b Woakes 12 out in the 17th over, Australia were reel- tralia to a dramatic three-wicket J. Root lbw b Starc 0 M. Stoinis c Morgan b Woakes 4ing on 73-5. Carey and Maxwell fought victory over England yesterday as back, however, dragging Australia right E. Morgan c Starc b Zampa 23 M. Labuschagne b run out 20 theS touring side clinched the one-day in- back into the match with lusty hitting and ternational series 2-1. J. Buttler c Finch b Zampa 8 M. Marsh c Buttler b Root 2leaving them needing 21 runs off the last Usman Khawaja of Australia. The pair put on 212 runs for the sixth S. Billings c Marsh b Zampa 57 A. Carey c Wood b Archer 106 18 balls for victory. wicket after Australia had slumped to C. Woakes not out 53 G. Maxwell c Curran b Rashid 108 They looked like throwing a winning 73-5 chasing a stiff target of 303 runs in position away when Maxwell top-edged FOCUS the fi nal game of the series. T. Curran b Starc 19 P. Cummins not out 4spinner Adil Rashid and was caught by Jonny Bairstow scored 112 as England A. Rashid not out 11 M. Starc not out 11 Tom Curran for 108 off 90 balls and 10 recovered from losing their fi rst two Extras (lb8, nb1, w10) 19 Extras (lb 5, nb 1, w 8) 14 balls later Carey was caught by Mark wickets to the opening two balls of the Wood at third man off Jofra Archer for Woakes: players game to score 302 for seven in their 50 Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 302 Total (7 wickets, 49.4 Over) 305 106. Australia needed 10 runs off the fi nal overs after winning the toss. Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Roy), 2-0 (Root), 3-67 Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Finch), 2-31 over which England captain Eoin Mor- Australia lost their fi rst fi ve wickets (Morgan), 4-96 (Buttler), 5-210 (Billings), (Stoinis), 3-51 (Warner), 4-55 (Marsh), 5-73 gan bravely entrusted to Rashid. Starc may face pay cuts cheaply but fought back brilliantly to win 6-220 (Bairstow), 7-266 (Curran) (Labuschagne), 6-285 (Maxwell), 7-293 smacked a six off his fi rst ball and hit an- with two balls to spare against the world Bowlers: Starc 10-0-74-3 (2w); Hazlewood (Carey) other boundary to win the game, bring- champions and infl ict their fi rst home 10-0-68-0 (1w); Cummins 10-0-53-1 (2w); Bowling: Woakes 10-0-46-2, Archer ing a crowded summer of international as cricket feels pinch one-day series defeat for fi ve years. Zampa 10-0-51-3; Marsh 6-0-25-0 (1nb, 9-0-60-1, Wood 9-1-40-0, Root 8-0-46-2, cricket to an exciting conclusion. England got off to the worst possible 3w); Maxwell 4-0-23-0 (2w). Curran 6-1-40-0, Rashid 7.4-0-68-1 England had a busy three-month win- start as Jason Roy drove a thick outside dow into which they crammed six Tests AFP tions. edge to backward point and Joe Root was and England quickly pushed the run rate bone of the innings and Chris Woakes and 12 limited-overs internationals — all Manchester England all-rounder Woakes trapped lbw by Mitchell Starc off the rstfi above six an over. A 114-run partnership also contributed a rapid half century to played behind closed doors in a bio- expressed sympathy with those two balls of the innings. Bairstow set for the fi fth wicket between Bairstow take England past the 300-run mark. secure bubble because of the Covid-19 aff ected. about engineering a recovery, however, and Sam Billings (54) provided the back- Woakes then took the fi rst two wickets pandemic. orld Cup winner “It does resonate with the Chris Woakes ad- players,” said Woakes, who add- mits players may ed that losses would have been BOTTOMLINE be next to feel the even greater had scheduled tours Wpinch as England cricket chiefs by the West Indies, Pakistan, on Tuesday announced 62 job Australia and Ireland not taken cuts due to the impact of the place. In April, England’s cen- coronavirus pandemic. trally contracted players made England and Wales Cricket a donation of £500,000 to the Board (ECB) chief executive Tom ECB and selected good causes, ‘World’s best’ Mumbai Indians Harrison said such measures the equivalent of a 20% reduc- would have been “unthinkable” tion in their retainers for three seven months ago but the global months. Woakes, with a new crisis had had a huge impact. round of central contracts due Harrison said English crick- this month, said players may attempt back-to-back IPL titles et had already lost more than have to take a pay cut. £100mn ($129mn), a fi gure that “In the current climate, and AFP among the eight IPL franchises. Australia paceman Nathan could rise to £200mn next year with contracts round the corner, New Delhi The team has an impeccable Coulter-Nile, part of the Indi- if Covid-19 interrupts next sea- I think you just have to expect playing pedigree too. ans’ fi rst title win in 2013, re- son. Proposals to reduce costs anything at the minute,” he said. Their founding captain was turns this season after being include a 20 % cut to the work- “As players you’re not going lready regarded as the the now retired Sachin Ten- snapped up for $1.12mn in the force budget — a move that to sit here and say ‘we’re exempt world’s richest and dulkar, the record-breaking December auctions. equates to the loss of 62 posi- from it’.” most successful Twen- batsman who is worshipped by “It’s good to come back to the ty20 cricket team, the Indian fans. Former Australia most successful T20 franchise of MumbaiA Indians will now at- captain Ricky Ponting is another the world,” said Coulter-Nile. tempt to underline their status ex-skipper. “Obviously the team I was in- by claiming their fi rst back-to- But it was only when Sharma volved with then was fi lled with back titles in the Indian Premier was appointed captain in 2013, absolute greats. League. after Ponting stepped down due Ricky Ponting, Sachin Ten- Led by senior Indian bats- to loss of form, that the team dulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit man Rohit Sharma and owned The victorious Mumbai Indians team with the IPL trophy after became a force to be reckoned Sharma. “And to come back to by Nita Ambani — wife of India’s winning the tournament in 2019. with. The 33-year-old star bats- see this team now developing richest man, Reliance Indus- man has led by example, scoring those sort of greats again. Rohit tries billionaire Mukesh Ambani coronavirus-delayed IPL season in 2008, has been rated by 3,728 runs since joining Mumbai Sharma is a great in himself. — Mumbai have won an unsur- against the Super Kings in Abu Forbes as the world’s second in 2011 and captaining the team Bumrah, best death bowler in passed four IPL titles. Dhabi on Saturday, head into the richest sports team owner be- to IPL trophies in 2013, 2015, the world.” So far they have been un- tournament as the bookies’ fa- hind former Microsoft chief ex- 2017 and 2019. However, the loss of pace able to match the Chennai Super vourites for a fi fth trophy. ecutive Steve Ballmer, who owns Sri Lankan legend Mahela ace Lasith Malinga earlier this Kings’ feat of 2010 and 2011 by Mumbai’s fi nancial clout is the Los Angeles Clippers. Jayawardene is the coach, while month was a big blow, after the winning the world’s most lucra- formidable. According to an Economic West Indian big-hitter Kieron veteran Sri Lankan opted out of tive T20 league twice in a row. Ambani, who bought the Times estimate, the Indians Pollard and India quick Jasprit the tournament to be with his But Mumbai, who open the franchise for more than $100mn are worth $115mn, the highest Bumrah add power to the team. family. Gulf Times Thursday, September 17, 2020 5 SPORT

NBA Nuggets stun Clippers in game 7, Heat edge Celtics ‘WE ARE JUST IMPROVING. WE HAVE TALKS, WE HAVE FIGHTS, EVERYTHING. WE ARE LIKE A COUPLE’

AFP Los Angeles

amal Murray scored a game high 40 points and Nikola Jokic had a triple dou- ble as the Denver Nuggets stunned the JLos Angeles Clippers 104-89 in game seven to reach their fi rst Western Conference fi nals in 11 years. The Nuggets became the fi rst team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 series defi cit twice in the same postseason. Jokic completed his triple double by the third quarter of Tuesday night’s contest in the NBA’s quarantine bubble in Florida, fi nishing with 16 points, 13 assists and 22 rebounds. His rebound count is the most by a Nuggets player in an NBA playoff game, breaking his old record of 19. Denver’s dynamic duo combined for 56 points. “We are just improving. We have talks, we have fi ghts, everything. We are like a couple,” Jokic said of playing with Murray. An odd couple for sure. A Serbian and a Cana- dian dynamic duo that has engineered the big- gest upsets of the 2020 postseason so far. Denver will once again be the underdogs when they face LeBron James and the Los An- geles Lakers in the conference fi nals beginning Friday. “Nobody wants us here,” insisted Jokic. But Murray issued a warning for people who think the Lakers’ juggernaut is going to steam- roller them. “They got to worry about us too,” Murray said. The Nuggets found themselves down by 12 in the fi rst half. They also trailed 61-54 with 10:50 left in the third when they stepped it up and went on a 35- 13 run to compile a 15-point lead in the fourth. “Next is Lakers, another tough opponent,” Jo- kic said. “But we are going to be out there having fun. It is simple for us, eff ort and energy.” In the Eastern Conference fi nals, Bam Ade- bayo made a clutch block with 2.5 seconds left Michael Malone, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets celebrate their win over LA Clippers in Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN in overtime as the Miami Heat beat the Boston Wide World Of Sports Complex on Tuesday in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. At right, Bam Adebayo (13) of the Miami Heat goes for a slam dunk as Daniel Theis of the Boston Celtics defends during the fourth Celtics 117-114 in the opening game of the series. quarter in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals. Adebayo leapt high to take what appeared to be an easy dunk away from Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who fi nished with a game high 30 had 22 and Jimmy Butler fi nished with 20 for the and overtime. I try to pull through as much as I Tatum also had 14 rebounds and fi ve as- Tatum to preserve the Heat’s slim lead, 116-114. points, missed a desperation 29-foot three- Heat, who eliminated the Celtics from the play- can,” said Butler, of the game-winning basket. sists, Marcus Smart tallied 26 points and Jaylen Adebayo then capped the scoring by sinking a pointer at the buzzer. off s in 2011 and 2012. Butler gave the Heat the Miami are seeking to get back to the NBA fi - Brown delivered 17 for the Celtics who are play- free throw at the other end. “He made a great play,” Tatum said of Ade- lead for good, 115-114, with just 12 seconds left nals for the fi rst time since a four-year run of ing for an NBA fi nals spot for the third time in “He is the heart and soul of our team on the bayo’s block. “That’s all it is. He made a good in overtime when he willed in a shot in that was consecutive appearances during the James, four years. defensive end,” Jimmy Butler said of Adebayo. play, can’t do anything about it.” delivered while he was falling backwards and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh era ended in 2014. “Gotta tip your hat off to those guys,” Smart “We love and appreciate him. I know I sure Game two is Thursday night in Orlando. guarded closely at the side of the basket. “It was a great win. We’re up 1-0, but we got said. “They executed very well down the stretch, do.” Goran Dragic scored 29 points, Jae Crowder “My job is to help our team win in the fourth three more to get,” Adebayo said. we didn’t.”

NHL BASEBALL Dodgers halt Padres’ Isles beat Tampa in double OT 8-game win streak

Agencies aldson, Jorge Polanco, Nelson New York Cruz and Eddie Rosario — were a combined 1-for-16 with six to keep Stanley Cup hopes alive strikeouts. ony Gonsolin allowed a AFP run on four hits over a RAYS 6, NATIONALS 1 Los Angeles career-high seven in- Ryan Yarbrough worked in nings and Justin Turner relief for his fi rst victory this hadT three hits, a RBI and a run year and Tampa Bay secured its ordan Eberle scored the in his return from the injured third straight winning season game winner in double list Tuesday night as the visit- with a win over Washington in overtime, fi nishing off a ing Los Angeles Dodgers scored St. Petersburg, Fla. Jtwo-on-one break with a 3-1 win over San Diego to end The American League East- Anders Lee as the New York Is- the Padres’ eight-game win- leading Rays moved to 31-17, landers staved off playoff elimi- ning streak. guaranteeing a winning record nation by beating the Tampa Edwin Rios also hit a solo in the 60-game season. The Bay Lightning 2-1 on Tuesday. homer for the Dodgers, who re- last time Tampa Bay didn’t post Eberle buried a one-timer at gained a 2 1/2-game lead over a winning record was in 2017, 12:30 of the second extra session the Padres in the race for the when it fi nished 80-82. to cut the Lightning’s lead in the National League West title. In his second appearance best-of-seven Eastern Confer- Gonsolin (1-1) didn’t issue since returning from the injured ence fi nal series to 3-2. a walk while striking out two. list, Yarbrough (1-3) tossed 5 2/3 The play started with Lee He retired the last eight Padres innings and allowed one run on chipping the puck off the boards he faced and 14 of the fi nal 15. fi ve hits with fi ve strikeouts. and out of his own zone then Kenley Jansen struck out Wil The lefty worked out of a no- racing up the ice and waiting Myers and Jake Cronenworth out, fi rst-and-second jam in for the perfect moment to slip with the bases loaded in the the fi fth before yielding a run in it over to Eberle who fi red a shot ninth to record his 11th save af- the sixth. Nate Lowe homered past a sliding Tampa goalie An- ter loading the bases with one for the third time in four games drei Vasilevskiy. out on two singles and a walk. and went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Islanders coach Barry a walk and his fi rst career stolen Trotz said he knew his players WHITE SOX 6, TWINS 2 base. wouldn’t go down without a Rookie Dane Dunning (2-0) fi ght. pitched seven strong innings YANKEES 20, BLUE JAYS 6 “Our guys didn’t waver, they and Tim Anderson and James Luke Voit homered twice, just kept grinding,” Trotz said. McCann both hit home runs including a three-run blast in “We didn’t give up and that’s a as host Chicago defeated Min- a seven-run second inning, and great sign for moving forward.” nesota to extend its lead in the host New York cruised to a rout Game 6 will be today in Ed- New York Islanders celebrate the game-winning goal scored by right wing Jordan Eberle against the Tampa Bay Lightning following the American League Central. of Toronto to move into second monton with a berth in the second overtime period in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoff s on Tuesday. Anderson and Jose Abreu place in the American League Stanley Cup fi nals against the PICTURE: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports both had three hits apiece for East. The Yankees won their Dallas Stars up for grabs. Chicago, which has won 22 of sixth straight game and posted Game seven, if necessary, is and missed game three. The task was simple for the into the second period to tie the “It’s how you respond to this 27 to surge to the best record in their most lopsided win of the scheduled for Saturday. He returned for game four Islanders on Tuesday: win or go score 1-1. Hedman glided into a that’s going to defi ne you as a the AL (32-16). The White Sox season. New York goaltender Semyon but didn’t play late in the third home. slap shot from the high slot and team. have won fi ve straight and now Voit recorded his third multi- Varlamov made 36 saves in a period after going hard into the The Islanders opened the beat Varlamov on the short side. I’m not worried about how sit three games up on the Twins homer game of the season and brilliant performance, especial- boards with New York’s Adam scoring when Ryan Pulock Hedman joins American Bri- our group’s going to respond to in the AL Central. second in the last four games. ly in overtime. Pelech. Point leads the Light- scored with the man advantage. an Leetch as the fi rst defence- this.” Minnesota has lost the fi rst The fi rst baseman moved into The Lightning, who won ning with nine goals and is Pulock unloaded a bullet from man to score eight goals in a The Islanders had to kill off a two games of the four-game the major league lead with his the Stanley Cup in 2004, are tied for the league lead with 25 the left point for his team’s sec- single playoff . four-minute penalty to Antho- set after coming to Chicago 17th and 18th homers — the missing their two top play- points. ond powerplay goal of the series Leetch had 11 in 1994. ny Beauvillier for high sticking with victories in 10 of its last 12. latter a solo blast in the sixth — ers, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos hasn’t played since at the 15:41 mark of the open- “It came down to one play. that was called with just 83 sec- The Twins were limited to four and is two ahead of Nelson Cruz Stamkos. undergoing core muscle surgery ing period. Victor Hedman, of It’s tough for us obviously, but onds left in the third period and hits. The fi rst fi ve batters in the and Mike Trout in the AL. Voit Point was injured in game two on March 2. Sweden, replied four minutes this is hockey,” Hedman said. stretched into the fi rst overtime. lineup — Max Kepler, Josh Don- also hit an RBI single. Gulf Times 6 Thursday, September 17, 2020 SPORT

FOCUS Former athletics chief Diack guilty of Russian doping corruption AFP fi ght against doping”. Russian funds in exchange for the Kremlin in late 2011, denied Paris She said that despite the sen- the IAAF’s anti-doping arm taking Russian funds to fi nance tence, he was unlikely to go to covering up or delaying off ences the successful campaign by prison. “Given your age you can by 23 Russians to allow them to Macky Sall for the Senegal presi- he former head of ath- expect conditional release,” she compete in the 2012 London Ol- dency. letics’ world governing said. ympics and the 2013 World Ath- The court also handed down body, Lamine Diack, was Diack said he would immedi- letics Championships in Mos- guilty verdicts to the IAAF’s yesterday found guilty ately lodge an appeal. cow. former anti-doping chief Gabri- Tby a French court of corruption His son, Papa Massata Diack, a Diack told the court it was his el Dolle, who was sentenced to in covering up Russian doping former marketing consultant for decision to delay bans after the two years in prison suspended cases and sentenced to four years the IAAF, who was tried in ab- athletes failed tests in 2011, but and fi ned 140,000 euros and in prison, of which two years sentia because Senegal refused he denied knowing that offi cials lawyer Habib Cisse, who was were suspended. to extradite him, was also found from the body had directly or in- Lamine Diack’s advisor. He was Diack, an 87-year-old Sen- guilty and sentenced to fi ve years directly asked those athletes for sentenced to three years in pris- egalese who led the Internation- in prison and fi ned one million hundreds of thousands of euros on of which two years were sus- al Association of Athletics Fed- euros. to hush up their cases. pended. erations (IAAF), now renamed Previously one of the most in- He said he was acting to safe- Two Russian offi cials tried World Athletics, for 16 years fl uential fi gures in world sport, guard “the fi nancial health of the in their absence, the former was also fi ned 500,000 euros Diack was president of the IAAF IAAF” because the federation president of the national ath- ($600,000). from 1999 to 2015 until he was was negotiating major sponsor- letics federation Valentin Bala- The presiding judge in the replaced by Britain’s Sebastian ship contracts with Russian bank khnichev and the former coach court in Paris, Rose-Marie Hu- Coe in August 2015. VTB and a Russian broadcaster Alexei Melnikov, were given nault, said Diack’s actions had The prosecution alleged that at the time. prison sentences of three years Former President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Lamine Diack (right) arrives “caused serious damage to the Diack obtained $1.5 million of Diack, who was decorated in and two years respectively. with his lawyer Simon Ndiaye for the verdict in his trial at Paris courthouse, France, yesterday. (Reuters)

ATHLETICS/DIAMOND LEAGUE RUGBY Springboks to hold ‘never seen before’ Duplantis, Warholm trial match without exile Kolbe

AFP “We’re still not in a posi- Johannesburg tion to confi rm plans for the target records in Springboks, but it remains our wish that they play Tests this outh Africa rugby an- year,” said Roux. Norwegian hurdler eclipsed nounced yesterday it “It would not only be great will hold a Springboks to see the rugby World Cup Moses in Berlin last Sunday as trial match on October champions in action, but it 3S without foreign-based play- would also give the Boks man- rich vein of form continues ers after a televised draft sys- agement valuable preparation Rome today tem ahead of the rugby Cham- for next year’s tour of the Brit- pionship later this year. ish and Irish Lions,” he added. The rugby World Cup win- SA rugby also announced ners will organise the fi xture the domestic season would between director of rugby start on September 26 as Rassie Erasmus’s ‘Spring- the Blue Bulls play the Natal bok Green’ and coach Jacques Sharks and the Golden Lions Nienaber’s ‘Springbok Gold’ face the Western Stormers at at Cape Town’s Newlands. ’s Loftus Versfeld. The pair will take it in turns The competition will see to select squads of 25 players teams play each other home from an enlarged list of 60 on and away with further de- a live broadcast next week but tails to be announced, behind individuals such as Toulouse’s closed doors, before a fi nal on Cheslin Kolbe and Rynhardt January 23. Elstadt will be unavailable. “This will not only be an op- THREE MORE COVID-19 portunity to see the best of the CASES IN PUMAS CAMP best available talent in South Argentina have reported three Africa square off against each more cases of Covid-19 in other in what promises to be their training camp as they something never seen before, continue preparations for but it will also provide the the Rugby Championship in players with another valuable Australia. More than a dozen opportunity to shake off the Pumas players and staff have rust and get the legs and lungs tested positive for Covid-19 going after not playing any over the last few weeks and the rugby in the last six months,” Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) Erasmus said. said Julian Montoya, Sebastian “It will be exciting - from Cancelliere and Domingo Mi- the moment we select the otti had joined the list but were squads, with a number of asymptomatic. twists thrown in for good Six players, including full- measure - through the build- back Emiliano Boff elli and up to the match and the ac- winger Bautista Delguy, had tual encounter in Cape Town,” returned to the squad after be- he added. The move echoes ing given the all clear to rejoin New Zealand’s recent North- the camp at Casa Pumas, the South fi xture played before UAR added. “There are now they named their outfi t for the 33 players who are able to en- rugby Championship which gage in physical activity,” read has been moved to Novem- the statement. Argentina head ber 7-December 12 due to the coach Mario Ledesma, and coronavirus pandemic. assistants Nicolas Fernan- SA rugby chief executive Ju- dez Miranda and Juan Martin rie Roux said he was unable to Fernandez Lobbe, tested posi- give the green light for Niena- tive last week. ber’s side to participate in the Australia will host the Rug- Karsten Warholm of Norway competes to win the men’s 400m Hurdles event of the 79th ISTAF meeting in Sweden’s Armand Duplantis competes in the men’s pole vault event tournament as the country by Championship from No- Berlin on Sunday. (AFP) of the 79th ISTAF meeting in Berlin on Sunday. (AFP) continues to battle the virus vember 7-December 12. outbreak. AFP the following weekend. Ed Moses, Rome on Thursday!” runner-up and European cham- exclusively in Jamaica this sea- Rome The meet will Warholm tweeted. pion will face French former son, has registered to compete. be held behind closed doors at Warholm won consecutive record holder Renaud Lavillenie Thompson-Herah, 28, has Rome’s Stadio Olimpico hav- world titles in London 2017 and and Poland’s Piotr Lisek in the won twice in Rome in 2016 and ’s Medvedeva returns orwegian hurdler ing fi rst been slated for Naples Doha 2019 and the European eight-man lineup. 2019, with the fi eld also includ- to former coach Tutberidze Karsten Warholm and in May before the coronavirus gold medal in Berlin 2018, and is In the men’s , ing Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou, Swedish pole-vault pandemic. Warholm holds the unbeaten in the past two years. South African Akani Simbine winner two years ago. Olympic silver medallist sensation Armand Du- second fastest time in history He is the only hurdler to boast is the only competitor to have European 1,500m champion has Nplantis both threaten to break with the European record of two times under 47 seconds. dipped under the 10-seconds Laura Muir, 2016 world indoor parted ways with Cana- more records as the Diamond 46.87 clocked in Stockholm last In the Italian capital he will be this season. high jump champion Gianmarco dian coach Brian Orser and League series heads for Rome August. competing against French duo The 26-year-old clocked 9.91 Tamberi and Italian shot putter returned to Russia to train today. The 24-year-old came within Wilfried Happio and Ludvy Vail- seconds at the Athletics Gauteng Leonardo Fabbri will also be in under her former coach Eteri Two-time world-champion 0.09 seconds of Kevin Young’s lant, Estonian Rasmus Magi and North Championships in Preto- action on Thursday. Tutberidze, the RIA news Warholm, the second fastest long-standing world record of Italian Mario Lambrughi. ria back in March as he prepared Muir will be making her fi rst agency reported yesterday. 400m hurdler in history with 46.78sec which the American set Duplantis has maintained his for his Olympic season. appearance over 800m where The twice world cham- 46.87 seconds, will be hoping to at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. winning streak throughout the American Michael Rodgers she will duel with fellow Scot pion left long-time coach topple a record that has stood for The Norwegian warmed up outdoor season, with wins in and Italians Filippo Tortu and Jemma Reekie. There will be Tutberidze to join Orser’s 28 years. Duplantis, 20, broke his with a blistering 47.08 in Berlin Oslo, Monaco, Stockholm and Marcell Jacobs will also race in a high jump clash between team after she was upstaged own world record in February, last week. “Happy with a win Lausanne, the latter a season- Rome. In the women’s 100, Ol- Ukrainian world silver medal- by her training partner “We will work and try to fi rst jumping 6.17m in Poland (47.08) and breaking the 40- leading 6.07m, the highest out- ympic champion Elaine Thomp- lists Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Alina Zagitova at the 2018 show the best possible before clearing 6.18 in Scotland year old record of the legendary door vault since 1994. The world son-Herah, who has competed Yuliya Levchenko. Pyeongchang Olympics. result.” Orser, a two-time Olympic sil- The 20-year-old Medvede- ver medallist, coaches some va’s return was warmly of the world’s top figure skat- welcomed by Russia’s figure WADA calls on US government for ‘constructive’ funding discussions ers, including Japan’s double skating community. Olympic men’s champion “I think this is a very correct The World Anti-Doping Agency on implement governance reforms and has global anti-doping community,” he added. international sports competition by use . and reasonable decision on Wednesday called on the US government been critical of WADA’s dealing of the Rus- Earlier this month, Banka played down of a prohibited substance or prohibited “I’m very grateful to Brian for the part of Zhenya,” Maxim to restart discussions after Washington sian doping scandal. suggestions US athletes could be barred method. his understanding and the Trankov, a retired pairs threatened to withdraw funding for the “It is very important that WADA and the from the Olympics over the issue after WADA said “there remain widely held work that we’ve done. I have skater who won Olympic global body. US authorities work together to further WADA had said it was ready to implement concerns among other governments” started to train with Eteri gold in 2014, told RIA, refer- In June, the Off ice of National Drug strengthen anti-doping,” WADA president sanctions against the country. because the act “was amended specifi- Georgievna (Tutberidze) ring to Medvedeva using the Control Policy (ONDCP) recommended US Witold Banka said in a statement. WADA also reiterated its criticism of the cally to exclude the American professional today,” Medvedeva said in diminutive form of Evgenia. lawmakers be given the power to withhold “I state my willingness to be part of con- Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, currently leagues and college sports, which account a statement on the Russian “It’s wonderful to see a great its annual $2.7 million financing of WADA. structive discussions in order to ensure before the US Senate, which makes it for more than half a million athletes within Federation’s coach and a great athlete The ONDCP accuses the body of failing to collaboration between the US and the unlawful to knowingly influence a major the US”. website. reunited.” Gulf Times Thursday, September 17, 2020 7 SPORT

CYCLING TENNIS Nadal and Djokovic sweep through to Roglic glimpses Rome third round

AFP is very unusual to what we are Rome used to here in Rome, which has one of the loudest and most en- ergetic crowd atmospheres on ine-times champion the tour. Tour triumph from Rafa Nadal showed lit- “But there was somebody in tle signs of rust when the corridor on the stadium that he played his fi rst was talking, about fi ve, six peo- Nmatch in 200 days as he beat ple, I don’t know who it was, but fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno it was noise coming from there ‘Every metre counts Busta 6-1 6-1 in the Italian Open during the points. That’s the yesterday only thing that we, I and Caruso, on a climb like that’ Nadal, who received a bye into also told chair umpire.” Alpine peaks the second round, has not played Djokovic continued where he a tournament since winning his left off before his US Open exit, 85th singles title in Acapulco, having won the Cincinnati Mas- having skipped the Western & ters on the same Flushing Mead- Southern Open and the U.S. ows courts. “It was a very good Open in New York due to Cov- test for me. I’m very pleased id-19 concerns. with the way I handled myself in The match was also Nadal’s important moments,” said Djok- fi rst on clay in 465 days after his ovic, who was unbeaten in 2020 French Open triumph last year before his US Open default. and the 34-year-old Spaniard “I was in control of the match.” sent an ominous message to the fi eld as he dominated the U.S. Halep, Azarenka advance Open semi-fi nalist from start at Djokovic, who has played nine an empty Foro Italico. fi nals in Rome, and won four “It’s good to be back on the titles, will meet either 29th- Tour but obviously the feeling ranked compatriot Filip Kraji- is not the best playing without novic or Italian qualifi er Marco crowds,” Nadal said. “At least Cecchinato, ranked 113th, for a there’s one positive thing, the place in the quarter-fi nals. sport is back. Nine-time Rome winner Ra- EArlier Novak Djokovic ex- fael Nadal will make his return to pressed his relief there was no competition later on Wednesday “mental or emotional block- after a six-month hiatus linked ages or drama” as he swept past to the coronavirus pandemic. Italian wild card entry Salvatore The number two seed plays Caruso into the third round yes- fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno terday in his fi rst match since his Busta, a recent semi-fi nalist at US Open default. the US Open, for a place in the “I was actually looking for- third round. ward to get the offi cial match Third seed Stefanos Tsitsi- as soon as possible after what pas fell to Italian teenager Jan- happened in New York,” said the nik Sinner 6-1, 6-7 (9/11), 6-2, world number one. The Serb was with sixth seeded Belgian David on his best behaviour after his Goffi n also exiting 6-2, 6-2 to dramatic last 16 disqualifi cation Croatia’s Marin Cilic. on September 6 after he acci- Top women’s seed Simona dently struck a line judge with a Halep returned a month after ball hit in frustration. winning in Prague to ease past “I didn’t feel that I had any 99th-ranked Italian Jasmine mental or emotional blockages Paolini 6-3, 6-4. or any dramas playing a match US Open fi nalist Victoria Aza- Team Jumbo rider Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic (left) wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey and Team Jumbo rider US’ Sepp Kuss ride in the Loze pass during the 17th stage of today,” he said. renka shrugged off the move the 107th edition of the Tour de France yesterday. (AFP) Djokovic, who had said he had from hard court to the clay sur- learned a “big lesson” from his face to beat American Venus AFP de la Loze, where Tour rookie captain Richard Carapaz pro- when Ineos decided to protect The long hard 14km struggle fi rst ever disqualifi cation, was Williams 7-6 (9/7), 6-2, in their Méribel, France Pogacar lost just a handful of duced a doomed solo bid as the the long-term interests of their up the Col de la Madeleine to keen to move on in Rome. fi rst round match. seconds to Roglic in their ongo- Giro champion was caught on 23-year-old captain by with- its 2,000m summit was at the The 33-year-old playfully Belarusian Azarenka will play ing war of attrition. the ever-changing gradient of drawing him. halfway point of the race. greeted an imaginary crowd in an third seeded American Sofi a lovenia’s Primoz Roglic Pogacar has however been the fi nal 7km above 2,000m as But his compatriot Astana Lopez made the diff erence on empty Central Court at the Foro Kenin, the reigning Australian once more prevailed on racing virtually alone, and won the top 10 experienced a slight captain Lopez, who is known as the even higher Meribel moun- Italico because of strict corona- Open champion, for a place in his toughest test yet to plaudits challenging Roglic, shake-up. “Superman” in his homeland tain with a sudden turn of pace virus measures. Only some noisy the third round. remain on course for who has appeared rock-steady A day after the race was after fi ghting off three thieves while Roglic and Pogacar were workers managed to unnerve the Swiss sixth seed Belinda Ben- TourS de France glory, while with a powerful climb posse cleared of Covid-19 to run all who tried to steal his bike, gave watching each other. 17-time Grand Slam winner after cic fell 6-3, 6-1 in her second Miguel Angel Lopez soloed to a surrounding him in Jumbo’s the way to Paris on Sunday, Colombia something to shout “I felt at home over 2,000m, missing break points. round match to Montenegro’s breathtaking stage win atop the black and yellow outfi ts. French President Emmanuel about. as I live at 2,500m above sea lev- “It was very, very quiet, which 86th-ranked Danka Kovinic. highest mountain of the race. The Slovenians have been the was present as the Lopez had complained ear- el,” he explained. “But I won’t With the Slovenian pair story of the Tour and will likely peloton struggled through vil- lier in the race that Jumbo’s win, the others ahead of me are Roglic and Tadej Pogacar play- square off for the overall win on lages full of ubiquitous baskets dominance was suff ocating the too good on time trials. I’m just ing cat and mouse for the overall stage 20’s mouthwatering indi- of fl owers hanging from Swiss- race, but saw his opportunity going to enjoy myself.” leader’s yellow jersey, the cagey vidual time trial. style ski chalets. on a mentally challenging fi - The key remaining challenge Lopez grabbed yesterday’s 17th As Lopez pulled away team In the rarefi ed air that suits nale where the varying gradient is stage 20, the 36km individual stage by the throat with a surg- Jumbo leader Roglic also the men from the Andes, the called for constant adaptations. time trial that runs over 30km of ing burst for the line that also showed too much power for 26-year-old Lopez leapfrogged “I felt strong coming into the rolling terrain before tough 6km allowed Roglic to leave behind Pogacar on the last agonising compatriot Rigoberto Uran and race and on the Grand Colom- ascent up the fabled Planche des his 21-year-old rival. kilometre. extended his lead over Adam bier, which was the fi rst big one Belles Filles on Saturday. Lopez’s win at high alti- “That was hell,” said the Yates and Richie Porte. (climb) of the race, like the ones The fi nal day on Sunday is a tude gave Colombia something former ski jumper Roglic. Roglic now leads his young I train on in Colombia, I felt kind of parade, except for the to celebrate on the day 2019 “I’m glad this is behind me,” compatriot Pogacar by 57 sec- good,” Lopez said. concluding eight laps of the champion Egan Bernal pulled he added, merely needing to onds with just three real races “I won many things in my Champs-Elysees, where Ire- out after he and his team Ineos survive without a major inci- left before the Tour gets to Paris. life, but this is impressive and I land’s Sam Bennett will face a failed to live up to expectations. dent to win this year’s Tour. Suff ering from a bad back worked so hard to get here,” said stern challenge for the green With two massive moun- “Every metre counts on a for a month now Bernal, his the man who has previously fi n- sprint jersey from seven-time Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during his Italian Open second tains the queen stage ascended climb like that.” Tour defence in tatters, said a ished on the podium at both the winner Peter Sagan on a last- round match against Italy’s Salvatore Caruso in Rome yesterday. to 2,304m altitude atop the Col Shorn of Bernal Ineos co- sad goodbye to the 2020 edition Giro and the Vuelta. gasp dash for the line. (Reuters)

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Thursday, September 17, 2020 GULF TIMES GOLF

PREVIEW World No1 Johnson eyes second major at US Open ‘I’M DEFINITELY PLAYING PROBABLY THE BEST I’VE EVER PLAYED’ Woods has score to AFP New York settle as US Open

orld number one returns to Winged Foot Dustin Johnson will aim to crown a daz- Tiger Woods returns to the US pins, give us a chance at it. But zling return to form Open at Winged Foot this week with the forecast, it’s going to Wwith the second major cham- with a score to settle against a be diff icult no matter what.” pionship of his career when the course he regards as one of the Woods said he was ill-prepared rescheduled 120th US Open tees three toughest in the world. for his previous US Open out- off today. During more than a decade of ing at Winged Foot in 2006, Johnson, fresh from captur- dominance between Woods’ which came just over a month ing the end-of-season PGA Tour first major victory in 1997 and after the death of his father playoff crown, starts as a heavy his 14th major at the 2008 Earl. favourite ahead of the fi rst round US Open, the former world “When I didn’t win the Masters at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, number one played in 46 con- that year, that was really tough New York. “I’m defi nitely play- secutive majors. to take because that was the ing probably the best I’ve ever That streak of 46 tournaments last event my dad was ever go- played,” the big-hitting 36-year- included only one missed cut ing to watch me play,” Woods old said. “I really feel like every- - at the 2006 US Open held at said. thing is dialled in pretty well.” Winged Foot. “He passed not too long after Johnson will need all facets of Woods, who collected the that, and quite frankly, when I his game to be fi ring at a venue 15th major of his career at last got ready for this event, I didn’t regarded by the likes of Tiger year’s Masters, is preparing for really put in the practice, and Woods as one of the three most another demanding assign- consequently missed the cut challenging anywhere in the ment in New York this week. pretty easily.” world. But all the signs so far The 44-year-old believes only Although Woods delivered one point to Johnson’s game being Oakmont in Pennsylvania and of the sporting stories of 2019 where it needs to be if he is to add Carnoustie Links in Scotland with his comeback victory at another US Open crown to the run Winged Foot close in terms the Masters, he acknowledged one won at Oakmont in 2016. of diff iculty. that challenging for majors He was only narrowly beaten “It’s right up there next to Oak- gets more diff icult with the by compatriot Collin Morikawa mont and I think Carnoustie passage of time. at last month’s PGA Champion- as far as just sheer diff iculty “It gets harder to win as we all ship, his fi fth second-place eff ort without even doing anything age,” he said. “When you’re in at a major and third in his past to it,” Woods said Tuesday. your prime, in your peak years, fi ve major starts. “Those three golf courses, they you have to take advantage But after that near-miss, can host major championships of those opportunities so that Johnson nearly swept the US without ever doing anything when you get to the all-time PGA playoff events, winning the Open will be played outside of tors’ spines. to them. (Winged Foot) or Oak- marks you have the opportu- Northern Trust at 30-under par, June since 1931. “It’s sort of like in boxing mont is either one or two.” nity.” losing to Jon Rahm in a playoff It was last played in Septem- where Mike Tyson said every- Woods scouted Winged Foot If Woods is to add to his major on a 66-yard putt at the BMW ber in 1913, when amateur Fran- body has a plan until they get ahead of last month’s Northern tally this week, and edge closer Championship and then winning cis Ouimet won in a playoff . No punched in the face,” Rahm said. Trust in Boston, and came to Jack Nicklaus’s record of the Tour Championship to col- fi rst-time player has won the US “It’s the same thing here. We away convinced that the 18 wins, he will do so without lect the FedEx Cup and a $15 mil- Open since. all have a plan, but if you hit it course remains as brutal as the emotional support of the lion top prize. World number two Rahm sideways, you got to fi gure it out.” ever. “This golf course is going galleries. meanwhile is chasing a fi rst ma- Fifth-ranked Morikawa, 23, to be one of the more diff icult This week’s tournament is be- ‘VERY SATISFYING’ jor victory as well as a piece of brings momentum from his fi rst ones,” Woods said. ing played without spectators. “It was defi nitely very satisfy- history. No Spanish player has major title. Morikawa, who will “The winning scores here have “I miss the energy and just ing,” Johnson said of his playoff ever prevailed in the major billed be playing in only his third ma- never traditionally been very the positiveness that the fans win. “I feel like I played pretty as “the toughest test in golf.” jor, says his PGA win has left him low. I don’t see that changing bring and just that electricity,” solid all week. It was something Rahm, who missed the cut at hungry for more success. this week. Woods said. that I wanted to accomplish dur- the US Open in 2018 and 2017, is “I’ve only done it once, but I’ve “The golf course is going to be “What we’re dealing with right ing my career.” all too aware of the diffi culties in done it,” he said on Tuesday. hard. It depends on how dif- now is not what we all want, Johnson has never played the plotting a game plan. “You just want more. You get ficult they want to set up these but it’s our reality.” (AFP) 7,477-yard Winged Foot layout, Rahm jumped to the number that little taste of what it’s like, which last hosted a major at the one spot in the rankings at Me- and you know why guys mark in 2006 US Open won by Australian morial, only to see his time at the their calendars the major cham- Geoff Ogilvy. top cut short after two weeks. pionships for the year.” The US Open was postponed “We’re at a point where, any Third-ranked Justin Thomas, from June and qualifying was given week, if any of us plays runner-up at the Tour Champi- wiped out due to the Covid-19 good and wins is going to get to onship, won three titles last sea- pandemic. A fi eld of 144, the the No. 1 spot. It’s a good age for son, including last month’s WGC smallest since 1932, was selected golf,” he said. St. Jude Invitational. by exemption categories. “It’s really cool to be a part of The American, who won his The tournament is also tak- this. I think we’re all training lone major at the 2017 PGA ing place without spectators, hard and trying to get ready to be Championship, says Winged something players have had to the one to separate themselves a Foot is “probably the hardest golf get used since the golf circuit re- Dustin Johnson (also above) watches his shot from the twelfth tee during little bit.” course I’ve ever played.” sumed after pandemic shutdown a practice round for the 2020 US Open golf tournament at Winged Foot Rahm said he would be sur- “Tee to green, the rough, the in June. Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, on Tuesday. (USA TODAY Sports) prised to see anyone fi nish un- greens, everything factored in, I “Hopefully this is the only one der par at Winged Foot, where think this is the hardest course that it’s going to happen, and we lowed back,” said Northern Ire- while, unfortunately, but hope- unseasonably cold weather on I’ve played,” he said. It’s a verdict can get back to somewhat normal land’s Rory McIlroy. fully not for too much longer.” Tuesday was not the only thing shared by former world number life next year and crowds are al- “But it has to be this way for a It’s also the fi rst time the US sending a chill down competi- one Woods.

SPOTLIGHT Changing diapers help McIlroy forget about stinky results

Reuters former US Open winner, that LPGA Tour’s Asia schedule wiped out as last two events fall to virus New York victory was in 2011 and in the last four years he has missed the The LPGA Tour has cancelled land also fell victim as countries with the ATP and WTA tennis cut three times. It was those dis- events in South Korea and began to impose lockdown and tours cancelling all events on laying his fi rst major appointing performances that Japan because of coronavirus, quarantine measures. the continent, including the as a dad, Rory McIlroy McIlroy carried around with him meaning the elite women’s golf The seven Asian events totalled season-ending WTA Tour finals brings a new perspective long after the tournament was circuit has been forced to scrap $13 million in prize money. The in Shenzhen. Football’s Asian with him to this week’s over but now, coming home to a all seven 2020 Asian tourna- LPGA Tour has been dominated Champions League East Zone USP Open, the Northern Irishman daughter’s smile, he is learning ments in the latest blow to the by Asian players since the has been suspended since saying on Tuesday that smelly there is more to life than birdies continent’s hard-hit sporting emergence of South Korea’s March with the West Zone only diapers now require more im- and bogeys. calendar. “Given the travel former number one Pak Se-ri resuming this week. Formula mediate attention than stinky “I think it just puts things restrictions and quarantine more than 20 years ago. One has drawn a blank in Asia results. in perspective a little bit,” said requirements” the BMW Ladies The World Championship, won this year, with races in China, “I actually changed the fi rst McIlroy, about having a child. Championship from October last year by second-ranked Park Singapore and Japan and the two diapers, so I’m very proud of “It makes the hard days a little 22-25 in Busan and the Toto Sung-hyun, is the most prestig- inaugural grand prix in Vietnam that,” said McIlroy, sounding as easier to get over, right. And I’m Japan Classic from November ious event on the US LPGA Tour all cancelled. The Asia-dominat- if he had just aced the par three not saying that I want to have 6 in Ibaraki “will not take place outside the five majors, with ed badminton and table tennis seventh at Winged Foot Golf hard days to get over, but you’re in 2020”, said a Tour statement the top 20 and all the previous world tours have also lost the Club, the site of this year’s US a little more relaxed. issued late on Tuesday. year’s major-winners among a bulk of their calendar. Open. “I’ve got my hands dirty; “When I say it’s not the be-all The announcement follows the 66-player field. Unable to travel Men’s golf has not escaped the put it that way.” and end-all, it’s a major cham- axing of next month’s Buick to Asia, the LPGA has added a carnage either. The Asian Tour Diaper duty is just one of the pionship and I’ve grown up my Shanghai LPGA in China and new tournament, the Drive On has been idle since the Malaysia new skills McIlroy has had to whole life dreaming of winning Swinging Skirts Championships Championship - Reynolds Lake Open on March 7 and some work on since the August arrival these tournaments, and that’s in Taiwan because of stringent Oconee, from October 22-25 in players in the worst aff ected of his daughter Poppy, who has not going to change. anti-virus measures. Georgia. “We greatly appreci- countries such as India, haven’t brought perspective to someone “But if it doesn’t quite hap- At the beginning of Febru- ate the eff orts by our partners been able even to practise. once consumed with winning pen, I can live with that and go ary, soon after the initial virus at BMW and Toto to try to host The Asian Tour should have trophies. A four-time major win- home and be very happy and outbreak in Wuhan, the tour their events this season and been restarting last weekend ner, McIlroy has not won one of leave what’s happened at the golf was forced to cancel China’s we look forward to returning at the Shinhan Donghae Open golf’s big prizes since the 2014 course at the golf course. Blue Bay LPGA on the south- to Korea and Japan in 2021,” in South Korea, the first of PGA Championship and is with- “I think maybe something ern island of Hainan, due to said LPGA Commissioner Mike three planned events. But that out a tournament win of any sort that I haven’t done so well in the be played in early March. Just Whan. became a domestic event only since the World Golf Champion- past is I haven’t left my job at the 10 days later the prestigious The virus has laid waste to and the other two tournaments, ship HSBC Champions last No- offi ce basically, I’ve brought it Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches a tee shot during a practice Women’s World Championship Asia’s international sport- in Japan and Taiwan, were vember. home with me, and I’ve let it af- round prior to the 120th US Open Championship at Winged Foot Golf in Singapore and LPGA Thai- ing programme this year, cancelled. (AFP) Even though McIlroy is a fect my mood and how I am.” Club in Mamaroneck, New York, on Tuesday. (Getty Images/AFP)