Sports42 FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Kuwait addresses FIFA for temporary suspension lift

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s parliamentary committee for Hammad Al-Otaibi said in a statement that the com- Parliament of the State of Kuwait). sports and youth affairs decided yesterday to address mittee is asking FIFA to lift the suspension on tempo- Al-Otaibi added that the commission has set a message to the International Federation of rary basis; pending government and parliamentary January 9th as the date for its next meeting and Association Football (FIFA) requesting temporary lift endorsement of proposed amendments to the addressed an invitation to the Minister of of the suspension enforced on Kuwait Football national sports laws and regulations. The commis- Information, Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Association to enable the national team take part in sion has received copy of a new government sports Salman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah to attend forthcoming Asian Cup finals. bill of 74 articles, in addition to a number of draft laws the planned session to discuss the government and Chairman of the commission MP Saadoun presented by members of the National Assembly (the parliamentary proposals in this respect. — KUNA

Matsuyama embraces expectations for 2017

LOS ANGELES: A sizzling finish to 2016 has Hideki Matsuyama focused more than ever on his golfing goals this year, among them a major title and perhaps the world num- ber one ranking. “Becoming number one in the world is the goal I think of all of us out here,” Matsuyama told reporters this week as he prepared to tee it up yesterday in the USPGA Tour Tournament of Champions at Kapalua, Hawaii. “I still have some weak links in my game that I have to work on, but hopefully little by little, I’ll be able to improve and to fix what I need to, and hopefully some day compete for number one.” Not many weaknesses have been apparent in Matsuyama’s game of late. Since late October he has won four of five starts- with one runner-up finish as well. The world number six player’s bid to rise will be one of the chief storylines of a 2017 in which the return from injury of Tiger Woods and Australian Jason Day’s bid to stay atop the world rankings will also be in the spotlight. After a fifth-placed finish at the US PGA Tour Championship, Matsuyama won the Japan Open and the World Golf Championships HSBC Champions in October, the Taiheiyo Masters in November and the Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge in the first week of December. He also squeezed in a second place finish at the CIMB Classic. It was a sensational end to a 2016 that started with a victory in the USPGA Tour Phoenix Open and included a tie for seventh at the Masters and a fourth-placed finish at the PGA : TOPSHOT - ’s pilot Stephane Peterhansel and co-pilot Jean Paul Cottret, both from Championship. , compete during the Stage 3 of the 2017 between San Miguel de Tucuman and San Salvador de Jujuy, “The expectations of people around me are high,” he said. in , on Wednesday. — AFP “I don’t really worry too much about that. Hopefully not put too much pressure on myself. But I know that other people Peterhansel leads Peugeot sweep expect a lot of me, and so all I can do is just try my best.” He says there are still things in his game he wants to improve. “Well, as you know, Jason (Day), he hits it long and as hit Dakar trouble he just has a wonderful short game,” Matsuyama said. “I don’t even come as close to hitting as long as he does. So that’s one of the areas that I really need to work on, and hopefully I Al Attiyah out of Dakar Rally can do that.” But mostly, Matsuyama said, he’s got to stay true to the SAN SALVADOR DE JUJUY: Defending hour when he damaged a wheel on his came to a halt for over an hour when he skills that have brought him this far, the skills that have champion Stephane Peterhansel led a vehicle. “The damage to his Toyota damaged a wheel on his vehicle. prompted Jordan Spieth and Woods to predict that Peugeot sweep of the top-three finish- Hilux is too extensive to be repaired by Toyota teammates , Matsuyama will be among the game’s elite for years to come. ing spots on the third stage of the his team,” organisers added. Al Attiyah the 2005 winner, and 2004 champion “I’ve got to just be my own guy,” Matsuyama said. “I just Dakar Rally on Wednesday with team- had been among the pre-race also hit technical trouble on have to play my own game and not try to live up to anybody mate Sebastien Loeb narrowly retaining favourites and was sitting second in the the exhausting climb. else’s expectations except myself.” — AFP the overall lead. overall standings ahead of Wednesday’s Spain’s won the third Peterhansel, 51, seeking a 13th stage. The fourth day of the Dakar Rally stage of the motorcycle event by more career triumph in the gruelling 9,000km is 521km from San Salvador de Jujuy in than 10 minutes to take the overall lead. endurance event, finished the San Argentina to Tupiza in with The Honda rider dominated the Miguel de Tucuman to San Salvador de French driver Sebastien Loeb leading 780km (364km timed) stage in 4 hours Jujuy stage in Argentina in 4 hours 18 the race. 22 min 41 sec. Overnight leader and min 17 sec. We’ve lost, not completely but defending champion of , the 2010 champion, probably, two rivals in Nasser Al Australia was close to 23 minutes off was second, coming home 1 min 54 sec Attiyah and Giniel de Villiers, so it’s a the pace on his KTM. behind the Frenchman Peterhansel. little bit clearer at the front of the “I was lucky and I did a good job. It Third was nine-time world rally champi- race,” said Peterhansel, who had strug- was a really tough stage but I kept my on Loeb at 3 min 8 sec off the lead. gled in the first two stages, finishing focus during all the stage, so I am really Loeb stays in the overall lead with a seventh and 12th. happy with the work,” said Barreda. “It’s paper-thin 0.42sec advantage over Wednesday’s stage was split into still too early to talk about winning. Sainz and a 4.18sec gap on Peterhansel. two sections with the second part over There are still seven thousand kilome- “It’s a really good day for Peugeot. a 124km timed run seeing the competi- tres to go.” Qatari two-time winner Nasser Al tors race at altitude hitting 5,000m for Britain’s is second Attiyah has been forced to pull out of the first time in the 2017 event. overall at 11 min 20sec behind Barreda the Dakar Rally yesterday, his Toyota However, it was a test too far for while Paulo Goncalves of Portugal holds team confirmed. The 46-year-old, the Toyota, who are seen as Peugeot’s third spot at 14min 42sec. 2011 and 2015 champion, would not major rivals for the title. Longtime stage Today’s fourth stage, over 521km LAHAINA: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan looks on from the start fourth stage after losing the wheel leader Nasser Al Attiyah of Qatar, the from San Salvador de Jujuy to Tupiza in 18th hole during the pro-am prior to the SBS Tournament of his car during the previous day’s spe- 2011 and 2015 champion who was just Bolivia will be raced to altitudes of of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf cial. Al Attiyah came to a halt for over an 28 seconds behind Loeb overnight, around 3,500m. —Agencies Club on Wednesday in Lahaina, Hawaii. — AFP