10 Friday, April 24, 2020 Sports Kholy soaks pressure, emerges champ Results Results of third final (13 laps) 1.Ahmad Kholy 25:18.018 2.Khalid al Kuwari +01.308 3.Sheikh Soud al Thani +06.187 4.Rashid al Lebdah +10.414 5.Hamad al Sulaiti +10.886 6.Mansour Dbeissy 7.Khalid al Abdulla 8.Abdulla al Khelaifi 9.Faesal al Yafei 10.Basil Sholy 11.Khalid Saadon (DNF) Standings (after third final race) Khalid al Kuwari: Second place in Sheikh Soud al Thani: Third in # Driver R1 R2 R3 Pts third QORC final race the race 1 Ahmad Kholy 40 36 40 116 2 Hamad al Sulaiti 30 40 30 100 3 Khalid al Kuwari 31 30 36 97 4 Soud al Thani 36 27 33 96 5 Rashid al Lebdah 28 33 31 92 6 Khalid al Abdulla 33 25 28 86 7 Abdulla al Khelaifi 27 29 27 83 8 Mansour Dbeissy 29 24 29 82 9 Faesal al Yafei 25 23 26 74 The third Qatar Online Racing Championship final race begins at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps located in Stavelot (Belgium) on Thursday. 10 Basil Sholy (-5 points) 23 28 25 71 first final, we used Lexus, which 11 Mohammed Sulaiti finishes runner-up; Kuwari, is quite powerful, has a lot of Emadadhi 24 31 0 55 downforce and difficult to han- 12 Khalid Saadon 21 26 0 47 Sheikh Soud & Lebdah round out dle. But thankfully, I managed 13 Salman al Khater 26 0 0 26 14 Abdulla Shaikhan 22 0 0 22 top five in first QORC it well and got the first place. 15 Ibrahim al But in the second final, I had an Muntafeky 0 0 0 0 TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK The gap of six points be- engine damage after getting an Hamad al Sulaiti: Overall runner-up Rashid al Lebdah: Overall fifth DOHA tween Kholy and Sulaiti and the impact from behind in the first difference of four spots on the lap. I lost a lot of time and po- to improve my pace. Finally, my our with 16 less points. Kuwari try to do better in the next event. AHMAD Kholy did everything grid between them turned out sitions as I had to take an early hard work paid me in getting a was overall third with 97, beat- “I really enjoyed this race. The right when it was needed. As a to be a big advantage for leader pitstop. good result.” ing Sheikh Soud by less than a most interesting thing about it result, he managed to nail the Kholy during the race. The pole- “But I returned to the racing Lebdah and Sulaiti were point. Lebdah clinched the fifth is if you make one wrong move, Qatar Online Racing Cham- man lost his position to Kuwari and thought if I have I to do well, involved a pulsating battle for place, the last position to be re- you can potentially lose the race pionship crown for which the at the start but he wrested it it is the right time now. Slowly, the fourth spot. In the last lap, warded by the race organiser and lose any chances for prizes. fight went down to the wire. within flashes. I improved, passed many driv- there were some dramatic mo- - the Qatar Motor and Motorcy- “This is by far the best ex- At the 19-turn Circuit de Though pursued hotly by QORC champion Ahmad Kholy ers one by one and then in the ments near the Turn 10 and cle Federation (QMMF). perience I ever had involving Spa-Francorchamps located in Kuwari, Kholy defended him- last lap, I overtook Rashid al 11. Sulaiti overtook but Leb- Kuwari said about his the motorsports. To be honest it Stavelot (Belgium), Kholy won self brilliantly and completed a in GT cars since GT1. Lebdah to finish second, which dah responded and positioned performance, “I really want was difficult using the controller half the battle when he secured wire-to-wire victory being over “I’ve also competed in the was an amazing result for me,” himself inside of Sulaiti before to thank all the people who instead of a wheel. If there is an- the crucial pole on Thursday, a second faster. FIA events, organised by Gran he added. muscling his way up. From worked on getting together this other event, I would buy a wheel though he was fifth quickest Kholy was pleased with the Turismo. Last year, I was 32nd The top three places re- this stage on, he held on to his event. Yeah...I hope I could have setup and practise hard for bet- during the free practice. title and commented after the in the entire Europe and MENA mained unchanged throughout charge and got the fourth spot done better and got the over- ter results,” added Lebdah. Kholy’s principal rival race: “I’m extremely delighted region but unfortunately I the race today and Sheikh Soud ahead of Sulaiti. all second place. But whatever As many as 11 drivers Hamad al Sulaiti did well in the with this victory. I want to missed taking part in the finals. picked the third spot to com- In today’s race, Sulaiti had happened in the second final, I competed in the last final and warm-up and topped the time thank Amro (al Hamad), Omar But this event has given me a plete the podium. He said, “It needed to finish well ahead of could get only fifth place. In the Mansour Dbeissy drove well sheets but he could do well dur- (Aswat) and Aaron (Limbago) big boost and I’ll hopefully get was a very nice experience for Kholy, if he were to nurture any third final race, I lifted my per- to collect the sixth spot ahead ing the Qualifying session and for organising this event. I had another chance to compete this me. I had no expectations at all hopes of the title. The fifth-place formance and got the better fin- of Khalid al Abdulla, who was managed only a fifth spot, be- been dreaming to perform in season.” because I just got the game for finish for him meant that Kholy ish. I’m really satisfied with my followed by Abkulla al Khelaifi, hind Khalid al Kuwari, Rashid such events for a long time. I Kholy said the turning point this championship. It was dif- easily cantered along to grab overall position.” Fesal al Yafei and Basil Sholy. al Lebdah and Sheikh Soud al have been a simulator racer for for him came in the second fi- ficult in Group A but that made the title with 116 points. Sulaiti Lebdah said he thoroughly Khalid Saadon failed to finish Thani. some time. I have done racing nal race on Tuesday. “In the me put in more time and effort secured the runner-up hon- savoured the action and would the race. Cricket chiefs still planning for T20 Family man Woakes ready World Cup this year despite virus for ‘quarantine’ Tests AFP gency planning for all ICC of getting cricket started again AFP second Test currently sched- LONDON global events, including the cannot be underestimated, LONDON uled for Woakes’s home ground T20 World Cup, due to start particularly with respect to a of Edgbaston in Birmingham. GLOBAL cricket chiefs said in October, and next year’s the Australian government global event. The more teams, ENGLAND paceman Chris But Woakes told reporters planning for this year’s Twen- women’s Cricket World Cup. and local organisers to venues and cities involved in Woakes believes players will in a conference call on Wednes- ty20 World Cup in Australia Cricket Australia chief gain a “comprehensive an event, the greater the risk accept being “quarantined” if day: “If players have to be put in was still going ahead as sched- executive Kevin Roberts said understanding” of what it which has to be assessed and that helps Test cricket resume quarantine for a period of time... uled after they discussed the his organisation was working managed.” following the coronavirus out- After what the world has been huge disruption caused by closely with the ICC, the Aus- would take to host the T20 The outbreak of the virus break. through, if it was at a venue the coronavirus pandemic on tralian government and local World Cup as planned. has also placed a huge ques- Cricket worldwide has been where we stayed on site, players Thursday. organisers to gain a “com- Cricket Australia chief tion mark over whether next brought to a standstill by the would be happy to do so. The conference call prehensive understanding” of year’s inaugural World Test spread of COVID-19, with the “If it was a three-four week brought together the chief ex- what it would take to host the executive Kevin Roberts Championship final at Lord’s start of the English season de- England’s Chris Woakes window, I think guys would ecutives of the International T20 World Cup as planned. chairman Peter Harcourt said can take place as scheduled layed until May 28 at the ear- be open to do that without too Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) 12 “We are also jointly ex- the next step for cricket chiefs should teams be unable liest. England are meant to be- closed doors at ‘bio-secure’ many issues.” full member nations and three ploring all other options in re- was to create a “roadmap” for to play all their qualifying gin a three-Test series against grounds such as Hampshire’s The Warwickshire favour- associate representatives.