SPORT SPORTS | 16 SPORT | 17 IndiaIndia duo ready Athletes and to putp Olympic teams pledge ddreamrea ahead of donations to vivirusru concerns impacted workers MONDAY 16 MARCH 2020 QFA halts activities Rooney criticises until March 29 authorities over QNA – DOHA QatarQatar Football Association (QFA) announced on Saturday that iti has halted all matches it organises until March 29. TheTh association said in a statement that the decision waswas madem following the Qatar Olympic Committee’s cir- late response cular that it will halt all its activities until March 2020. As a result,resu all football matches in QNB Stars League, Amir REUTERS – LONDONNDON werewere beingbeing treated like guineaguinea Cup,Cup, thet second division, Qatar Gas league, and Ooredoo pigs.””pigs.”” RooneyRooney saidsaid hehe wouldwould CupCup willw be suspended until March 29. Wayne Rooneyey (pictured) has criticised nevernever havehave beenbeen able to TheTh decision comes to complement the state’s efforts England’s footballotball authorities over how forgiveforgive the author-author- inin takingtak all the precautionary measures against the spread long they tookk to suspendsuspend matchesmatches in thethe ities ifif anyone ofof thethe Coronavirus (COVID-19), and to ensure the safety country amidd the coronavirus outbreak, in hishis of players,p staff, and fans. saying it feltt like playersplayers were beingbeing treated like “guineaguinea pigs”.pigs”. The Premierier League, English Football League, Women’smen’s SuperSuper LeagueLeague anandd familyfamily IOC to hold crisis men and women’smen’s FA Cup had contractedcontracted competitionsns were the virus throughthrough him. suspended on “The“The rest ofof sport - tennis, talks with member Friday followingwing FormulaFormula One, rugby, golf, football in an emergencyncy otherother countries - was closingclosing downdown andand organisations meeting sparkedked we were being told to carry on,” he by Arsenal boss added.added. AFP – LAUSANNE Mikel Arteta testingtesting positive forfor thethe virus “I“I thinkthink a lot of footballersfootballers werewere won-won- a day earlier.. dering,dering, ‘Is it somethisomethingng to do with monemoneyy With less than five months to go before the Tokyo “Why did we wait untiuntill FriFriday?day? WWhyhy beingbeing involvedinvolved in this?’this?’ ThankfullyThankfully Olympics, International Olympic Committee (IOC) Pres- did it take Mikelikel Arteta to get ill for the football made the right call in the end. ident Thomas Bach plans emergency talks with member game in Englandland to dodo thethe rightright thing?”thing?” We hadhad to putput thethe season on hold.hold. organisations, sources close to the IOC said yesterday. the former EnglandEngland andand ManchesterManchester “If“If people’s lives are at risk, that has The IOC plans a conference call on Tuesday to “keep United captainin wrote in a column for the to come first.” Rooney,Rooney, currentlycurrently at the international federations informed of the situation, as Times. second-tiersecond-tier DerbyDerby County,County, alsoalso proposedproposed well as the National Olympic Committees and athletes,” “For players,ers, staff and their families restructuringrestructuring the fixture calendar once one source close to the IOC told AFP. it has been a worryingworrying weekweek - one in footballfootball resumed.resumed. The IOC “will take stock of the actions taken” to which you feltlt a lacklack ofof leadershipleadership fromfrom “We’re“We’re happyhappy to playplay untiluntil SeptemberSeptember respond to the coronavirus crisis “and the federations will the governmentment and from the FA and ifif the season extends to then,then, if that’s how have the opportunity to ask questions” added a source Premier League.gue. itit hashas to be.be. That’sThat’s our job,”job,” hehe said.said. “As close to one international sports federation The IOC “con- “After the emergency meeting, at last longlong as we know we’re safe to playplay and ducts a regular dialogue with all the Olympic partners and the right decisionision was made.made. UntilUntil thenthen it’s a safesafe environment forfor spectators,spectators, regularly informs them of the situation,” added an IOC it almost felt like footballers in England we’llwe’ll play.play. spokesman. While many international sporting events have been postponed or cancelled, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised on Friday that Tokyo would host the Olympic Games as planned in July and August, despite questions Van Dijk fears Liverpool will win title in empty stadium raised by the pandemic. AFP – LONDON for Liverpool defender Van Dijk. Some have suggested the Virgil Van “If we won it in an empty season should be scrapped for Dijk Virgil Van Dijk fears Liverpool stadium and the fans weren’t safety reason, which would leave Garay among Valencia will be forced to celebrate their there, I’d be gutted for them,” he Premier League chiefs to decide first English title for 30 years in told several British newspapers if Liverpool should be given the an empty stadium as a result of on Sunday. title even though the campaign players tested positive coronavirus chaos. “Obviously, if there are no did not reach its scheduled REUTERS - VALENCIA All Premier League games fans at Anfield, then it will be a 38-game conclusion. have been postponed until at bit of a blow. No one wants to Sport is expected to be sub- Five members of the playing squad and staff of La Liga least April 3 due to the spread of play games without the fans. jected to further restrictions next club Valencia have tested positive for the coronavirus, the the global pandemic. “Until a decision is made on week, with British Prime Min- Spanish side said yesterday. Premier League chiefs are set how we go on from here, then ister Boris Johnson reportedly “Valencia CF inform that five positive cases of the to meet on Thursday to discuss we just have to deal with it. But ready to announce a ban on COVID-19 coronavirus have been detected amongst first if it will be possible to continue when it happens, we are still major public gatherings. team staff and players,” the club said in a statement. the season and, if so, in what bringing the title to our fans, def- The sporting programme has “All of these persons are now at home, in good health format. initely.” Liverpool could have once again been decimated on and obeying self-isolation measures.” Games could be played wrapped up the title on Monday Sunday, although the Super Earlier yesterday, Valencia and Argentina defender behind closed doors, which with a win at Everton if Man- League match between Castl- Ezequiel Garay became the first La Liga player to confirm would mean Liverpool, who are chester City were beaten by eford and St Helens, the All he has the virus. 25 points clear of second placed Burnley on Saturday, but both England badminton Champi- “It’s clear that I have got off to the wrong start in 2020. Manchester City, winning the title those games were postponed, onship and Olympic boxing qual- I’ve tested positive for the coronavirus, I feel very good without their fans being present. along with the rest of the Premier ifiers are still going ahead in and now I just have to listen to the health authorities and That is a depressing prospect League programme. Britain. for now remain isolated,” he wrote on Instagram. Al Maadheed, Al Khelaifi emerge QTCC champions THE PENINSULA – DOHA Ghanim Al Maadeed was crowned champion of the Qatar Touring Car Championship in the 2K Class at the Losail Inter- national Circuit at the end of the final round of the season on Saturday. Al Maadheed, who drove a Lotus Elise in the championship, has been on the podium 9 out of the 10 races as he missed one race due to a mechanical problem with his engine. In the first race, Al QMMF President Abdulrahman Al Mannai presenting the champion's trophy to Ghanim Al Maadheed, winner of the 2k Class. CENTRE: Al Maadheed (bottom) driving his Maadheed finished in front of Lotus Elise. RIGHT: QMMF President Al Mannai presenting the QTCC M240 championship trophy to Abdulla Al Khelaifi. Ibrahim Al Abdulghani who was second and Hamad al Asam who finished in third place. In "I am very happy for this is very good for the champi- In the first race of M240, "Very happy to win QTCC Hamad Al Sulaiti finished the second race, the victory was championship title. Last season onship as it is more challenging the victory was for Nasser the fourth consecutive time. second in the championship again for Al Maadeed but this I finished second overall and for all the participants," said Al Saadon Al Kuwari followed by Hamad was very strong and I standings, with 92 points. time, Abdulla Abdulaziz came this year I took the champi- Maadheed. Abdulla Al Khelaifi and Hamad couldn’t put two cars between Only one point behind in second place and Nasser Al onship title, so I couldn’t ask In the QTCC M240 Class, the Al Sulaiti. In the second race, us first race so coming to second Hamad Al Sulaiti, Nasser Ahbabi completed the podium. for more. Overall, it was almost championship title was clinched with the reverse grid, Saadon race I almost lost all believe in Saadon Al Kuwari finished third With a total of 140 points, Al a perfect season as we had an by Abdulla Al Khelaifi, the Al Kuwari got the victory. winning the championship in the championship, with 91 Maadheed was crowned as the issue with the engine in the three-time QTCC champion. Al Abdulla Al Khelaifi finished in since the gap was more than 6 points. new champion in the 2K Class, round 2 but thanks to my team, Khelaifi, who started the season second place again and Nasser points and to win I had to finish Championship trophies in front of Ibrahim Al we managed to fix it and here competing in the 2K class but Saadon Al Kuwari finished 1st and Hamad had to finish 5th.