27 Sports Thursday, August 2, 2018 Iraq withdraw from Asian Games soccer tournament India wrestlers get sponsor boost HONG KONG: Iraq have withdrawn from the football players. The final will be played on Sept 1. tournament of this month’s Asian Games in Jakarta, potentially throwing the competition into turmoil less India wrestlers than two weeks before kickoff. The Iraq Olympic In another development, India’s wrestlers received a Committee have pulled the team from the event, welcome boost ahead of this month’s Asian Games after according to a source in Baghdad, and the decision will the federation got automaker Tata Motors as their prin- leave officials needing to address an imbalance in the cipal sponsor yesterday. Wrestling has been the most opening phase of the tournament. Last week the Asian productive sport in recent times at the Olympics for the Football Confederation conducted a redraw of the country, bringing in five medals - one silver and four competition’s group stage to add Palestine and the bronze - in the last three Games. While some wrestlers United Arab Emirates after the pair had been left off the have received sponsorship in individual capacities, the original entry list. Wrestling Federation of India had been looking for cor- That meant two of the six groups swelled from four porate support for its athletes’ international training teams to five, but Iraq’s withdrawal now means one and exposure trips. group - containing China, Timor Leste and Syria - will Tata Motors, owner of British luxury brands Jaguar feature just three countries. The Olympic Council of and Land Rover, will sponsor wrestling for three years, Asia, the organizers of the Asian Games, have yet to beginning with the upcoming Asian Games in Jakarta respond to a request from Reuters for comment. A and will continue till 2021. “I am happy with the adula- source at the Iraq Football Association had initially tion the sport has received ever since 2008 Beijing denied reports the team would be removed from the Olympics as we have been successfully winning medals competition and that the squad’s preparations were in three consecutive Olympics,” Sakshi Malik, who won being finalized following the completion of a training a bronze at the Rio Olympics, told reporters. “We have camp in the northern city of Erbil. been giving the best performances but have the least Earlier this week, football officials were reported to sponsors. This partnership will inspire us more.” have been fired over their involvement in the selection Financial details of the deal were not announced but of overage players for the nation’s under-16 team after Tata Motors said they will also support top performing JAKARTA: Indonesian armed police conduct a security drill in Jakarta 2018 ahead of the 2018 Asian Games. Jakarta they were stopped at passport control on their way to 50 wrestlers, both men and women, on both domestic and Palembang will host about 11,000 athletes and 5,000 officials from 45 Asian countries for the Asian Games, participate in a regional tournament. The withdrawal of and international circuit as part of the deal. which will be held from August 18 to September 2. — AFP Iraq’s footballers follows a decision by the Philippines not to send the nation’s basketball team to Jakarta in Pakistan averts boycott team are the most successful at the Asian Games with him unpaid allowances would be cleared before the Aug. the aftermath of their on-court brawl with Australia Meanwhile, Pakistan has averted an Asian Games eight gold medals but players had threatened to skip the 18-Sept. 2 Games and therefore the players would end during a recent World Cup qualifier. The football tour- boycott by its hockey players after the country’s feder- upcoming edition after not being paid their allowances their protest. “We will clear all dues before going to nament at the Asian Games begins on August 10 and ation gave assurances that overdue daily allowances for the last six months. However, captain Mohammad Asian Games,” Khokar was quoted as saying by local features teams made up of players 23 years of age and would be paid in full before the multi-sports event Rizwan Senior said on Tuesday that Pakistan Hockey media. “Unfortunately, our grant was stopped due to under. Coaches are permitted to select three overage begins in Indonesia later this month. The Pakistan men’s Federation President Khalid Sajjad Khokar had assured certain unknown reason.—Agencies Champions League began on July 10, FIFPro complains meaning that the two seasons in effect Briefs overlapped by a few days. Iceland’s Arnor Traustason played-and Barkley ready to flourish of insufficient scored-for Swedish champions Malmo in a 3-0 win away to Kosovar side Drita in a LONDON: Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley says he break for WCup Champions League qualifier on July 10. feels “better than ever” after recovering from a long- Serbia World Cup squad members term injury and is relishing the freedom to influence all Nemanja Radonjic and Milan Rodic areas of the pitch under new manager Maurizio Sarri. players played for Red Star Belgrade in a The England international missed a majority of last sea- Champions League qualifier on July 11 son with a hamstring injury and made just four appear- ZURICH: Global footballers’ union FIFPro and compatriot Vladimir Stojkovic played ances for Chelsea across all competitions since moving says that at least 15 World Cup players for Partizan in the Europa League the fol- to the London outfit from Everton in January. “I arrived have taken part in UEFA club competi- lowing day. While clubs from smaller here with a long-term injury,” Barkley is quoted as say- tions less than four weeks after returning leagues are already involved in European ing by The Daily Telegraph. “I didn’t play many games from Russia, leaving without a sufficient qualifiers, big clubs are on lucrative tours because of that... from the time that I joined in January, I close season break. The union reiterated abroad. On Sunday, Manchester United have got my body feeling better than ever before.” its call for a mandatory rest period of at manager Jose Mourinho said his team’s Barkley started the club’s pre-season matches against least four weeks between the final game World Cup participants should consider Perth Glory and Inter Milan and is relishing Sarri’s play- of one season and the start of pre-season cutting their holidays short to help the ing philosophy. “The new manager obviously has a dif- training for the next. “Players are coming depleted team in the opening stages of ferent style... There will be freedom because you have under too much pressure, caught between the Premier League season. Several play- three men in the midfield,” he added.— Reuters the needs of their clubs and their own ers from United’s first-choice starting personal well-being,” said the union in a line-up, including Frenchman Paul Pogba, statement. Belgian Romelu Lukaku and Englishman Everton sign defender Digne “While FIFPro understands the finan- Jesse Lingard could miss the opening cial implications of the UEFA Champions league fixture against Leicester City in BARCELONA: Everton have signed defender Lucas League and UEFA Europa League for less than two weeks’ time. England Digne from Spanish champions Barcelona on a five- clubs, the health of these players is being defender Phil Jones and forward Marcus year contract, the Premier League club said yesterday. put at risk because of such a congested Rashford are expected to return early to The 25-year-old France international joins Everton match schedule.” The group stage of the help prepare for the start of the season. MIAMI BEACH: Real Madrid’s Spanish defender Alvaro Odriozola (left) vies for the after two seasons in Barcelona, where he made 46 World Cup in Russia, which was officially Mourinho, frustrated after seeing his side ball with Manchester United’s British defender Luke Shaw during the International appearances across all competitions, as the Nou Camp part of last season, finished on June 28 lose 4-1 to Liverpool in the US on outfit won the La Liga last term and retained the Champions Cup friendly football match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida on while the final was played on July 15. The Saturday, has suggested that others Spanish Cup. “I want to show my best football here and July 31, 2018. — AFP first round of qualifying for this season’s should do the same. — Reuters discover the best league in the world. Everybody loves the Premier League. I am loving the fact I am coming here,” Digne told Everton’s website. “I am not afraid, I am excited. For me, it is a new challenge to discover a country, a league, people and a great club such as Managers to be Everton. It is fabulous.” Digne, who missed out on France’s World Cup squad this year, previously played Man United shown yellow, for French top-flight side Paris St Germain, winning two Ligue 1 titles, and also completed a loan spell at Italy’s Women face red cards for AS Roma.—Reuters Liverpool in Cup misconduct Soccer field suicide bomb BRUSSELS: A man walked to the middle of an empty LONDON: Manchester United Women will play soccer pitch in a Belgian town and blew himself up with Liverpool in their first match since the previous LONDON: Managers in English soccer will be shown yel- low and red cards for misconduct in the technical area a grenade on Tuesday in what authorities said was an team was disbanded in 2005 after they were during competitive fixtures in the new season, the Football act of despair.