Seven more Pak cricketers test positive ahead of England tour paGE 13 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020 QOC celebrates Deeply sorry Djokovic Olympic Day 2020 QNA COVID-19 pandemic, without DOHA this constituting an obstacle to tests +ve, questions achieving the desired goals. THE Qatar Olympic Committee On his part, Secretary-Gen- (QOC) celebrated Olympic Day eral of Qatar Olympic Commit- 2020, which falls on June 23 of tee Jassim bin Rashid Al Buain- each year - the date when the ain said that the celebration of International Olympic Com- the Olympic Day 2020 remote- over return of tennis mittee was created in 1894. ly reflects the importance of The Olympic Day of this this day and its mission aimed AFP year was celebrated, remotely, at enhancing awareness of the BELGRADE by exercising with some of the importance of exercise and its best athletes in the world on role in the lives of individuals NOVAK Djokovic on Tuesday social media platforms in light and societies. said he was “deeply sorry” af- of the exceptional circumstance Al Buainain pointed out ter becoming the fourth tennis the world is going through due that the Olympic Day also falls player to test positive for coro- to the coronavirus (COVID-19). within the framework of many navirus following an exhibi- QOC, along with the rest community activities and pro- tion tournament he hosted in of the National Olym- grams that the Qatar the Balkans, admitting he and pic Committees, par- Olympic Committee organisers “were wrong” to go ticipated during the organises annually in ahead with the event. Olympic Day 2020 an effort to spread the The final leg of the Adria in the campaign of Olympic principles Tour in Bosnia has been can- the International and broaden partici- celled and serious questions Olympic Committee pation among mem- are being raised about the to promote Olympic bers of society. sport’s planned official return and sports activities Squash champion in August. that were launched Abdullah Al Tamimi Djokovic, who was not last March under the also expressed his showing any symptoms, joined slogan “Stay healthy, Stay happiness at participating in fellow players Grigor Dimitrov, strong, Stay active”. the Olympic Day 2020, and Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki HE President of the Qatar said that the participation in testing positive for COVID-19 Olympic Committee Sheikh of athletes from all over the during the second leg of the Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani world on the Olympic Day event where social distanc- stressed that QOC celebrat- this year enhances its impor- ing was minimal, players were ed the Olympic Day annu- tance and inspires everyone filmed dancing bare-top in a ally within the framework of to follow their example and nightclub and embracing each marking the anniversary of the exercise because of its great other over the net. founding of the International importance to public health. World number one Djoko- Olympic Committee and to Mohamed Al Rumaihi, a vic said his wife Jelena also spread the principles and val- Qatari shooter who qualified tested positive while the results ues of the Olympic movement, for the Olympic Games (Tokyo of their children were negative. which aims to encourage all 2021), said that the Olympic “I am so deeply sorry our Novak Djokovic talks to his wife Jelena during a match at the Adria Tour, Djokovic’s Balkans charity tennis tournament in Belgrade on June 14, groups of society to practice Day contributes to enhancing tournament has caused harm,” 2020. Djokovic said his wife Jelena also tested positive while the results of their children were negative. (AFP) sports activities. awareness of the importance of the 33-year-old Serb, who has His Excellency added that practicing sports and spreading said he would be against a com- The final in the Croatian oritise safety in assessing every also embracing other players in the celebration of this year’s the principles and values of the pulsory coronavirus vaccination coastal town of Zadar was can- decision.” the tournament. Olympic Day was different Olympic Movement among the if it became a requirement for celled Sunday while the final NO SOCIAL DISTANCING Djokovic and other play- from previous years due to the various groups of society. tennis players to travel to tour- stop of the ill-advised Adria I am extremely sorry for The cancellation of the ers including Belgrade winner naments, wrote on Twitter. Tour, in Bosnia in early July, each individual case of Serb’s Adria Tour has come on Dominic Thiem were also seen “We believed the tourna- was also scrapped after the infection. I hope that it will the back of a number of gaffes partying at a packed night spot ment met all health protocols news of Djokovic’s infection. for Djokovic, who is the presi- in the Serbian capital. and the health of our region “Unfortunately, due to all not complicate anyone’s dent of the ATP Player Council. Thiem has since travelled seemed in good condition events in the past days we de- health situation and that First criticised for breaking to the south of France to play in to finally unite people for cided that now the most im- everyone will be fine. lockdown rules to train in Spain, another exhibition tournament philanthropic reasons,” the portant thing is that the epide- he then invited derision for in- in Nice, where his test came 17-time Grand Slam winner miological situation is stabilised – Novak Djokovic sisting emotions can change the back negative. said, adding that he would and everyone recovers,” tourna- quality of water while almost Commenting on social dis- now go into self-isolation for ment director Djordje Djokovic, it’s a pattern...” tweeted female simultaneously insisting that he tancing measures during the the next 14 days. the player’s younger brother, tennis legend Martina Navra- would not be prepared to vacci- Belgrade leg, Djokovic argued “We were wrong and it was said in a statement. tilova after news of Djokovic’s nate against coronavirus. that both Serbia and the region too soon.” “Now we remain focused on positive test. The Adria Tour’s first stop had been relatively successful in the support to all those infect- “Hope Novak will be ok of had been played out to a daily containing the virus. TOURNAMENT CANCELLED ed... wishing that they recover course! What now, US Open? crowd of 4,000 fans at Djoko- But the Adria Tour had Bulgaria’s Dimitrov, the as soon a possible.” Roland Garros? We have a lot of vic’s tennis centre on the banks already suffered an embar- world number 19, announced The outbreak raises the work to do...” of the Danube in Belgrade last rassing setback when the on Sunday he had tested posi- question on how the ATP and The ATP, while wishing week, while a similar crowd at- planned Montenegro leg of tive after pulling out of the WTA can best manage the re- those infected a swift recovery, tended the Zadar event. the four-nation tournament event, the biggest since the ten- start of their tours scheduled said Tuesday that it and other Feliks Lukas, director of the was cancelled when it became nis season was halted because for August. stakeholders had “made ex- WTA Croatia Bol Open, had apparent Serbia’s health re- of the pandemic that has killed It has already been estab- haustive plans to mitigate risks warned against “incredibly bad” quirements did not match up at least 472,173 people world- lished that the US Open in New through a variety of precautions organisation in Zadar. to those of Montenegro. wide since it surfaced in China York will be played behind and protocols to be implement- And local media reported Australian tennis star Nick late last year. closed doors and under strict ed at ATP events”. that social distancing measures Kyrgios called it a “boneheaded Croatia’s Coric and Troicki health protocols which Djoko- “We continue to plan and were respected by neither fans decision to go ahead with the of Serbia also followed suit on vic, to much criticism, described adjust these precautions and nor players in either venue. ‘exhibition’”, while Britain’s The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) celebrated Olympic Day 2020, Monday, revealing they also as “extreme” and “impossible”. protocols according to latest Djokovic was pictured playing Andy Murray called it “a lesson which falls on June 23 of each year, through exercises with the best had tested positive. “Yikes... this is not good and medical information and pri- basketball with Dimitrov and for all of us”. athletes in the world through social media platforms. Virus tests begin for QFA referees, backroom staff TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK 2ND ROUND OF TESTS FOR DOHA The novel coronavirus THOSE IN TEAM HOTELS tests aim to ensure the Meanwhile, the players THE Coronavirus (COV- health and safety of all and staff of Al Shahaniya, Al ID-19) medical tests of ahead besides reducing the Sailiya, Umm Salal and Al of the launch of football ac- risk of the spread of Ahli clubs also underwent the tivity of QNB Stars League COVID-19, the pandemic second round of coronavirus and Second Division matches (COVID-19) tests after com- on Tuesday kicked off with currently sweeping pleting a period of 14 days in medical tests of referees, the world. hotel as per the general plan department employees and and protocol ahead of the re- team bus drivers. Communication Department. sumption of 2019-20 season The tests of all the staff The Ali Bin Hamad Al At- QNB Stars League. were carried in accordance tiyah Arena hosted the medi- The players and also the with the established schedule cal examination held in halls technical and administrative released by Qatar Football 1 and 2 from 9 to 11 in the staff underwent the tests on Association (QFA).