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SUNDAY, AUGUST 20, 2017

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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian athlete Nur Dhabitah Sabri lits the torch during the opening ceremony of the 29th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. — AFP

Let the flames begin! Flying diver ignites Games

KUALA LUMPUR: Teenage diver Nur

Torrential rain early on failed to damp- with world championships commitments, edition the tagline “Rising Together”, are
Dhabitah Sabri flew through Malaysia’s en enthusiasm as the hosts put on an and cheered the succession of marching aiming to top the medals table for only the national stadium in a brave stunt to light entertaining spectacle before Malaysia’s bands. After the Games had been declared second time by matching the 111 golds the cauldron at the climax of a glittering king, Sultan Muhammad V, declared the open, the stadium erupted in song as hun- they won on home soil in 2001.

China snubs ‘Little Olympics’ opening ceremony in Taiwan

• Southeast Asian Games opening ceremony Games open.
• dreds of dancers waving silver palm trees
• Ahead of the opening ceremony, they

• yesterday.
• About 4,200 athletes are competing for and waving red-lit parasols gave the event a have already made a strong start with seven

• The 18-year-old rising star was suspend- 404 gold medals in sports ranging from carnival atmosphere.
• golds to lead the table ahead of Singapore

ed high above the Bukit Jalil stadium floor boxing and equestrianism to petanque, in Kuala Lumpur, carrying a flaming torch, at speed skating and lawn bowls at the popu- Pandelela Rinong passed the flaming torch Games retain a distinctly regional flavour, the end of the four-hour extravaganza.
Earlier a flying tiger, shiny gold suits and a parade of marching bands took centre tiger, flew into the stadium on a wire, after setting off a blaze of fireworks. stage as the two-week Games opened in a LED-lit pedal cars and flag-wavers wearing
Olympic silver medal-winning diver and Thailand, who both have three. The
TAIPEI: China boycotted the opening ceremony of the

World University Games hosted by Taiwan yesterday in the latest reflection of deteriorating relations between the two sides. The biennial Summer Universiade, dubbed the “Little Olympics,” is the largest ever sporting event Taipei hosts but it has also highlighted tensions with Beijing and the island’s struggle for international recognition. lar and unique SEA Games.
Games mascot Rimau, a fluffy Malayan the 40-foot (12-metre) cauldron and lit it, letics contested alongside Asian favourites such as pencak silat, sepak takraw and
The biennial SEA Games, formerly the wushu. They are a big source of national to Nur Dhabita, who took off slowly towards with Olympic sports like swimming and athblaze of colour. More than 4,000 athletes glittering gold suits had entertained the Southeast Asian Peninsula Games, have pride in the fast-growing region of about from 11 nations strode into the newly refur- crowd. Fans watched video messages from been running since 1959, when the region 650 million people, which all too often finds bished, 87,000-capacity Bukit Jalil stadium, Malaysia’s badminton and squash stars Lee was still emerging from its long era of colo- itself outclassed on the world sporting
It is the first time Taiwan has held the Games, but

even on home turf it must compete as “Chinese Taipei” and is unable to fly its national flag or play its national anthem because of Beijing’s sensitivities.

• which was sold out for the vibrant show.
• Chong Wei and Nicol David, who are busy nialism. Malaysia, who have given the 29th stage. —AFP

The two sides split after a civil war in 1949, but
Beijing still sees the self-ruled island as part of its territory and objects to any official diplomatic recognition of Taiwan. Relations have deteriorated since Tsai Ingwen of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took office in May last year, with Beijing cutting off all official communications.
At the opening event, Tsai was introduced as the president of “the Republic of China”, Taiwan’s official name, which China does not recognise. She waved to the audiences but did not give a speech.
Thousands of student athletes from around the world donned their team uniforms or traditional dress and walked behind the sign showing the name of their country and their national flags to the cheering crowd in Taipei Stadium.
However, no Chinese athletes showed up to walk behind the staffer holding China’s national flag. Local media said China was absent due to the reference of Tsai as president. Taipei’s mayor Ko Wen-je is widely seen to have secured Chinese athletes’ attendance during his visit to Shanghai in July to attend a city exchange forum.

Lukaku on mark as Man United score four again

ately when Lukaku seized on an errant on 80 minutes when he finished coolly chip on 82 minutes to make it 3-0. pass and raced towards goal, but his initial after shot was blocked and his follow-up effort Mkhitaryan. curled wide. The woodwork then came to

• a
• neat pass from Henrikh Substitute Martial then collected a Pogba

pass and weaved his way through a static

• Swansea
• 0

That was the signal for Swansea’s home defence on 84 minutes to complete
Swansea’s rescue as the lively opening defence to go missing as Mkhitaryan fed the scoring with a neat finish into the botcontinued with Juan Mata’s free-kick from Pogba, who beat Fabianksi with a neat tom-right corner. — AFP the right headed against the crossbar by

• Man United
• 4

Phil Jones. United’s frustration was highlighted on the half-hour when Marcus Rashford sent an ambitious long-range

SWANSEA: Manchester United main-

tained their dream Premier League start as goals from Eric Bailly, Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial secured a 4-0 victory at Swansea City yesterday. effort straight at home goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

MKHITARYAN FINDS GAPS

Pogba was walking a tightrope when, moments after being booked for a cynical foul on Tom Carroll, he tripped Olsson and received what appeared to be a final warning from referee Jon Moss. The visitors ought to have led nine minutes before the interval when Swansea failed to clear a simple high ball. Rashford collected it and raced clear, but sent a tame effort straight at Fabianksi. United finally claimed the lead on the stroke of half-time as a corner from the left was headed by Pogba and forced onto the crossbar by Fabianski, with Bailly reacting quickest to poke home the rebound.
Having put West Ham United to the sword with another 4-0 win in their opening game of the new campaign, United looked like being made to settle for a narrower scoreline for much of the game in South Wales. But after they had claimed the lead at the end of a tight first half through Bailly’s first goal for the club, they netted three times in a stylish five-minute spell late in the game to give the scoreline an emphatic look.
It meant maximum points, eight goals and two clean sheets in their opening two games for Jose Mourinho’s side. Swansea were aggrieved that Pogba remained on the field to score after escaping a second yellow card for a foul on Martin Olsson late in the first half. But manager Paul Clement saw his side implode worryingly once Lukaku bagged United’s second goal and his third in two games for his new club 10 minutes from full-time.

But he said he had drawn the line at Chinese officials’ request for Tsai only to be called “leader” at the opening ceremony, not “president”.
In the current climate, some expected Chinese athletes to boycott the Universiade entirely. Instead, they will compete in individual events but sit out the team sports, citing a clash with their own national games.
Outside the stadium, there were chaotic scenes when dozens of protesters opposing the government’s pension reforms scuffled with pro-DPP groups briefly blocking an athlete’s entrance and delaying part of the ceremony.
Protest groups also forced some buses taking athletes to the event to detour. The rest of the opening ceremony tonight will showcase Taiwanese culture and lifestyle, including indigenous dance and songs as well as performances using electric scooters. Pop star Leehom Wang is set to perform near the end of the show before baseball player Chen Chin-feng lights the Universiade flame to formally open the games, followed by a firework show. — AFP

After a low-key opening to the second half, Rashford cut in from the left and tried his luck with a right-foot effort but Fabianski gathered the ball after an initial fumble. Swansea pressed through the lively Ayew and one run from the Ghanaian allowed Leroy Fer a shooting chance, only for him to lift his effort well over the bar.
There was a scare for United in the third minute as Jordan Ayew burst forwards for Swansea, cut in from the left and mishit a cross that grazed the visitors’ crossbar.
Tammy Abraham should then have

SWANSEA: Manchester United’s Eric Bailly, left, celebrates with teammate Romelu Lukaku after scoring his side’s first goal during their English Premier League soccer match at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales, yesterday. —AP

tested United goalkeeper David de Gea, but he headed wide from a decent cross

• by Olsson. Lukaku doubled United’s lead
• Mourinho’s men broke almost immedi-