Sport SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER 2020 ValtteriV Bottas back on top ahead of tteam-mate Hamilton as Mercedes rule TheT car felt pretty good. Still as always work to do with tthe balance, main issue is getting the balance together throughoutt the lap. MercedesM F1 driver Valtteri Bottas Sport | 15 17TH RACE MEETING: HALUL ISLAND CUP Winner: Al Lusail, (Trainer) Hadi Nasser Rashid Al Ramzani, (Jockey) Ronan Thomas Qatar to host FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in February THE PENINSULA / FIBA – DOHA will once again host the Group Zealand are on top in Group E teams, Iran, Syria and Saudi C and unbeaten Lebanon Qatar has been confirmed as Arabia. occupy the number 1 spot in the host nation for FIBA Asia Clark (Philippines), Tokyo Group D. Cup 2021 Qualifiers for the (Japan) and Manama (Bahrain) All qualifying matches be upcoming Group E Window will host the rest of the group organised as protected envi- in February next year, it was matches in the third and last ronment tournaments in announced yesterday window of the qualifying order to ensure health and The qualifiers will take stage. safety of all participants. The place from February 18-22, Iran, ranked 23rd in the most important criteria in 2021 in four countries, world, are currently leading choosing the hosts, like for the including Qatar. the Group with seven points previous window, was health The venues for the FIBA from wins out of four matches and travel guarantees and Qualifiers were confirmed they have played so far, while compliance with FIBA health yesterday by the FIBA Qatar are fourth with one win Qatar hosted a highly successful round of FIBA Asia Cup protocols, including testing Regional Office Asia. and five points. 2021 Group E Qualifiers in November. and controlled entry into a After successfully con- Qatar's win came when secure environment. cluding the games of the they spoiled the debut of a The exact schedule of Qualifiers in a secured bubble new-look Syria squad (79-72) The Philippines are record while the Group B is games will be confirmed at a in Doha in November, Qatar at Al Gharafa Indoor Stadium. leading Group A with a perfect led by Chinese Taipei. New later stage. Al Attiyah edges out Sainz in ACL semi-final moved to Jassim bin opening stage of Hail Baja 1 Hamad Stadium THE PENINSULA – HAIL AFC – DOHA Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah edged into a lead of 2min 50sec over The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has agreed to the Qatar Carlos Sainz after the opening Football Association’s (QFA) proposal to move the venue of the 251.81km Radifah selective 2020 AFC Champions League (East) Semi-final match between section of Hail Baja 1, round Ulsan Hyundai FC from Korea Republic and Japan’s Vissel Kobe four of the FIA World Cup for scheduled to take place tomorrow at 1pm (local time) from the Al Cross-Country Bajas, yesterday. Janoub Stadium to the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. The two triple Dakar The move was to ensure optimum pitch conditions for both winners were the quickest duo semi-finalists as well as the showpiece final on December 19 at through the latter sections of the Al Janoub Stadium, which will see tomorrow’s winners and the stage with the Toyota Hilux Islamic Republic of Iran’s Persepolis FC battle for Continental driver snatching the stage win club supremacy at 3pm (local time). from his Mini Buggy rival. Former champions Ulsan Hyundai beat Beijing Guoan 2-0 at Sainz’s team-mate and the Al Janoub Stadium before Japan’s Vissel Kobe reached the Dakar legend Stéphane Peter- last-four with a 7-6 penalty shootout win against Suwon Bluewings hansel rounded off the podium at the same venue in the quarter-finals on Thursday. places after an early puncture, Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah driving his Toyota Hilux during the Hail Baja 1, round four of the the Frenchman pushing local FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, yesterday. star Yazeed Al Rajhi down to Salman captures Medium fourth place in the second of the Toyotas. HAIL BAJA 1 – FIA (SS1): Overnight leader Al Attiyah 1. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota Hilux: 3hr 12min 23sec Tour honours in Round 6 said: “It was a very good day for 2. Carlos Sainz (ESP)/Lucas Cruz (ESP) MINI JCW Buggy: 3hr 15min 13sec It was a very good day for us and we start in a good 3. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA)/Edouard Boulanger (FRA) MINI JCW Buggy: 3hr 18min 33sec us and we start in a good position behind Carlos and we 4. Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU)/Ditk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Hilux Overdrive: 3hr 21min 19sec position behind Carlos 5. Vladimir Vasilyev (RUS)/Dmitro Tsyro (UKR) MINI JCW Rally: 3hr 26min 04sec were fighting with Carlos. Last and we were fighting 40km we are together and he touch us two times….we were with Carlos. Last 40km together all the way. I am happy headed their rivals after 108km Dakar speed and they were on we are together and he to win the stage.” and 165km. a sprint speed…..” touch us two times….we The day’s competitive They reached the finish in Vasilyev added: “My speed were together all the section wound its way through the top four places, with Vas- was good but, after 50km, I way. I am happy to win the An Nafud desert to the ilyev taking fifth, Ten Brinke needed to open the road. It was Nasser north-west of Hail with the sixth after a late slow puncture not easy and it was an the stage: bikes able to refuel close to the and Denis Krotov finishing advantage for those following Saleh Al Attiyah passage control after 165.77km. eighth after reported broken behind to catch me.” Al Attiyah, Seaidan and suspension delays for local Nineteen bikes and 18 quads Sainz were the FIA event pace- driver Yasir Seaidan cost him a eventually made it to the start. 19sec in front at the refuelling. setters through 66km. Russian good finish. Yamaha’s official factory rider Today, the second section Vladimir Vasilyev overtook FIA Ten Brinke said: “We were Adrien van Beveren cruised into of 275.54km starts close to Baja title rival Bernhard Ten running a bit low on fuel a comfortable lead in the Jubbah at 09.04hrs (first FIA Omar Al Mannai, Vice Chairman of the Organising Committee of Brinke early in the stage, while towards the finish and could not motorcycle category on his car) and heads further west of Longines Hathab Qatar Equestrian Tour, presenting the winner’s Poland’s Jakub Przygonski push in the last 100km. The WRF 450. Hail before looping through the dropped 12 minutes to the speed was okay, but I was He pulled away from the desert to finish close to the trophy to Salman Mohammed Al Emadi, who guided Zorro Z to leaders and fell further behind impressed with the speed of the start and was 9min 08sec in village of Q’na. There will be win in the Medium Tour event of the sixth round of the popular as the stage progressed. Al first two. I think they took some front of Poland’s Konrad Dab- two passage controls after Series yesterday. Attiyah, Sainz and Al Rajhi risks. We were more like on the rowski after 66km and 19min 147.29km and 261.46km. COMP. (1) SMALL TOUR, 100/110CM, PRIZE MONEY QR20,000 (Rank, Horse, Rider, Phase one, Phase two, Prize Money) 1: BEST OF DES FORETS / Saeed Nasser Al Qadi, 39.45, 20.01, QR5,000 Final round of Qatar National Baja to flag off today 2: GIBRIA-B / Hamad Nasser Al Qadi, 36.69, 20.20, QR4,000 3: BLEU BOY / Khalid Mohammed Al Emadi, 39.80, 20.22, QR3,000 COMP. (2) MEDIUM TOUR, 120/130CM, PRIZE MONEY QR30,000 (Rank, Horse, Rider, Phase one, Jump Off, Prize Money) 1: ZORRO Z / Salman Mohammed Al Emadi, 65.82, 34.07, QR7,500 2: LAMM ADDICTION Z / Rashid Towaim Al Marri, 67.37, 34.98, QR6,000 3: ELECTRA B / Saeed Nasser Al Qadi, 64.08, 36.26, QR4,500 MEDIUM TOUR, TEAM EVENT, PRIZE MONEY QR30,000 1: Business Trading Company (BTC) 129.30 secs, Jump off - 36.26 secs, Prize money QR15,000 ELECTRA B / Saeed Nasser Al Qadi, 64.08, 36.26 HAPPY TINA / Ghanim Nasser Al Qadi, 65.22 S I E C LONNIE / Hamad Nasser Al Qadi, Retired 2: Lusail, 131.30 secs, (2 faults) 49.28 secs, Prize Money QR9,000 CASAL DES FORETS Mubarak Yousuf Al Rumaihi, 64.45, (2) 49.28 CUCARACHA DES FOREST Abdulrahman Adel Nassar, 66.85 The drivers and officials during scrutineering ahead of the fifth and final round of the Qatar National Baja which flags off todaythe at GALWAYBAY MERBREAKER Mohammed Nasser Al Qadi, eliminated Sealine area. The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation is hosting the hugely popular off-road challenge which will see nine drivers 3: Team ExxonMobil 127.01 4 36.65, Prize Money QR 6,000 competing under T3 and T1 categories. The Baja for riders will kick off at 8:00am today while the cars move out of the starting ramp Brennus VILLELONGUE Cyrine Cherif, 60.84, (4) 36.65 at 11:00am. FIJI Khalid Mohammed Al Emadi, 66.17 Sport SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER 2020 15 WINNERS (Horse, Trainer, Jockey) Al Lusail retains Halul Island Cup HALUL ISLAND CUP Al Lusail, Hadi Nasser Rashid Al Ramzani, Ronan Thomas THE PENINSULA — DOHA the frame on a couple of occa- sions, Hadi Nasser Rashid Al THOROUGHBREDS (Class 2) Mualah (IRE), Zuhair Mohsen Zuhair Al Jeryan Stud’s Al Lusail (Foot- Ramzani schooled 6yo finally Maki, Michael Forest stepsinthesand x Gooey) stayed entered the winner’s enclosure true to his favourite status when at Al Rayyan Park after landing PUREBRED ARABIAN CONDITIONS he won the Halul Island Cup the Purebred Arabian Condi- Rodess Du Loup (FR), Hadi Nasser (Far Bend) for Local Thorough- tions (Far Bend).