NNBABA | Page 5 Blazers squeeze past Nuggets in 4-OT marathon Sunday, May 5, 2019 FOOTBALL Sha’baan 30, 1440 AH Spurs stunned, GULF TIMES Elliott becomes EPL’s youngest player SPORT Page 2 ATHLETICS CRICKET Abubaker becomes fi rst Qatari Pakistan to qualify for 2020 Olympics to unleash By Sports Reporter ards announced by the IAAF, male ath- Doha letes specialising in the 800m must clock 1:45.20 or better during the pe- riod between May 1, 2019 and June 29, teen pace bubaker Hayder Abdalla has 2020. bagged the honour of becom- Abubaker had clocked 1:44.33 on way ing the first Qatari athlete to to the gold medal at the Asian Athletics A qualify for the 2020 Olym- Championships, but that was in April pic Games in Tokyo following his per- and hence not counted for Olympic sensation formance in the Doha Diamond League qualification. He finished a creditable meeting on Friday. fourth on Friday in Doha in the 800m The 22-year-old clocked which was won by Botswana’s Nijel 1min44.82secs in the 800m on Friday, Amos in1:44.29. easily surpassing the qualifying time of Other Qatari athletes expected to on World 1:45.20 seconds set by the Internation- qualify for the Olympics are world high al Association of Athletics Federations jump champion Mutaz Barshim, 400m (IAAF) in March. hurdler Abderrehman Samba and 200m According to the qualifying stand- specialist Abdelelah Haroun. Cup rivals AFP MOTORCYCLING Karachi our years ago, two- time World Cup winner Steve Waugh predicted Fyoung fast bowler Mo- hamed Hasnain would one day make a name for himself on France’s Quartararo the international stage. Now the 19-year-old can prove Waugh right after his blistering pace earned him a call-up to Pakistan’s squad for the World Cup. Pakistan’s chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, a member is youngest rider to of the country’s fi rst and only victorious World Cup squad in 1992, called the young bowler a “surprise package”, while leg- He could also feature in to- endary paceman Waqar Younis day’s one-off T20 clash against says he sees shades of himself England in Cardiff . in the ultra-quick, destructive Soon after his 12 wickets in teen. the PSL’s fourth edition, Ha- claim MotoGP pole Tall and with a wide smile, snain was picked to play for Hasnain has turned heads af- Pakistan against Australia in ter fi rst arriving on the national a one-day series in the United ‘It was an enormous lap. I was on the limit all the way round. scene in 2015 and sending down Arab Emirates. balls at a blistering 150kph Although he took just two This circuit is fantastic and it’s truly my greatest achievement’ (93mph). wickets in three games, Aus- Hasnain’s rise to Pakistan’s tralian batsmen were troubled AFP senior squad has been simi- by his pace — a trait Pakistan’s Jerez de la Frontera, Spain larly rapid — he made his one- head coach Mickey Arthur day international debut within said could be a game-changer a week of leading the Quetta for his squad.“His pace is the renchman Fabio Quartararo Gladiators to the Pakistan Su- most impressive and he has the snatched the fi rst MotoGP pole per League (PSL) title. potential of an international position of his career when he “It’s a great honour to rep- player,” said Arthur.“He could Fedged Yamaha-SRT teammate resent Pakistan and the honour be the X-factor for us.” Franco Morbidelli at the Spanish Grand multiplied when I was named Former great Waqar also Prix yesterday. in the World Cup squad,” Ha- lauded Hasnain’s pace, as well At 20 years and 14 days old, Quartararo snain told AFP. as his grit. became the youngest rider ever to take “I am on cloud nine and “He is very talented, has pole in MotoGP, breaking the record held ready to make batsmen strug- pace and bounce and the deter- by Marc Marquez who was 20 years and 62 gle with my speed. I love to mination,” said Waqar. days old when he won pole in the GP of the bowl fast and that is my strong “I have told him not to lose Americas in 2013. point.” his pace, which is his strong World champion Marquez, a two-time Hasnain made his way to the point. I wish him the best of winner of the event, was third fastest international stage from the luck.” yesterday, to complete the front row of dusty pitches of sun-bleached Inzamam says Hasnain has the Jerez grid as MotoGP marks its 300th Hyderabad in southern Pa- the potential to keep the com- race.. “It’s incredible,” said Quartararo kistan, where he was men- petition off -balance and the who is in his rookie season in the top divi- tored by renowned coach Iqbal ability to surprise any team. sion of motorcycling. It was an enormous Imam. “I think he could be the sur- lap. I was on the limit all the way round. “Hasnain played Under-16 prise package and can at any This circuit is fantastic and it’s truly my and Under-19 for Hydera- time win us a match. He has greatest achievement.” bad and right from the start express pace and can damage The two young riders on the Yamaha his pace has been impressive,” and can surprise any team,” satellite outfi t eclipsed their elders on the recalled Imam, a former fi rst- said Inzamam. class cricketer who had played “I have faced 150kph in my MOTOGP GRID alongside Inzamam. career and it’s not easy. It sends In 2015, he was selected in shivers down your spine.” 1st row Pakistan’s Under-15 team to Hasnain will fi rst get his 1. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha-SRT) 1min tour Australia. chance to shine in the fi ve- 36.88sec, 2. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Yamaha- “I remember that at the match one-day international SRT) at 0.082, 3. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) Bradman ground near Sydney, series against England — start- 0.090 Steve Waugh came to watch his ing on May 8 — ahead of the 2nd row Petronas Yamaha SRT’s French rider Fabio Quartararo (L) celebrates with Repsol Honda Spanish rider Marc Marquez after winning son Austin and he saw Shaheen World Cup. 4. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 0.138, 5. pole position for today’s Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez. Shah Afridi and Hasnain in ac- “I didn’t know much about Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha) 0.234, 6. Cal tion. He predicted that the two Steve Waugh when we met,” Crutchlow (GBR/Honda-LCR) 0.295 lead Yamaha team. onship where he achieved many podi- Earlier Italian Danilo Petrucci on a boys will make an impact at the he said. “But later I got to know 3rd row Spaniard Maverick Vinales qualifi ed ums and victories. He has already beaten Ducati recorded the fastest time in free international level,” said former that he was a World Cup win- 7. Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati) 0.329, 8. fi fth, while on the other factory Yamaha, a world record which is the youngest practice and became the fi rst man to ever coach Mohamed Masroor. ner, a great batsman and a Takaaki Nagakami (Honda-LCR) 0.452, 9. Alex Italian veteran Valentino Rossi, who is poleman so tomorrow I will try to stop lap the recently resurfaced Jerez track in Shaheen played for Pakistan shrewd captain. Rins (ESP/Suzuki) 0.471 second in the overall standings, was 13th him from beating another record — the under 1min 37sec, breaking the record in all three formats last year “His words were inspiring 4th row fastest.“I am happy about the day but if youngest winner.” held by Crutchlow. and is also in the World Cup and I want to prove him right. 10. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati-Pramac) tomorrow is warmer, everything becomes The second row on the starting grid for The morning session was briefl y halted squad, meaning both players I know the England series is a 11. Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Honda) 0.616, 12. Joan more diffi cult,” said Marquez who was today will be made up of world champion- after Crutchlow crashed and hit the air can now seize their opportu- big chance for me and then the Mir (ESP/Suzuki) full of praise for the French pole-sitter. ship leader Andrea Dovizioso on a Ducati, fence on Turn 10. The Briton was unhurt nity at the tournament in Eng- World Cup. I will do my best to “I know him from the Spanish champi- Vinales and Cal Crutchlow on a Honda. but the fence punctured and defl ated. land and Wales. make a name for myself.” Gulf Times 2 Sunday, May 5, 2019 FOOTBALL PREMIER LEAGUE COPA AMERICA HOSTS BRAZIL CONFIRM QATAR FRIENDLY Rio de Janeiro: Brazil will Porto Alegre — a Copa America play World Cup hosts Qatar in host city — on June 9. Bournemouth stun one of their last two friendlies The hosts kick-off the Copa before the Copa America gets America, which they have won underway in June, the Brazilian eight times, against Bolivia Football Confederation (CBF) in Sao Paulo on June 14. The said yesterday. final will be played at Rio de Asian champions Qatar are Janeiro’s iconic Maracana to make their Copa America stadium on July 7. nine-man Tottenham debut in Brazil as one of two Brazil coach Tite is due to invitees to the South American name his tournament squad tournament alongside Japan, on May 17.