EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DELHI THE HINDU 20 SPORT SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Dazzling Chennaiyin stuns Goa Goian, Thapa, Sabia and Chhangte on target for the hosts; Gama nets the visitors’ consolation goal

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD ISL DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD fied his position. who leapt higher and headed home with his right foot. it home. B It was Chennaiyin’s first Goa, on the other hand, Off Thapa’s assist, K. Keerthivasan win over Goa in the last was hampered by the ab­ Chhangte then struck home CHENNAI five meetings sence of a few key players: Glut of goals from close range. Chennaiyin FC produced a Hugo Boumous (indisposed), Chennaiyin pulled further B Goa substitute Saviour Ga­ delightful performance to re­ Goa hampered by the Brandon Fernandes (injured) away when Anirudh Thapa absence of Boumous ma’s late goal made it 4­1, but gister a sensational 4­1 vivto­ and Edu Bedia, who had to scored a peach of a goal. (indisposed), Fernandes it was too little too late. ry over FC Goa in the first leg (injured) and Bedia, who fly back to Spain for personal From around 15 yards, the Thanks to their first win semifinal of the Indian Super flew back to Spain for reasons. 22­year­old unleashed a cur­ over Goa in the last five meet­ League (ISL) on Saturday. personal reasons After an exciting goalless ling shot that went past the ings, Owen Coyle’s men have first half, Chennaiyin sprung outstretched hands of Na­ B The return leg will be one foot in the final while Team effort into action in the second. Cri­ was. held at Fatorda on March Goa has a mountain to climb It was a collective effort by 7 vellaro’s free kick, with three The hosts netted two in the return leg at Fatorda the hosts, each department DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD defenders lurking around, more in the space of eight mi­ on March 7. playing its role to perfection. saw the visitors’ goalkeeper nutes through Eli Sabia and The result: Chennaiyin FC 4 (Lu­ Be it Rafael Crivellaro with cian Goain & Co. at the back, Mohammad Nawas jump Lallianzuala Chhangte. cian Goian 54, Anirudh Thapa his touches, Nerijus Valskis Jerry Lalrinzuala on the high in an effort to palm it Valskis’ wonderful low 61, Eli Sabia 77, Lallianzuala Breaking through: Once Lucian Goian headed home Chennaiyin FC’s opening goal, the and Andre Schembri on the wings and Edwin Vanspaul in away. cross from the left saw right­ Chhangte 79) bt FC Goa 1 (Sa­ hosts went on a scoring spree against Goa. * M. VEDHAN prowl in the frontline, Lu­ midfield, each player justi­ However, it was Goian back Sabia poke the ball viour Gama 85). BFC needs to put its best foot forward Dutee storms to gold India Open: govt. seeks health Will find it tough against ATK in the semifinal first leg Sets new 100m inter­University record update of Chinese shuttlers ISL stressed on Saturday. has scored 33 times in 18 games, second only to FC Press Trust of India World No. 1 Chen Yufei, Most of the Chinese team Ready for the game Goa. New Delhi world number eight He members have been training N. Sudarshan “I think Sunil [Chhetri] is rea­ Unlike BFC, which has The Government of India Bingjiao and former All En­ in Britain to play in the tour­ Bengaluru dy for the game and we are solely depended on Chhetri, has sent a questionnaire to gland champion Shi Yu Qi naments in Europe and BAI The first leg of the ISL semifi­ three games away from be­ Roy Krishna, Edu Garcia, Da­ the Badminton Association are some of the stars of the is hopeful they will be grant­ nal against ATK comes at a coming champions. We need vid Williams and Michael of India (BAI), seeking clari­ 60­plus Chinese squad who ed visas. “The Chinese shut­ tough time for Bengaluru FC. not punish ourselves for the Soosairaj have combined to ty on health status of the are expected to compete at tlers have been in Europe for The reigning champion has things we did in the past. For score 27 goals. What’s strik­ Chinese shuttlers, sche­ the Indira Gandhi Interna­ quite sometime now. They had to endure a heart­break­ the third season in a row we ing is the combination play duled to travel to the nation­ tional Stadium from March have been quarantined ing midweek defeat in the are fighting for the title while among these four, something al capital for next month’s 24 to 29. there and they have applied AFC Cup playoff, leaving the a lot of teams are already in BFC needs to be wary of. Indian Open. for visas at UK. Since the club without continental their holidays.” At the same time, ATK has The Ministry of External BAI optimistic team hadn’t been to China group stage action for the se­ It will certainly help that leaked a mere 16 goals, with Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday BAI is optimistic about Chi­ since the outbreak, we are cond straight season. the semifinal and final offer a only BFC stingier at the back Clear winner: Dutee Chand was the first to get off the blocks asked the BAI to furnish na’s participation in the In­ hopeful they will be granted

If the deflating loss was clean break from everything (13). and ran a comfortable race. * BISWARANJAN ROUT some details about the Chi­ dia Open despite the fears visa,” Singhania said. not enough, the club has that has transpired in the “I think it will be a very nese players before it takes a surrounding the deadly co­ Concerns over the rapid been sweating over the fit­ league thus far. It’s a mini­ competitive match because KIUG the blocks and ran a comfor­ call regarding their entry in­ ronavirus as Chinese shut­ spread of the deadly virus ness of its best player, Sunil tournament in itself, with the two organised teams will be table race, powering her to the country for the Super tlers were in quarantine for has already forced the post­ Chhetri. winner guaranteed a 2021 playing [against each other],” way past second­placed S. 500 tournament, which is a almost a fortnight in Europe ponement of the four Olym­ But on Sunday at the Sree AFC Cup playoff spot. Follow­ said ATK coach Antonio Ha­ Shyam Vasudevan Dhanalakshmi of Mangalore crucial event for the Tokyo earlier this month. pic qualifying events so far — Kanteerava Stadium it needs ing an up­and­down season, bas. “BFC is balanced and ve­ Bhubaneswar University, who clocked Olympics qualification. The deadly coronavirus, Lingshui China Masters (Fe­ to somehow pick up the piec­ it’s a reward that the club will ry competitive and one of the Dutee Chand’s quest for an 11.99s. Some of the questions which originated in Wuhan, bruary 25 to March 1), Viet­ es and put its best foot be desperate to secure. favourites. Until now, they Olympic berth began in fine Representing host KIIT asked by the Ministry in­ China, has so far killed close nam International Challenge forward. are the champions and we fashion as she stormed to a University, Dutee ran 11.61s clude: ‘Players/Officials are to 3000 people and infected (March 24­29) and German “It doesn’t take a lot to get No pushover have to respect them.” dominating win in the 100m in the semifinals earlier in from which state of China?’, nearly 80,000 globally and Open (March 3 to 8) and Pol­ my players to be competi­ But ATK will be no pushover. The game kicks off at 7.30 event at the Khelo India Un­ the day. ‘How many players/officials there are concerns about the ish Open (March 26­29). tive,” coach Carles Cuadrat A two­time ISL champion, it p.m. iversity Games on Saturday. The Odiya sprinter has have undergone for medical spread of the virus. Running in lane 3, she run faster. She set the track check­up and medical certif­ Given the health hazards, Racing against time clocked 11.49 seconds to bag ablaze at the National Open icate has been issued’?, India have put flying bans on Many top players such as the gold, setting a new inter­ in October last year, where ‘How many players/Officials China and Hong Kong, be­ two­time Olympic champion University record in the pro­ she clocked 11.22s for a new are coming from the other sides issuing a mandatory 14­ Lin Dan, London bronze me­ cess. National record. She is cur­ countries?’ day quarantine period for dallist Saina Nehwal and Rio Talking post the race, Du­ rently 0.07s away from mak­ the people who are travell­ Olympics quarterfinalist Ki­ tee said she was glad to get ing the Olympics cut, with Response awaited ing to the country from the dambi Srikanth are racing the year off to a winning the qualification mark set at After receiving the queries, affected nations such as Ko­ against time to book their start and assured she had a 11.15s. BAI has directed the ques­ rea, Iran, Italy. ticket to Tokyo. lot more left in the tank. While the audience tions to their Chinese coun­ Earlier this month, go­ India Open thus is an im­ “I am very happy because hoped she would breach the terparts and is awaiting a vernment didn’t grant visas portant tournament consi­ this is the first time I have Olympics mark here, Dutee response. to Chinese wrestlers for the dering the deadline to make begun the year so well. And said she needed a higher le­ “We have sent the ques­ Asian Championships due to it to Tokyo ends on April 28 I hope to shave off at least vel of competition to push tions received from the ex­ same concerns. with the ranking published 0.10 seconds in my upcom­ herself further. ternal affairs ministry to the However, Chinese players on that day to be considered ing races,” she said, sur­ “As you saw, there wasn’t Chinese Badminton Associa­ were cleared to play three for qualification. rounded by an army of cam­ a lot of competition here. To tion. We are waiting for a res­ tournaments in Europe — Badminton’s world body eras, all eager to snap a byte achieve the Olympic cut­off ponse. Once they revert, we German Open, the All En­ (BWF) on Friday said it has with the local star. I need to compete against will send them to the Minis­ gland Open and the Swiss currently no plans to make faster athletes who will help try to start the visa process,” Open, with the Chinese Bad­ any adjustments to the regu­ Raring to go: Sunil Chhetri, right, who had some fitness issues, appears ready for the game Silver for Dhanalakshmi me push me further,” she BAI secretary Ajay Singhania minton Association claiming lations related to the Tokyo against ATK. * K. MURALI KUMAR Dutee was the first to get off said. told PTI. that “no one is infected”. Games qualification period. Bishkek not to Sun’s lawyer blasts ‘lies’ after ban host wrestling Says he will appeal based on a series of procedural errors qualifiers SWIMMING A lawyer for Sun, a hugely ised, and it was they who de­ But WADA took the matter Press Trust of India popular figure in China, is­ cided not to pursue testing. to CAS, demanding a ban of NEW DELHI sued a fiery statement on Sa­ Sun will sue a doping in­ between two and eight years Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bish­ PRESS TRUST OF INDIA turday, reiterating that he spector who gave “false evi­ for missing the out­of­com­ kek has pulled out as host HONG KONG will appeal, based on “a se­ dence”, said the lawyer, also petition test. for next month’s Asian Swimmer Sun Yang, three­ ries of procedural errors.” accusing the World Anti­ In its bombshell judg­ Olympic wrestling qualify­ time Olympic champion, “February 28, 2020, was a Doping Agency (WADA) of ment, CAS said its panel “un­ ing event as part of preven­ came out swinging on Satur­ dark day. It shows the scene “distorting facts and abuse animously determined” that tive measures against the day against his eight­year where evil defeats justice of power.” Sun, whose career has been spread of coronavirus. drug ban, threatening legal and power replaces self­evi­ With the Tokyo Olympics overshadowed by numerous The March 27­29 event action of his own as he at­ dent truths,” Beijing lawyer just five months away, the controversies, had tampered was originally scheduled to tempts to salvage his career. Zhang Qihuai said in a reigning 1500m freestyle with his doping control. be held in Xian but was The Court of Arbitration statement. world record­holder is fight­ The severity of the ban re­ moved out of the Chinese for Sport (CAS) hit the Chi­ “On this day, CAS listened ing to save his career and flected the fact that it was his city amid the outbreak of nese freestyle swimmer with to prejudice, turned a blind reputation. second doping violation. He the virus that has killed the lengthy ban on Friday for eye to rules and procedures, A vial of Sun’s blood was served three months in 2014 close to 3000 people and refusing to give a doping turned a blind eye to facts smashed with a hammer for taking a banned infected nearly 80,000 sample in September 2018. and evidence, and accepted during the contentious test­ substance. globally. It is the 28­year­old’s se­ all lies and false evidence.” ing session in 2018, but he Sun’s downfall will be ce­ The Kyrgyzstan govern­ cond ban for doping, having was acquitted by world lebrated by clean athletes, ment has postponed all served three months in 2014, Not qualified swimming body FINA of an­ but his critic and rival Mack sporting events in the and he said in the immediate The statement reasserted ti­doping violations, agree­ Horton said their bitter feud country till further notice aftermath that he would ap­ Sun’s defence that doping of­ ing that testers failed to pro­ was never personal. in the wake of the epidem­ peal at the Swiss federal ficials who came to his home duce adequate The Australian refused to ic. The sport’s world go­ court. were not qualified or author­ identification. shake hands with Sun after a verning body United World medal ceremony at last Wrestling (UWW) has com­ year’s acrimonious world municated to all Asian fed­ championships in South Ko­ erations that Bishkek is no rea, after which Horton re­ more hosting the ceived death threats on so­ tournament. cial media. “Today (February 28), It reignited a row from the UWW has received the in­ 2016 Rio Olympics, where formation that the Kyrgyz Horton labelled Sun a “drug government has decided to cheat”. “I think regardless of take measures against the the outcome it was always spread of the COVID­19, going to be a statement to and such measure unfortu­ the world and my stance has nately include the cancella­ always been about clean tion of the Asian Olympic sport, never about nations OG Qualifier that had been or individuals,” Horton told previously reallocated to Channel Seven en route to the city of Bishkek,” the training on Saturday. UWW said. A 14­member Indian Restores faith squad, including young­ David Sharpe, who heads sters Jitender Kumar and the Australian Sports Anti­ Sonam Malik, were set to Doping Authority, said the compete in the Hitting back: Sun Yang will sue a doping inspector who gave false evidence, says his lawyer. CAS ruling “restores faith in tournament. * AP the anti­doping system.” CM A ND-NDE YK