www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 22 PAGE | 23 England captain Is United managerager Cook set for new Mourinho gettingting Test record his mojo back?? THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER 2016 • 19 MOHARRAM 1438 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Qatar’s Al Tamimi gets wildcard for home event Ahmed Al Hemaidi (centre), Secretary General of Qatar Cycling Federation (QCF), speaking during the Royal Air Maroc Cycling League press The Peninsula Gregory Gaultier, World Champi- conference at Melia Hotel in Doha yesterday. Also present are Abdulaziz Al Kuwari (left) of Qatar Cyclists, Saeed Al Hajri (second left), General onship runner-up Omar Mosaad, Sales Agent at Royal Air Maroc, Andrej Filip (second right), Technical Secretary at QCF, and Ben Keane of Qatar Chain Reaction. World No.4 Karim Abdel Gawad Picture by: Baher Amin/The Peninsula and three-time World Champion DOHA: Defending champion Nick Matthew all vying for hon- Mohamed El Shorbagy of Egypt tops ours in Doha. an outstanding field of the world’s The main draw will be released greatest players who will once again on November 7. descend at the Khalifa International The qualifying stages of the Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha 2016 Qatar Classic will take place Stage set for Royal Air for the 2016 Qatar Classic when the on November 11-12, while the main prestigious World Series tourna- draw begins a day later, with the ment begins on November 13. final taking place on November 18. Twenty-four players have gained a direct entry to the main draw 2016 Qatar Classic including Qatar’s Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (pictured), who has been Main Draw Entry List Maroc Cycling League handed a wildcard at the $150,000 1) Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) event - the third stage of the 2016-17 2) Gregory Gaultier (FRA) Men’s PSA Road to Dubai. 3) Omar Mosaad (EGY) The Qatar Classic offers the 4) Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and opportunity for players to accrue 5) Nick Matthew (ENG) The 10-leg series, later named as ‘Qatar Cyclists Centre’. crucial points on the PSA Road to Our main interest is to promote cycling Dubai Standings, where only the 6) Ali Farag (EGY) supported by Qatar within Qatar and among all residents top eight players will qualify for a 7) Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) Cyclists and Qatar in the country, with a special focus on place at the season-ending Dubai 8) Ramy Ashour (EGY) Chain Reaction, gets Qataris,” Al Kuwari said. PSA World Series Finals. 9) Tarek Momen (EGY) “We are happy to be part of this El Shorbagy returns to the 10) Simon Rösner (GER) positive response league and we will provide logisti- scene of his two World Champion- 11) Cameron Pilley (AUS) cal and promotional support to the ship final defeats in 2012 and 2014, 12) Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) project,” he said. and the hard-hitting World No.1 is Chairman of Qatar Chain Reaction in fine form after triumphing at the 13) Daryl Selby (ENG) By Rizwan Rehmat Ben Keane said: “Initially we formed Delaware Investments US Open – 14) Max Lee (HKG) The Peninsula a small group of cycling enthusiasts, the second stage on the PSA Road 15) James Willstrop (ENG) riding at Corniche. The group used to to Dubai, last week. 16) Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) meet at a garage in Al Khor.” The man who ended El Shor- 17) Chris Simpson (ENG) He added: “We were 10 guys to bagy’s World Championship 18) Saurav Ghosal (IND) DOHA: A new cycling series aimed start with and now we race with dream on those two occasions, fel- 19) Zahed Mohamed (EGY) at capturing the two-wheel interest Saeed Al Hajri (left), General Sales Agent at Royal Air Maroc, handing 150 or more people. We have grown low Egyptian Ramy Ashour, is also in Qatar kicks off tomorrow, organ- over the jersey to Ahmed Al Hemaidi, Secretary General of QCF. exponentially. We had no direction involved, with the former World 20) Gregoire Marche (FRA) isers said yesterday. though we were growing. We are on No.1 looking to put his injury prob- 21) Cesar Salazar (MEX) The Royal Air Maroc Cycling in Qatar. “We have our national team December and then February when social media with more than 2200 lems behind him as he eyes up a first 22) Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) League will start at Al Thak- that has done extremely well in the we have the Tour of Qatar,” he said. members on FB. We are pretty cer- Qatar Classic crown since 2007. 23) Tom Richards (ENG) ira Youth Centre and ends at Ras region for many years. We saw the “Each race will accord points to tain that with this league in place we A wealth of other world-class Wildcard) Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi Laffan, Secretary General of passion for the sport at the UCI World the top riders. And the riders will will see more cyclists taking up the talent will also feature, with the (QAT) Qatar Cycling Federation (QCF) Road Championships that concluded have to accumulate points for every sport seriously.” likes of current World Champion Ahmed Al Hemaidi said yesterday. on Sunday.” race they compete in. The riders with Filip said: “We would like to The first leg starts and ends on the same The men’s competitions will be the top tally at the end of the league thank Qatar Cyclists and Qatar Chain day. held in three classes whereas the will be declared a champion. Reaction. Then there are sponsors The 10-leg series - supported by female riders will compete in two “The top riders will be given air like Go Sport, Al Rayyan Water and Qatar Cyclists (QC) and Qatar Chain categories, Andrej Filip, Technical tickets by Royal Air Maroc who are Carbon Wheels. We didn’t expect Reaction (QCR) - will see events Secretary, QCF, revealed. the sponsors of this league,” he said. such huge response. being held with a gap of two or three “This is the first league of its kind Filip said QCF will provide logistical “The interest in our league has weeks with the league officially cul- for cycling fans in Qatar,” Filip said. support to riders as will QCR and QC. exploded maybe because of the minating in April next year. “This is the best time to launch this Dr Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, repre- cycling worlds. We have to accom- “With this new series, our target league since we saw a fantastic week senting Qatar Cyclists, said: “Qatar modate as many riders as possible. is to make a statement on healthy liv- of cycling during the UCI worlds,” he Cyclists is a non-profitable organi- Some dates of league have not been ing in the country since we have a added. zation which was established in April confirmed. Sometimes the national huge fan base in cycling. We want “The new league will take rid- 2013 by a group of Qatari riders who team riders maybe travelling so we more and more people to take up ers to all corners of the country over have a special love of cycling.” may change the dates. Mostly the cycling,” Al Hemaidi said yesterday. a course of five or six months. We He added: “In January 2014, the races will be held on Fridays,” Filip “Cycling is well established sport will break for the holiday season in group was acknowledged and supported said. Qatar’s Al Hitmi retains FIG Executive Committee post Agencies Seven Executive Al Kuwari, the Secretary General of QOC, for the support I was extended to promote Committee Members: the sport of gymnastics in Qatar and the Ali Al Hitmi (QAT), Jesus Carballo Martinez region,” Al Hitmi said in his statement. TOKYO: President of Qatar Gymnastics (ESP), Ron Galimore (USA), Youssef Altabbaa “I will continue to work hard so that we Federation (QGF) Ali Al Hitmi has easily (SYR), Jani Tanskanen (FIN), Martin Reddin may win greater laurels for Qatar in sports. retained his post as one of the seven mem- (GBR), Kim Dong Min (KOR) I am willing to work tirelessly to promote bers of the FIG Executive Committee, details gymnastics around the world,” he said. showed yesterday. Committee. “It is a huge honour for me. Two years ago, Doha was awarded the Al Hitmi is now set to begin his second Yes, I am very pleased that a large number rights to host 48th Artistic Gymnastics term as an Executive Committee mem- of members showed confidence in me and World Championships. ber after election results were announced voted for my success,” Al Hitmi said in a Earlier, Japan’s Morinari Watanabe beat by FIG, the world governing body, here statement released by QGF. French rival Georges Guelzec to become the yesterday. “I take this opportunity to thank the new head of world gymnastics. Watanabe, A total of 17 members contested the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al a former gymnast, succeeds Italy’s Bruno elections for seven seats. Al Hitmi received Thani and H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Grandi as president of the International President of Qatar Gymnastics Federation (QGF) Ali Al Hitmi with the other members of 60 votes in the second round to retain his Thani, the President of the Qatar Olympic Gymnastics Federation (FIG), said a spokes- the FIG Executive Committee. place on the highly influential FIG Executive Committee (QOC). I also thank Dr Thani man for the Japan Gymnastics Association. THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER 2016 21 QSL Standings Teams P W D L GF GA Pts Al Kharaitiyat battle Al Khor as El Jaish 3 3 0 0 7 4 9 Lekhwiya 3 2 0 1 12 7 7 Al Sadd 3 2 0 1 9 4 7 Al Arabi 3 2 1 0 6 5 6 Al Rayyan 3 1 0 2 4 1 5 Al Shahaniya face Al Gharafa Umm Salal 3 1 0 2 4 3 5 Al Ahli 3 1 1 1 6 5 4 three games.