RRUGBYUGBY | Page 4 BADMINTON | Page 6 Wallabies India’s braced for Sindhu wins S. Africa Korean retribution Open title Monday, September 18, 2017 BOXING Dhul-Hijja 27, 1438 AH Golovkin retains GULF TIMES titles after thrilling draw with Alvarez SPORT Page 3 SPOTLIGHT Dazzling extravaganza opens Ashgabat 2017 he 5th Asian Indoor Games pets to a song from legendary Turkmen was offi cially opened last night folk artist Jemal Saparova and a spec- in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. tacular fi reworks fi nale, the show did The atmosphere was electric exactly that. Tas more than 7,500 artists including The grand spectacle, which included singers, dancers, musicians and acro- 75,000 costume pieces and 700 tonnes bats took centrestage at the Ashgabat of freight, revolved around a huge cyl- Olympic Stadium, showcasing ‘The inder in the middle of the stadium. Spirit of Turkmenistan’ as a capacity The structure, 30 metres in diameter crowd of 45,000 celebrated the Open- and suspended 30 metres above the ing Ceremony of the biggest multi- stadium fl oor, projected 25 metre-high sport event ever held in Central Asia. images and hid entire scene changes, A shot from the opening ceremony Athletes, offi cials and spectators sets and hundreds of members of the were invited to a captivating evocation cast. Book of World Records as the largest of the soul of a nation from ancient Members of the Qatar There was a roar of delight from the architectural portrayal of a horse on times through until the present day delegation wave flags as they crowd as fi re rose high into the sky the planet. through its spirit, symbols, history, march during the opening from the cauldron atop the stadium It was after the tolling of a bell and music and art. ceremony of the 5th Asian after the lighting of the Games fl ame. a blessing by Turkmenistan’s President From dazzling displays of acrobatics Indoor Games in Ashgabat The cauldron sits on the neck of a Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov early in on the country’s famous Akhal-Teke yesterday. (QOC photo) giant white horse monument that was the ceremony, that Ashgabat 2017 of- horses and images of its beautiful car- recently recognised by the Guinness fi cially got under way. FORMULA ONE CRICKET Hamilton wins Pandya stars in rain-hit crucial, chaotic India victory AFP to the pavilion off Pandya. Chennai, India Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav also joined the party after getting star opener David Warner ll-rounder Hardik Pandya caught behind for 25 as Australia’s starred with the bat and innings fell apart. ball to help India defeat Glenn Maxwell tried to raise Aus- Singapore GP Australia by 26 runs in the tralia’s hopes with his 18-ball 39, Arain-hit opening one-day interna- including three fours and four sixes, tional in Chennai yesterday. but Yuzvendra Chahal cut short the ‘Guys what can I say — what a turnaround today! Fantastic job with the team strategy’ Chasing a revised target of 164 in batsman’s blitz. 21 overs, the visitors were frustrated Leg-spinner Chahal ended with AFP Raikkonen ploughed into Red Bull’s by wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal three wickets in his fi ve overs. Pan- Singapore RESULTS AND STANDINGS Verstappen on the fi rst corner, tak- and Kuldeep Yadav who shared fi ve dya and Yadav took two each. ing both cars out of the race and also wickets between them. They ended Earlier Australian fast bowler 1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes-AMG) Drivers’ standings heavily shunting Fernando Alonso’s on 137-9. Nathan Coulter-Nile had made an ewis Hamilton won a chaotic 294 km in 2hr 03min 23.543 (average 1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 263pts, 2. Sebas- McLaren. Pole-sitter Vettel, who had But it was Pandya’s 66-ball 83 and impact with three wickets includ- and rain-hit Singapore Grand speed: 143 km/h) tian Vettel (GER) 235, 3. Valtteri Bottas been looking to reclaim the world two wickets that proved decisive in ing the prized scalp of Virat Kohli for Prix yesterday to seize con- 2. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) at 4.507 (FIN) 212, 4. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 162, 5. championship lead from Hamilton, India taking a 1-0 lead in the fi ve- nought. Ltrol of the Formula One world 3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes-AMG) at Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) 138, 6. Max Verstap- spun further ahead, lost his front wing match series. Coulter-Nile, who returned after championship as his title rival Sebas- 8.800 pen (NED) 68, 7. Sergio Perez (MEX) 68, and ended up reversing down the track, Pandya put on a gritty 118-run a string of injuries that kept him out tian Vettel crashed out on the fi rst lap. 4. Carlos Sainz (ESP/Toro Rosso) at 22.822 8. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 56, 9. Carlos Sainz before also retiring. sixth-wicket stand with Mahendra since June 2016, put India in early Ferrari’s Vettel and Kimi Raikko- 5. Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) at (ESP) 48, 10. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) 34, “Obviously it sucks being on the Singh Dhoni, who made 79, to lift trouble at 11-3. nen, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen all 25.359 11. Felipe Massa (BRA) 31, 12. Lance Stroll wrong side of the track now, but that’s India from a precarious 87-5 after Rohit Sharma, who made 28, and went out just after the start of the fi rst 6. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) at 27.259 (CAN) 28, 13. Romain Grosjean (FRA) 26, 14. what it is,” Vettel shrugged after re- electing to bat fi rst. Kedar Jadhav, who scored 40, tried wet race in Singapore, which saw three 7. Stoff el Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren-Hon- Kevin Magnussen (DEN) 11, 15. Fernando turning to the paddock. In reply, the visitors had to wait to rebuild with their 53-run partner- safety cars and fi nished with only 12 da) at 30.388 Alonso (ESP) 10, 16. Jolyon Palmer (GBR) But Hamilton dodged the pile-up for two hours to start their shortened ship before Marcus Stoinis sent the drivers. 8. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) at 41.696 8, 17. Stoff el Vandoorne (BEL) 7, 18. Pascal and he progressed from fi fth on the chase as constant drizzle threatened two batsmen back in the pavilion. It all played perfectly into the hands 9. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) at 43.282 Wehrlein (GER) 5, 19. Daniil Kvyat (RUS) 4 grid to fi rst, ahead of Ricciardo, as the to spoil the contest. Dhoni, who has captained the of Mercedes driver Hamilton, who 10. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) at Constructors’ standings race fi nally restarted after a safety car. Pacemen Jasprit Bumrah and Pan- successful Chennai franchise in the went from fi fth on the grid to fi rst and 44.795 1. Mercedes-AMG 475pts, 2. Ferrari 373, 3. Alonso lasted just a few laps before dya combined to hurt Australia’s Indian Premier League Twenty20 held off Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo to 11. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) at 46.536 Red Bull 230, 4. Force India 124, 5. Williams the damage sustained at the fi rst cor- hopes of chasing a tricky target with tournament, then made his innings clinch his third win in a row. 12. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) at 2 laps 59, 6. Toro Rosso 52, 7. Renault 42, 8. Haas ner forced him to retire, and Toro Ros- three early strikes including skipper count along with Pandya for com- With his 60th race victory and sev- The other competitors were not classified 37, 9. McLaren-Honda 17, 10. Sauber 5 so’s Daniil Kvyat became the fi fth man Steve Smith for one. pany. enth this season, Hamilton — who said out when he ploughed nose-fi rst into Bumrah bowled debutant opener The duo thwarted the Australian he needed a “miracle” after struggling a barrier — prompting a second safety Hilton Cartwright for one. He then bowling with some stubborn batting in qualifying — stands 28 points ahead car. took a stunning high catch at short before Pandya let loose to take the of Vettel with six Grands Prix left this Mercedes declined to pit Hamilton fi ne-leg to send Smith trudging back attack to the opposition. year. under the safety car but after the restart “Guys what can I say — what a turn- he reeled off a string of fastest laps on around today! Fantastic job with the the slowly drying track, extending his SCORECARD team strategy,” Hamilton said over the lead over Ricciardo. radio, before leaping out of his car and Ricciardo and then Hamilton pitted India S. Smith c Bumrah b Pandya .................................... 1 hugging his engineers. for ultra-soft tyres after laps 28 and A. Rahane c Wade b Coulter-Nile....................... 5 T. Head c Dhoni b Pandya ..........................................5 “God blessed me today, for sure,” he 29 and the Briton emerged 8.7 seconds R. Sharma c Coulter-Nile b Stoinis ................28 G. Maxwell c Pandey b Chahal .........................39 said later, dripping with champagne. ahead with 50 minutes left on an in- V. Kohli c Maxwell b Coulter-Nile .......................0 M. Stoinis c Jadeja (sub) b Yadav .......................3 “I capitalised on the incident — who creasingly quick track. M. Pandey c Wade b Coulter-Nile .....................0 M. Wade st Dhoni b Chahal ...................................... 9 would have known that would happen? Hamilton had a healthy advantage K. Jadhav c Cartwright b Stoinis ....................40 J. Faulkner not out ............................................................ 32 “It was really unfortunate for the of 9.6 seconds when Sauber’s Marcus M.S.