NBA | Page 5 FOOTBALL | Page 7 Raptors fi rst Suarez wanted Canadian to ‘disappear’ team to win aft er defeat to NBA title Liverpool Saturday, June 15, 2019 CRICKET Shawwal 12, 1440 AH Akram calls for GULF TIMES calm, says India vs Pak clash ‘not war’ SPORT Page 3 FOOTBALL / COPA AMERICA FOCUS Boost for Qatar as Qatar to host World Beach al-Rawi passes Games in Defender al-Rawi played a key role in Qatar’s Asian Cup October fi tness test triumph earlier this year By Sports Reporter called “Group of Death.” Doha Meanwhile, Japan plan on displaying their “strength” at the Copa America when the Blue n what will serve as a huge Samurai make their second ap- boost to Qatar, Bassam al- pearance as guests in a tough Rawi has recovered from an Group C alongside champions injury as coach Felix Sanchez Chile, coach Hajime Moriyasu Ichose not to tinker with his said. 23-member squad ahead of their “I’m really looking forward to Copa America opener against playing in the Copa America, it’s Paraguay at the Maracana stadi- one of the highest level tourna- um in Rio de Janeiro tomorrow. ments in the world,” the coach Young defender al-Rawi, who told reporters in Sao Paulo. has been battling a retrac- “How can we show our strength tor muscle injury for some and which way we play, that’s time now, missed Qatar’s in- what we want to fi nd out in this ternational friendly against tournament,” the coach of the Brazil on June 5. However, the Asian Cup runners-up added. atar has replaced San “Work has been continuing 21-year-old has returned to Japan may not be amongst the Diego as the hosts for to ensure our inaugural ANOC training, which has convinced favourites but Moriyasu insisted this year’s Association World Beach Games is a univer- Sanchez of al-Rawi’s fi tness. his players have arrived in Brazil of National Olym- sal, elite event, with more world- Al-Rawi played a key role in with a winning mindset. “We Qpic Committees (ANOC) World class athletes from around the Qatar’s maiden Asian Cup title will play in order to win the ti- Beach Games, the website in- world qualifying every week,” win earlier this year and Sanchez tle, but fi rst and foremost for us sidethegames.biz reported yes- said Lindberg. would be hoping for a similar is to play game by game and do terday. In a statement, ANOC “The Games was conceived performance from the Al Du- our best in each, then think of confi rmed the sports programme with the needs of National Ol- hail starlet. Al-Rawi has shown the next one,” the 50-year-old would remain the same but the ympic Committees (NOCs) and maturity beyond his years in coach underlined. fi rst edition of the multi-sport athletes in mind, and ANOC is the heart of the Qatar defence. Previously, Moriyasu had an- event would be pushed back to in no doubt that the decision to At the Asian Cup, al-Rawi was nounced that the Copa America October 12 to 16. relocate the inaugural edition to a calming infl uence as centre- would serve as a warm-up for The Games had been due to be Qatar makes prudent fi nancial back. He also displayed a terrifi c the Olympic Games to be held held in San Diego from October and sporting sense. ability from dead-ball situation in Tokyo next year. The Japanese 10 to 15 but ANOC announced “We are delighted to have es- by scoring twice from freekicks, arrived in Brazil on Wednes- two weeks ago that it would relo- tablished a partnership with and will off er Qatar plenty going day and will play their opening cate the event from the American the highly-experienced team at forward as he does in defence. match against Chile in Sao Paulo city after Californian organisers the Qatar Olympic Committee, Meanwhile, Qatar squad on Monday. proved unable to raise the neces- backed up with the enthusiastic trained in Rio de Janeiro yester- They held their fi rst training sary money to fund it. support of the Qatar Govern- day. Sanchez’s men were based session on Thursday at Brazilian ANOC said it had received ment.” ANOC also confi rmed the in coastal town of Porta Belo giants Sao Paulo’s headquar- fi nancial guarantees from the General Assembly would be held for the last two weeks as they ters, where around 400 children Government in Qatar, which is in Qatar from October 17 to 18. prepared for the world’s oldest and adults of Japanese origin also hosting this year’s Interna- Doha hosted the annual gath- football tournament. Qatar will watched the hour-long practice. tional Association of Athletics ering of the world’s 206 NOCs in become the 19th team to take Their fi rst match will likely feel Federations World Champion- 2016. ANOC said it still expected part in Copa America, as they like a home game given the huge ships from September 28 to Oc- athletes from 90 NOCs to par- and Japan are guest teams in Japanese migrant community in tober 6 and is due to stage the ticipate at the Games. South American football show- the sprawling metropolis. There 2022 FIFA World Cup. San Diego had been awarded piece. After the Paraguay en- is an estimated 1.5mn people of ANOC secretary general Gun- the event by ANOC in 2015 and counter, Qatar will take on Co- Japanese descent in Brazil, many illa Lindberg has said hosting the they had been due to take place lombia on June 16 and Argentina of whom live in Sao Paulo. event in Qatar “makes prudent in 2017 before being pushed back on June 23 in Group D, which is fi nancial and sporting sense”. a further two years to 2019. 2019 ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP Root leads England to crushing win over WI Reuters we did today. It was a really good Southampton team eff ort and performance.” SCORECARD England made a fast start when Chris Woakes dismissed WEST INDIES INNINGS Total: (all out, 44.4 overs) 212 Gabriel 45 oe Root’s classy unbeaten Evin Lewis for two before Wood century led England to dropped destructive West Indies C. Gayle c Bairstow b Plunkett 36 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Lewis), J. Root not out 100 a comprehensive eight- opener Chris Gayle. E. Lewis b Woakes 2 2-54 (Gayle), 3-55 (Hope), 4-144 C. Woakes c sub (Allen) b Gabriel 40 (Hetmyer), 5-156 (Holder), 6-188 wicket victory over West The error did not prove too S. Hope lbw b Wood 11 B. Stokes not out 10 JIndies in a one-sided Cricket costly, however, as Gayle fell to (Russell), 7-202 (Pooran), 8-202 World Cup match in Southamp- Liam Plunkett for 36 and Shai N. Pooran c Buttler b Archer 63 (Cottrell), 9-211 (Brathwaite), 10- Extras: (lb2, nb1, w15) 18 ton yesterday. Hope was trapped lbw by Wood S. Hetmyer c and b Root 39 212 (Gabriel) Total: (two wickets, 33.1 overs) 213 Jofra Archer and Mark Wood for 11 to leave West Indies in J. Holder c and b Root 9 Bowling: Woakes 5-2-16-1 (1w), Fall of wickets: 1-95 (Bairstow), took three wickets apiece as Eng- trouble at 55-3. Nicholas Pooran Archer 9-1-30-3 (1w), Plunkett A. Russell c Woakes b Wood 21 2-199 (Woakes) land bowled the Windies out for and Shimron Hetmyer shared a 5-0-30-1 (3w), Wood 6.4-0-18-3 Bowling: Cottrell 3-0-17-0 (1w), a modest 212 after winning the fl uent fourth-wicket partner- C. Brathwaite c Buttler b Archer 14 (1w), Stokes 4-0-25-0, Rashid 10- Thomas 6-0-43-0 (2w), Gabriel toss, and Root’s 100 not out took ship of 89, but Hetmyer was S. Cottrell lbw b Archer 0 0-61-0 (1w), Root 5-0-27-2 (1w) the hosts and tournament fa- caught and bowled by Root for 7-0-49-2 (7w), Russell 2-0-14- vourites to their target with more 39 and the part-time spinner O. Thomas not out 0 0 (1w), Holder 5.1-0-31-0 (1w), than 16 overs to spare. England’s soon dismissed Windies captain S. Gabriel b Wood 0 ENGLAND INNINGS Brathwaite 5-0-35-0 (1w), Gayle 5-0-22-0 (2w) third win in four matches lifted England’s Joe Root (right) and Ben Stokes celebrate after winning Jason Holder in identical fash- Extras: (lb5, w12) 17 J. Bairstow c Brathwaite b them to second in the 10-team the match against the West Indies yesterday. ion. Pooran was caught by wick- England won by 8 wickets standings while West Indies are etkeeper Jos Buttler off Archer sixth following their second loss. win and important we followed “You pride yourself on work- and the West Indies-born pace Gabriel to end the innings. The which forced them to leave the Jonny Bairstow and the pair “It’s obviously nice for this through on that,” said man-of- ing it out as a batsman, building bowler also sent back Carlos only downside for England were fi eld and forced changes in the shared a fl uent partnership of 95 hundred to mean something and the-match Root, who also took big partnerships either when set- Brathwaite and Sheldon Cottrell injuries to captain Eoin Morgan batting order.