Sport TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2021 SmithSm calls for strong leadership frfromo ICC to regulate power of Big 3 TheThe gameg needs leadership right now that understands the complexities. I don’tdon think world cricket wants just three nations competing against eacheach other in 10 years’ time. How does that benefit the game? Graeme Smith Sport | 12 CRICKET: 2ND TEST India: 329 & 286 (Kohli 62, Ashwin 106; Leach 4/100); England: 134 & 53/3 (target 482) (D. Lawrence 19 not out) Qatar's Musab Adam qualifies for Tokyo Olympics Musab Adam QNA/THE PENINSULA – DOHA and Abdulrahman Hassan participated in the quali- fying race, and Musab succeeded in finishing the race Qatari athlete Musab Adam booked a ticket to the at the top to successfully achieve the required qualifi- The 1,500-metre runner becomes fourth Qatar Tokyo Olympics after achieving a time of 3.32.41 cation mark. track and field athlete after high jump world minutes in the 1,500-meter qualifying race on Sunday. Musab Adam joined the list of Qatari track and field champion Mutaz Barshim, 400m hurdler The event was conducted in cooperation with the athletes who had previously qualified for the Tokyo Abdelrahman Samba, hammer thrower Ashraf Qatar Athletics Federation, Aspire Academy and Aspetar. Olympics, namely the reigning world champion in high El-Seify and 800m runner Abubaker Haydar The Summer Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo jump, Mutaz Barshim, Abdelrahman Samba in the 400- from July 30 to August 8 this year. meter hurdles, Ashraf El-Seify in the hammer throw, Abdalla to qualify for the Tokyo Games. Musab Adam, Jamal Hayran, Ismail Noureddine, and Abubaker Haydar Abdalla in the 800 meters. PSG head to Barcelona with revenge, Messi on their minds REUTERS – BARCELONA QFA Award: Paris St Germain travel to Best players Barcelona for their Champions League round of 16 clash today from 1st leg with the French side’s unre- lenting pursuit of Lionel Messi of QSL adding intrigue to a rivalry laced with recent history. announced Barca’s 6-1 win over PSG in the last 16 in 2017 after losing THE PENINSULA – DOHA the first leg 4-0 was among the greatest comebacks ever in the The Board of Trustees of competition and led to the Paris Qatar Football Association side paying 222 million euros (QFA) Award yesterday ($269.29m) to prise away announced the results of Neymar, the standout player voting for the Best Awards that night. PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, Presnel Kimpembe, Idrissa Gueye, Thilo Kehrer and Moise Kean taking part in a training session in Barcelona from the first leg of 2020-21 Now they have set their yesterday. season QNB Stars League sights on Messi, with PSG’s (QSL) (Best Under-23 Player players, coaches and directors Award and Best Player talking of their excitement month to be the biggest in with his Argentina team mate earlier in the current campaign, said in yesterday’s pre-game Award). about the prospect of bringing world of sport. in Paris. is back to his best and warmed news conference. The best players were the Argentine to the French PSG sporting director The comments have riled up for the PSG game with two “A lot has been said, there selected after receiving and capital when his Barcelona con- Leonardo has said they have “a Barcelona coach Ronald sensational goals in a 5-1 are many opinions, but the last sorting the nomination forms tract expires in June. seat reserved at the table” for Koeman but PSG manager Mau- routing of Alaves. word will be his. I hope he stays sent to participants in the Backed by the Qatari royal when Messi wishes to negotiate ricio Pochettino said last week “Messi is 100% committed for many more years but it’s his voting process. family, PSG are one of the few with new clubs should he that he did not understand the to Barcelona and will make his decision and we’ll have to A total of 55 forms were clubs that could afford Messi’s decide to call time on his fuss. decision at the end of the respect it. His mind is focused sent out, 48 forms were eye-watering salary, which 17-year career with Barca, while Messi, who has admitted season. We don’t pay attention on Barca right now, you can see received and all of them were was revealed by Spanish winger Angel di Maria has made that his attempt to leave Barca to what other clubs and players that in every game.” Koeman approved after the screening newspaper El Mundo last it clear he wants to be reunited last summer led to a dip in form say,” Barca left back Jordi Alba had previously said PSG were process. talking up their chances of As per the approved signing Messi to try and crank mechanism, voting for the up the pressure on Barcelona, Best Coach Award will take Pochettino confident Mbappe can get job done who will be without the injured place after the end of the QSL. Neymar on Tuesday, but the QSL team coaches, the REUTERS – BARCELONA have a team and players who are responsible,” Dutchman was more relaxed national team coach, Pochettino, who took over from the sacked Thomas the day before the game. Under-23 team coach, team Paris St Germain’s Kylian Mbappe will be under the Tuchel at the beginning of the year, told a news con- “They haven’t managed to managers, media represent- spotlight when they face Barcelona in their Cham- ference on Monday. destabilise us. I don’t know atives, QFA and QSL repre- pions League last-16 first leg tie today without “As for Mbappe, I expect from him what I always whether that was their intention sentatives, President and Neymar and Angel Di Maria but coach Mauricio expect from great players. I’m very happy with his or not,” he said. “But Messi members of the Board of Pochettino feels he will live up to expectations. performances since I arrived.” belongs to Barca and I have a Trustees of QFA Awards and Although Mbappe is the Ligue 1 top scorer with Neymar suffered a thigh problem in last week’s lot of hope he will stay here.” a number of other bodies 16 goals this season, he has largely failed to ignite in French Cup win at Caen while Di Maria has a similar The Catalans, who have (Qatar Olympic Committee, the Champions League with just two goals and he injury which he picked up in the Ligue 1 victory away won their last seven La Liga Qatar Players Association, has not scored in the knockout stage since a 2-0 to Olympique Marseille on Feb 7. games, are missing Uruguayan Aspire, Old Players Com- win at Manchester United in the last 16 in 2019. While Pochettino welcomes back first-choice defender Ronald Araujo plus mittee) too part in the voting But Pochettino, who is expected to field Mauro keeper Keylor Navas, the Argentine said he had still forwards Ansu Fati and Philippe process. Icardi and Pablo Sarabia or Moise Kean alongside not decided whether he would field Italy midfielder Coutinho but are boosted by the the 22-year-old Mbappe, said he was pleased with Marco Verratti, who missed last weekend’s 2-1 Ligue return of defender Gerard Pique VOTING RESULTS: the France striker’s form. 1 win against Nice with a hip injury. after three months out with a Best Under-23 Player “Clearly “We have to go step by step. We have to analyse knee injury. 1. Homam Al Ameen (Al we’re missing Marco today in training. We have a strategy, a game PSG, who are second in Gharafa) important plan. According to his form, we’ll make the right Ligue 1, lost Neymar to a thigh 2. Motaz Barsham (Al Sadd) players but we decision,” he said. problem in last week’s French 3. Naif Al Hadrami (Al Rayyan) Cup win at Caen and are also without Di Maria, who has the Best Player same issue, but midfielder 1. Santi Cazorla (Al Sadd) Marco Verratti returns after 2. Yacine Brahimi (Al Rayyan) recovering from a hip injury. 3. Akram Afif (Al Sadd) King Shalaa stays unbeaten with a Listed victory in France THE PENINSULA – DOHA to run. King Shalaa held him at bay in We will see where he goes to. Like all the closing stages to win by ½ a length, the family, he doesn’t like soft ground In the colours of H H Sheikh Abdullah with a fast-finishing Summiter just hence why we chose this race. We hope bin Khalifa Al Thani, King Shalaa (Shalaa missing out on second place by a head. that he will make up into a Group horse; x Baki) went from pillar to post to lift Trainer François Rohaut com- for the moment, you can’t fault him. He the Listed Prix Californie, the feature mented: “This Listed wasn’t originally has beaten everything that he has come race in the card at Cagnes-sur-Mer. on the program as he was supposed to up against and he does it well each time. Ridden by champion jockey Pierre- go to Qatar to run in a local Gr.3 for We haven’t decided on the next race as Charles Boudot and trained by his 3-year-ols over 1,600m next week. But of yet,” Rohut said breeder François Rohaut, the 3-year- with the current situation being what it King Shalaa was bred by his trainer old colt is now 3 wins from 3 starts and is, we preferred not to take the risk.