March 30, 2021
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Sport TUESDAY 30 MARCH 2021 SteveS Smith puts hand up to lead AAustralia again if given chance I’veI certainly had a lot of time to think about it and I guess nown I’ve got to a point where if the opportunity did comec up again, I would be keen. Steve Smith Sport |09 VOLLEYBALL: AMIR CUP Al Rayyan beat Qatar SC 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-22); Al Ahli beat Al Wakrah 3-1 (25-12, 19-25, 25-18, 25-20) Qatari players during a training session yesterday as they prepare for their third European Qualifying match in Debrecen, Hungary. The Asian champions who have won both of their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 European Qualifiers so far, will take on Republic of Ireland today. Asian champions look to continue winning run at European qualifiers Upbeat Qatar take on ‘strong’ Ireland THE PENINSULA – DEBRECEN Meanwhile, star striker Qatar coach Felix Sanchez with team officials during a training session yesterday. Almoez Ali said the team's goal Asian Champions Qatar will be looking Qatar are about to play a very is to present the best possible to wrap up the first stage of the image which fits the "Asian European Qualifiers in Debrecen, difficult match against a strong Champions" tag. Hungary, with a flourish when they team. Ireland has many players "The fighting spirit has face Ireland in today's Group A clash in the English Premier League, always been the most at the Nagyerdei Stadion. the strongest league in the important secret of our suc- Sanchez and his team are enjoying world. Considering that the cesses, during the current tour- a fine run at the European Qualifiers nament or in the previous where they have won both their Group confrontation will be an ideal events we have he participated A encounters so far, but Sanchez is test for our team, we have to in," Almoez, Qatar's hero at the aware that today's encounter will be adapt quickly to such types of AFC Asian Cup two years ago, the most difficult of them all. matches: Qatar coach Felix said yesterday. Qatar, who have qualified automat- Sanchez "We hope to continue what ically for the World Cup as the host we started in the European nation, are included as a guest team in Qualifiers. We are a good team the European Qualifiers to gain match and as long as the collective practice against top teams. the physical point of view. and fighting spirit is there, we Sanchez yesterday warned his They have players who have will try to give our best. players about the challenges they might fast reflections," Sanchez "It does not matter who face in today's confrontation. said. scores, the important thing is "Qatar are about to play a very dif- "We will try to provide the for the team to provide a ficult match against a strong team. best possible level in order to decent performance. Per- Ireland has many players in the English continue the good image that sonally, I seek to help the team Premier League, the strongest league we presented in the previous two his tally to 30 international goals in 137 the services of Tottenham full-back and this is my goal. And if I get the in the world. Considering that the con- games and we have to be ready to caps. Matt Doherty and Sheffield United’s opportunity I will score goals of course frontation will be an ideal test for our avoid any situations that the com- Ireland come into today's match Enda Stevens. because this is part of my responsi- team, we have to adapt quickly to such petitor may impose on us," Sanchez off the back of a defeat to Luxembourg "We have an idea about the for- bility," Almoez, who has played for types of matches," Sanchez said during said yesterday. on Saturday night, their 10th loss in a mation for today's game, but at the same several European clubs, including KAS a virtual press conference on the eve Qatar are high in confidence, row since the arrival of their new time we will wait until our last training Eupen, FC Pasching, LASK Linz and of the match. having defeated Azerbaijan and manager Stephen Kenny. in order to make the final decision on Cultural Leonesa, said. "There is no doubt that it is a dif- Luxembourg. It was also their second loss in the the line-up," Sanchez said yesterday. "We are participating in a unique ficult match against a strong team Mohammed Muntari fired the Group stage, having lost 3-2 at Serbia. "We focus only on preparing for event which is an ideal opportunity to that seeks to recover from their pre- 'Hosts' Qatar at the Nagyerdei Stadion Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home against matches optimally, we are not affected make contact with strong teams in vious two losses. They will look for to their opening win against Luxem- Luxembourg who are 98th in the FIFA by what is happening or what is said preparation for the World Cup. We a win which will of course act as a bourg (1-0). Later, skipper Hasan Al rankings - 56 spots lower than Ireland, in the media. We always work hard hope the qualifiers in the best possible motivation for them. So it will be a Haydos scored a stunning winner in rubbed more salt into their wounds. and prepare well to compete in the best way by giving our best against Ireland," high-level match, especially from their 2-1 victory over Azerbaijan to take In today's match, Ireland will miss possible way," Sanchez said. Almoez said. Viñales, Yamaha shine in Qatar again MOTOGP – DOHA speed and off the mark advantage commanding fashion was simply 2017 season, it’s fair to say it hasn’t seemed a bit too much to overcome stunning. completely gone to plan for Viñales It’s been a Ducati stranglehold in for the Yamahas, especially after Yamaha’s game, and the vic- in Iwata blue. Three wins in the recent years, but a repeat of 2017 what we saw in 2020. Many were tories we’ve seen from Viñales in opening five races was a dream sees Top Gun take season-opener proved wrong. recent years, has been to get out at start to life as a Yamaha rider, honours under the lights As the lights went out, Ducati’s the front from the get-go and run but five wins – including the “We are back.” Those were the monsters roared into Turn 1 four your own race. latest triumph – since rousing words of Maverick Viañles abreast. Viñales and teammate It might have only been Round the famous Le Mans (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) Fabio Quartararo were helpless 1 of the season, but we learned a encounter hasn’t straight after he performed from the front row as Bagnaia, lot from Qatar’s opener. When been the icing on arguably his best premier class per- Miller, Zarco and even Jorge Martin Viñales says “we are back”, it looks the cake. This formance to date to claim victory (Pramac Racing) – from 14th on the like he really means it. The might be the start at the 2021 Barwa Grand Prix of grid – shot into the first corner in Spaniard won one race last season of what we all came Qatar. And he’s not wrong. P1, P2, P3 and P4. It was unreal to but it was a largely disappointing to expect though. The Losail International Circuit watch. But what happened next year for both him and Yamaha in It must be said that Yamaha has only seen one manufacturer proved that Yamaha and Viñales general. Yes, they won seven out have always performed well in the win there in the last two seasons. have turned a corner. of 14 races, but Viñales and Quar- Qatar: Viñales, Valentino Rossi and That is, of course, Ducati. Heading Through the first sector, Viñales tararo’s title challenges on the latest Jorge Lorenzo have all won at into the opening race of 2021, the was P9. From there, previously, it spec machinery went up in smoke. Losail. But that shouldn’t take any- Italian manufacturer in the capable was probably game over in terms To display such a performance that thing away from what we hands of Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati of a decent points haul for Yamaha is pretty much the total opposite of witnessed on the latest Lenovo Team teammate Jack Miller as battling in a pack with different what we’ve seen from Viñales and Sunday under the lights. and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) machines is something that has Yamaha in recent years is a tell-tail A lot can change over were favourites to continue the been a huge weak point in the last sign that the combination is here the coming months. trend. What very few people couple of seasons. So for Viñales to to stay at the top of the Champi- However, Viñales has expected was a Viñales victory. Not then pick each rider in front of him onship for the foreseeable. returned to action with an because he isn’t capable, but off, not look uncomfortable doing Since winning his first race with almighty bang. Is this form here because Ducati’s straight-line so, and going on to win the race in Yamaha in Qatar at the start of the to stay? Time will tell. TUESDAY 30 MARCH 2021 SPORT 11 Amir Cup: Al Rayyan and Al Ahli reach semi-finals Al Ahli and Al Wakrah players battle for a Action during the first Amir point during their Cup quarter-final between Amir Cup last-8 match Al Rayyan and Qatar SC yesterday.