Virat Kohli Most Ahead of Their Tour of Left-Arm Spinner Malinda Niroshan Dickwella (WK), South Africa
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FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 4 NNBABA | Page 6 Conte backs Pistons Hazard to take snap Celtics’ central role win streak at Chelsea at home Wednesday, November 29, 2017 CRICKET Rabia I 11, 1439 AH Kohli leads GULF TIMES pay rise call for India players SPORT Page 3 QATAR CIRCUIT SQUASH FORMAT Al-Tamimi sees No change in ACL format, off El Hammamy says AFC Qatar, Saudi and UAE Clubs will have to play tournament on a home-and-away basis as was the case in previous years to pocket title ready sees games featuring clubs from Reuters Bangkok Saudi Arabia and Iran played in neutral ‘I am extremely proud of how I performed at this event in front of my home crowd’ venues due to a diplomatic disagree- ment between those countries. Qatar, By Sports Reporter atches between clubs along with Oman and the United Arab Doha from Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, hosted some of those games United Arab Emirates and this season. MQatar will continue to be Meanwhile, the AFC has said it atar’s Abdulla Mohamed al- played on a home-and-away basis in will begin the tender process for the Tamimi has warmed up for next year’s Asian Champions League confederation’s commercial rights in the PSA World Champion- despite an on-going diplomatic dis- February of next year, with the aim to ship in style by winning the pute between the Gulf states, the Asian fi nalise the procedure by May or June QQatar Circuit squash tournament yes- Football Confederation said yesterday. 2018. terday. The AFC’s executive committee de- The rights are currently held by La- At Khalifa International Tennis and cided to maintain the current format gardere Sports and Entertainment with Squash Complex, al-Tamimi complete- of its fl agship club event in the face of a the existing contract, which started in ly outclassed Egypt’s Karim El Ham- ban imposed on travel in and out of Qa- 2014 and is worth $1 billion, due to ex- mamy 3-0 in just 27 minutes in front tar by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition that pire at the end of 2021. of a home crowd which included his is backed by the United Arab Emirates. “The AFC will ensure that transpar- father and elder brother. Clubs from the three nations regu- ent and fair procedures are followed Al-Tamimi said later the title was a larly play each other in the Asian and that the views of the Member As- special one for him. Champions League, although this sociations are taken into considera- “I am extremely proud of how I per- year’s competition was not aff ected by tion,” AFC President Shaikh Salman formed at this event in front of my the standoff as Qatari teams had been bin Ebrahim al-Khalifah said. home crowd,” al-Tamimi said after his eliminated before the action was taken The AFC Executive Committee also fourth win this season. in early June. reiterated their support for the Pal- “It is always a delight to win before The confederation said in a state- estine FA who will present their case your home crowd. I am happy I have ment it would send a “high-level del- to prevent Israeli teams playing in the lived up to their expectations. Playing at egation to the concerned countries to disputed territory to the Court of Ar- home brings a certain amount of pres- try and mediate the situation with the bitration for Sport in January and their sure but today I overcame that to win concerned (member associations) and continued opposition to government the title,” the world No 43 said. governments to fi nd a solution for the interference, which has led to the sus- The top-seed al-Tamimi had things matches”. pension of the Kuwait Football Associ- very much his way as he drubbed his The dispute has already led to com- ation and Pakistan Football Federation seventh-seeded Egyptian opponent 11- plications for Qatar’s hosting of the by FIFA. 2, 11-5, 11-4. Qatar’s Abdulla Mohamed al-Tamimi receives his winner’s trophy from Qatar Tennis and Squash Federation’s assistant regional Gulf Cup competition, with On the eve of AFC Annual Awards The 22-year-old Aspire Academy secretary-general Tareq Darwish Zainal while tournament director Saad Saleh al-Mohannadi looks on. At bottom, Saudi, UAE and close ally Bahrain re- 2017 in Bangkok, the AFC Executive graduate was happy with his consist- al-Tamimi plays a shot against El Hammamy. fusing to confi rm their participation in Committee accepted the proposal for ency in the tournament. next month’s tournament. Qatar is also the 2018 celebration of Asian football “I have had some bad tournaments self-imposed do’s and don’ts ahead of due to host the World Cup in 2022. to be held in Muscat in the Sultanate of and bad matches. I have not been con- the tournament. “I stopped using so- The Asian Champions League al- Oman. sistent enough. I am happy that I was cial media and cut off from my friends consistent in this tournament and I to focus on the tournament.” The Qa- wish to carry the consistency in the tari aims to celebrate his title win with second half of the season. his friends for the next couple of days Ex-Barca chief Raul Sanllehi joins Arsenal “I think the tournament was an ideal before getting down to serious busi- preparation for next month’s World ness of preparing for the World Cham- rsenal have appointed the lead role in future signings Championship,” he said. pionship. former Barcelona director but, significantly, he has not been Al-Tamimi defeated Egypt’s Youssef “I will celebrate the win today and of football Raul Sanllehi appointed director of football, a po- Soliman in a tough semi-fi nal on Mon- tomorrow as I have one and half week as head of football rela- sition Wenger has criticised in the day, which lasted an hour. to go before I leave for the World Cham- A tions, the club announced yester- past. Arsenal chief executive Ivan Talking about the fi nal, al-Tamimi pionship. I will be leaving for England day. Sanllehi will start in February Gazidis said: “Raul has extensive said it was a good match. on December 7, so till then it’s time for after 14 years at Barcelona, working contacts across the football world “The fi nal was a good one. Though more hard work,” Australian Squash alongside manager Arsene Wenger and has been directly involved in it fi nished fast, I was ready for a tough Open 2016 winner said. in a further sign of restructuring at some of the biggest transfers in one like semi-fi nal, considering my The PSA World Championship will the Premier League side. Europe in recent years. We look for- previous matches against Karim and be held at National Squash Centre in Sanllehi, who is credited with ward to him bringing that expertise Youssef which went to the distance,” Manchester from December 9 to 13. sistant secretary general of Qatar Ten- wish Zainal and tournament director bringing Neymar to Barca, will take to Arsenal.” he said. Al-Tamimi said he had some The prizes were distributed by as- nis and Squash Federation Tareq Dar- Saad Saleh al-Mohannadi. HONOUR Aspire Zone Foundation named best Arab sports organisation spire Zone Foundation (AZF) was The award is a further milestone productivity. AZF has continued to pioneer the ad- named the Best Sports Organisa- as AZF continues to cement The award is a further milestone as vancement sporting outcomes in Qatar. tion 2017 by the General Secre- its reputation as world-class in AZF continues to cement its reputation The foundation provides a range of inte- tariat and Experts Committee at as world-class in pursuance of it vision grated academic services, access to state- A pursuance of it vision to become the second annual Arab Best Award cer- to become “the reference in sports excel- of-the-art facilities, advanced laboratories emony in Marrakesh, Morocco. “the reference in sports lence worldwide by 2020.” Furthermore, it and international experts who are working Mohamed Khalifa al-Suwaidi, the Chief excellence worldwide by 2020” acknowledges the combined eff orts of its together to cultivate the development of Executive Offi cer of Aspire Zone Founda- member organisations - Aspire Logistics, talented young athletes, working with and tion, received the award in front of an au- committed to the highest levels of contin- Aspire Academy, and Aspetar, the ortho- empowering them to fulfi l their potential dience of high-profi le representatives from ued improvement, transparency, profes- paedic and sports medicine hospital – in and realise their dreams. regional and international organisations. sionalism, dedication and neutrality.” delivering signifi cant value to the sporting Aspire Zone is home to some of the The General Secretariat and Experts Award categories were highly com- community around the world. world’s fi nest sport facilities and services, Committee commended AZF’s “distin- petitive, with winners selected based on The accolade is testament to ‘The Aspire off ering an impressive integrated mix of guished leadership of the organisation a merit system that includes 17 criteria, WAY,’ a mantra which champions superhu- sport, sports medicine and research, and which has spared no eff ort to advance its including leadership style, alignment to man eff ort in the pursuit of tangible results sport education. It is also a perfect setting Mohamed Khalifa al-Suwaidi, AZF’s CEO, receiving the award on holistic performance while remaining strategic business goals and administrative across the foundation.