15 Sports Thursday, October 22, 2020 Dhawan ton in vain as XI Punjab down Delhi in IPL Chennai’s Bravo out of IPL with groin injury DUBAI: Shikhar Dhawan on Tuesday became the Dhawan used the sweep and the slog sweep to nessed IPL’s first double super over. “He is our sen- first batsman in the Indian Premier League to hit great effect as he hit 14 fours and three sixes, but ior bowler, and an international, and he is getting two successive centuries but his Delhi Capitals lost the rest of the Delhi batting failed to fire, with skip- better and better every game.” by five wickets to Kings XI Punjab. The left-hand per Shreyas Iyer (14) and wicketkeeper-batsman In another development, West Indies all-rounder opener smashed an unbeaten 106 off 61 deliveries Rishabh Pant (14) as the next best. Punjab lost early Dwayne Bravo has been ruled out of the rest of the to guide Delhi to 164 for five, a total that proved wickets, including Rahul for 15 and Gayle, bowled Indian Premier League with a groin injury, his insufficient as Punjab won with one over to spare in by Ravichandran Ashwin, but Pooran kept the chase Chennai Super Kings team said yesterday. Bravo Dubai. The KL Rahul-led side moved up to fifth in on track in his 28-ball knock. Delhi quick bowler could not bowl the last over in Chennai’s game the eight-team table as Nicholas Pooran scored 53 Kagiso Rabada sent back Pooran and then Glenn against Delhi Capitals on Saturday and missed the and Chris Gayle hit 29 off 13 balls. Maxwell, for 32, to put Punjab in a spot, but Deepak following match. The three-time champions who But Dhawan, who hit his first IPL ton of the sea- Hooda, on 15, and Jimmy Neesham, on 10, took the are struggling, bottom of the eight-team table. son in a match-winning knock on Sunday, was team home. “Bravo is ruled out with a groin injury and flying named man of the match for his 57-ball hundred. Earlier Punjab paceman Mohammed Shami back home,” CSK chief executive Kasi “The boys have been playing well in other games. returned figures of 2-28 from his four overs to keep Viswanathan said. “The team management has yet Today I had to take the responsibility on myself,” Delhi’s scoring rate under check. Shami gave away to decide whether to seek a replacement or not.” said Dhawan. “It is good that I am scoring consis- just 13 runs from his final two overs and got two The 37-year-old played six games and scored sev- tently so you carry it into the next games. We are wickets of Marcus Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer. en runs in two innings. He claimed six wickets with going to have a discussion and see where we can “Shami obviously is coming in with confidence from his pace bowling. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni improve. “Of course, it is going to be a learning. This the last game,” Rahul said of his paceman who admitted after his team’s seventh loss from 10 is not going to put us down. Just take our lessons, defended five runs in a super over to help his team games on Monday that their tournament is virtual- Shikhar Dhawan and come back stronger.” beat Mumbai Indians in the Sunday match that wit- ly over. — Agencies China wants First international football to be ‘bridge with the ‘Darts’ conference By Abdellatif Sharaa world’: FA KUWAIT: Egyptian Minister of Sport, head of the Executive office SUZHOU: China wants to unite its 1.4 bil- of Arab Sports Ministers opened lion people through football while also the first international ‘Darts’ con- using the sport as “a bridge to work with ference through the zoom applica- the rest of the world”, a top FA official tion under the slogan “towards a says. Chinese Football Association SUZHOU: Referees and players react during a memorial to pay respect for people’s efforts better future for the sport of darts Secretary General Liu Yi explained to AFP on defeating the COVID-19 before the Chinese Super League (CSL) football match between in the Arab world - challenges and what lies behind the country’s aggressive Wuhan Zall and Qingdao Huanghai in Suzhou in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. — AFP opportunities”. The conference was push to become a major football power by organized by the Egyptian Darts 2050. Under President Xi Jinping — Federations, under the Honorary described by state media as an “avid soc- working with all the international govern- Sustainability over spending Chairmanship of Sheikh Talal Al- cer fan” — the world’s most populous ing bodies, brands and stakeholders.” Along with building a football infra- Mohammad Al-Sabah. The 19 Arab ration of the Arab Darts country has grand plans to host and even structure and overhauling grassroots, countries participating include; Association. one day win a World Cup. Long-term goals school and youth systems, the CSL is a Egypt, Libya, Tunis, Algeria, The conference rapportuer Juda In rare comments to international China’s football ambitions are striking crucial part of the determination to be a Morocco, Mauritania, Sudan, Abu Alnoor said the conference media, Liu talked of “using football to for a country which has reached the World superpower in the sport. The league made Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, honorary chairmanship by Sheikh motivate the whole nation”. “Football is a Cup only once, in 2002, when they failed headlines in recent years when a series of Oman, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Talal Al-Mohammad is a quality beautiful game to educate the new gener- to win a point or score a goal. China are well-known foreign players - along with Jordan, Syria, Palestine and move in the sports administration ation of young Chinese and also to (help) 76th in the FIFA rankings and their coaches - arrived on generous contracts Lebanon. at the world, Asia and Arab level our nation to team up as one and be more chances of reaching the Qatar 2022 World and for inflated transfer fees. Attacking Chairman of the Egyptian Darts for the game and its success in the cohesive,” he said. Like China’s success in Cup are in the balance, underlining how midfielder Oscar moved to Shanghai SIPG Federation Dr Yahya Abdelqader future. He said around 200 per- recent Summer Olympics, Liu called foot- far they have to go to reach the top. But from Chelsea in 2017 for what is still an said the conference coincided with sons who are interested in the ball “another tool to unite a nation and speaking in Suzhou, where the Chinese Asian-record 60 million euros. Egypt’s celebrations of the sports of darts is attending the also demonstrate what we can deliver. Super League is in a “bubble” to thwart However, the CFA has since introduced October War Victory that was conference and will be given cer- “And football, as I said, is a bridge the coronavirus, Liu said that failing to measures such as a salary cap so that the accomplished by the sacrifice of tificates in appreciation for their between China and the rest of the world. qualify will not deter the country from its largesse is redirected towards developing the Egyptian army and the Arab efforts. The conference manager Everyone plays football.” long-term goals. young Chinese players. “We want to be nation solidarity. He said the con- Hazem Al-Roubi said the large Expanding on that theme, which comes “To win a spot (in Qatar) means a lot to one of the top leagues in Asia, for sure, ference is aimed at spreading the interaction by participating coun- as China is embroiled in a variety of dis- the Chinese, to the country and also the which we probably already are, but the culture of playing darts in the Arab tries reflects the need to pay inter- putes with countries such as the United Chinese football community because that benchmark is not supposed to be big world and to encourage the estab- est to the game and establish local States, Canada and Australia, Liu said: boosts the confidence and gives motiva- spending,” said Liu. “It’s about sustain- lishment of national darts federa- federations leading to an Arab “China is still open. “And the development tion to every stakeholder and to the foot- ability.” Liu conceded that Oscar and tions to add to the already existing association that cares for the game of Chinese football needs help from exter- ball community to contribute more to the other overseas stars, such as fellow ones in preparation for the decla- at the Arab level. nal stakeholders like the AFC (Asian development of Chinese football,” he said. Brazilians Hulk and Paulinho, have boost- Football Confederation), FIFA and also “If we fail, you might have a short-term ed the CSL’s profile. “But has that (expen- other federations as well, and other setback, but the president of the central sive foreigners) helped the development leagues as well. “We are definitely going government (Xi) understands football and of the local players? That’s our question to carry on with that kind of partnership, that developing football is a process.” mark,” he said. — AFP Stroll tests High kicks: Pakistan’s football Reading move top, positive for star training Himalayan girls Rooney-less Derby COVID-19 after Eifel GP KARACHI: Running a football club threatening to kill her if she contin- beaten again for girls from poor families in a ued. “It was as seen inappropriate remote, mountainous area of culturally because I would wear LONDON: Canadian Formula One Pakistan is hard enough at the best shorts, thereby baring my skin,” she LONDON: Reading moved top of the Championship driver Lance Stroll said yesterday he of times, let alone during a pandem- said.