Thursday 22nd April, 2010 15

BY REEMUS FERNANDO

Legendary pole- Mourinho nears pinnacle of vaulter, Sergei Bubka, who is also an International Olympic Bubka here to European football again Committee executive MILAN (AP) - Jose from Wesley Sneijder, Maicon began to counterattack and we board member and a sen- ior vice president of the Mourinho is nearing the pinnacle and Milito. had a lot of scoring chances.” IAAF, will be in Sri of European football again. “They play spectacular foot- The only negative note for Lanka for a one-day visit The Special One outmaneu- ball and they’re all good techni- Inter was the behavior of 19-year- on the invitation of the encourage young vered counterpart Pep Guardiola cally,but we pressed a lot - like the old forward , who Athletic Association of as Inter suffocated Barcelona in a coach wanted, and it worked,” threw his jersey to the ground Sri Lanka (AASL). 3-1 win in the opening leg of the Pandev said. “Barca controlled after being whistled at by fans “The athletic legend Champions League semifinals on the ball a lot but we were posi- and stormed angrily off the field will be here to encourage Tuesday. tioned well. We pressed and then while his teammates celebrated. Sri Lankan athletes,” Mourinho guided FC Porto to Prema Pinnawala, the athletes — AASL secretary of the AASL, the European title in 2004, and he told ‘The Island’ yes- can sense he’s close to duplicating terday. the feat with Inter. “Sergei Bubka “If Inter doesn’t win this will be visiting Sri year, it will win next year,” Lanka on the invita- FACT BOX f Birth: 4th Mourinho said. “This squad is no tion of the president Date o longer too small for Europe.” of the AASL and it December 1963 Only two coaches have won will be a one day visit Nationality: Ukraine the European Cup with two dif- and he will be attend- t ing the kids’ athletics Participation a ferent clubs: Ernst Happel with programme of the Olympics: Seoul 1988, Feyenoord in 1970 and Hamburg AASL,” Pinnawala in 1983, and Ottmar Hitzfeld with said. Barcelona 1992, Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and The former Soviet Atlanta 1996, Sydney Bayern Munich in 2001. Union athlete is sched- 2000 Current Bayern manager ule to arrive on May 7 ic medals: 1 gold Louis van Gaal, a winner with and will attend the kids’ Olymp ionships Ajax in 1995, is also attempting athletic programme the World Champ the feat this time around, with the following day before tak- Medals: 6 golds (1983, ing flight late in the German club facing Lyon in the evening, according to 87, 91, 93, 95, 97). other semifinal. information provided by Wary of Barcelona’s creative the AASL. forwards and standout Lionel “It is a huge opportu- Messi, Mourinho designed an nity, as his presence will encourage the young ath- attacking game that involved letes of the country,” he said. three forwards - Goran Pandev, A member of the International Olympic and Samuel Eto’o - Committee’s executive board, Bubka will arrive and kept the pressure on from from Singapore where he is overseeing prepara- tions for the first ever Youth Olympics. start to finish. Sergei Bubka, who represented Ukraine after “Inter is a different squad the collapse of the Soviet Union is widely regarded from when I was playing here,” as the best pole-vaulter to have competed at the said Barcelona forward Zlatan World Championships of Athletics, although his Ibrahimovic, who swapped places Olympic Games’ performances are at odds with the with Eto’o this season. “They’re feats produced at World Championships. more confident now and they Bubka won six consecutive World attack more. We didn’t play like Championship golds from 1983 to 1997 in contrast to we normally do - except for the a solitary Olympic gold. Bubka, who holds the world record (6.14 metres), for the pole-vault, bet- last 20-25 minutes.” tered the world record 35 times (18 indoor, 17 out- After Pedro Rodriguez gave door) during his illustrious career and was the first Barcelona the lead in the 19th athlete in history to clear the six metre mark (1985), Sergei Bubka with the Laureus Lifetime Achievement minute, Inter hit back with goals which was considered unachievable at that time. Award. (Files)

Penultimate round begins today Holcim FA Cup 2010 Inter-Provincial 4-day cricket BY REVATA S. SILVA of both Basnahira South (under scheduled for May 6 to 9, while the Colombo SC and Jupiters Chamara Silva) and Wayamba final will be played from May 13 to The penultimate round of the 5- (Jehan Mubarak). Only the current 16 at the SSC grounds, Colombo. through after scares round Inter-Provincial 4-day First top two teams have played three Schedule (April 22 to 25): Class domestic cricket competition matches each so far, while the Basnahira North Vs Wayamba BY MANJULA PHILLIPS Results: will begin today (22). three other teams have played only at Moratuwa Green Field SC beat Basnahira North, under Thilina two. Ruhuna Vs Kandurata at P. There were some Matara City SC 3-0 at Kandamby are placed first, ahead The next and final round is Sara, Colombo. keenly contested match- Vernon Fernando es as the Holcom FA grounds, Kalutara Cup 2010 progressed Super Sun SC beat into the third round. Colpetty United SC 2-1 Colombo SC had a at Zahira grounds, The inaugu- narrow escape when Beruwela ral horse race they were held by the Colombo SC beat meet of the 2010 less fancied Thunders Thunders SC 7-6 at festive season SC Ja-Ela to 3-all draw Kelaniya grounds, was held at the at Kelaniya grounds. Kelaniya, in a penalty Nuwara Eliya Race However, in the penalty shoot-out Course on April 14. shot-out, Colombo SC Cooray SC beat The meet was got the better of their Thihariya Youth SC 1-0 rivals to make it to the at Cooray organised by the Sri Lanka Turf fourth round. Park,Colombo Club and sponsored by DFCC Meanwhile, Jupiters Jupiters SC beat Jet Bank/DFCC Vardana Bank. SC, Negombo, were Liners SC 6-5 at held to a goalless draw Gampaha UC grounds, ‘Lemonade Trophy’ Sri Lankan Horses ½ Bred (A) (Handicap) – by Jet Liners SC, in a penalty shoot-out Distance 5 furlongs Sponsored by Ceylon Cold Stores PLC Horse Name Owner Jockey Gampaha, at Gampaha Renown SC beat “Crimson Rose” I. Dassanayake B. C. Kumara UC grounds. However, Serendib SC 2-1 at “Keep Looking” I. Dassanayake S. D. Janaka in the penalty shoot- Dunbar grounds, “Re-Birth” Mrs. Renuka P. Dusianthan out, Jupiters won 6-5. Hatton.

‘Sporting Times Cup’ Thoroughbred Horses Class V (Handicap) – Distance 5 furlongs Sponsored by E. W. Balasuriya and Company Inaugural World Youth Boxing “Sun Lord” I. Dassanayake M. Punidaraj “Chaitanya Jyothi” Dhammika Attygalle S. Jayakumar C’ships postponed “Moneymantra” Dr. Nalin Perera and Elika Pitts P. Dinesh Kumar The inaugural World attracted entries from as Youth Boxing many as 110 nations and ‘Mobitel Cup’ Thoroughbred Horses Class II (Handicap) – Championships which will feature 555 boxers, Distance 8 Furlongs Sponsored by Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd. was scheduled to be held while the championships “Eulexite” I. Dassanayake S. D. Janaka in , Azerbaijan, has will be staged in 11 “African Beat” Mrs. Chamari Jayaratne Mohanraj been postponed and will weight categories: 48kg, “Star Class” Anura Delgoda L. Ravikumar be held from April 25 to 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, May 4. 64kg, 69kg, 75kg, 81kg, The championships 91kg, 91+kg and the bouts ‘Governor’s Cup’ Thoroughbred Horses Class I – was to be held from april will consist of three Distance 9 Furlongs Sponsored by DFCC Bank / DFCC-Vardhana Bank “Double Eagle” Monaro India S.Vijayanath 22 to May 1 as per the rounds of three minutes “Aerobee” I. Dassanayake S. D. Janaka original schedule, but the each with one minute rest “Hi-Goregeous” Dr. M. D. Guruge R. Jagadeswaran International Boxing between rounds. The top Federation had to post- four boxers in each pone the tournament due weight division at the ‘Stewards Trophy’ Thoroughbred Horses Class IV (Handicap) – to the cancellation of AIBA Youth World Distance 8 Furlongs flights in Europe. Championships will qual- “Action Zone” Serendib Racing Syndicate L Ravi Kumar The event was former- ify directly for the Youth “Viking Victor” I. Dassanayake S. D. Janaka ly known as the World Olympic Games. “Nuclear Power” Ms. Nishara Jayaratne S. Jayakumar Cadet Championships. Boxers between the ages The team leaving Sri of 17 and 18 will compete Lanka on April 23: ‘Grand Hotel Trophy’ Sri Lankan Horses ¾ Bred (Handicap) – in this year’s edition of T.G.R.I. Warnasuriya - Distance 7 Furlongs Sponsored by Nuwara Eliya Hotel Company PLC the AIBA Youth World Light Fly - 48 Kgs - “Sinning Moon” I. Dassanayake S. D. Janaka Championships. The Vidyartha College, Kandy “Prince of South” Monaro India S. Vijayanath AIBA World Youth H.M.D.V.R. Herath – “Monica” S. Wijerathne L. Logendran Boxing Championships Fly - 51 Kgs - Vidyartha will act as the only quali- College, Kandy fier for the inaugural Julio Santana – ‘Lemonade Trophy’ Sri Lankan Horses ½ Bred (B) (Handicap) – Youth Olympic Games to (Coach) Distance 5 Furlongs Sponsored by Mannapperuma Traders be held in Singapore next S. K. Karunarathna – “Nangi Girl” Ruwan Jayasekara R. Prathiban August. (Manager and Vice “Silver Right” W. R. M. R. Fernando S. Vijayanath The 2010 AIBA World President, Schools Boxing “Express Power” Ms. Nishara Jayaratne S. Kumar Youth Championship Association). (MP)