AASIANSIAN GGAMESAMES | Page 3 GGOLFOLF | Page 5 Life imitates Snedeker goes art as India’s wire-to-wire Vinesh wins to win in wrestling gold Wyndham

Tuesday, August 21, 2018 FOOTBALL Dhul-Hijja 10, 1439 AH Bale shines as GULF TIMES Real Madrid stroll to victory SPORT Page 7 ASIAN GAMES Good day for Qatar in handball and volleyball Defending handball champions got the better of Iraq 26-20, while newly-crowned AVC Cup winners beat Maldives 3-0

By Anil John Medals tally (top 10) Jakarta G S B T oustafa Heiba and 1. China 15 12 9 36 Anis Zuoaoui scored fi ve goals apiece as 2. Japan 8 11 11 30 Qatar beat Iraq 26-20 3. Korea 5 9 10 24 Min their fi rst main round Group 1 4. Indonesia 4 2 2 8 match in the Asian Games hand- 5. DPR Korea 4 1 2 7 ball tournament here yesterday. The defending champions 6. Iran 3 2 3 8 are overwhelming favourites 7. Chinese Taipei 3 1 4 8 to retain their title they won in 8. India 2 2 1 5 Incheon four years ago, and al- though the margin of victory 9. Mongolia 2 0 4 6 yesterday appears narrow by 10. Uzbekistan 1 2 4 7 their standards, it was only be- cause they were preserving their energies for the tougher matches second half. to come in the competition. Qatar scored eight goals from They had topped the standings eight fast-break attempts and in the preliminary round to join managed fi ve nine-metre goals seven other teams in the main from 10 attempts. In all, their 26 round from where the four semi- goals came from 44 shots. fi nalists would be spotted. Iraq could manage only two Apart from Iraq, Qatar’s group goals from nine metres from the also includes Saudi Arabia and seven chances they got and could Japan, while group 2 consists of convert only half of their eight Bahrain, Iran, Hong Kong and attempts from the six-metre South Korea. mark. For about 10 minutes yester- Ghassab Mohamed with fi ve day, the Iraqis managed to stay goals and Ali Hamzah Ibadi with competitive, but their tenacity four excelled for Iraq. began to slip away afterwards. “It was a good game, we are A nine-metre shot from Rafel pleased with our eff ort today,” Qatar’s Moustafa Heiba (centre) tries to go past Iraq’s goalkeeper (left) during their men’s handball group match at the Asian Games in Jakarta yesterday. Capote, the fi rst of his three captain Murad said. goals, saw Qatar take a 5-3 lead, “We were keen to win but at which Ahmad Madadi extended the same time we wanted to keep two minutes later with a brilliant ourselves fresh because we will shot to the top right corner of the be facing Saudi Arabia after a rest net from the left wing. of only one day,” he added. Skipper Abdulrazzaq Murad In other matches yesterday, then produced a brilliant fast Saudi Arabia and Japan drew 26- break to drill the ball home as 26, Bahrain beat Iran 29-23 and Qatar went up 7-4. South Korea thrashed Hong Kong 40-15. Qatar will take on Saudi Arabia tomorrow. Meanwhile, Qatar also made a winning start in volleyball, beat- ing Maldives 25-11, 25-8, 25-13. The newly-crowned AVC Cup champions scored 26 points from spikes and 28 from op- ponent errors, while four came from serves. “It’s a great feeling know- ing that Qatar is the fi rst Arab country to win AVC Cup and we are fresh off that victory. We are hoping to adapt to the weather and atmosphere well here in In- donesia and are aiming to com- pete in the fi nal rounds,” player Sulaiman Saad said. (From left) Qatar’s Milos Stevanovic, Osman Wagihalla and Ndir Sadikh Head coach Camilo Soto was defend against Maldives’ Huzam Ali during the men’s volleyball Pool F Qatar’s Cherif Samba (centre) goes for a shot as Kazakhstan’s Sergey Bogatu (right) defends during their Capote’s six-metre goal and palpably happy with the victory match at the 2018 Asian Games yesterday. men’s beach volleyball match at the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia, yesterday. Bertrand Roine’s nine-metre eff ort over Maldives. saw Qatar lead 9-5 but although “There was no doubt that the Iraq hit back with three consecu- match was easy for our team, but tive goals during a four-minute it was important to start on a high,” New personal bests for Qatari swimmers rare purple patch, Valero Rivera’s said head coach Camilo Soto. boys had too much experience and Soto said they will be taking one QNA gain experience from the class to be put under pressure. step at a time as far as the Asian Jakarta competitions and also Zuoaoui then produced three Games is concerned. He said that learn from world class consecutive goals in a matter of the match against India will be athletes like Sun Yang,” less than three minutes as Qatar crucial but he has a good team at ataris posted new al-Obaidli said about his took a commanding 15-9 lead his disposal with excellent quality personal bests on Asian Games debut. into the second half. players. Qthe second day of On the third day of swim- Qatar played along in the sec- Qatar, who are in group F, will the swimming competition ming competition, Noah ond half, and after they had taken take on India in their next match with Abdulaziz al-Obaidli al-Khulaifi and al-Obaidli a healthy 20-10 lead, allowed Iraq in the preliminary round tomor- posting 28.78 seconds in will participate in the 50m to score four straight points to row. the men’s 50m backstroke, backstroke, while Abdul narrow the lead. In beach volleyball, Qatar’s while his previous best was Rahman Mohamed in the But Qatar kept stealing goals at Cherif Samba and Ahmed Janko 29.65 seconds. 200m breaststroke race. regular intervals to keep Iraq from defeated Kazakhstan’s Dimitriy Abdulrahman Mohamed Qatar 3x3 basketball team mounting any realistic challenge, Yakovlev and Sergey Bogatu 21-9, posted a new personal will begin its campaign eventually closing off the match. 21-17 in their group B match. The best in the 200m breast- today with a game against Ameen Zakkar also excelled for match took 37 minutes stroke with 2:16.84 while the Maldives. Qatar with three goals In group F, Qatar’s Tamer Ab- his previous best was The team will also face In the fi nal analysis, Qatar’s dulrasoul and Mehdi Sammoud 2:19.75. Nepal, Jordan, and Japan six-goal advantage after the fi rst beat Maldives’ Ismail Sajid and “I’m glad to be here in in order to qualify for the half stood them in good stead as Shiunaz Abdulwahid 21-18, 15- Indonesia where I can quarter-finals. both teams scored 11 goals in the 21, 15-18. Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, August 21, 2018 ASIAN GAMES

SWIMMING WEIGHTLIFTING North Korea’s Ikee shines as Sun’s pint-sized bid for fi ve golds stars sweep to golden double

AFP tried and agonisingly failed twice Jakarta to lift the 112kg she needed to take gold ahead of Ri despite the comes up short huge cries of “Indonesia, Indo- orth Korea’s pint-sized nesia” ringing around the Jakarta weightlifters ruled the International Expo venue. Teenager Ikee snares two individual titles; Chinese champion misses out on relay roost as the secretive Ri reemerged twice to attempt nation bagged their an Asian Games record and per- Nfi rst two gold medals of the Asian sonal best of 117kg but departed Reuters Jakarta Games yesterday. in agony as her left knee buckled Ri Song-gum pipped local fa- on both attempts and she had to vourite Sri Wahyuni Agustiani be helped from the platform on hinese medal machine to open their account in the one leg. Sun Yang’s bid for a women’s 48kg class then pocket record-equalling fi ve rocket Om Yun-chol retained his TEARS AND CHEERS swimming titles at the Asian Games men’s 56kg title A few moments later draped AsianC Games came to an abrupt with ease as he defeated eternal in the North Korean fl ag, the end yesterday when, having Asian rival Kim Tuan Thach of 20-year-old Ri’s pain turned to picked up his second individ- Vietnam. ecstasy as she received the gold ual gold, he failed to anchor his Ri, who is just 4ft 7in (140cm) medal and belted out the anthem country to victory in the relay. tall, hoisted a massive 112kg in of the secretive nation with tears Japan’s teenage sensation Ri- her fi rst clean and jerk attempt streaming down her cheeks and kako Ikee snared two individual to power past Agustiani who had dribbling from her chin. titles to take her tally to three led after the fi rst snatch disci- Ri’s victory was watched by golds in the Jakarta pool and pline. North Korea sports minister Kim her male compatriots later con- Then Om, who is not much Il-guk who told Korean media: trived to deny Sun the chance to taller at 4ft 11in (151cm), raised “She did a great job.” match her feat. 160kg in the clean and jerk for a “I’m very happy that I won the Sun had landed the 200m 287kg total, 7kg ahead of Thach, fi rst gold,” said an emotional Ri freestyle title on Sunday and the reigning world champion, after emerging from doping con- was no less dominant in win- who also had to settle for silver trol with her left knee encased in ning the 800m free in the fi rst behind Om in Incheon four years an ice pack. race of the evening but was just ago. The rising star, who came unable to overhaul Katsuhiro Indonesia took their second fourth as a teenager at the 2015 Matsumoto in the fi nal leg of the lifting medal of the day as Sura- world championships, was 4x200m freestyle relay. mat Bin Suwoto Wijoyo was cheered to the rafters by a large The multiple Olympic and awarded the bronze after a 272kg phalanx of supporters clad in world champion still has the total. unifi ed Korea T-shirts. “I felt chance for two more golds in London 2012 Olympic gold good because many people sup- the 400m and 1,500m freestyle medallist Om, known for his ported me,” Ri said. races but can no longer match exuberant celebrations, gave a It left Yuni with yet another the three other swimmers who reserved fi st pump as he made silver medal to add to those she have won fi ve golds at a single Japan’s Rikako Ikee (also inset) in action during the women’s 50m Butterfly swimming event at in Jakarta, Indonesia, yesterday. (Reuters) his winning lift and departed the won four years ago at the 17th Asian Games. stage with just a wave before fail- Asiad in Incheon and again at the Saving energy for the relay, China’s Zhu Menghui over the ing at two 172kg attempts that Rio Olympics two years ago and, Sun bided his time in the 800m fi nal quarter to win the 100m would have beaten his own Asian crestfallen, she too was left in but, having hit the front at half- freestyle by a fi ngernail in 53.27. Games record set in 2014. fl oods of tears. way, eased away from his rivals “I really put it together after the Om stood to attention and “I have lifted 116kg in training and touched the wall some three turn,” Ikee said. “I came in aiming saluted throughout the anthem but today never felt like I could metres clear of Japan’s Shogo to get two gold medals today and on the podium with his coun- repeat it, no,” a still visibly upset Takeda in seven minutes, 48.36 I’m happy I managed that.” try’s fl ag wrapped around him Yuni told AFP after the medals seconds. Between Ikee’s two wins, Chi- to the delight of massed ranks of ceremony, feeling that she had His medal ceremony passed na’s world champion Xu Jiayu unifi ed Korea supporters in the let her country down as Games without incident, unlike on (24.75) again pipped his Japanese crowd. hosts. Sunday when Sun demanded it rival Ryosuke Irie (24.88) in the Earlier Olympic silver med- Thailand’s feisty Thunya Su- be re-run after the fl ags fell off men’s 50m backstroke fi nal in a allist Agustiani, aged 24 and kcharoen took bronze with a the hoist, but the 26-year-old carbon copy of his victory in the known aff ectionately as Yuni, 189kg total. had little time to enjoy his vic- 100m on Sunday. tory before he was back on deck There was more disappoint- for the relay. ment for Japan when Olympic Matsumoto had a lead of a champion Kosuke Hagino’s bid body length at the start of the to defend both individual med- fi nal leg and while Sun gave it his ley titles failed at the fi rst hurdle all, the Japanese held on to win when he was passed by China’s his country’s fourth gold medal Wang Shun over the fi nal few of the night in 7:05.17. metres of the 200m. “We fought right to the end His compatriot Kanako Wa- but the Japanese performed tanabe had better luck in her well, they are always excel- 200m breaststroke title defence lent,” Sun, who now has 11 Asian but she was forced to work hard Games medals, told reporters. for it, coming from third to fi rst “They’ve just come off the over the fi nal lap and edging Pan Pacifi c Championships so China’s Sun Yang competes in the final of the men’s 800m freestyle swimming event yesterday. (AFP) China’s Yu Jingyao in a time of they were tired too. For myself 2:23.05. today, one night, two fi nals is RECORD TIMES grabbed two of the other three The 18-year-old stormed to Japan and China have evenly okay as far as energy is con- Ikee, who looks likely to be the titles in Games’ record times to victory in the 50m butterfl y in split the 14 titles up for grabs cerned, but I need to improve my face of Japanese swimming add to her 4x100m relay gold 25.55 seconds and, minutes after over the fi rst two nights of the Gold medallist Ri Song-gum of North Korea celebrates on the podium endurance and the sprint.” at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, from Sunday. receiving her medal, overhauled swimming competition. for the women’s 48kg weightlifting event in Jakarta yesterday. (AFP)

DISGRACE Some grumbles over tickets, transport as Indonesia works on fi xes

Reuters tickets and a seemingly clunky Four Japan basketball players kicked out Jakarta system that requires online buyers to then queue up to AFP stealing a journalist’s camera pick up the tickets themselves. Tokyo from the pool deck. ome spectators had Wina, a Jakarta-based Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al- complaints ranging employee and a sports fan Sabah, president of the Olym- Sfrom problems with the who bought 22 Asian Games our Japanese basketball pic Council of Asia, the Games’ ticketing systems to transport tickets, told Reuters she had players yesterday apolo- governing body, said the latest arrangements on the third struggled to get refunds fol- gised for bringing “dis- incident would serve as a warn- day of competition at the 18th lowing changes made to the grace” to their nation ing to other athletes. Asian Games as organisers in seating areas at events. afterF they were kicked out of the “I’m sorry for this story but Indonesia pledged quick fixes. “We also had to print the Asian Games for paying prosti- in the sports fi eld you are hear- The Southeast Asian country e-ticket to exchange for the tutes for sex. ing this kind of story in each has had less time than usual ticket,” she said. “So, what’s The regional Olympics was Games,” the Kuwaiti said. to arrange the Games after the point of an e-ticket?” hit by scandal after the players “Athletes should always be a standing in as host after Viet- Indonesian e-commerce were spotted in a notorious red good symbol of society because nam pulled out in 2014 citing company Blibli has been light district of the Indonesian there’s a big generation” that budget issues over the event, brought in at the request of capital Jakarta wearing their na- follows them, he added. which is second only to the official ticket seller KiosTix to tional jerseys last week. “At the end of the day, repre- Olympics in size and participa- help smooth problems with The expulsion of Yuya Nagay- senting your country isn’t only tion figures. online sales and organis- oshi, Takuya Hashimoto, Taku- about winning medals.” Organisers had previously ers said that the issue of ma Sato and Keita Imamura will It is far from being the fi rst noted concerns aired during exchanging online vouchers come as a major embarrassment case of sexual misconduct at rehearsal events over trans- should be resolved. for Japan, who will host the To- major multi-sport events, port in Jakarta’s notorious “We see that KiosTix has taken kyo Olympics in two years’ time. which typically draw thousands traff ic and some spectators responsibility for what has “I deeply apologise for our (From left) Japan’s Yuya Nagayoshi, Takuya Hashimoto, Takuma Sato, Keita Imamura, and head of the of athletes, offi cials and fans complained about access to happened by partnering with careless act that has brought Japan Basketball Association Yuko Mitsuya attend a press conference in Tokyo yesterday. (AFP) from around the world. venues around the Gelora Blibli and other companies,” disgrace on not only basketball At the 2014 Asian Games, an Bung Karno stadium complex. Eris Herryanto of the Indone- fans but also all of the Japa- committee of lawyers before told reporters in Jakarta. news agency. Iranian offi cial was kicked out for “Transportation between sian Asian Games Organising nese people,” Sato told a news formally punishing the four. The basketball players had The story broke after the four, the verbal sexual harassment of venues within the stadium Committee (INASGOC) said. conference after the players re- “I just feel a sense of shame,” dinner after leaving the Games who play in Japan’s B-League, a female volunteer, and a Pales- itself is lacking, because we Lina Rahayu, Blibli’s market- turned to Tokyo yesterday. said Yasuhiro Yamashita, the head village last Thursday and are were spotted in the red light tinian footballer was accused of can’t bring our own vehicles. ing communications man- Nagayoshi, wearing a black of the Japanese delegation to the believed to have been solicited district by a reporter for Japan’s groping a female worker at the So we’re wasting time going ager, said the company would suit and tie, said he “can’t im- Asian Games, the world’s second- by a pimp to go to a hotel with Asahi Shimbun newspaper. athletes’ village. In April, at the to venues,” said basketball fan provide a ticketing service up agine” playing basketball again. largest multi-sport event. women, Yamashita added. At the last Asian Games in Commonwealth Games in Aus- Taufik Sigar. to August 29 as fans need to Japan Basketball Association “We deeply apologise and They “paid for the services 2014, Japan were forced to send tralia, a Mauritian offi cial was ac- There have also been buy tickets three days prior to chief Yuko Mitsuya said it will intend to give the athletes thor- of prostitutes”, Yamashita said, home swimmer Naoya Tomita cused of sexually assaulting a fe- complaints over obtaining preferred games. wait for a report from a special ough guidance from now on,” he according to Japan’s Kyodo after he was caught on video male athlete during a photo shoot. Gulf Times Tuesday, August 21, 2018 3 ASIAN GAMES

SPOTLIGHT DECISION Olympic Council of Life imitates art as Asia to analyse old results to punish dope-tainted sports India’s Vinesh wins Reuters Jakarta

he three sports which recorded the most dop- ing cases in the last 12 years risk being trimmed Tor dropped altogether from the wrestling gold Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) calendar, its president Sheikh Ahmed al-Fahad al-Ahmed 23-year-old becomes first Indian woman to win wrestling gold at the Asian Games al-Sabah said yesterday. Continental powerhouse Chi- AFP na are not competing in weight- Jakarta lifting at the ongoing Asian Games after a one-year suspen- sion on the lifters following mul- inesh Phogat became tiple doping violations. India’s fi rst women’s The OCA reported 10 doping wrestling champion at cases at last year’s Asian Indoor the Asian Games yes- and Martial Arts Games in Ash- Vterday to extend a family legacy gabat at its weekend meeting on in the sport which was immor- the sidelines of its showpiece talised in a celebrated Bollywood event in Indonesia. are absent from the weightlifting fi lm. Its executive body, Sheikh competition in Jakarta. Phogat outclassed Japan’s Ahmed said, has decided to ana- “We are very keen to have Yuki Irie 6-2 to win the 50kg lyse the doping results of the last clean athletes,” Sheikh Ahmed fi nal in Jakarta and was then 12 years to identify the serial of- said, adding that it had become hoisted on the shoulders of team fenders. major concern for the governing staff draped in the Indian ag.fl “We want to see which three body. The 23-year-old is a cousin of games have the highest number “We are working to have the former Commonwealth cham- (of doping off enders),” the Ku- best Games with our clean ath- pions Geeta and Babita Kumari waiti told reporters. letes as much as we can. Asia is Phogat, whose rise from obscu- “When we know that, we’ll put one of the continents who have a rity to wrestling fame was cap- those under pressure. They will problem with clean athletes. tured in 2016’s Dangal, an inter- not be in our sports programme, “It has increased (in) big national hit. or there will be fewer medals, number... we want to achieve “I had targeted gold. I had just to make sure all federations our goals of having clean ath- three-four silvers at the Asia in Asia work in the direction of letes. For that, we’re working level. My body responded well, clean athletes.” with WADA (World Anti-Doping I had trained well and God was Like China, Kazakhstan are Agency), and following their reg- being kind,” Phogat told report- also serving a doping ban and ulations...” ers. “I am rough and tough and a risk-taker. I take risks in life and FOCUS they pay off . I have lot of self- belief that there is nothing that I can’t do,” she said. The omens were good for the Pakistan down 2014 bronze medallist when she began the competition India’s Vinesh Phogat (top) celebrates after winning the women’s freestyle 50kg wrestling gold in Jakarta yesterday. (Reuters) with a win over China’s Sun Mongolia 3-0 in Yanan, against whom she had ed to prove this today because I idolises India’s two-time Olym- The rest of the Indian women Zhuldyz Eshimova 11-0, while suffered a leg injury at the 2016 lost thrice to her before,” Phogat pic medallist Sushil Kumar. fell by the wayside on Monday, Jong edged out China’s Pei Xin- Olympics. added. “I listen to Sushil-ji a lot. including Olympic medallist gru 5-4. men’s volleyball “Injuries are a part of a sport- Phogat remains India’s only Whatever he suggests, I take Sakshi Malik who lost her 62kg Orkhon Purevdorj of Mon- sperson’s life. And I have heard second gold-medal winner of note,” she said of Kumar, who bronze 2-12 to Rim Jong Sim of golia had an easy fi nal outing to akistan beat Mongolia failed to return a Mohamed Id- somewhere that injuries only the 18th Asian Games so far af- lost his opening bout in the 74kg North Korea. claim gold in the 62kg category 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25- ress ball, which gave them a 15-13 strengthens an athlete. I have ter Bajrang Punia won the men’s category on Sunday. North Korea ruled the 53kg after thrashing Kyrgyzstan’s Ai- 14) in a men’s volley- advantage. come back stronger from that 65kg title on Sunday. “In 2014 when I won bronze and 57kg women’s bouts as Pak suluu Tynybekova 11-0. ball match at the Gelora After that, the scores were Rio heartache,” she beamed. She initially trained under in Incheon he said, don’t worry, Yong Mi and Jong Myong Suk In the men’s 125kg, Iran’s PBung Karno sports complex in tight — 15-15, 16-16 and 17-17 — “There was pressure but it her uncle Mahavir Singh Phog- whatever happens, happens for won gold in their respective cat- Parviz Hadibasmanj defeated Senayan, Central Jakarta, yes- because both teams were equally was to prove that I am actually at, who coached his daughters good. Maybe you have some- egories. Deng Zhiwei of China 7-0 in a terday. tenacious in chasing points. stronger than her (Sun). I want- Geeta and Babita, but said she thing bigger in store,” she said. Pak demolished Kazakhstan’s lop-sided fi nal. Pakistan attacked the Mongo- However, Pakistan handled lian defence right from the start, the pressure better and took a 21- with Asif Nadeem and Sheraz — 17 lead after Altangerel Enkhee’s in front of the net — being in in- ball went outside the fi eld. The Take a deep breath – India Shooters Lakshay, Deepak clinch silver medals spirational form. second set ended 25-19 in Pa- suff er fi rst kabaddi defeat Spike balls crossing between kistan’s favour after Mongolia’s IANS the two, which Libero Buyo defence failed to return Murad Jakarta Zargboot found hard to antici- Jehan’s hard spike. India’s men suff ered their first ever kabaddi pate, made the diff erence in the In the third set, Pakistan, who defeat at the Asian Games when they slumped India’s shooters Lakshay Sheoran fi rst set. did not lose any momentum, took 24-23 to South Korea in a group match yesterday. and Deepak Kumar won a silver A total of 13 spikes were key to an early 8-1 lead. Nasir Ali and his The seven-time champions beat both Bangla- medal each in the men’s Trap and Pakistan’s 25-16 victory in the teammates were looking unbeat- desh and Sri Lanka on Sunday to stamp their 10m Air Rifle events respectively fi rst set, which lasted 21 minutes. able and made the score 16-8. authority but they met their match in South yesterday. In the second set, Mongolia Mongolia, who could not counter Korea, ending a run of 32 straight wins. India In Trap, compatriot Manavjit Singh played more patiently and im- the hard spikes launched by Paki- have only lost once before in the home-grown, Sandhu finished fifth. mediately took control of the stan, lost the third set 14-25. breath-holding sport, after they went down to Sheoran, 20, who had finished fourth game. The hard spike of captain Pakistan and Mongolia will the same opponents at the 2016 World Cup. in the qualification round, got 43 Davaajargal Altankhuyag gave take on Iran tomorrow and Fri- “What a massive upset. South Korea beats India points to finish second behind Chinese Mongolia a 11-6 lead. However, day, respectively. Group B only in men’s Kabaddi @asiangames2018 24-23. Taipei’s Kunpi Yang, who equalled the Pakistan managed to equalise has three teams, namely Iran, Indians looked a bit complacent,” former India world record score of 48. and took the lead when Mongolia Pakistan and Mongolia. hockey captain Viren Rasquinha said on Twitter. AHN Daemyeong of South Korea Kabaddi made its Asian Games debut in Beijing won the bronze medal with 30 in 1990. The game requires yoga-like breathing points, four ahead of Indian veteran skills as two seven-player teams send a raider Manavjit who had topped the two- into enemy territory to tag an opponent before phased qualification. returning to safety, all on one breath. Lakshay and Kunpi headed into the final 10-pointer round with 34 and 38 INDIAN WOMEN BEAT THAILAND respectively. Lakshay Sheoran (right) of India competes in the men’s trap shooting event The Indian women’s kabaddi team registered Kunpi, 20, didn’t miss any shot as he in Palembang yesterday. (AFP) their second win defeating Thailand 33-23 charged his way to the title with a yesterday. Led by raider Payel Chaudhari, the joint world record score. also the 30-year-old’s first medal shooter Apurvi Chandela stormed Indian eves rode on their attack to lead the first In the 10m air rifle event, Deepak at the Asiad. China’s Haoran Yang into the finals of women’s 10m Air half 12-10. They also dominated the second half finished second with a score of bagged gold with a record score of Rifle event. The 25-year-old scored breaking the opponent’s weak defence and the 247.7 while compatriot Ravi Kumar 249.1. 629.4 points to be placed second in team finished the game 33-23. finished fourth scoring 205.2. It was Producing a brilliant performance the qualification round.

BOTTOMLINE Quake survivor Gaurika puts Nepal on swim map

AFP really loud, which is fair enough older than Indonesian skate- ing to keep Singh away from her “It’s weird to think people in Jakarta because I am,” Singh told AFP at boarder Aliqqa Novvery, who at native country. England are so ungrateful some- the Asian Games yesterday. nine is the youngest athlete at “It’s kind of a blur,” she said of times,” she sniff ed. “I sometimes think in my the Games. that ordeal after swimming the “Moaning about having to aving survived a killer head ‘oh just shut up, Gaurika — “I was only just starting to 100m freestyle heats. swim in winter. People in Nepal earthquake and an you’re so annoying!’ I’m a social swim at that age,” said Singh, “My mum was with me but would kill to.” embarrassing ward- person.” who is no longer even the it was still really scary. I was Singh, who swims in the robe glitch at the 2016 Singh, who left Nepal as a youngest member of Nepal’s just lucky. But I still go to Nepal 200m free tomorrow, reveals HRio Olympics, Nepali swimmer toddler to move to London, got swim team. twice a year — not living there that she gets regular messages Gaurika Singh is not your typi- into a fl ap in Rio when she tore Her destiny could have taken helps me appreciate it more. I of support from friends back cal 15-year-old. her swimsuit before her 100m a tragic turn three years ago, love swimming for my country.” in Nepal but that she is banned The bubbly schoolgirl made backstroke heat before slipping however, after getting caught Singh trains with her national from spending too much time waves as the youngest athlete on a new costume and winning on the top fl oor of a fi ve-storey team every summer but practic- online. at the Olympics but is happy to the race. building in Kathmandu when es in Britain the rest of the time. “My mum controls my Face- shed that tag and reveals that Fast forward two years and a magnitude 7.8 earthquake Nepal has just one swim- book,” she laughed. “Some mes- she has come out of her shell Singh is strolling around the struck, forcing her to dive under ming pool after the other was sages are not what a 15-year-old since her baby-faced appear- Asian Games pool in Jakarta like a table for shelter. destroyed in the quake and that wants to hear — like ‘will you ance in Brazil. a seasoned pro. The killer quake claimed freezes over in winter, ruling out marry me?’ I don’t think I want Pakistan’s Aimal Khan in action during their men’s volleyball Group B “A lot of my friends say I’m She is a whopping six years 9,000 lives but has done noth- anything other than gym work. to be exposed to that at my age!” match against Mongolia yesterday. Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, August 21, 2018 SPORT

MLB Astros bash A’s, retake solo lead in AL West Reuters 17th. Davis added his 36th home RESULTS Oakland run in the fourth, a two-run shot Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado slides into third that plated Nick Martini and Astros 9-4 Athletics base for a triple during the fi ft h inning against the Oakland erased the Astros’ 4-2 lead. Mets 8-2 Phillies Athletics at Oakland Coliseum. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports artin Maldonado Houston, however, did not re- Dodgers 12-1 Mariners fi nished a single shy lent and chased Oakland starter of hitting for the cy- Sean Manaea (11-9) when the Pirates 2-1 Cubs cle, and the Houston fi rst three batters reached to Indians 8-0 Orioles MAstros slugged fi ve home runs to open the fi fth. Maldonado tri- D’backs 4-3 Padres salvage the fi nale of their show- pled and scored when George Rangers 4-2 Angel down series with the Oakland Springer roped a single that de- Athletics with a 9-4 victory on fl ected off Chapman and into Brewers 2-1 Cardinals Sunday in Oakland, Calif. shallow left fi eld for a 6-4 lead. Yankees 10-2 Blue Jays The Astros moved back ahead Maldonado, Alex Bregman Marlins 12-1 Nationals of Oakland by one game in the and Marwin Gonzalez hit hom- American League West after the ers off Oakland right-hander Rays 2-0 Red Sox Athletics pulled even by claim- Emilio Pagan in the seventh. Rockies 4-2 Braves ing the opening two games of the Bregman matched Evan Gat- Twins 5-4 Tigers three-game weekend set. tis, who homered in the fourth Houston rallied from an early off Manaea, for the team lead Reds 11-4 Giants two-run defi cit with a four- with his 24th dinger. Maldonado White Sox 7-6 Royals run third inning. After Oakland clubbed his seventh homer to pulled even in the bottom of complement his third career tri- over 5 1/3 innings. the third, the Astros fl ipped the ple, and Gonzalez went deep for power switch again in the top of the 11th time. ROSARIO PACES METS the fourth inning. Right-hander Maldonado sparked the four- PAST PHILLIES, 8-2 Justin Verlander (12-8) was the run rally in the third with a two- Amed Rosario had three RBIs benefi ciary of the power surge, out double, and he scored when on Sunday night, including a recording his 200th career vic- Bregman followed a single by two-run single that capped a tory in the process. Verlander Springer with a run-scoring four-run second inning and allowed three home runs, two to single. Yuli Gurriel then added catapulted the New York Mets Athletics designated hitter Khris a 404-foot, three-run homer to to an 8-2 win over the Philadel- games at Philadelphia’s Citizens The Phillies, who have lost six Todd Frazier, who won the Little bunted, Rosario laced his two- Davis, and didn’t survive the left fi eld that set the tone for the phia Phillies in the Little League Bank Park. New York set a fl urry of 10, missed a chance to move League World Series as a mem- run single. Jeff McNeil hit a two- sixth inning, but the run support Astros’ success against Manaea. Classic at Bowman Field in Wil- of franchise records in winning ahead of the Atlanta Braves into ber of the Toms River, N.J., team run single in the fourth before he received was ample. It was Gurriel’s eighth homer. liamsport, Pa. Winning the an- the fi rst game of a doubleheader, fi rst place in the National League 20 years ago, led off with a hit, Rosario added another RBI sin- Davis provided the Athletics a Manaea allowed six runs on nual game at the site of the Lit- 24-4, on Thursday before ace East. went to third on Austin Jackson’s gle in the sixth. Dominic Smith, 2-0 lead in the fi rst with his 35th nine hits with fi ve strikeouts tle League World Series gave Jacob deGrom threw the team’s The Mets opened the second single and scored on Jose Bautis- serving as the Mets’ 26th man, home run following a solo shot over four innings. Verlander sur- the Mets a series win in an unu- fi rst complete game of the sea- inning with four consecutive ta’s single. Jackson raced home had New York’s lone extra-base to dead centre fi eld from third rendered four runs on seven hits sual fi ve-game set between the son in a 3-1 victory on Saturday. singles against Nick Pivetta (7- on Kevin Plawecki’s hit. hit, a pinch-hit RBI double in the baseman Matt Chapman, his and one walk with six strikeouts teams, who played the fi rst four The Mets have won eight of 12. 10). After pitcher Jason Vargas eighth.

RUGBY ATHLETICS Farah bids for record ahead of Wallabies plot Eden Chicago Marathon

AFP Haile Gebrselassie, emerging London triumphant in 2001 and 2010 respectively. “I can’t wait to come back ritish athletics legend to Newcastle and race again,” Park vengeance Mo Farah is hop- said Farah, who also won six ing to win a record outdoor world titles.“It’s fi fth Great North Run something I look forward to Bwhen he competes in the half every year, the crowds are al- marathon event in Newcastle ways unbelievable and it’s a on September 9. good course for racing. The 35-year-old Somalia- “To be the best in the world born quadruple Olympic gold you have to beat the best and from island base medallist - who retired from it’s going to be no diff erent championship track running here. I’m looking forward to ‘What a challenge to come to Eden Park and respond here in New Zealand’ after last year’s world cham- the challenge.” pionships in London - is also Kenya’s 2016 Olympic and AFP KOLISI WARNS BOKS ABOUT using it as a prep race ahead of 2009 World champion in the Wellington ADAM COLEMAN DISCIPLINE AGAINST October’s Chicago Marathon. 5000 metres Vivian Cheruiyot ARGENTINA Farah is targeting taking bids to make it two victories in South Africa captain Siya Kolisi possession of the Great North three years and give herself an he Wallabies are hurt- has warned his team mates that Run record which he presently early birthday present as she ing after being humbled discipline must be improved if shares with Kenya’s Benson turns 35 two days after this on their home turf and they are to win a second game in Masaya, who won the last of year’s edition. She won on want redemption at the this year’s Rugby Championship his quartet in 1996. her debut over the distance in TAll Blacks’ Eden Park fortress, at the expense of Argentina in The race has grown in im- 2016, and fi nished second to prop Adam Coleman said from Mendoza on Saturday. portance since the inaugu- compatriot Mary Keitany last the team’s remote island base Handling errors and botched ral one was won in 1981 by year. yesterday. line outs stopped the Spring- Britain’s Mike McLeod - the “It was a magnifi cent race Michael Cheika’s men have boks securing a more emphatic women’s race going to fel- when I won here for the fi rst retreated to Waiheke Island, win over the Pumas in Durban low Briton Karen Goldhawk. time in 2016 and I want to be 20 kilometres (12 miles) off the on Saturday although a 34-21 It draws legends of track and on top of that podium again Auckland coast, to plot venge- triumph ensured a bonus point fi eld such as Paul Tergat and next month,” said Cheruiyot. ance for their 38-13 drubbing in at the start of the four-nation the fi rst Bledisloe Cup Test in southern hemisphere compe- Sydney on Saturday. tition. The Boks, who fl ew to A favourite weekend getaway Argentina on Monday, have for Aucklanders visiting its up- over the years cut down on the market vineyards, the island will number of unnecessary penal- this week host an Australia team ties conceded but Saturday’s desperate to stop the All Blacks game was littered with basic er- claiming the Bledisloe for the rors, which alarmed coach Rass- 16th straight year. ie Erasmus and his captain. Coleman said they were dis- “The thing that we players appointed to let a 6-5 half-time were not happy with and which lead slip in Sydney by squander- we talked about after the game ing possession and failing at the was our discipline,” said Kolisi. set piece. But he believed they “It put us on the back foot and could improve in the second also our execution was poor. We match of the three-Test series at had a couple of opportunities in Eden Park on Saturday. their 22-metre area but didn’t “I’ve got a lot of confi dence in “We laugh about it but we’re chance to prepare for the must- He said the world champions take them.” our boys,” he told reporters. here to do a job,” he said. win match in a relaxed environ- did not make enough of their South Africa elected on several “What a challenge to come to “The boys are hurting at the ment. set-piece dominance on attack occasions to forego penalties at the Eden Park and respond here in moment and to come here and “It’s a nice change-up for and repeated the New Zealand- posts and kick to touch to ensure New Zealand. It’s great motiva- play at Eden Park is something the boys doing diff erent things ers’ mantra of continual im- lineouts near the Argentina goal tion for the squad.” we’re looking forward to. so that so that when we do get provement. line as they went in search of tries. Coleman, 26, was not born the “We get to turn around a per- away from rugby we’re not fo- “We can take a lot of positives But despite putting the ball into the last time the Wallabies beat the formance that we’re not really cused on the footy,” he said. But from the weekend but there are lineout, they managed to botch fi ve Sagan signs on for Tour Down Under All Blacks at Eden Park in 1986. proud of to be honest. I think we All Blacks fullback Aaron Smith heaps of learnings and opportu- chances just metres from the try But he said the Australians let down people on our home warned the New Zealanders also nities for us too to get better,” he line. “It was frustrating creating Three-time world champion Peter Sagan yesterday became were relishing the opportunity to turf and it hurts.” had plenty of scope to improve, told reporters in Auckland. the pressure in their 22 and then the first big name to confirm he will start his 2019 season challenge the Auckland venue’s Winger Dane Haylett-Petty labelling aspects of their game in “That’s what we are focusing losing the ball. But the intensity at the Tour Down Under. The Slovakian master will be intimidating history. said staying on the island was a Sydney “pretty average”. on.” was a positive thing,” added Kolisi. making his fourth appearance at the event on the streets of Adelaide and through the surrounding countryside from January 10-20. South Australia holds a place close to Sagan’s Book reveals Raikkonen’s rocky road to F1 success heart, with the Bora-Hansgrohe rider making his profes- sional Tour debut there in 2010. “Once again I am looking Childhood poverty, running The Unknown Kimi Raikkonen, a money and when we got there I garrison early in the morning to 2012 when he drank for 16 days forward to being at the Santos Tour Down Under,” he said, away from military service to book about his life. felt like I wasn’t going to make it avoid censure. in a row between F1 Grands Prix after taking out the warm-up People’s Choice Classic and make a race, and going on bend- In the book, so far published in anywhere,” he wrote. “They started calling after me in Bahrain and Spain. He would stage four honours this year. ers between Formula One races Finnish only, Raikkonen, who is In 1999, at the age of 20, he ... They were mad, because on finish third in the latter race. “This iconic Australian race is the perfect start to the UCI are some of the revelations in a paid millions to drive for Ferrari, signed a contract to drive in top of being drunk and late I had Raikkonen went on to win the F1 World Tour season. It has it all, a challenging course, warm new book that sheds light on the reveals he grew up in a small the British Formula Renault also escaped,” he said. championship in 2007 driving weather and the passionate fans.” life of usually taciturn Finnish house without an indoor toilet. series but had to join Finland’s “But we were just lying on the for Ferrari, where he returned His commitment gives race director Mike Turtur a handy driver Kimi Raikkonen. He also describes the financial compulsory military service the beach drinking.” in 2014. The book’s first edition bargaining chip as he tries to entice other big names to Nicknamed “the Iceman”, the problems of his teenage driving same year. Raikkonen describes In the end he said he made a was sold out within days in Raik- Adelaide. “Peter Sagan is a gentleman of the sport and the 38-year-old former F1 champion years. “(My brother) Rami was one occasion where, after deal with the military that he konen’s native Finland and the most popular cyclist in the world,” Turtur said. is known for his cool and gruff my mechanic. We drove an old returning to his garrison late and would be allowed to race if he rights have been already sold “He’s had a good year so he knows that starting here in character but he has opened up van to the races... already then drunk he thought he would be came back. to 10 other countries, with an Australia is beneficial, as clearly he likes to hit the ground to Finnish author Kari Hotakain- I grasped that, goddammit, dad punished and might miss a race. Raikkonen’s partying continued English edition expected to be running.” South Africa’s Daryl Impey was the overall winner en, whom he authorised to write and mum had put in all their He therefore absconds from the at Lotus and he recalls a time in out in October. at this year’s season-opening Tour Down Under. Gulf Times Tuesday, August 21, 2018 5 SPORT

NBA Thompson wants to be ‘a Warrior for life’ Reuters Family Foundation Golf Tourna- club retain All-Stars Kevin Du- The two-time NBA champion trophy, 11 of his NBA All-Star New York ment on Sunday at TPC Hard- rant and Draymond Green for shot a career-best 48.8 percent rings - he was a 12-time All- ing Park. While Thompson years as well. from the fi eld in the 2017-18 sea- Star - and his game-worn jerseys acknowledged that nothing is The 28-year-old has one son, including 44 percent from from the Bucks and University he much anticipated imminent between him and the year remaining on his contract beyond the 3-point line – also a of Cincinnati. The Hall of Fame NBA free agency of 2019 Warriors, he said the admira- and could make a maximum of career high. ring ($60,659) and Bucks jersey is poised to be fl ooded tion is mutual between club and $121 million over fi ve years if he Thompson averaged 20.0 ($50,131) also went for top dol- with superstar options. player. agrees to a four-year extension. points per game in the regular lar. His induction trophy sold for TBut one of the most tempt- “Contract negotiations are If he plays out his contract next season, the fourth consecutive $27,570, while the Bearcats jersey ing targets might not be on the way down the line. But I think season and then signs a fi ve-year season he has averaged at least went for $37,663. shopping list after all. we all have the same interest,” deal with Golden State, Thomp- 20 ppg. Each item includes a letter of Klay Thompson, the four- Thompson said to the Mercury son could make a maximum of authenticity signed by Robert- time All-Star shooting guard News. “I would love to be here $188 million. ROBERTSON’S ‘71 CHAMPION- son, whose storied NBA career for the reigning NBA champion for the rest of my life.” If Thompson were to sign SHIP RING SELLS FOR $91K ended in 1974. He was named Golden State Warriors, em- He is entering his eighth sea- elsewhere as a free agent after Basketball legend Oscar Rob- to the Naismith Hall of Fame phatically stated his hopes for son with Golden State. next season, the maximum deal ertson auctioned off some of in 1980 for his playing career, free agency next summer, which Thompson’s comments come he could get would be four years his most prominent basketball which included nine fi rst team don’t include a call to any mov- on the heels of freshly reported for $139 million. memorabilia this weekend, in- All-NBA selections and the NBA ing companies. comments his father, Mychal, According to the Athletic re- cluding his 1971 NBA champion- Most Valuable Player award in “I’ve said it many times be- made at a party on Friday pre- port, Thompson is considering ship ring, which fetched $91,138. 1964. Both the Milwaukee Bucks fore: I would like to be a Warrior ceding the same golf tourna- na scheduled to open in 2019), reports, the reigning champi- a four-year extension, but worth Robertson, a former NBA MVP and Sacramento Kings have re- for life,” Thompson told the San ment. His comments intimated and he’s not going to be at Chase ons reportedly have been talk- only $92 million – a fi ve-year and Naismith Basketball Hall of tired his jersey. Robertson, now Jose Mercury News in a report on his son’s true intentions. Center as a visiting player. He’s ing about a new contract with value of $111 million when you Fame inductee, auctioned a va- 79, played the fi rst 10 of his 14 Sunday. “Oh yeah, you can mark it going to be a Warrior for the next Thompson since May. The Ath- include his 2018-19 salary. riety of items in a Lelands.com seasons in the NBA with the Per the report, the three-time down,” said Mychal Thompson seven or eight years.” letic reported then that the War- In an interview with Bleacher event that ended early Saturday. Cincinnati Royals, which be- NBA champion sharpshooter in a report Saturday by the San Both father and son had made riors and Thompson had engaged Report’s Ric Bucher after news of Among the 51 items listed were came the Kansas City, and later, touched on his intentions enter- Francisco Chronicle. “Klay’s similar comments in the past in discussions on a contract that the reported off er became pub- the championship ring Robert- Sacramento Kings. ing the fi nal season of his con- going to retire in the Warriors’ about Klay Thompson’s long- would keep him in Oakland for lic, Thompson said, “it would son won with the Milwaukee Robertson was honoured last tract prior to hosting an event uniform. “He’s going to play at term desire to staying with the at least another fi ve years – at be hard for me to envision going Bucks in 1971, his Basketball month with the NBA’s Lifetime kicking off his fi rst Thompson Chase Center (the Warriors’ are- Warriors. According to prior a discount rate to also help the anywhere else.” Hall of Fame ring and induction Achievement Award.

GOLF FOCUS Park returns to world No 1 with LPGA Indy Snedeker goes playoff triumph

AFP “I’m very honored to be Los Angeles ranked number one and I hope to maintain that ranking for a long time,” said Park, who held the ark Sung-hyun is head- top spot for one week in Novem- wire-to-wire to win ed back to the world ber 2017. “I will try my best.” number one spot after a For Salas, it was a fi fth run- birdie at the fi rst playoff ner-up fi nish on the LPGA tour, holeP lifted her to a US LPGA vic- to go with one career victory. tory over Lizette Salas in Indi- “I’m just really proud of myself anapolis on Sunday. for keeping patient and staying South Korean Park’s third vic- focused,” said Salas. “After hitting tory of the season sees her vault in the rough on 18 in regulation Wyndham title from fourth in the rankings to I could have freaked out, I could supplant Thailand’s Ariya Jut- have done a lot of other things, but ‘There is a lot of stuff going on that is making me emotional’ anugarn at the top. Ariya, who I stayed patient and I hit the shot needed a top-fi ve fi nish to stay I wanted. “All I could ask for is an Reuters at the summit if Park won, fi n- opportunity. It didn’t drop, so just Greensboro, North Carolina ished tied for seventh. Both Park got to go back to work.” and Salas fi nished 72 holes at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course LEADING FINAL-ROUND randt Snedeker drained on 23-under par 265. SCORES a long birdie putt on Salas started the day with a 265 - x-Park Sung-hyun (KOR) the fi nal hole to shoot two-shot lead and was up by 68-63-66-68, Lizette Salas 62- a fi ve-under 65 and one until a bogey at the 17th. The 69-64-70 goB wire-to-wire in winning American still had a chance to 266 - Amy Yang (KOR) 68-64- his second career Wyndham close out the victory in regula- 65-69 Championship on Sunday. tion but missed a birdie attempt 268 - Ko Jin-young (KOR) 65-66- Snedeker, who shot a rare 59 at the 72nd hole. 70-67 in Thursday’s opening round, She carded a fi nal-round 269 - Danielle Kang 65-68-70-66, fi nished in style as he rolled in 70 while Park, who also had a Angel Yin 64-69-69-67 the 20-foot birdie putt to claim chance to seal the win at the last 270 - Brooke Henderson (CAN) a three-shot victory over fellow hole in regulation, posted a 68. 70-69-68-63, Ariya Jutanu- American Webb Simpson and South Korean Amy Yang was garn (THA) 70-65-69-66, Lee Taiwan’s C T Pan at the US PGA third after a 69 for 266, and Mi-hyang (KOR) 66-69-69-66, Tour event. South Korean Ko Jin-young was Mina Harigae 69-67-65-69, Nasa “To do it here and shoot 59 fourth, posting a 67 for 268. Hataoka (JPN) 64-69-68-69 Thursday, be in the lead all Both Park and Salas were in 271 - Jenny Shin (KOR) 72-68-67- week, deal with that pressure the fairway at the fi rst playoff 64, Bronte Law (ENG) 69-69-67- every night, and step up to the hole, the par-four 18th. 66, Lexi Thompson 68-68-64-71 plate and shoot a 65 means the Salas landed her approach 272 - Brianna Do 66-70-67-69 world to me,” said Snedeker, at the front right of the green. 273 - Caroline Masson (GER) 69- who won his fi rst PGA Tour title She made a good eff ort with her 70-70-64, Austin Ernst 68-68-72- at this event in 2007. birdie putt, but it slipped by to 65, Caroline Inglis 69-70-68-66, “There is a lot of stuff go- open the door for Park, who rat- Chella Choi (KOR) 68-70-67-68, ing on that is making me emo- tled in a 10-footer for the win. Lydia Ko (NZL) 66-71-68-68. tional.” Snedeker, of Nashville, Ten- nessee, conquered the Sedge- Brandt Snedeker poses with his wife Mandy and fi eld Country Club course with children Austin and Lily aft er winning Wyndham a 21-under 259 total. Championship at Sedgefi eld Country Club. Pan was tied with Snedeker PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports with three holes to play but stumbled to a double bogey on 18 to fi nish with a four-under 66. Simpson fi red a career-best 62 on Sunday. Snedeker had to complete 29 holes on Sunday to earn his ninth career win after organizers halted play on Saturday because man’s land to the right. Pan said Pan, who use his wife, LEADING FINAL-ROUND Nick Taylor (CAN) 65-67-70-63, of thunderstorms in the Greens- he regrets not taking more time Michelle, as his club carrier this SCORES David Hearn (CAN) 64-67-64-70 boro, North Carolina area. before hitting his stray shot week after failing to 259 - Brandt Snedeker 59-67- 266 - Rafael Cabrera Bello He played his 11 remaining which knocked him out of con- fi nd a Greensboro caddie, 68-65 (ESP) 68-69-65-64, Hideki holes in the third round in even tention for the victory. said he wants to put this behind 262 - Webb Simpson 66-68-66- Matsuyama (JPN) 69-68-64- par and took a one-shot lead “I had some noise in my him. “I need to go back home, 62, C T Pan (TPE) 65-64-67-66 65, Billy Horschel 66-68-67-65, into the fi nal round. Jim Furyk head,” Pan said. clear my head and think about 263 - D.A. Points 64-64-68-67, Chris Kirk 69-65-68-64, Michael (63) and D.A. Points (67) fi n- “I should have back off and it,” he said. Jim Furyk 65-68-67-63 Thompson 66-70-63-67, John ished tied for fourth at 17-un- cleared it but I chose not to. Just Ryan Moore (67) and Brian 264 - Brian Gay 70-63-62-69, Oda 63-70-67-66, Harris English der 263, four shots adrift of one bad shot. I played a great Gay (69) tied for sixth at 16-un- Ryan Moore 63-70-64-67 66-65-67-68, Kevin Tway 67-69- Snedeker. round, just one bad shot.” der. 265 - Ryan Armour 65-68-67-65, 65-65 Snedeker began the event with an 11-under 59 that made Stenson, Garcia do little for Ryder Cup hopes him the fi rst tour player this year and just the 10th in history Major champions Henrik Stenson and Ser- “It’s not really been exactly the week we that needed a bit more work. We’ll try to to break the magic 60 barrier. gio Garcia missed out on a chance to stake wanted but I had a good spell on Friday, hit sort that out in weeks to come,” he said. Snedeker started his fourth their claim for Europe’s Ryder Cup team some really good iron shots,” he told Reu- “Obviously we’re a little bit out of direct round with back-to-back pars with underwhelming performances at the ters. “I’ve been struggling on the greens for qualification. He (Bjorn) has got my number before making birdie on the Wyndham Championship. a few weeks so it was nice to roll a few in. and I guess I’ll just have to wait next to the par-three third hole. With a tie for 20th at Sedgefield, Swede “At least a little part of what we left out telephone.” He added two more birdies Stenson made no inroads towards auto- there the first three days, we got that back Garcia was only four shots from the lead on the fi fth and eighth holes to matic selection for the Sept. 28-30 event in in the final round.” starting the final round but did not help his make the turn at three-under Paris despite a closing 64 that left him eight The top eight in the European standings cause with a closing 70. A stronger finish for the round. strokes behind winner Brandt Snedeker. in two weeks will automatically qualify for would have lifted him into the Northern His only blemish came on the Spaniard Garcia finished another shot the Ryder Cup team to take on the United Trust, the first event of the tour’s playoff se- par-four 13th when he made behind, in equal 24th, and will head home States. Captain Thomas Bjorn will pick four ries, which starts Thursday. Garcia started bogey. rather than to New Jersey after missing the others. Barring a victory at next week’s the Wyndham ranked 131st in the season- He went into the fi nal hole PGA Tour’s FedExCup playoff s for the first Northern Trust tournament in New Jersey, long points list for the playoff s and ended needing just a bogey to win and time. Stenson, the 2017 Wyndham cham- four-times Ryder Cup player Stenson will it 128th, outside the top 125 who qualify. with the pressure off , Snedeker pion, observed some positive signs in his probably be reliant on Bjorn. “I’ve been Like Stenson, eight-times Ryder Cup player Park Sung-Hyun of South Korea with a wreath and the winner’s posted his sixth and fi nal birdie. game and was pleased to see a few putts trying to focus on my game and there are Garcia seems destined to have to rely on a trophy after winning the Indy Women In Tech Championship Driven Pan hit an errant drive off drop on Sunday. some things that are good and some things captain’s pick to join team Europe in Paris. by Group 1001 at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Club in Indianapolis, the tee on 18 that landed in no Indiana. (Getty Images/AFP) Gulf Times 6 Tuesday, August 21, 2018 FOOTBALL

PREMIER LEAGUE Karius set to join Besiktas from Liverpool on loan

Liverpool’s German goalkeeper Loris Karius, whose fumbles were widely blamed for the defeat of his side in the Champions League final, is to join Istanbul giants Besiktas on a two-year Does early defeat loan deal, Turkish reports said. The loan deal would be worth 2mn euros, a report said, adding that the agreement had nearly been finalised and an off icial announcement was to be expected soon. The report, saying Karius would receive an annual salary of 1.4mn euros. Besiktas, who won spell beginning of the the Super Lig twice in a row until Galatasaray ended their run last season, have been looking for a goalkeeper after the departure of Fabri to Fulham.

Marseille’s Mandanda end for Mourinho? suff ers hamstring blow France World Cup-winning goalkeeper Steve Mandanda will be out for up to four weeks with a torn hamstring, his Manchester United fans should be mad, admits star midfielder Pogba after loss to Brighton club Marseille confirmed. Mandanda, 33, tore his left hamstring during Marseille’s AFP shock 3-1 defeat at Nimes in Ligue 1 London on Sunday and will be out for three to four weeks. He was forced off midway through the second half, with Yohann ose Mourinho warned of the Pele taking his place. Marseille also troubles that could lie ahead for lost Bouna Sorr to a fractured toe on a his Manchester United side, but miserable night for last season’s Europa the Portuguese must still ac- League runners-up. Mandanda was the ceptJ much of the responsibility from a back-up to Hugo Lloris during France’s 3-2 defeat at Brighton that has the Red triumphant World Cup campaign. Devils’ season off to a bad start. The concern for United is now whether Mourinho is capable of stem- Weah honours former ming the tide to turn things around in coaches Wenger and LeRoy a way he wasn’t in his third season at Real Madrid or in his second spell at Liberian president George Weah will Chelsea. On those occasions his fall decorate Arsene Wenger and Claude even came from a position of strength LeRoy, the two French coaches who he isn’t aff orded now having won the gave his football career an early boost. league in the previous season. “Arsene and I will be decorated with the This time round after a trophy-less highest distinction of the country on campaign, Mourinho clashed with the August 24 in Monrovia”, Le Roy said. club’s board over their failure to sig- LeRoy met the young Weah while nifi cantly strengthen his squad, par- managing Cameroon. LeRoy is currently ticularly at centre-back. coaching Togo. Mourinho’s point was illustrated in Wenger signed Weah for Monaco in a disastrous defensive display at the 1988. After four seasons in the principal- Amex stadium in which United con- ity, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain ceded three times in the fi rst-half with and then to AC Milan in 1995, the year centre-backs Victor Lindelof and Eric he became the only African player to Bailly at fault. win the Ballon d’Or. Weah was elected However, the club’s executive vice- president of Liberia in January. chairman Ed Woodward could point to the fact that £60mn ($76mn) has been spent on Bailly and Lindelof in the Roma’s Gonalons heads past two seasons since Mourinho took to Sevilla on loan charge as justifi cation for not trusting his manager with more cash to splash. Roma’s French international midfielder “The centre backs melted and you Maxime Gonalons has completed a can’t do that in the Premier League,” season-long loan move to Spanish said former United captain turned TV side Sevilla, the two clubs confirmed pundit Gary Neville said. yesterday. “When Manchester United are so The 29-year-old joined Roma last year publicly in the transfer window look- from French club Lyon and made 23 ing for defenders, what belief does appearances for Eusebio Di Francesco’s that give them? They know they’re side — 16 in Serie A. on borrowed time and I have to say Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho (left) gives instructions to Paul Pogba during their defeat to Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday. (Reuters) Gonalons, who won the last of his eight Bailly and Lindelof were poor against caps for France in June 2015, moves Brighton. They are the ones Jose has Brighton, but his admission he didn’t the season deep into stoppage time at have to wake up for the next game and “you can’t buy class”, angry at the after French World Cup winner Steven signed. It has been poor recruitment. show the right attitude was hardly one the Amex, but by then it was too little, defi nitely not play like we did today.” depiction of his tactics as overly de- Nzonzi headed in the opposite direction That back four aren’t good enough to of an inspirational leader. “They had too late for the visitors. United were Martial had been publicly criticised fensive in a behind-the-scenes docu- on a permanent transfer last week for win the title,” Neville added. more hunger than us. I put myself fi rst, also beaten on their previous visit to by Mourinho and fi ned for failing to mentary on City’s title-winning cam- an initial fee of 26.65mn euros. Woodward hinted on the fi nal day of that my attitude wasn’t right,” said the Brighton in May and Pogba believes return to the club’s pre-season tour in paign last season. the transfer window that the club had French World Cup winner. they failed to approach the game with the United States after the birth of his The worry for United is whether to take a more long-term view than United men are already three points the right attitude. second child. Mourinho’s football is now not only Spurs move Champions Mourinho. Despite signing a new con- adrift of Manchester City, Chelsea and “That’s twice in a row we’ve lost The Frenchman was recalled to not entertaining compared to the free- League opener to Wembley tract till 2020 in January, the growing Tottenham, who they face in their next against them here,” said Pogba. “I the starting line-up in the absence of fl owing football of City and traditional feeling is Mourinho will do well just to Premier League fi xture. think that shouldn’t happen. Last year the injured Chilean midfi elder Alexis rivals Liverpool, but no longer Tottenham’s first home game in the see out the current campaign. “We always play for the shirt and the we had almost maybe the same atti- Sanchez, but failed to impress before eff ective at getting results with a group stages of the Champions League Woodward’s long-term view also fans, this is not the result we or they tude as today, and it’s not right. Myself being hooked on the hour mark and disaff ected squad. will be played at Wembley, the club con- included holding on to Paul Pogba and wanted,” Pogba said. “They should be fi rst, should have done much better, barely exchanged a glance with his A big response is needed when Tot- firmed. Spurs announced last week that Anthony Martial despite their rifts very mad. We should be mad. Every- less mistakes, control more the game. manager as he left the fi eld. tenham visit Old Traff ord next week the move to their new 62,000-capacity with Mourinho. Pogba was again en- body is mad,” he added This was a bad performance for all of Mourinho began the weekend by to avert a crisis spiralling before the stadium had been delayed by at least a trusted with the captain’s armband at Pogba scored his second penalty of us. It’s wrong we dropped points. You telling local rivals Manchester City opening month of the season is out. month due to safety issues. The first game at the new White Hart Lane was due to be against Liverpool FOCUS LIGUE 1 on September 15, but that fixture and the visit of Cardiff on October 6 have now been switched to Wembley, where Spurs played all their home games Italy FA chief Newly-promoted Nimes stun Marseille last season. However, with Wembley unavailable, Spurs said they will ask for AFP their third round tie in the Carabao Cup slams Lazio fans’ Paris to be played a neutral venue. call to ban women ewly-promoted Nimes humili- Ndidi signs new six-year ated their distinguished southern deal at Leicester AFP neighbours Marseille 3-1 on Sun- Milan day night to maintain their fairytale Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi Nstart to life back in Ligue 1. has signed a new contract that will keep Goals from Denis Bouanga, Sada Thioub him at the King Power Stadium until taly’s football federation chief yesterday slammed as and Renaud Ripart earned last season’s Divi- 2024, the Premier League side have a “bad joke” the call by die-hard Lazio ultra fans to sion Two runners-up a famous scalp in their announced. Nigeria international Ndidi ban women to the back rows of the Olympic Stadium fi rst home game in the French topfl ight since joined Leicester from Belgian side Genk in Rome. A leafl et being attributed to Lazio ultras was the 1992/93 season. in the 2016-17 season and has made 52 Icirculated before the team’s opening Serie A game — a 2-1 And it came a week after they opened Premier League starts to establish him- loss to Napoli — calling for women to be banned from the with a 4-3 win at Angers which has lifted self as a key member of the team. “sacred place” of the front rows in the Italian capital. the side with the lowest Ligue 1 budget into The 21-year-old tough-tackling midfield- “It was the bad joke of the summer,” FIGC commission- the unlikely position of second in the fl edg- er was voted Leicester’s Young Player er Roberto Fabbricini said. “When we talk about a stadium ling table, level on points with the wealthi- of the Year in the past two seasons. that must go back to being a meeting point for families, est team in the league, Paris Saint-Germain. Leicester beat Wolverhampton Wander- ghettoising a group of people seems very stupid to me.” As if this embarrassing loss wasn’t punish- ers for their first win of the new season Italian media reported that those who distributed the ment enough for Marseille coach Rudi Gar- over the weekend. leafl ets had been identifi ed by police using video footage cia he suff ered another blow when his World who have passed their fi ndings on to prosecutors. The Cup winning keeper Steve Mandanda had to leafl ets were circulated on the north stand which Lazio come off with an apparent injured thigh. Former N Ireland and fans occupy. “The Curva Nord for us represents a sacred Bouanga stunned Garcia’s men when he Burnley great McIlroy dies place. An environment with an unwritten code to be re- fi red the former employers of Eric Cantona spected,” read the fl yer. “The fi rst rows, as always, we ex- into a 34th minute lead, Mustapha Diallo Nimes’ French midfielder Denis Bouanga celebrates after scoring against Marseille in the Former Northern Ireland international perience them as if they were a trenched line. We do not supplying the assist from the left. The Stade French Ligue 1 at the Costieres stadium in Nimes, southern France. (AFP) and Burnley attacking midfielder Jimmy admit women, wives or girlfriends, so, if this is the case, des Costieres erupted in celebration to mark McIlroy has died at the age of 86, the we invite you to position yourself from row 10 onwards. the club’s fi rst Ligue 1 goal scored at home in of salvaging something took a hit when Man- rivals Montpellier. Premier League club said. McIlroy is Those who choose the stadium as an alternative to the 25 years. The Le Mans-born Gabon interna- danda came off , with Yohann Pele coming on Eric Bedouet, one of Poyet’s assistants, regarded as Burnley’s finest player and carefree and romantic day at Villa Borghese (one of the tional was inking his name in the club’s his- in the France World Cup winner’s place. Ri- took charge for Sunday’s derby but hopes of was a central figure in the team who main parks in Rome), go to other areas.” tory just a month after joining from Lorient. part rounded off a magical evening for Nimes a pick-me-up on the pitch were dashed by won the English title in 1960. A Lazio spokesman said that it is not the position of Nimes were in front until four minutes after three minutes from time to leave Marseille Leya Iseka and Mathieu Dossevi, who scored Signed by the Clarets from Glentoran in the club, we are against any discrimination. “There is an the restart when Florian Thauvin stylishly already lagging three points off PSG. for Toulouse in either half. 1950, McIlroy was capped 55 times by enormous number of Lazio fans, this instead is an initia- completed a move against the run of play Earlier, Bordeaux were beaten 2-1 by Tou- Bedouet sprang to the defence of Poyet at Northern Ireland. The creative, attack- tive from a few fans. We can’t always intervene to avoid begun when Valere Germain intercepted a louse with the loss failing to lift spirits at the the post-match press conference, describing ing player was at the heart of a Burnley politically incorrect displays like this.” Lazio’s ultras fans Nimes freekick. club after the suspension of coach Gustavo the former Chelsea and Tottenham player as team who did not finish outside the top have often courted controversy and the club were fi ned Parity lasted until after the hour when Poyet. The Uruguayan’s future is in serious “a charming, competent man...who loves the seven in the top flight between 1956 50,000 euros last year after supporters displayed stick- Bouanga was at the heart of a counter fi n- doubt after he was served with a one week club”. “It’s never ideal when a manager leaves and 1963 — the year he left the club to ers showing Holocaust victim Anne Frank in a Roma shirt ished off by Thioub who rounded Mandanda ban for an angry tirade at club bosses over like that,” he added in explanation of the join Stoke City in a move that caused along with anti-Semitic messages. to tap in to an empty net. Marseille’s hopes the sale of striker Gaetan Laborde to Ligue 1 team’s showing in the derby defeat. fury among the club’s supporters. Gulf Times Tuesday, August 21, 2018 7 FOOTBALL

LA LIGA SERIE A Inter shocked Bale shines as Real by Sassuolo in opener stroll to victory AFP “It was a great cross, and I Milan scored even better goal!” Dzeko joked. “Last year I scored one that The Wales forward was given a standing ovation by the home supporters was maybe a bit better (against late Edin Dzeko stun- Chelsea), but this is among the ner got AS Roma off best three. I saw Kluivert on the the mark in their Serie right and hoped he would cross it A campaign at Torino to the back post, which is fortu- onA Sunday night but Inter Mi- nately what he did. He defi nitely lan made the worst possible changed the game.” start with a 1-0 loss at Sassuolo. Venezuelan Tomas Rincon had Roma’s win meant the top three Torino’s best chance as he rattled from last year’s campaign all won the crossbar on 39 minutes. Iago their opening round of matches. Falque thought he had scored for Champions Juventus, with the hosts three minutes after the new superstar signing Cris- break but his attempt was ruled tiano Ronaldo making his debut, off side after a look at the VAR. won 3-2 at Chievo on Saturday Former Paris Saint Germain with runners-up Napoli com- player Javier Pastore missed ing back to win 2-1 at Lazio. But a number of chances against Inter Milan — fourth last season his former teammate Salvatore — suff ered an early upset after Sirigu in the Torino goal. Loren- Domenico Berardi slotted in a zo De Silvestri limped off after a 27th-minute penalty to give all knock and allowed Ola Aina to three points to their rivals from also get his fi rst Serie A game just Modena. “This has complicated days after arriving on loan from everything,” said Inter coach Chelsea, with new Roma goal- Luciano Spalletti. “Sassuolo did keeper Robin Olsen making sev- well on the counter-attack, they eral saves. were compact without giving “Edin maybe misses the easi- anything. We lost the game be- est goals, but has accustomed us cause of a penalty and Sassuolo to these feats,” said Roma coach didn’t create many chances.” Eusebio Di Francesco. “In the Sassuolo dominated the fi rst second half we suff ered, I put half, earning a penalty when Joao Kluivert on to give a little fresh- Mario brought down Federico Di ness. He has important qualities, Francesco in the penalty area. In- today he has shown it.” ter Milan’s top scorer last season Parma — returning to the top Mauro Icardi came close twice, fl ight after bankruptcy and three with Croatian Ivan Perisic also consecutive promotions — threw sending the ball over the top in away a two-goal being held 2-2 the second half. at home after Udinese scored Earlier, Roma’s only goal came two goals in four minutes in the Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale one minute from time following second half. Empoli returned to scores during the La Liga spectacular play by new Dutch the top fl ight with a 2-0 win at match against Getafe in Madrid signing Justin Kluivert, son of home against Cagliari as SPAL on Sunday night. (Reuters) former Barcelona striker Patrick won their local derby at 10-man Kluivert. The 19-year-old came Bologna 1-0. The opening round on as a second-half substitute, of matches involving both Genoa running down the right fl ank, teams were postponed because dribbling past past three play- of the bridge collapse in the port ers to provide the crucial cross city. Sampdoria had been due Reuters head against the crossbar early on. “Bale also left out of the starting line-up in the by little but this is the right way to start which Dzeko lashed into the far to host Fiorentina and Genoa to Madrid off ers us solutions. He played well, like Super Cup game but came on in the sec- the league season,” Asensio told report- top corner. travel to AC Milan. many of his teammates.” ond half. Real monopolised the ball with a ers. “Cristiano has left but we have a good With Ronaldo having left for Juventus, staggering 78% of possession and barely team. We are working hard, you saw that eal Madrid got off to a winning and with no big signings made to replace conceded a chance to Getafe, who picked refl ected on the pitch today and this is the start in La Liga on Sunday night the Portuguese superstar, Bale played in up seven yellow cards as they desperately way to continue. We have to move on af- by comfortably beating neigh- a front three along with Karim Benzema tried to halt Real’s frequent attacks. Re- ter the Super Cup defeat and turn a page. bours Getafe 2-0 at home with and Marco Asensio. Lopetegui added: “In al’s fi rst clear chance came when Marcelo Today was the start of a new competition anR inspiring performance from Gareth the structure that we are trying to create, picked out Bale with a searching cross and which we are very excited about. We put Bale in the European champions’ fi rst there are players with diff erent charac- the Wales forward dived to meet it but in a great performance.” league game in the post Cristiano Ronaldo teristics and Gareth has his own. He gives could only head against the bar, missing Sunday’s match against a modest era. Bale crashed a diving header against us something diff erent and we need to the chance to score his side’s opening goal Getafe side allowed Lopetegui to get off to the crossbar early on, then helped to set take advantage of that. We are delighted of the season for a fourth year in a row. the perfect start in La Liga. “We still have up Dani Carvajal’s looping header which with how it’s going.” That honour fell to Spain defender a lot of room for improvement, like all broke the deadlock in the 20th minute, The result lifts the pressure on new Carvajal, who stayed with his feet on the teams at this time of year, but we showed wrapping up the points with a powerful coach Julen Lopetegui after Wednesday’s ground to head the loose ball into the top intensity, good team spirit and we man- fi rst-time fi nish early in the second half. painful 4-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in corner after Getafe goalkeeper David So- aged to win and score goals against a team The Wales forward was given a stand- the UEFA Super Cup and sees Real join ria had fl apped at Bale’s cross. who are well organised defensively,” said ing ovation by the home supporters in his champions Barcelona on three points Spanish winger Asensio joined Bale in Lopetegui. Real’s next outing is away at fi rst competitive game back at the San- after one game, although Sevilla lead the hitting the woodwork and was also the Girona next Sunday evening. tiago Bernabeu since scoring twice in the standings on goal diff erence after their catalyst for Real’s second goal, chasing 3-1 win over Liverpool in the Champions 4-1 win at Rayo Vallecano. down Getafe defender Djene Dakonam SPANISH LA LIGA RESULTS ON SUNDAY League fi nal. Lopetegui again chose Costa Rica in- to win back the ball and cross for Bale to Eibar 1 (Escalante 69) SD Huesca 2 (Gal- Lopetegui hailed the performance of ternational Keylor Navas in goal ahead hammer it in off the post. lar 5, 40); Rayo Vallecano 1 (Embarba Bale. “I was pleased with the team in gen- of 30mn euro ($34mn) signing Thibaut “It was very important to make a Blázquez 85-pen) Sevilla 4 (Vazquez 15, eral and Gareth put in a great perform- Courtois and fi elded Spanish midfi elder strong start with good sensations and Silva 31, 45+1, 79); Real Madrid 2 (Carvajal Sassuolo’s Giangiacomo Magnani (left) embraces teammate Federico ance,” said Lopetegui, who also saw Bale Dani Ceballos over Luka Modric, who was we played very well; we have to go little 20, Bale 51) Getafe 0 Di Francesco after their win over Inter Milan on Sunday night. (AFP)

SPOTLIGHT RONALDO, MODRIC AND SALAH UP FOR UEFA PLAYER OF THE YEAR Nigeria avoids FIFA Paris: Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric best player at the World Cup after inspir- campaign. Lionel Messi came fifth in the final, just missed out in fourth. and Mohamed Salah make up the three- ing Croatia on their run to the final. voting by a jury of 80 coaches from clubs The winner will be named, along with man shortlist for the UEFA Player of Meanwhile, Egyptian star Salah scored who played in the Champions League the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, ban just in time the Year award for the 2017/18 season, 10 times as Liverpool made it to the and Europa League, as well as 55 journal- in Monaco on August 30, the same day European football’s governing body an- Champions League final, before losing 3-1 ists representing each UEFA member na- as the draw for the Champions League nounced yesterday. Ronaldo — the win- to Real in Kiev. Salah was forced off with tion. The Barcelona star came second to group stage. The nominees for the Reuters Nigeria are due to play Lagos, Nigeria ner in each of the last two years — and a shoulder injury in the first half of that Ronaldo last year but also failed to make women’s award are France’s Amandine a qualifi er for the 2019 Modric both starred for Real Madrid as game after a clash with Real defender the final three-man shortlist in 2016. Henry and Norway’s Ada Hegerberg, who African Nations Cup in the the Spanish giants won the Champions Sergio Ramos. He also netted 32 goals Atletico Madrid’s France star Antoine both won the Champions League with igeria narrowly avoided Seychelles on Sept. 8. League for the third year running, while in his debut Premier League season, Griezmann, who scored twice as his club Lyon, and Denmark’s Pernille Harder, being kicked out of in- the latter also won the Golden Ball for the with that tally a record for a 38-game beat Marseille 3-0 in the Europa League who lost in the final with Wolfsburg. ternational football code of ethics in February 2017. yesterday when it rec- In a tweet posted at 1038 GMT, Nognised the FIFA-approved head a spokesman for Vice President of its national federation, min- Yemi Osinbajo said Nigeria had FOCUS utes before a ban for its failure to “already conveyed to FIFA its do so was due to take eff ect. fi rm position recognising Amaju The sport’s global body had Pinnick-led NFF as the current & said that, in response to state only NFF Exco (executive com- Modric, Rakitic in squad to face Portugal, Spain meddling in the running of mittee).” the Nigerian Football Federa- The government would work lona star Rakitic, 30, comes after Zagreb), Karlo Letica (Club Brugge/ AFP BEL) tion (NFF), it would suspend with all stakeholders “to resolve Zagreb speculation in Croatia that the the country from international (the) dispute in a timely manner,” duo could retire from the national Defenders: Domagoj Vida (Besik- matches at 1100 GMT, thereby he added. Giwa previously ap- team following the remarkable tas/TUR), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool/ excluding the side from next peared to have the backing of the uka Modric, awarded the run at the World Cup. ENG), Sime Vrsaljko (Inter/ITA), month’s African Nations Cup government. Golden Ball for the best Earlier this month, goalkeeper Josip Pivaric (Dynamo Kiev/UKR), qualifi ers. FIFA said it had re- He was included by Sports player at the World Cup, Danijel Subasic, striker Mario Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen/ ceived confi rmation that its rec- Minister Solomon Dalung on and his midfi eld partner Mandzukic and defender Vedran GER), Matej Mitrovic (Club Brugge/ ognised leadership team under a proposed list of delegates to IvanL Rakitic have both been called Corluka announced the end of BEL), Borna Barisic (Rangers/SCO), Amaju Pinnick had been “given meet FIFA president Gianni In- up to the Croatia squad for match- their international careers. De- Antonio Milic (Anderlecht/BEL) back eff ective control of the NFF fantino in Zurich last week — an es against Portugal and Spain in fender Ivan Strinic, who started and its offi ces”. approach that FIFA rejected. September. In his fi rst squad an- in the World Cup fi nal, will also Midfielders: Luka Modric “The suspension of the NFF FIFA, which does not accept nouncement since Croatia lost be absent after his new club AC (Real Madrid/ESP), Ivan Rakitic will not take eff ect,” it said in a third party involvement in its 4-2 to France in the World Cup Milan revealed at the weekend he (Barcelona/ESP), Mateo Kovacic statement more than three hours member federations, and had fi nal on July 15, Croatia coach had been diagnosed with a heart (Chelsea/ENG), Milan Badelj (Lazio/ after the deadline passed. Pin- given Nigeria a fi nal warning on Zlatko Dalic called up 25 players. condition and would have to take ITA), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter/ITA), nick, elected NFF head in 2014, 14 Aug to ratify Pinnick’s leader- Croatia will play Portugal in a a break from the game. Croatia will Marko Rog (Napoli/ITA), Mario was in a stand-off with Chris ship. In its statement, FIFA said it friendly at the Estadio do Algarve also play England in Group 4 of the Pasalic (Atalanta/ITA), Filip Bradaric Giwa, who had appealed against “will continue to closely monitor on Thursday, September 6, before Nations League, and are due to en- (Cagliari/ITA) the election result and, after a the situation in order to ensure taking on Spain away in Elche on tertain Gareth Southgate’s side in Forwards: Ivan Perisic (Inter/ITA), protracted legal battle, won a that FIFA’s rules and regulations September 11 in their fi rst game Rijeka on October 12. Andrej Kramaric (Hoff enheim/ favourable high court ruling in are fully adhered to.” in the inaugural UEFA Nations GER), Ante Rebic (Eintracht Frank- June. Giwa was handed a fi ve- Nigeria are due to play a quali- League. CROATIA SQUAD furt/GER), Marko Pjaca (Fiorentina/ year ban by FIFA for breaches fi er for the 2019 African Nations The presence of Real Madrid Goalkeepers: Lovre Kalinic (Gent/ ITA), Ivan Santini (Anderlecht/BEL), of NFF statutes and the FIFA Cup in the Seychelles on Sept. 8. playmaker Modric, 33, and Barce- BEL), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Marko Livaja (AEK/GRE)

Tuesday, August 21, 2018 GULF TIMES SPORT

CRICKET SPOTLIGHT Pakistan cricket Ton-up Kohli piles on board chief who the agony for England clashed with PM Khan resigns India declare at 352 for seven; England need a mammoth 521 for victory Reuters articles about the military’s al- Islamabad leged role in propelling Khan to power. Khan denies colluding with akistan Cricket Board Pakistan’s powerful army, which (PCB) chairman Najam has a history of dismissing and Sethi, who has a his- promoting politicians it favours. tory of clashes with new Khan immediately named Eh- Pprime minister and former na- san Mani, a former International tional captain Imran Khan, re- Cricket Council chief, as Sethi’s signed from his post yesterday replacement. Mani brought vast and was swiftly replaced. and valuable experience to the Pakistani cricket enjoyed a job, the prime minister tweeted. golden period under Sethi’s Sethi was credited with help- management, winning the ICC ing bring about an end to Paki- Champions Trophy and shooting stan’s lengthy isolation from in- up the global rankings to become ternational cricket, which began the number one team in T20 in- in 2009 when gunmen attacked ternationals, cricket’s shortest a bus carrying the Sri Lanka format. team from their hotel to Lahore’s But former cricket star Khan, Gaddafi stadium, injuring six whose party won power in a na- players and killing six security tional election last month, fell personnel and two civilians. out with Sethi during the previ- The incident forced Pakistan ous ballot in 2013, when Sethi to play their home matches in was in charge of an interim pro- the United Arab Emirates and vincial government and Khan ac- the country has since remained cused him of rigging the vote in starved of international cricket favour of former prime minister at home, apart from a limited- Nawaz Sharif. overs tour by Zimbabwe in 2015. Sethi was the caretaker chief Sethi also introduced the minister of the vast Punjab prov- Pakistan Super League (PSL), ince when Sharif won a landslide based on the franchise model of victory. Khan repeatedly alleged the Indian Premier League and Sethi was behind rigging in 35 Australia’s Big Bash League, and constituencies, prompting Sethi made it a huge success. His role to fi le a defamation case, which is in reviving the fortunes of the pending in court. national team drew praise, and “I was waiting for the new the country’s infl uential Dawn Prime Minister to take oath be- newspaper published an edito- fore submitting my resignation rial last month urging Khan not as PCB Chairman, which I have to interfere with the current done today,” Sethi tweeted along cricketing set-up. The News on with a copy of his resignation Sunday meanwhile urged Sethi India’s captain Virat Kohli plays a shot on the third day of the third Test against England in Nottingham yesterday. (AFP) sent to Khan. to seize the moral high ground by Sethi, one of Pakistan’s best stepping aside in the interests of AFP wickets for 74 runs and only avoided known journalists, angered many Pakistan cricket to avoid a dam- Nottingham, United Kingdom the follow-on thanks to Jos Buttler’s 39. SCORECARD of Khan’s supporters for writing aging “war of succession”. England lost all 10 of their wickets inside a session — the third time that had hap- INDIA I INNINGS 329 Bowling: Anderson 22-7-55-1; Broad ndia captain Virat Kohli led from the pened since 2016. ENGLAND I INNINGS 161 16-3-60-0; Woakes 22-4-49-1; Stokes 20-3-68-2 (1w); Rashid 27-2-101-3; Root front with a well-made hundred to And a score of 86 for four meant that INDIA II INNINGS (OVERNIGHT: 124-2) strengthen his side’s iron grip on the in their past 61 Test innings, England had 3-0-9-0 third Test against England at Trent lost their fourth wicket having scored C. Pujara c Cook b Stokes 72 IBridge yesterday. Kohli, who fell for 97 in 100 runs or fewer on 30 occasions. An- V. Kohli lbw b Woakes 103 ENGLAND II INNINGS (TARGET: 521) India’s fi rst innings, top-scored with 103 other longstanding problem for England A. Rahane b Rashid 29 as the tourists, looking to bounce back has been their slip catching and they A. Cook not out 9 from 2-0 down in this fi ve-match series, fl oored their fi fth chance in the cordon R. Pant c Cook b Anderson 1K. Jennings not out 13 piled up a total of 352 for seven declared. this match when second slip Buttler, a H. Pandya not out 52 Extras (nb1) 1 That left England needing a mammoth wicket-keeper by trade, grassed a low, M. Shami c Cook b Rashid 3 521 for victory, albeit with more than two left-handed chance after Pujara, on 40, Total (0 wkts in 9 overs) 23 days to get the runs. edged James Anderson. R. Ashwin not out 1To bat: J Root, O Pope, J Bairstow, B But no side have made more to win in To make matters worse for England, Extras (b1, lb9, w1) 11 Stokes, J Buttler, C Woakes, A Rashid, S the fourth innings of a Test than the West wicket-keeper and leading batsman Jon- Total (7 wkts dec, 110 overs) 352 Broad, J Anderson Indies’ 418 for seven against Australia at ny Bairstow suff ered a fi nger injury after Did not bat: I Sharma, J Bumrah Bowling: Bumrah 3-1-16-0; Sharma 4-1-5- St John’s, Antigua, in 2003. failing to gather a swinging Anderson de- 0 (1nb); Ashwin 2-1-2-0 England’s corresponding record is livery. An X-ray later revealed Bairstow Fall of wickets: 1-60 (Rahul), 2-111 their 332 for seven against Australia at had suff ered a small fracture to his left (Dhawan), 3-224 (Pujara), 4-281 (Kohli), Match position: England need a further Melbourne back in 1928/29. middle fi nger. 5-282 (Pant), 6-329 (Rahane), 7-349 498 runs to win with all 10 second- Kohli’s declaration left England with an He was, however, expected to bat in (Shami) innings wickets remaining awkward nine overs in which to bat. But England’s second innings. England one- Alastair Cook (nine not out) and Keaton day gloveman Buttler, who was a wick- hands in the gully. It was also Kohli’s second in three Jennings (13 not out) got them through to et-keeper early in his Test career, took Anderson, whose duels with Kohli have matches after he made 149 — his maiden a close score of 23 without loss. over behind the stumps. It wasn’t until been a feature of this series, put his head Test century in England — in the series- India resumed yesterday on 124 for yesterday’s 41st over that India lost their to his hands in evident despair after the opener at Edgbaston. Kohli was out two, already 292 runs in front, with third wicket, with Pujara edging a routine ball went for four. Next ball, Kohli edged shortly afterwards, lbw to Woakes after Cheteshwar Pujara 33 not out and Kohli chance to fi rst slip Cook off recalled all- Anderson, England’s all-time leading missing a legside fl ick against the all- unbeaten on eight. With three days still rounder Ben Stokes. Test wicket-taker, just short of Cook. rounder. left to play, India could dictate the course Pujara faced 208 balls, including 19 Kohli was not at his fl uent best but Pandya, now starring with the bat, ex- of the game after skittling England out fours, and put on 113 with Kohli. The this was an ideal innings for the situation tended India’s lead to 500 with a straight for 161, with pace bowling all-rounder star batsman was still on his tea score of India found themselves in and an edged six off leg-spinner Adil Rashid and he Hardik Pandya taking a stunning fi ve for 93 not out when his edged drive off an four off Chris Woakes, his 10th boundary had made a run-a-ball 52 not out, also Pakistan cricket enjoyed a golden period under Najam Sethi’s 28 in six overs. outswinger from Anderson, armed with in 191 balls during nearly fi ve hours at the including seven fours, when Kohli fi nally management, winning the ICC Champions Trophy and shooting up From 54 for none, England lost nine the new ball, burst through Jennings’s crease, saw him to a 23rd Test hundred. called a halt. the global rankings to become the number one T20 team.

TENNIS FOCUS Djokovic completes Masters sweep Bertens stuns Halep for title Reuters Reuters Cincinnati Cincinnati

ovak Djokovic fi nally clinched utch Kiki Bertens saved the title missing from his resume a championship point with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Roger before going on to Federer on Sunday to win in earn a shock Cincin- NCincinnati and become the fi rst player to Dnati Masters fi nal triumph 2-6, complete the sweep of Masters series tour- 7-6(6), 6-2 over a fatigued world naments on Sunday. number one Simona Halep on Having made fi ve previous fi nals and lost Sunday. Bertens came back from to Federer in three of them, Djokovic fi nally the brink against Romania’s top broke the ice to continue his stunning re- seed in an exhausting second set vival after a long comeback from elbow sur- tiebreaker, then won fi ve of the gery. The Wimbledon champion is the fi rst fi nal six games in the decider to to claim the Career Golden Masters, having lift the sixth and biggest title of Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands reacts after her triumph. (AFP) won all nine titles in the elite series that be- her career. A gutsy forehand by gan in 1990. “Obviously it’s a very special Bertens saw her stave off a match move up to a career-high number ranking. The Romanian domi- moment to stand here for the fi rst time with point in the tiebreaker before she 13 in the world rankings. nated the fi rst set, taking the the winning trophy,” former world number went on to take control in the It also ended a nine-match fi nal three games, but Bertens one Djokovic said after defeating seven- Champion Novak Djokovic (right) and runner-up Roger Federer pose with their trophies. (AFP) third set and eventually served winning streak by Halep, who stormed back in the second, tak- times Cincinnati champion Federer. a sixth ace to fi nish the contest lost in the Cincinnati fi nal for a ing a 4-1 lead before Halep fought “The hard times I went through, it’s been later this month highly favoured to win a broke back and earned the decisive break for after an absorbing two hours and third time. “Maybe once I will back to level and earned herself a rollercoaster ride in my career with injury, third crown at Flushing Meadows. 4-3, curling a forehand pass down the line. fi ve minutes. win one because I love to play the match point in the tiebreak. taking time off and having a surgery earlier Meeting Federer for the fi rst in more than Federer sent a forehand wide on the fi rst “I cannot fi nd words for this here,” said Halep. “I was a lit- But a Bertens crosscourt fore- this year. This seems a bit unreal to be back two years, Djokovic’s returning and dogged match point, and racked up 39 unforced er- moment. I’m so happy,” a tear- tle bit tired this week but it was hand forced an error wide from at this level and winning Wimbledon and defence rattled the Swiss, whose serve had rors while struggling to penetrate Djokovic’s ful Bertens, whose previous ti- a pleasure to come here and play. Halep, tying the breaker at 6-6. obviously Cincinnati for the fi rst time.” been impregnable throughout the tourna- second serve. “Thank you for letting me win tles had all come on clay, said Defi nitely, I want to congratulate After Halep then netted a fore- Djokovic has won his last three matches ment. He broke Federer to lead 4-3, snap- once in Cincinnati,” Djokovic said to Feder- on court. The victory was the Kiki. You played amazing and hand at 7-6, Bertens won her against Federer and now holds a 24-22 ad- ping his streak of 100 successive holds in er. “Obviously it was a tough match for him 26-year-old Bertens’ fi rst ever you defi nitely deserve this title.” third straight point to send the vantage in their long rivalry. The world Cincinnati. today, he probably didn’t feel his best, but over a world number one and her Despite the loss, Halep will match into a decider. Bertens number 10 Serb is set to improve to sixth in Federer rallied early in the second set, he is a great champion and probably the best sixth consecutive triumph over a still go into the US Open later then claimed a decisive love the rankings and he will head to the US Open breaking Djokovic to lead 2-0 but the Serb ever to play the game.” top-10 opponent and will see her this month with the number one break at 4-1 in third set.