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Saturday, February 18, 2017 Jumada I 21, 1438 AH FOOTBALL GULF TIMES Ibra hat-trick helps Man Utd blank Etienne SPORT Page 2

TENNIS/ QATAR TOTAL OPEN Pliskova storms into fi nal CzechCzech ddownsowns SSlovakia’slovakia’s CibulkovaCibulkova inin threethree sets,sets, toto meetmeet eithereither CarolineCaroline WozniackiWozniacki oror MonicaMonica PuigPuig inin today’stoday’s titletitle clashclash

By Sahan Bidappa on double duty. Today’s forecast is for Here in Doha, Puig has meant busi- break point to move 3-2 ahead. Karolina Pliskova Doha clear skies, which means the rain-hit ness from day one. After her second- Puig saved two further break points tournament will most likely get over on round victory over Yulia Putintseva, in her next service game to keep her schedule, which didn’t seem the case where the Kazakh girl had to retire hopes alive before breaking back to arolina Pliskova powered her even till yesterday evening. midway, Puig was back in business. level the match at 4-4. A wayward way into the Qatar Total Open Earlier, Pliskova had outplayed Shuai Her hard work seems to be bearing stroke from Kasatkina, serving at 4-5, fi nal yesterday, the No. 2 seed Zhang 6-2, 6-0 to set-up a semi-fi nal fruit. Yesterday, she completed a fi ght- handed the 23-year-old a victory. beating third seed Dominika Ci- date with Cibulkova. Zhang, who had ing win over promising Russian teen- “At our match in Indian Wells I also bulkovaK 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the semi-fi nals. shocked fi fth seed Garbine Muguruza ager Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. had match points and lost the match Pliskova had never defeated Cibulk- in the second round, had no answers to The quarter-fi nal was carried over but against her it’s always going to be ova in their three previous meetings Pliskova’s power game. from Thursday, when the match was tough,” Puig said. “We’re both up and but the Czech was on fi re at the Kha- Zhang was broken by Pliskova twice locked at a set apiece before the players coming and she’s such a great player lifa International Tennis and Squash as the Czech took a 5-2 lead, before an- were fi nally called off court due to rain. so it was a good match and I loved the Complex on a damp night. The World other rain delay meant that the players On resumption in the afternoon, fi ght out there.” No. 3 served an astonishing 21 aces and again had to scamper for cover. Puig wasn’t in the mood to hand Meanwhile, Wozniacki, ranked 18th, showed tremendous mental strength On resumption, Pliskova wrapped around for a long time. She was off the beat American qualifi er Lauren Davis and fi tness in overcoming the Slovak. up the fi rst set, and broke Zhang again blocks quickly, converting her fourth 7-5, 6-1 in the last quarter-fi nal. While Cibulkova had fi nished her in the opening game of the second set. quarter-fi nal match on Thursday, But heavy downpour ensued that the Pliskova on the other hand was forced players had a lengthy break of almost to play the quarters and semis on the fi ve hours. same day, due to repeated rain inter- When they fi nally returned to the ventions. courts, Pliskova was in a hurry to close The momentum was clearly with out the match. Two further breaks put Pliskova as she overcame many a dif- her fi rmly in charge and she served out fi cult moments, especially in the fi rst to love to put Zhang out of her misery. set, to seal her place in today’s fi nal. Earlier, Puig entered the semis, the The 24-year-old will either face Ol- Puerto Rican’s fi rst since her historic ympic champion Monica Puig or former gold in Rio last August. World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who The 23-year-old has not had a great were playing the second semi-fi nal late start to the year, as she bowed out in the last night, a few hours after winning fi rst round in Sydney and Brisbane. She their quarter-fi nal matches. did marginally better at the Australian After rain battered the courts for Open, where she reached the second most of yesterday, the tournament or- round. But the 47th-ranked Puig’s loss ganisers were relieved to see the clouds in Melbourne came to 181st-ranked clear up at night as the players were put Mona Barthel.

India’s Sania Mirza (left) and her Cezch partner Barbora Strycova went down to the Dominika Cibulkova American-Slovenian pairing of Abigail Spears and Katarina Srebotnik 6-3, 1-6, 10-8 in the semi-finals to bow out of the Qatar Total Open yesterday. PICS: Noushad Thekkayil Wenger to decide on Arsenal future within two months

Reuters important is the club, not my future. for silverware this season. London “No matter what happens, I will manage next It was the subject of Wenger’s future, season, whether it is here or somewhere else. however, that dominated the manager’s “I will decide (my) That is for sure.” news conference. “We have to focus on the future in March or rsene Wenger said yesterday that he Arsenal have consistently qualified for real problems and they are the way we play April, but I don’t will definitely still be a manager next Europe’s elite club competition, but their failure football, not my future,” he said. “I think what season, whether at Arsenal or “some- to progress has become a millstone around is important is that the club makes the right (exactly) know Awhere else”. Wenger’s neck. Their inability to turn promising decision for the future.” when. I speak to the Wenger said he would make a decision in domestic season starts into sustained title Wenger, who may be without injured board, but I don’t March or April on whether to extend his 20-year challenges has also left him vulnerable to defender Laurent Koscielny for the cup tie, want to speak about spell at Arsenal. He left open the possibility that criticism, and former players are now joining in denied reports of a dressing room bust-up he would walk away from the north London a chorus of disapproval. after the defeat at Bayern’s Allianz Arena. He how they view my club and into another job. Former Arsenal captain Martin Keown also pointed out that his leaving would not future. What’s The second longest-serving manager in the described Wednesday’s defeat as Wenger’s guarantee success for Arsenal. important is the history of the Premier League, Wenger is out of “lowest point”, while ex-defender Lee Dixon “Even if I go, Arsenal will not win every single contract at the end of the season. added: “This team is getting no response from game in the future,” he said. club, not my future. He has not won the league title since 2004, him. I’ve never seen him like that.” “It is not like before I arrived Arsenal had won No matter what and calls for him to end his association with Arsenal were heavily criticised for the way five times in the European Cup. I care about this happens, I will Arsenal have grown louder since the team’s 5-1 they capitulated in Munich. Level 1-1 at half- club and its future and it is very important the Champions League thrashing at Bayern Munich time despite being outplayed, they allowed club is in safe hands.” manage next on Wednesday. four goals after the break, including three in a Two of Wenger’s record six wins in the FA Cup season, whether it is That first-leg defeat is almost certain to 10-minute span. competition have come in the past three years, here or somewhere condemn Arsenal to their seventh successive “I’m used to it... I’ve been here for 20 years,” his only trophies since winning his third league Champions League exit at the competition’s Wenger quipped when asked if he was stung by title in 2004. He must now get his team to shift else. That is for sure” first knockout stage. the criticism. focus from world powerhouse Bayern to fifth- “I will decide (my) future in March or April, “I think it’s important in life to do what you tier Sutton and Monday’s last-16 tie. but I don’t (exactly) know when,” Wenger told think is right and the rest is judgement. I’m in “The FA Cup is one of our targets and it’s our a news conference yesterday, before his team’s the public life and I have to deal with it.” next game and it becomes very important,” fifth-round FA Cup clash away to non-league With Arsenal fourth in the Premier League he said. “We have to regroup and refocus Sutton United on Monday. table and trailing leaders Chelsea by 10 points on the next game, and to take care of the “I speak to the board, but I don’t want to with 13 games to play, the FA Cup appears once consequences a disappointing result can have speak about how they view my future. What’s again to be the North London club’s last hope on everyone’s spirit.” Gulf Times 2 Saturday, February 18, 2017 FOOTBALL

EUROPA LEAGUE Hat-tricks for Man United’s Ibrahimovic, Roma’s Dzeko

‘Every time I’ve played against St Etienne, with hard work there has been a Mourinho fumes over team’s attitude issues couple of goals. I’ve scored tonight and hopefully I can do the same next week’ Manchester United manager Jose dressing room... too noisy, too funny, Mourinho admitted he was frus- too relaxed. Then my assistants had trated by his side’s over-confident the feeling in the warm-up, with approach to the first half of the 3-0 some of the guys not really focused Europa League round-of-32 first-leg on the getting the right adrenaline win over St Etienne. in their bodies. A hat-trick from striker Zlatan Ibrahi- “Even myself on the touch-line, I felt movic gave the scoreline a flattering it was diff icult, the communication. I look after the Premier League side needed the half-time. I am not happy survived several nervy moments with it. At half-time, the result could during the match at Old Traff ord, be 1-1. I always think we have to play particularly in the first half. every game with the same attitude.” “I am... especially because in the The Portuguese manager, however, first half, we played so bad, and we did stress the second half was “a managed to finish it winning 1-0 diff erent story”. when we don’t deserve. It was down United, who have lost once in their to lack of concentration,” Mourinho last 23 matches, travel to face told reporters when asked if he was second-tier side Blackburn Rovers happy with the result. in the fifth round on the FA Cup “I had the feeling immediately in the tomorrow. Tottenham’s Pochettino wants ‘bad period’ to end at Fulham Mauricio Pochettino is eager to think, because of Liverpool, it’s only bring a swift end to Tottenham Hot- about confidence.” spur’s “bad period” when they travel Tottenham’s woes were further to second-tier side Fulham in the compounded on Thursday when FA Cup tomorrow as the Argentine attacking spearhead Harry Kane rejected the notion his side are in sustained a knock to his knee that the midst of a crisis. will likely force him to miss the Tottenham followed up a poor match at Craven Cottage. performance in Saturday’s Premier Pochettino suggested he would League defeat at Liverpool with rotate his squad for the fifth-round a blunt display in Thursday’s 1-0 tie against Fulham. Europa League round-of-32 first-leg “I think we need to assess some loss at Belgian side Gent. players. Harry Kane got a knock on “That is the reality. It sometimes hap- his knee, diff erent players too. We pens. Good and bad things happen. need to refresh the team and we’ll We’ve started now a bad period. do that,” the Argentine manager I hope, on Sunday, we break that added. negative run,” Pochettino told British “We’ll see, but we’ll put out a team media. “It’s not about confidence... We with aims to win and be ready again were wrong with our judgement if we to compete.”

UEFA Europa League last 32 (key results) Summaries from the UEFA Europa Villarreal 0 AS Roma 4 (Emerson League Last 32 first leg matches” Palmieri 32, Edin Dzeko 65,79,86)

Athletic Club 3 (Georgios Merkis Gent 1 (Jeremy Perbet 59) Tottenham 38og, Aritz Aduriz 61, Inaki Williams Hotspur 0 72) APOEL Nicosia 2 (Georgos Efrem 36, Giannis Gianniotas 89) Borussia Moenchengladbach 0 Fiorentina 1 (Federico Bernardeschi Legia Warsaw 0 Ajax Amsterdam 0 44) Anderlecht 2 (Frank Acheampong Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after scoring their third goal to complete his hat-trick against Saint-Etienne at Old Traff ord, Manchester. 5,31) Zenit St Petersburg 0 AZ Alkmaar 1 Alireza Jahanbakhsh 68pen Olympique Lyon 4 (Lucas Reuters mid-table Belgian outfi t Gent, while The match was billed as a battle of the lead in the 65th minute before add- Manchester United 3 (Zlatan Ibrahi- Tousart 26, Alexandre Lacazette London Olympique Lyonnais beat AZ Alkmaar the Pogba brothers with younger sib- ing two more goals to take his tally for movic 15,75,88pen) St Etienne 0 45+2,57, Jordan Ferri 90+5) 4-1 away and Fiorentina edged Borus- ling Paul facing St Etienne’s Florentin the campaign to 28. sia Moenchengladbach 1-0. for the fi rst time in a competitive en- Spurs, who have dropped into the he goals continued to fl ow for St Etienne will be totally sick of the counter. competition from the Champions post by keeper Hugo Lloris. Lacazette’s double. Manchester United’s Zlatan sight of Ibrahimovic as the Swede took It was the 35-year-old Ibrahimovic League, were off colour throughout Gladbach came into their encounter Alireza Jahanbakhsh had reduced Ibrahimovic and AS Roma’s his tally against the Ligue 1 side to 17 who stole the show, however, grabbing in Belgium and were undone in the with Fiorentina on a hot streak hav- the defi cit for AZ with a 68th-minute Edin Dzeko as they bagged goals in 14 games, having terrorised his fi rst United hat-trick and taking his second half when journeyman French ing won their last four games and they penalty. That-tricks to help their teams take Les Verts during his four years at Paris tally in a remarkable maiden season at striker Jeremy Perbet stroked home at dominated possession and made sev- Schalke 04’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar commanding leads in the fi rst legs of St Germain. Old Traff ord to 23. the second attempt on the hour. eral chances against the Italians. netted his 50th European goal to round their Europa League last 32 ties on “Every time I’ve played against St Spurs had arrived looking to restore The Serie A side were resilient at the off a 3-0 win at PAOK Salonika while Thursday. Etienne, with hard work there has been RICH VEIN pride in north London football after back, however, and grabbed the only Anderlecht overcame a sluggish Zenit United swept aside St Etienne 3-0 a couple of goals. I’ve scored a couple Dzeko is in a similarly rich vein of form Arsenal were thrashed 5-1 by Bayern goal when Federico Bernardeschi fi red St Petersburg, playing their fi rst com- at Old Traff ord and Roma made light of goals tonight and hopefully I can do at Roma, who swatted aside a Villarreal Munich in the Champions League on home a fi ne free kick in the dying sec- petitive game in 10 weeks, to win 2-0 in work of last season’s semi-fi nalists the same next week,” Ibrahimovic told team who are in freefall having now Wednesday but were stifl ed in a poor onds of the fi rst half. Belgium. Villarreal with a 4-0 win in Spain, BT Sport. won just one of their last 10 games in performance and were lucky to escape Lyon will take a commanding lead Elsewhere, Shakhtar Donetsk won leaving their sides with little work to He opened the scoring with a de- all competitions. with a one-goal defi cit. into their second leg against AZ Alk- 1-0 at Celta Vigo with a 27th-minute do in next week’s return encounters. fl ected free kick in the fi rst half and Emerson Palmieri gave Roma the After Perbet scored, Gent, eighth maar after teenager Lucas Tousart goal from Gustavo Blanco Leschuk, Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League added two more – a tap-in and a late lead after 32 minutes and then Dzeko in the Belgian league, had a golden scored his fi rst senior goal and Jordan while Sparta Prague were thrashed 4-0 campaign, however, got off to a frus- penalty – after the break as United took over after the break, netting for chance to double their lead but Danijel Ferri rounded off the scoring in stop- at Rostov and FC Krasnodar beat visi- trating start as they were beaten 1-0 at quelled the visitors’ early enthusiasm. the seventh straight game to double Milicevic’s eff ort was tipped onto the page time either side of Alexandre tors Fenerbahce 1-0.

BOTTOMLINE Busy winter schedule played part in Liverpool slump, says Klopp ‘Wenger’s lowest point ever’

AFP ‘he thinks it’s time’.” to win the Premier League since London Ian Wright, a former striker, 2004 and last year’s abject chal- let the expletives fl ow in a foul- lenge when Leicester City ran mouthed Twitter rant during the away to a shock triumph by 10 ormer players were bru- game. points. tal in their criticism of “We are a ******g shambles,” “Spineless!” screamed Brit- manager Arsene Wenger he posted. ain’s Dail Mail while The Times following Arsenal’s latest “At least let it go to the ******g described Arsenal’s latest Euro- ChampionsF League humiliation. home leg. “**** it !!! Not watch- pean chastisement as “Ground- The lack of a winter break in Liverpool’s title bid has col- And newspapers across Eu- ing anymore.” hog Day”. English football took its toll on lapsed in recent weeks as they rope were no less scathing of Former goalkeeper Bob Wil- The Sun, as ever, opted for Liverpool players’ fitness levels have dropped to fifth, 11 points Wednesday night’s “nightmare” son, who was a champion with a pun relating to Bayern while and played a part in the Mer- behind leaders Chelsea after 5-1 thrashing at Bayern Munich. Arsenal in 1971, pondered suggesting Wenger’s time was seyside club’s poor form since 25 games. Just a few days after defending whether this result would “tip up with “Bay bye Arsene”. the start of the year, manager “It was a few things. On a few his former boss by saying it was Arsene over the edge”. “Always the same nightmare,” Juergen Klopp has said. things we had an influence “too soon” for Wenger to leave, “He can only take so much,” said France’s L’Equipe, a news- Liverpool’s Premier League vic- and on others we did not have Martin Keown, a centre-back said Wilson on BBC Radio 5 Live. paper that usually waxes lyrical tory over Tottenham Hotspur an influence — we conceded in all three of Arsenal’s Premier “I wouldn’t be at all surprised about Wenger’s teams. on Saturday not only marked goals, off side against us, pen- League title triumphs under the if Arsene, given the amount of La Gazzetta dello Sport in It- their first league win of the alty against us,” Klopp rued. Frenchman, pulled no punches headlines that are coming his aly called it “a slap in Wenger’s year but was also just their “We could have had two, three this time, saying it had been a way, might just look at that and face”. second victory in 11 games. or four points more. We are clash of “men against boys”. say enough is enough.” In his fi rst eight full seasons “December-January,” Klopp not used to being a top team, “It’s almost embarrassing — File picture of Arsenal players reacting after losing to Bayern. Barring a minor miracle in with Arsenal, Wenger won the told British media when asked maybe we have to be. We are outclassed, outplayed,” Keown, the second leg in three weeks’ Premier League three times and what was the biggest lesson not clever like Chelsea who now a pundit, told BT Sport. Lee Dixon, said he felt Wenger’s “I think he’s realising that time, it will be the seventh year the FA Cup four times. he learned during Liverpool’s will be 2-0 up and just finish a “This is his (Wenger’s) lowest demeanour has fi nally changed with this team he’s getting no in a row that Arsenal have been But in 11 seasons since he’s poor run. game.” point ever. Twenty years and Ar- following years of belligerent response from them. They’re knocked out of the Champions managed to add only two more “In December we missed play- Liverpool, who are on a five- sene must be considering his fu- defi ance in the face of numerous not doing themselves justice or League in the last 16, and the FA Cup successes and Arse- ers and did not have the best day training camp in Spain, ture now. Arsenal were bullied, failures. him. third time in fi ve years by Bay- nal are currently fourth in the schedule. You could see the travel to 17th-placed Leicester weren’t they? Completely.” “He just seems so low,” Dixon “That is the fi rst time where ern. league, 10 points behind leaders diff erence physically.” City for their EPL tie on Feb. 27. Another former defender, told ITV. I’ve seen him where I’ve thought, And that on top of their failure Chelsea. Gulf Times Saturday, February 18, 2017 3 FOOTBALL

QATAR STARS LEAGUE PLAN CONCACAF to mull joint WC bid; Trump Gharafa edge Khor wall no concern

Reuters nomics as well, weigh in the Miami cost-benefi t, but I think the pos- sibilities are endless, to be hon- est with you, when you have that ONCACAF will discuss a many games,” Montagliani said. by a solitary goal, possible joint bid for the “You can’t close the door on any 2026 World Cup and the opportunities.” governing body’s presi- The 2018 World Cup will be Cdent said on Thursday a planned in Russia while Qatar hosts the wall along the US-Mexico border tournament in 2022. would not present an obstacle to The CONCACAF region is co-hosting the event. widely viewed as favourite to Victor Montagliani, speaking host the 2026 tournament given Sailiya beat Ahli to Reuters by telephone hours af- FIFA rules that restrict Europe ter FIFA said it would encourage and Asia from hosting again so co-hosting for the 2026 World quickly. Gharafa didn’t enjoy the majority of chances, but thanks to a Krisztian Nemeth goal, Cup, said a three-way bid with The United States hosted the the United States, Mexico and 1994 World Cup while Mexico came away with all three points against a wasteful Khor in a feisty encounter Canada was one option but did hosted in 1970 and 1986. not rule out games in Central Canada has never hosted the By Sports Reporter America or the Caribbean. tournament but successfully Doha For Montagliani, head of the hosted the Women’s World Cup governing body for soccer in in 2015. North and Central America and U.S. Soccer Federation presi- fi rst half Kristian Nemeth pen- the Caribbean, FIFA’s welcoming dent Sunil Gulati has said his alty was enough for Al Gharafa of joint bids and the expansion of federation has yet to decide to edge out Al Khor 1-0. Al the tournament to 48 teams from whether to bid alone for 2026 Gharafa certainly didn’t enjoy 32 in 2026 meant a multinational or jointly with Canada and/or theA majority of chances in the game, but bid made sense. Mexico. none the less came away with all three “Especially with 48 teams and Montagliani said he did not points in a feisty encounter yesterday at the increased infrastructure that believe that a controversial bor- the Al Gharafa stadium. requires, not so much from a der wall to stem illegal immi- Al Gharafa took an early lead from the stadium standpoint but training gration, which was one of U.S. penalty spot when Khor defender Majed facilities, hotels and all the other President Donald Trump’s big- Aman was adjudged to have handled the things, having the opportunity gest campaign promises, would ball in the penalty area. The referee duly with three or more countries that have any negative impact on a bid pointed to the penalty spot, and Hungar- are geographically close, it would from the region. ian striker Krisztián Németh stepped up be reasonable,” said Montagliani. “Not withstanding some of and promptly rifl ed the ball into the back “Probably in short order, here the politics that is occurring in of the net from twelve yards out. in CONCACAF, we will sit at a this part of the world, Trump has Khor stepped up as the fi rst half pro- table and see how we are going to been pretty consistent in his sup- gressed and created three clear-cut move forward.” port of global events and sport chances to draw level. First up Moroccan FIFA president Gianni Infan- throughout his career as a busi- attacker Mouhcine Iajour saw his point tino said earlier on Thursday the nessman. I am not sure I would blank header saved by Yousef Hassan in organisation would encourage see that necessarily changing the eighteenth minute. Whilst two min- applications to co-host the 2026 now that he is a president,” said utes later, Khor’s diminutive midfi elder World Cup and that the event Montagliani. Madson saw his curling shot skip just could be split between up to four “It is important, if we are go- wide of the post. countries. ing to do something like this, that Jean Fernandez’s side ended the fi rst Montagliani, when asked if an we get it right from a football and half on the front foot, and could have expanded tournament featur- administration end before we headed into the break level had Babou ing 80 games meant there was start worrying about anything Sidiki’s shot from a tight angle hit the also a possibility for some group above that. target. The fi rst half ended in favour of stage games to be held in Central But I am also confi dent that a the hosts with Al Gharafa taking a 1-0 America or the Caribbean, said World Cup, the only thing of its lead into the second half. anything is possible. kind would, no pun intended, The Knights picked up from where “You have to look at the eco- trump politics.” they left off in the fi rst half and after the restart Al Khor could and perhaps should have found a leveller, however Moroccan striker Mouhcine Iajour mistimed his Referee Clattenburg to leave header from a fl icked on corner. Premier League for Saudi Arabia job At the hour mark, Al Khor pushed ahead on the counter attack with Iajour Referee Mark Clattenburg is setting up Madson with a well-placed leaving the English Premier through ball. Racing ahead of the de- League for a job with the fence, the Brazilian had plenty of time Saudi Arabia Football Federa- to compose himself, however his drilled tion. shot was well-saved by Yousef Hassan in Action during the match between Al Gharafa and Al Khor played at the Al Gharafa stadium yesterday. PICTURE: Othman Iraqi Clattenburg is one of world the Gharafa goal. football’s top off icials and last Al Gharafa started to see more of the before the halftime whistle in the 45th Results past Al Ahli keeper Amer al-Dossari. The season took charge of the ball in the second half and in the 63rd minute. The goal came after a Sailiya winning goal was the Romanian’s fi rst finals of Euro 2016, the Cham- minute Hungarian attacker Kristian corner kick came off the head of Al Ahli’s Al Wakrah 2 – 2 Al Shahaniya goal for the Peregrines. pions League and the FA Cup. Nemeth whipped in a perfect cross to Yassin Chikhaoui into the path of the Uz- Al Ahli 1 – 2 Al Sailiya The last gasp win takes Sami Trabelsi’s “Had a great time in England, Abdulghani Muneer but his headed eff ort bek striker who hit it on the volley into Al Gharafa 1 – 0 Al Khor men up to ninth in the table with twenty- just time for me to move was comfortably saved by Khor keeper the goal from a narrow angle. three points. While Yousef Adam’s men on,” he said on Twitter on Papa Djibril. The second half was full of excitement are in seventh place with twenty-four Thursday. Despite Al Khor’s eff orts they were un- and controversy as Al Ahli were pushing Just two minutes after the missed pen- points from twenty-one games. The 41-year-old began his Pre- able to fi nd their way back into the tie, for the equaliser while Sailiya looked to alty Al Ahli equalised courtesy of a show mier League career in 2004 and dropped into eleventh place in the maintain their lead and a second goal. stopping fi nish by Ali Ferydoon. The on- WAKRAH FIGHT BACK TO DRAW and was appointed to FIFA’s QSL standings. As for Al Gharafa they re- Sailiya defender, Mohammad Jumaa got loan Al Shamal forward chested down a AGAINST SHAHANIA referee list two years later. main in fi fth place in the QSL standings. himself a red card in the seventy-ninth cross inside the box, dribbled his way to Bottom of the table Al Wakrah came from “Mark is a talented referee, he minute when he cleared the ball off the the edge of the box and then hit a pow- behind twice to register a 2-2 draw with has been a great asset to the 10-MAN SAILIYA DEFEAT AHLI 2-1 goal line with his hand. erful shot which pinged off the post and fellow strugglers Al Shahania, yester- English game and hopefully body, said in a statement. A fi rst half goal by Sailiya, a missed pen- The resulting penalty was taken by into the goal. day. Shahania grabbed a fi rst-half lead an inspiration to those who “We understand this is an alty and a goal from each side in the last Yassine Chikhaoui whose eff ort was Just when it looked like the game was though the head of Rahim Zahivi, be- want to get into refereeing at exciting opportunity for Mark ten minutes of the game were some of the saved by Gregory Gomis in the Sailiya going to end honours even, however fore drawing level from the penalty spot the grass roots of the game,” as well as further underlining highlights of the game as Sami Trabelsi’s goal. The penalty saves proved fortunate Sailiya regained their lead in the dying through captain Moucine Moutalli. Late Professional Game Manage- what high esteem English men registered the 2-1 victory. for Mohammad Jumaa who’s dismissal moments of the game. January signing in the second half, Zahivi scored again for ment Off icials Limited, the match off icials are held Al Sailiya’s Temurkhuja Abdukholik- meant that his team had to play the rest Valentin Lazar pounced on a botched Shahania, before being pegged back from Premier League’s referee throughout the world game.” ov scored the fi rst goal of the game just of the match with ten men. clearance and curled the ball into the net Moutalli via another penalty.

BOTTOMLINE Germany hails Ancelotti’s ‘sensational’ Bayern AFP but after that we were sensational.” and replaced Lewandowski for the last Guardiola’s frantic sideline gesticula- Munich four minutes. tions, pleading and cajoling, are sharply NO ROOM FOR MUELLER “When Mueller’s fi t, he plays” in- contrasted by Ancelotti’s laid-back, Bild awarded Robben, Lewandowski sisted Guardiola during his three years, hands-in-pockets pose on the bench. he German media poured and Thiago top marks, but arguably the but Ancelotti’s fi rst-choice is diff erent. At Bayern, Guardiola is regarded as praise on Carlo Ancelotti’s biggest winner was Ancelotti. With Douglas Costa on the left wing, a good coach after he fulfi lled the basic Bayern Munich on Thursday Bayern’s performance allowed him at Robben on the right and attacking mid- requirement of winning three consecu- after their 5-1 drubbing of Ar- least a step out of the shadow of pred- fi elder Thiago feeding Lewandowski, tive Bundesliga titles. Tsenal allowed the Italian to step out of ecessor Guardiola. there is no starting place for home- However, critics point to his three Pep Guardiola’s shadow. Bayern raised their game when it mat- grown superstar Mueller. straight semi-fi nal exits in Europe “Big Bayern”, “The Red Rush” and tered, shaking off below-par German “Ancelotti has decided for Thiago, when his team ran out of steam at the “Respect, Bayern” were the headlines league performances to hit top gear. and against Mueller, for the Number hands of Spanish opponents. here after the Bundesliga leaders domi- “A horse jumps only as high as it 10 role and with that, done everything Guardiola’s predecessor Jupp Hey- nated Tuesday’s Champions League’s needs to,” wrote Munich-based TZ. right,” enthused magazine Kicker. nckes was the last to deliver the Cham- last 16, fi rst-leg, clash. “Against the Gunners, the Red steed Die Welt agreed that “Carlo Ancelot- pions League in 2013. Bayern extended their Champions had to leap. And it leapt, like Ancelotti ti has found his Bayern boss” in Thiago. Leaders Bayern are coasting in the League record run to 16 home wins by said it would.” Bundesliga, yet are now amongst the putting Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal to the Bild pointed out, “Ancelotti has LAID BACK ANCELOTTI favourites alongside Barcelona-thrash- sword with three goals in 10 magical found his fi rst-choice team” with the Behind Sir Alex Ferguson and Wenger, ers Paris St-Germain for the Champi- second-half minutes. same line-up which fl oored nearest Ancelotti is the third-most experi- ons League. Arjen Robben’s early goal was can- challengers RB Leipzig in the Bundes- enced coach in the Champions League’s After winning 14 titles with Barce- celled out by an Alexis Sanchez penalty, liga last December. history and oversaw his 148th European lona, Guardiola failed in his bid to join converted at the second-attempt, as it Despite scoring, Mueller was a casu- game on Wednesday. the elite club of managers to win the ti- fi nished 1-1 at the break. File picture of Bayern Munich head coach Carlo Ancelotti celebrating with his alty on Bayern’s big night. After a series of mediocre Bundes- tle with two clubs. Bayern hit top gear in the second- team’s forward Thomas Mueller (R) after the Champions League match. As ex-Germany captain Lothar Mat- liga performances, Ancelotti was under This year’s fi nal in Cardiff is way half with attacking midfi elder Thiago thaeus pointed out, there is no room for pressure to deliver and his team’s dis- off , but Ancelotti can become the fi rst Alcantara, who’s performance An- later, his fl ick put Thiago behind the Thomas Mueller simply completed misfi ring Mueller in Ancelotti’s vision play charmed the critics. coach to win the Champions League celotti dubbed ‘perfect’, leading the defence to make it 3-1. the rout two minutes from time with a for Bayern. “There was more dynamic, joy and with three clubs after success with AC charge with two goals. The Spanish midfi elder then banged fi fth goal off the bench. The Germany star, who netted 20 determination than in all of Ancelotti’s Milan and Real Madrid. Robert Lewandowski restored Bay- home, via a defl ection, from outside the As Bayern captain Philipp Lahm put it, league goals last season, has hit just one games so far,” enthused Bild. “He has However, for Ancelotti, fi nishing off ern’s lead by out-leaping the Arsenal area to eff ectively slam the door shut on “before the penalty, we were very good, in 2016/17. proven he can get the big performances Arsenal in the March 7 return leg is now defence on 53 minutes and 178 seconds Arsenal’s quarter-fi nals hopes. up until half-time we weren’t really good, He is so far having a season to forget out of his stars in the big games.” the priority. Gulf Times 4 Saturday, February 18, 2017 SPORT

GOLF / GENESIS OPEN GOLF / AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S OPEN Smith grabs Saunders takes halfway lead as Ko struggles two-shot lead AFP wins on the LPGA Tour last year, Adelaide, Australia also has some work to do at two Palmer’s grandson fires seven birdies; US Open champ Johnson cards 66 under, while South Korea’s Jang Ha-Na at three-under is still in arah Jane Smith seized the mix. the outright lead at the Canada’s Brook Henderson, Australian Women’s the world number eight, needed Open as world number to make a putt of more than a oneS Lydia Ko scraped past the cut metre for bogey at the 18th to yesterday. make the cut. Florida-based Smith, 32, Smith admitted she would be carded a six-under 67 to lead an thinking about the winning the overseas quartet of Thailand’s tournament, even though there Pornanong Phatlum, Americans are two days to go. Lizette Salas and Marissa Steen “I’d be lying if I (said I) didn’t along with Sweden’s Caroline think about but obviously that’s Hedwall by one stroke after 36 not the main focus over the next holes of the USLPGA-APLG co- two days,” Smith said. sanctioned event. “But obviously it’d be a dream But it was a tough day for Ko, come true and something I think looking out of sorts with her new every young Australian thinks clubs, new coach and new caddie, about at some point. So to be as she made the cut by one shot even in a position right now, it’s and is nine shots from the lead. very exciting.” The New Zealand star, who has Australia’s record fi ve-time held the top ranking for 69 con- champion Karrie Webb, 42, secutive weeks, had an up-and- missed the cut for the fi rst time down round of four birdies and in her illustrious Australian Open six bogeys. history, fi nishing at three-over. Australia’s Smith hit the front “It hurts to miss any cut and I with a tap-in birdie at the par- don’t like that at all,” Webb said. fi ve 17th and by the time she “It’s not the start I was looking teed off at the 18th, news lteredfi for this year, but it’s a long year.” through that overnight leader Katherine Kirk had dropped an- LEADING SECOND ROUND other shot to fi nish the round and SCORES lie two shots off the pace. 137 — Sarah Jane Smith (AUS) Smith went down the last fair- 70-67 way and almost chipped in for 138 — Pornanong Phatlum (THA) birdie, eventually tapping in to 68-70, Lizette Salas (USA) 68-70, fi nish with six birdies. Marissa Steen (USA) 67-71, Caro- Kirk, who faded late with a line Hedwall (SWE) 69-69 double bogey at her 17th, held the 139 — Min Lee (TPE) 67-72, outright lead at several points of Maude-Aimee Leblanc (CAN) 71- the day before dropping back but 68, Katherine Kirk (AUS) 65-74 was still right in contention. Selected scores Thailand’s world number two 146 — Brooke Henderson (CAN) Sam Saunders hits from the ninth hole tee box during the first round of the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, on Thursday. (USA TODAY Sports) Ariya Jutanugarn, who had fi ve 69-77, Lydia Ko (NZL) 71-75

AFP like Johnson could possibly seize the While Saunders is playing Riviera for know if we’re going to play or not,” John- Pacific Palisades, United States number one ranking with a win, was one- the fi rst time, Johnson is after a win on son said. GOLF / WORLD SUPER 6 PERTH under through 16. a course where has come close several Five-time major winner Phil Mickel- The fi rst round was scheduled to times, including a 2015 playoff loss to son headed a group on four-under 67. He am Saunders, grandson of golf resume at 7am (1500 GMT), with the sec- James Hahn. was joined by Australia’s Marc Leishman, great Arnold Palmer, got off to a ond to start shortly thereafter, if predict- Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, South Af- Rumford two shots strong start at Riviera Country ed rain storms don’t intervene. GOOD GOLF rica’s Branden Grace, South Korea’s An Club on Thursday where he’s in “(It’s) kind of a little bit of a bonus,” Johnson’s round was enlivened by a bee Byeong-Hun and Americans Billy Hurley, searchS of a fi rst US PGA Tour title. Saunders said of completing the round, sting on the green at the fi rst hole, his 10th Pat Perez and Kevin Na. clear at halfway in Saunders fi red seven birdies in a seven- adding that he was “mentally prepared” of the day. He responded with birdie putts under-par 64 to seize a two-stroke lead for the possibility that weather could of 24 and 31 feet at the second and third. LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES over US Open champion Dustin Johnson prevent him from playing at all on Friday. “The golf course gave me a little love 64 — Sam Saunders (USA) Perth event and four other players in a round delayed Saunders, 29, took centre stage in Oc- back after I got the bee sting,” said John- 66 — Dustin Johnson (USA), J.T. Poston by fog and halted by darkness. tober with a moving eulogy at a memorial son, who was alone atop the leaderboard (USA), Daniel Summerhays (USA), Brett AFP round you have to deal with, isn’t World number three Johnson, who has a service for Palmer, who died on Septem- at six-under before his lone bogey of the Stegmaier (USA), Cameron Percy (AUS) Perth, Australia it? chance to topple Australian Jason Day from ber 25 at the age of 87. day at the par-three fourth. 67 — Marc Leishman (AUS), Padraig “So that’s defi nitely a huge the top of the rankings with a win this week, While he once may have felt pressure “I was just hitting really good golf Harrington (IRL), Billy Hurley (USA), bonus qualifying inside that top had six birdies and a bogey in his 66. to escape from Palmer’s shadow, that’s a shots,” said Johnson, who was tied with Phil Mickelson (USA), Pat Perez (USA), ustralia’s Brett Rum- eight. It’s defi nitely something I Day was among 48 players still on the burden he no longer carries. newcomer J.T. Poston, Daniel Summer- Branden Grace (RSA), Kevin Na (USA), An ford opened up a two- am thinking about. course when darkness fell and was even “I don’t need to compete against my hays, Brett Stegmaier and Australian Byeong-Hun (KOR), shot lead after the sec- “For any players, that’s why through 16 after four birdies and four bo- grandfather’s career,” he said. “Nobody Cameron Percy, who birdied 18 for a share 68 — Ollie Schniederjans (USA), Scott ond round of World it’s going to be so unique and so geys. can. Nobody’s going to compete. I don’t of second shortly before darkness fell. SuperA 6 Perth as former win- interesting as well. Brown (USA), Patrick Rodgers (USA), Adam Two-time major winner Jordan Spi- care how many golf tournaments you “It’s defi nitely nice to having a later tee Scott (AUS), Charley Hoff man (USA), Luke ners Thorbjorn Olesen and Louis “There’s sort of cuts within eth was two-under through 16 and world win, nobody’s going to compete in the time tomorrow because I can get up and Donald (ENG), Charlie Beljan (USA), Adam Oosthuizen made their moves at cuts this week and if you’re not number fi ve Hideki Matsuyama — who terms of doing what he did for the game.” kind of see how things are going and we’ll Hadwin (CAN), Kim Whee (KOR) Lake Karrinyup yesterday. thinking about it, maybe it’s a Perth native Rumford followed good thing, maybe a bad thing, up his opening 66 with a 65 to get I’m not too sure, but defi nitely TENNIS to 13 under and lead from coun- the top eight is where you want tryman David Bransdon with an- to be.” other Australian Steven Jeff ress Rumford birdied the fi rst hole a further shot back in the Euro- and produced the shot of the day pean Tour event. from the trees in making par on Raft er quits amid Tomic, Kyrgios stand-off Rumford had shared the over- the fourth before reeling off fi ve night lead with Englishman Mark consecutive birdies from the Foster, who dropped back to fi ve sixth. AFP once tweeted: “Another negative com- way to face a match point against Fabio under after a second round 73. He holed from 15 feet on the Sydney ment out of Rafters mouth. Does this guy Fognini in Madrid. While Rumford looked the one sixth, got up and down from sand ever stop #everyoneisaworkinprogress.” Masur said he was already in regular to beat in the new format Super 6 on the seventh, put his tee-shot Rafter said recently that he preferred to contact with John Tomic and confi rmed event, South African Oosthuizen to four feet on the next and two at Rafter stepped down as Ten- leave Tomic and Kyrgios alone. that Sara Tomic had been off ered funding and Dane Olesen kept in conten- smart approaches got him to 12 nis Australia’s head of perform- “I haven’t really been speaking to them under a restructuring by TA late last year. tion. under. ance yesterday, ending his rocky very much and I don’t really know where “They’ve got to hit certain benchmarks Oosthuizen, the 2011 British A 30-footer from the fringe relationship with the country’s they’re at,” Rafter said. to get X amount of funding but I feel like Open winner and three-time on the 13th was followed by a Ptwo polarising stars Nick Kyrgios and “I just sit back and watch from a dis- that’s a positive because we’re not saying, major runner-up, carded a four- bogey but he bounced back with Bernard Tomic. tance. I don’t really have a lot to off er it’s our way or the highway,” Masur said. under 68, while Olesen had a another gain on the next to re- After two years in the role, Rafter has them. Rafter said his time as the Davis Cup fi ve-under 67 to lurk six strokes establish his cushion. been replaced by his deputy and former “If they ever want to talk to me, I’m captain and TA performance director had off the halfway lead. Davis Cup captain and coach Wally Mas- happy to talk.” been an “eye-opener”. The top 24 players after today’s LEADING SECOND ROUND ur. Kyrgios and Tomic have frequently “The time is right for me, I came in to third round will progress to the SCORES Masur will have the task of bringing the fallen foul of tennis authorities and have Davis Cup and then in this role because I six-hole match play knockout 131 — Brett Rumford (AUS) 66-65 Tomic family back into the fold after rela- a love-hate relationship with the public. wanted to make a diff erence and I feel we phase, with the top eight of those 133 — David Bransdon (AUS) tions soured under Rafter. Kyrgios, 21, was fi ned for swearing have taken some major strides,” he said receiving a bye into the last-16. 69-64 Tomic made himself unavailable for and throwing his racquet in a spectacu- yesterday. Rumford is in a comfortable 134 — Steven Jeff ress (AUS) a Davis Cup tie this month against the Rafter, a former world number one and lar meltdown at last month’s Australian “This journey for me — through the position to make it into tomor- 68-66 Czech Republic, citing scheduling issues. two-time US Open champion, admitted Open, when he threw away a two-set lead Davis Cup years and now as performance row’s fi nal day but he will not be 135 — Lucas Herbert (AUS) 67-68, Reports said Tomic’s father John had he had little input into the direction of the to bow out in the second round against director — has been an eye-opener to say taking his foot off the pedal and Johannes Veerman (USA) 67-68 a bitter ongoing feud over his son and country’s top two players. Andreas Seppi. the least. is aiming to earn himself a spot as 136 — Matthew Millar (AUS) daughter Sara involving funding from Rafter stepped down as Davis Cup cap- Tomic, 24, has also been plagued by “The restructuring process that we one of the top eight seeds. 71-65, Adam Blyth (AUS) 67-69, Tennis Australia. tain in early 2015 following a turbulent controversy, making headlines last year went through in September last year was “Oh, 100 percent, defi nitely,” Daniel Fox (AUS) 67-69, Sebastian Last month at the Australian Open time dealing with Tomic, while Kyrgios when he turned his racquet the wrong intense for everyone.” he said. “That’s one less lottery Heisele (GER) 67-69

Berdych sets up Rotterdam semi with Tsonga Basilashvili stuns top seed Karlovic

AFP when he takes on Tsonga, who upset out of mind. as he overwhelmed Klizan. AFP ranked 20th. Rotterdam, Netherlands top seed Marin Cilic 7-6 (8), 7-6 (5) in “It’s hard to accept a third-round loss “Tsonga is a great player, another tall Washington Basilashvili, seeking his first ATP crown, two hours. at a Grand Slam,” the 13th-ranked guy trying to play aggressive,” said advanced to the last eight at the indoor The Czech won the 2014 title in the Berdych said. Berdych. hardcourt event, where he will meet ormer winner Tomas Berdych Dutch port city beating Cilic, while “That made my start of the season “But the most important thing will eorgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili upset Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden, who crushed defending champion back in 2011 Tsonga lost to Swede tougher. be my game plan and how I execute Croatian top seed Ivo Karlovic downed US teen Taylor Fritz 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 FMartin Klizan 6-3, 6-3 to set up Robin Soderling in the final. I’ve played well in Australia over the it. It doesn’t matter whom the op- G7-6 (2), 6-3, Thursday to reach the after one hours and 42 minutes. a Rotterdam World Tennis semi-final Berdych also beat Tsonga in the last few seasons and now I’m the guy ponent is.” quarter-finals of the ATP Memphis Open. Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin dispatched with France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga first week of the year in Doha, chasing, I have to make it up at other Berdych has now reached the semi- A week shy of his 25th birthday, the world Barbados qualifier Darian King 6-3, 6-0 in yesterday. but was badly mauled by Roger tournaments, that’s what I’m missing finals in Rotterdam for a fourth time number 67 won all 37 of his first-serve 70 minutes to book a quarter-final spot The fourth seed will play for a spot in Federer at the Australian Open this year. after also finishing runner-up to Stan points and took only 69 minutes to dis- against US fourth seed Steve Johnson, who the finals at the Ahoy stadium today third round, which he cannot put Berdych lost just five points on serve Wawrinka in 2015. patch hard-serving 37-year-old Karlovic, beat compatriot Tim Smyczek 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. Gulf Times Saturday, February 18, 2017 5 SPORT

NBA Celtics fall at end to Bulls ‘As soon as he said that the whistle blew and I looked. And I saw him raise his hand up with the foul’

By Mark Murphy Celtics coach Brad Stevens, PREVIEW Boston Herald who could be seen shouting at Zarba from the sideline, was sufficiently controlled later. arcus Smart heard When asked if he heard the Eastern upstarts Jimmy Butler’s whistle, he said: “I never heard voice first, not ref- one.” eree Zach Zarba’s Isaiah Thomas, who finished challenge Western Mwhistle. with 29 points, came more to “When Jimmy shot the ball I the point. heard him scream, ‘No foul?’” “Horrible call,” he said. “Did Conference’s said Smart while slumped in you (see it)? Did you think it front of his locker last night as was a foul? It was a bad call. It teammates filed out to begin cost us the game. It cost us the established all-stars the All-Star break. “As soon as game. That’s horrible.” he said that the whistle blew Thomas and the rest of the NBA-leading Golden State by rule the baton was passed to and I looked. And I saw him Green were celebrating what have their “fantastic four” Stevens as coach of the second- raise his hand up with the foul. seemed, at first, like a crown- in the All-Star Game under ranked team in the East. And I just couldn’t believe it. ing moment to close out the Western Conference coach The Washington Wizards en- But he made the call, so you first half. Steve Kerr. But the Eastern ter the All-Star break with a nar- have to live with it.” “I thought we won. I ran on Conference is bringing a row lead over the Atlanta Hawks Most of the Celtics had start- the court,” he said. “I might new fl avour the mid-season atop the South-East division. ed to celebrate when the referee have been the first one on the showcase in New Orleans The Eastern Conference bench suddenly interrupted with his court, and then you see him includes only one fi rst-time all- whistle. Butler, under tight raise his hand up like it was DPA star, Charlotte guard Kemba coverage from Smart, missed a foul. The Bulls were even Washington Walker. The other reserves are the 18-footer with Smart’s left shocked. That’s horrible, man, guards Isaiah Thomas of Bos- fingertips in the vicinity of the when it costs you a game you ton, John Wall of Washington, Chicago forward’s shooting should have won. That’s a bad he NBA’s Eastern Con- and Kyle Lowry of Toronto, and elbow. Zarba, standing on the call.” ference is witnessing a forwards Paul George of Indiana, baseline, watched the shot hit The call ended what, to the changing of the guard Paul Millsap of Atlanta and Car- the rim before making the call. Celtics’ thinking, was another Twith three fi rst-time melo Anthony of New York, who Butler made both free throws strong crunch time perform- starters on the fl oor for Sunday’s was named as a substitute for the to lift Chicago from one back ance. It was only their second All-Star Game in New Orleans. injured Kevin Love of Cleveland. to one ahead, and the Celtics loss in the last 13 games. Superstar forward LeBron Golden State coach Steve Kerr were hit hard by their last game All Smart could think about James and Kyrie Irving at guard will call the shots for the West- before the midseason break, a was a play he made on Butler are familiar faces at the NBA’s ern Conference, with his War- 104-103 loss to the Bulls at the that actually was allowed. mid-season showcase. riors holding a league-best 47-9 United Center. Doug McDermott had cut the The Cleveland Cavaliers record as they run away with the The Celtics were ahead 103- Celtics lead to 103-102 with teammates will be joined in the Pacifi c Division. 100 with 1:30 left. two free throws at 1:26 left. starting lineup by Chicago for- The Warriors under Kerr won Later, Butler told the Chi- Butler blocked Thomas with ward Jimmy Butler and Toronto a championship in 2015 but were cago media that he felt Smart 1:10 left, then grabbed an of- guard DeMar DeRozan, who have denied a repeat by the James-led touch his elbow. fensive rebound down the oth- been invited before but are mak- Cavaliers in the NBA Finals in Asked if he made contact er end to keep the ball in Chi- ing their fi rst starts among the June. with Butler, Smart initially cago’s hands. Smart came over league’s most elite players. After June’s NBA fi nals col- said, “No comment.” The more the top of Butler for a steal, and Milwaukee forward Gian- lapse against Cleveland, Golden he thought about it, the more though Thomas missed with nis Antetokounmpo of Greece is State lured Durant away from frustration set in. 8.4 seconds left, the Bulls had starting in his fi rst-ever all-star Oklahoma City, making them “No matter what I would have only a sliver of time for Butler appearance. strong favourites to win it all said, it wouldn’t have changed to make something work. Lining up on the opposite again this year with their “fan- it,” he said. “They already made He took the ball on the right side for the 7pm Sunday (0000 tastic four,” including Curry and the call. As we know you can’t side, Smart stepped out, and Monday GMT) tipoff are four all-star reserves Klay Thompson go back and review that call. So the forward’s shot lined off the stalwarts: guard Stephen Curry at guard and Draymond Green at it was a call. So really not much front of the rim. Zarba’s late and new Golden State team- forward. for me to say. At that point we whistle truncated the celebra- mate Kevin Durant at forward, The San Antonio Spurs have still had time left to still come tion. along with guard James Harden the second-best record in the back and try to get a victory. So The Celtics returned to the of Houston and forward Kawhi league at 43-13 to lead the the last thing I needed was to locker room and watched the Leonard of San Antonio. South-West Division, while the get a technical and get them the replay, with its various angles, Anthony Davis of host New Utah Jazz are atop the North- ball back plus the free shot.” over and over. All the Celtics Orleans is the Western Confer- West Division. The Celtics had time, barely, consoled Smart on what they ence’s only fi rst-time starter, The rest of the Western Con- with nine-tenths of a second thought was a clean defensive though he has played before and ference bench consists of two on the clock. The result was a play. would have started two years ago fi rst-time all-stars, Clippers desperation air ball by Al Hor- Thinking back to his steal of if not for an injury. centre DeAndre Jordan and Utah ford from the left wing as the Butler on the previous posses- Brad Stevens, coach of the At- guard Gordon Hayward, plus buzzer sounded. sion, Smart got angry. lantic Division-leading Boston, centres DeMarcus Cousins of The Celtics played poorly “It was a big letdown. Espe- helms the Eastern Conference. Sacramento and Spaniard Marc enough to earn this loss, most cially for me. I’m one of the best In the conference rankings, Gasol of Memphis, and guard notably on the interior, where defenders in this league,” said the Celtics trail the defending- Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma they were outrebounded by Smart. “I played helluva great champion Cavaliers, who are City. a 51-31 margin, and also sur- defense right there. I know I running away with the Central After a six-day break, NBA rendered 22 second-chance did. I moved my feet. I did eve- Division. Cleveland coach Ty- play resumes February 23 as the points. rything right. My hands were The Boston Celtics’ Amir Johnson (90) dunks during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at the ronn Lue would have been in line league rushes to the April 12 reg- That was all forgotten by the up. I got punished for playing United Center in Chicago on Thursday. The Bulls won, 104-103. PICTURE: Alyssa Pointer/Chicago for the all-star game but already ular-season conclusion, before time the whistle blew. good (defense), I guess.” Tribune/TNS) held that honour a year ago, so the start of the playoff s.

NHL SPOTLIGHT Cape-born Crosby gets 1,000th career author takes up point, then game-winner Super Bowl story By Madeleine List Day and the Finest Hours reached The Sports Xchange Cape Cod Times out to Sherman and Wedge after Pittsburgh the Patriots’ win over the Atlanta Falcons at the Super Bowl to fl oat ape Cod-born author the idea of a Tom Brady book and enguins center Sidney Crosby Casey Sherman and col- movie. scored a milestone 1,000th ca- laborator David Wedge The authors agreed. reer NHL point against the vis- have told stories of ad- “We like to tell stories of tri- iting Winnipeg Jets and later versity,C persistence and triumph umph over adversity,” said addedP the winning goal in Pittsburgh’s before. Wedge, of Milton. “Stories like 4-3 overtime victory at PPG Paints Are- Add in some defl ated footballs that are inspiring.” na on Thursday. and the two men are on the way While it has a victorious end- Crosby’s winner came with 21.1 sec- toward their latest project to tell ing, the story of the winningest onds left in the extra session after Evge- the story of New England Patriots quarterback in NFL football his- ni Malkin drove to the net and powered quarterback Tom Brady and the tory isn’t necessarily one of easy the puck in front with a defenseman on team’s latest and greatest Super success. The writers won’t shy top of him. Crosby beat a defender to Bowl run. away from the controversies sur- the puck and tapped it into an empty Sherman and Wedge co-wrote rounding “Defl ategate” and the net. Boston Strong: A City’s Triumph harsh criticism Brady received, In the first period, Crosby notched his Over Tragedy, a nonfi ction book Sherman said. They will talk with milestone point to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 about the Boston Marathon people “inside the locker room” lead. bombings that was made into who will help them tell the story Chasing down a loose puck in the left the movie Patriots Day, as well fairly and accurately, Sherman circle of the Jets’ zone, Crosby fended as a book due out later this year said. Neither man would provide off Blake Wheeler, spun toward the net about Pete Frates, the man whose more details about their sources. and fed a pass to long-time left winger battle with ALS inspired the “Ice While they haven’t yet spoken Chris Kunitz in the slot. Bucket Challenge.” Now they’re with Brady himself, Sherman said Kunitz fired a one-timer that beat Jets teaming up for a third time to tell he’d be open to meeting with him goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s left Brady’s story, “from Defl ategate if it will help advance the story. Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) poses with the puck used for his 1000th career NHL point against the Winnipeg to a triumphant come-from-be- “We are in the best position Results Jets at the PPG PAINTS Arena in Pittsburgh on Thursday. hind win in the Super Bowl,” said to tell this story and be objective Sherman. about it,” he said. Arizona 5 LOS ANGELES 3 leg. Crosby, 29, became the 86th player any other active player. Crosby’s assist The 34-year-old Canadian will forfeit Sherman, who was born and A spokeswoman for the Pa- EDMONTON 6 Philadelphia 3 in NHL history to reach the milestone. was the 632nd of his career. The game- $97,222 in salary and be sidelined until raised in Hyannis, also penned triots said she had “no specifi c ST. LOUIS 4 Vancouver 3 He became the sixth player to reach the winner gave him a total of 369 goals in the Ducks play host to the NHL-leading The Finest Hours, the story of comment on behalf of the team.” MINNESOTA 3 Dallas 1 mark with the Penguins, joining cent- 12 seasons. Washington Capitals on March 12. a US Coast Guard team from It’s too early to say who will BUFFALO 2 Colorado 0 ers Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, right Anaheim Ducks center Antoine Ver- Vermette was ejected from Anaheim’s Chatham that rescued the crew play the star quarterback, but Ottawa 3 NEW JERSEY 0 wingers Joe Mullen, Jaromir Jagr and mette was issued a 10-game ban by 1-0 victory at Minnesota on Tuesday for of a wrecked oil tanker off Cape Wedge said he’d like to see an ac- NY ISLANDERS 4 NY Rangers 2 defenseman Paul Coffey. the National Hockey League on Thurs- the slash at the leg of linesman Shandor Cod. The book was later made tor with close ties to Boston, such PITTSBURGH 4 Winnipeg 3 (OT) Having played in 757 career games, day for physical abuse of officials after Alphonso after losing a faceoff 7:33 into into a Disney fi lm. as Matt Damon or Ben Affl eck, Crosby reached the mark faster than slashing at the leg of a linesman. the third period. The screenwriters for Patriots take on the role. Gulf Times 6 Saturday, February 18, 2017 SPORT

MOTORSPORT RUGBY All Black legend Brawn to meet Carter sorry for drink-driving

AFP teams, says there’s Paris

ew Zealand rugby union legend Dan Carter apologised for a “massive error in Njudgement” after French police no quick fi x for F1 stopped him for drink-driving in Paris. The two-time World Cup Better marketing, digital growth priorities along with expansion in the Americas winner, who plays for defending French champions Racing 92, Reuters said there were no excuses for his London behaviour and he was grateful no one was hurt. “I made a massive error of iberty Media wants to steer For- judgment and have let down my mula One towards a “better club, my fans and most impor- place” but there are no quick fi xes tantly my family,” the 34-year- for the sport’s evident problems, old posted on Facebook. international points-scorer with Lnewly-appointed motorsport head Ross “I will have to now let the po- 1,598 points in 112 games. Brawn has said ahead of talks with teams. lice/court process run its course Carter began his second play- “There are some straightforward is- and face the consequences. I am ing stint in France after the 2015 sues that we recognise, but the solutions just glad no one was harmed. World Cup, but it hasn’t been an are going to take some time,” the former Sorry.” entirely smooth ride. Honda, Brawn GP and Mercedes team A Paris police source said After his man-of-the-match principal, who was Ferrari technical di- Carter was tested at the road- performance in the Top 14 fi nal rector before that, told BBC radio. side in the city’s western 17th in June, he tested positive for The 62-year-old Briton, appointed as arrondissement on Wednesday corticosteroids, along with fel- managing director for motorsport af- night. low former All Black Joe Roko- ter Liberty’s Formula One takeover last His alcohol level was meas- coko and Argentinian winger month, said the teams, governing FIA and ured at 0.8 grams per litre of Juan Imhoff . commercial rights holder all had their blood, the source said, confi rm- All three Racing players and own priorities. ing a story which appeared in ce- the club were later cleared of all “The commercial rights holder...is lebrity magazine Closer. wrongdoing by a French Rugby going to also focus on making the show However, he was neither de- Federation medical commission. as good as it can be and the entertain- tained nor arrested, although he But the players have now been ment and the sport as good as it can be,” will be expected to attend a local summoned to appear before the said Brawn, who will attend the fi rst pre- police station. French Anti-Doping Agency season test in Barcelona at the end of the With his alcohol level meas- (AFLD) over the incident. month. ured at just above the legal limit, AFLD president Bruno Ge- “Every decision that’s going to be made Carter could be punished by a nevois told AFP last month that in the future...all have to tick some boxes six-point penalty on his driving the dossier would be reviewed for and those boxes will be ‘does it make the licence. a “possible revision of the deci- sport better? Does it make it more enter- If the case goes to court, then sion” made by the FFR’s medical taining? Does it make it more econom- a fi ne of 4,500 euros ($4,800, commission. ic?’.” £3,845) or even a two-year jail FFR president Bernard Laporte Brawn said he was confi dent the sport sentence could be imposed. has played down the signifi cance would be steered in the right direction Carter, a three-time World of the summons, saying it didn’t ultimately. Liberty Media says it wants Player of the Year, is regarded mean the decision would be re- better marketing and digital growth as one of the sport’s fi nest fl y- versed. identifi ed as clear priorities along with halves and was a World Cup win- “It’s not because they think expansion in the Americas. ner with the All Blacks in 2011 there’s a fault. On the contrary, The 10 teams, FIA and commercial and 2015. the more transparency there is, rights holders are locked into contractual He is also the sport’s record the better,” he said. agreements that govern the distribution of revenues, and grant special payments In this July 5, 2013, picture, Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn looks on during the first practice session for the German Grand Prix to some of the biggest teams like Ferrari at the Nurburgring racing circuit. (Reuters) and Mercedes, until 2020. Campenaerts takes Andalusia TT, Liberty wants a more level playing Valverde overall lead fi eld, with a more competitive grid that Injured Wehrlein to miss F1’s fi rst pre-season test would give smaller teams a chance. AFP ous wait after logging a best “I think the message is that we are Reuters pions Mercedes, flipping his over the Lucena, Spain time of 14mins 55secs for the fi ghting the corner to make the sport as London barriers. 11.9km route around Lucena. entertaining and as viable and as eco- The German and his passenger walked Valverde and Contador were nomic as we can for the future,” said away from the crash but the driver pain’s Alejandro Valverde two of the last three riders to Brawn. auber driver Pascal Wehrlein withdrew from the rest of that event on missed out on winning set off and were both inside “I hope with the continued pressure will miss Formula One’s opening medical advice. Sthe third-stage time-trial Campenaerts’ time through that we can apply, we can steer the sport Spre-season test in Barcelona at the Ferrari-powered Sauber are due to at the Tour of Andalusia to the intermediate splits of the into a better place.” end of February due to a lingering back present their new car online on Monday, Belgian Victor Campenaerts stage, but failed to hold onto Brawn said he would continue talks problem, the German said yesterday. a week before testing starts at Barce- by just one second, but did the finish line. with teams at the Circuit de Catalunya “I have to skip the first winter test due to lona’s Circuit de Catalunya. take the overall lead of the France’s Thibaut Pinot, who from Feb. 27. medical advice because of a BACK issue. Reports in Italy indicated that Ferrari’s race yesterday. beat Contador to Thursday’s “The teams I have spoken to have been I feel sorry for the team but we’ll come Italian third driver Antonio Giovinazzi Overnight leader Alberto queen stage, was fourth to very positive about the changes, and very back stronger,” the 22-year-old said on Slingshot machine while racing Brazilian would step in for the German at the test Contador finished third, six drop to third overall, six sec- optimistic about the future,” he said. “So Twitter. Felipe Massa on the opening day of alongside Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson. seconds back on Campe- onds behind Valverde. it’s encouraging.” There was no immediate comment from competition. Sauber struggled to score points last naerts, to fall one second Today’s penultimate stage Formula One has already revamped the Swiss-based team. The machines came together with season with Ericsson and Brazilian behind compatriot Valverde in takes the riders 179.3km from the rules for 2017, with bigger tyres and Wehrlein was injured at the Race of Wehrlein, who raced for now-defunct Felipe Nasr doing so only in the penul- the general classification. La Campana to Seville over changed aerodynamics that should make Champions in Miami last month when Manor in Formula One last season and timate race in Brazil that lifted them to Team LottoNL-Jumbo rider three category-two climbs the cars more aggressive, harder to han- he crashed a three-wheeled Polaris was also the reserve for world cham- 10th overall, ahead of Manor. Campenaerts faced a nerv- before a flat finish. dle and quicker through the corners.

ALPINE SKIING PREVIEW Hirscher claims fi rst giant slalom title Shiff rin aims for slalom treble AFP And Austrian Philipp Schoerghofer, St. Moritz, Switzerland who sat in second after an impressive fi rst AFP lom, her favoured event. leg, also faded, one mistake seeing him St. Moritz, Switzerland “It’s not so hard to carry mo- fi nish fi fth behind the two Norwegians. mentum when you have good ustrian Marcel Hirscher kept his It was the third individual title for the momentum going,” said Shiff rin. nerve in deteriorating condi- 27-year-old Hirscher, who won the sla- t can be easy to forget that “I’m just going to try to ride tions to win his fi rst world giant lom in 2013 and combined in 2015, as well Mikaela Shiff rin is just 21 this wave, get a little training to- slalom title yesterday after two as picking up two team golds in those years of age. morrow, and then go out and try previousA silvers. world champs. After storming to promi- to attack on Saturday.” Hirscher, on track for a sixth consecu- The second leg of the giant slalom had Inence as a precocious teenager on Shiff rin added: “I’m really tive World Cup overall crystal globe and been delayed after the wing of a Swiss Air the tough World Cup circuit, the looking forward to the slalom. I silver medallist in last week’s alpine com- Force exhibition fl y-by plane clipped a American is bidding for a third have a good feeling on my skis. bined in St Moritz, clocked a total time cable that caused a camera to fall 50 me- consecutive slalom title at the “I’m defi nitely prepared and of 2min 13.31sec, with snow fl urries and tres to the ground, landing in the fi nish World Ski Championships today. now I just have to let it go.” cloud hampering the second run. area of the Corviglia course, just metres Her breakthrough victory Behind Shiff rin in the World “I am very tired at the moment, but from the spectator tribunes, but without in Schladming four years ago Cup slalom standings lies ever- I have unbelievable feelings,” said Hir- injuring anyone. promised a racer with nerve and dangerous Slovak Veronika Velez scher. “It was one of the toughest races While the incident occurred between stamina, and she has not disap- Zuzulova, winner in Zagreb this we’ve had this season so far. I’m very runs, with no racers in the immediate pointed since, bagging the dou- season and surprise fi nalist in thankful for this.” area, it was reminiscent of the crash of ble in Beaver Creek/Vail in 2015 the team event eventually won by Hirscher’s unheralded teammate Ro- a malfunctioning drone in a World Cup — a year after winning Olympic France. Her teammate Petra Vl- land Leitinger, whose previous best race in Italy in December 2015 that nar- gold in the Sochi Games — to join hova will also be in the running. World Cup fi nish was a sixth place in the rowly missed Hirscher. retired Croatian Janica Kostelic Third in the standings is Swit- Soleden giant slalom in 2015, claimed sil- The Austrian had dubbed the crash of as the sole skier to have defended zerland’s Wendy Holdener, who ver, 0.25sec adrift. Austria’s Marcel Hirscher celebrates his win in the men’s Giant Slalom event in the FIS the drone “shameful”, but also revealed a slalom title. showed all her slalom prowess in Leif Kristian Haugen of Norway Alpine Skiing World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, yesterday. (Reuters) he had no idea at the time what had hap- She currently also tops the winning gold in the alpine com- usurped favoured teammate Henrik pened, believing an offi cial charged with race for the overall World Cup bined event here. Kristoff ersen by fi ve-hundredths of a in Schladming, was unable to defend his on the World Cup circuit this season. fl attening out the piste after a competi- crystal globe, with closest rival Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter, second to take bronze, at 0.71sec, a fi rst title, the American having undergone tor’s run had hit the ground. Lara Gut now ruled out for the along with the Italian and Nor- Norwegian medal in the giant slalom surgery on a back injury. PINTURAULT FADES TO SEVENTH The crash left many on the World Cup rest of the season with a knee in- wegian teams, can all threaten, since the injured Aksel Lund Svindal won French hopes of a third successive gold Sitting primed in third place after the fi rst circuit convinced that drones have no jury sustained in St Moritz. but it would be a brave person gold in 2007. medal in St Moritz, after victories in the run, Pinturault faded badly on the sec- place fl ying over a skiing race. Fixed-line Shiff rin, who did not compete to bet against Shiff rin when she Reigning three-time champion Ted team event and women’s giant slalom ond, timing only the 21st fastest descent “travelling” cameras are commonplace, in the team event, won silver takes to the slope for a fi rst run Ligety, behind whom Hirscher won sil- (Tessa Worley), were pinned on Alexis to eventually fi nish a disappointing sev- however, and are also widely used in sports in Thursday’s giant slalom, the scheduled for 0845 GMT, the vers in 2015 in Beaver Creek/Vail and 2013 Pinturault, winner of three giant slaloms enth, 0.98sec off Hirscher’s pace. such as athletics, football and rugby. perfect warm-up for today’s sla- second at 1200 GMT. Gulf Times Saturday, February 18, 2017 7 CRICKET

T20 SPOTLIGHT Sri Lankans clinch Melbourne Brilliant Tahir thriller to welcome back Malinga Reuters SCORECARD Melbourne spins South Africa Australia A. Finch c Malinga b Gunaratne .....43 hamara Kapugedera M. Klinger c Malinga b Sandakan.. 38 smashed a boundary off T. Head c Prasanna b Malinga ...... 31 the last ball to secure a M. Henriques c Kapugedera b thrilling fi ve-wicket vic- Bandara ...... 17 toryC for Sri Lanka against Aus- A. Turner c Prasanna b Malinga ...... 18 tralia in the fi rst Twenty20 Inter- J. Faulkner not out ...... 14 to win over Kiwis nationals yesterday. T. Paine run out (Kulasekara) ...... 0 Needing one run off the last P. Cummins not out ...... 0 The 37-year-old was able to build on a superb performance by opening bowler ball, Kapugedera drove the full- Extras (b1, lb1, w4, nb1) ...... 7 er delivery from Andrew Tye Total (6 wkts, 20 overs) ...... 168 through cover to seal the match Did not bat: A. Zampa, A. Tye, B. Chris Morris, who was also denied a hat-trick on his way to figures of 2-10 and put his team 1-0 up in the Stanlake three-match contest. Fall of wickets: 1-76 (Klinger), 2-86 With several of their top players (Finch), 3-116 (Henriques), 4-153 in India for a test series, Australia (Head), 5-153 (Turner), 6-162 (Paine) fi elded a second-string team with Bowling: Malinga 4-0-29-2 (1w), Ku- Michael Klinger, Billy Stanlake lasekara 4-0-38-0 (1nb, 1w), Bandara and Ashton Turner making their 3-0-35-1 (1w), Prasanna 4-0-23-0 (1w), debut in Twenty20 Internation- Sandakan 4-0-30-1, Gunaratne 1-0-11-1 als. Sri Lanka Put into bat, the hosts could N. Dickwella c Klinger b Zampa .....30 not make the most of a strong U. Tharanga c Paine b Cummins .....0 start and posted a modest 168-6 D. Munaweera c Finch b Zampa ....44 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. A. Gunaratne st Paine b Turner ...... 52 Skipper Aaron Finch (43) went M. Siriwardana lbw b Turner ...... 15 C. Kapugedera not out ...... 10 Paceman Lasith Malinga, S. Prasanna not out ...... 8 playing his fi rst Extras (b1, lb3, w9) ...... 13 international match in 12 Total (5 wickets, 20 overs) ...... 172 months, was the pick of the Did not bat: S. Bandara, L. Malinga, Sri Lankan bowlers N. Kulasekara, L. Sandakan Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Tharanga), 2-79 on to complete his 1000 runs in (Dickwella), 3-91 (Munaweera), 4-151 Twenty20 Internationals while (Gunaratne), 5-152 (Siriwardana) Klinger (38) and Travis Head (31) Bowling: Cummins 4-0-29-1, Stan- were the other notable contribu- lake 3-0-42-0 (4w), Faulkner 4-0-27-0 tors with the bat. (1w), Tye 3-0-32-0, Zampa 4-0-26-2, Paceman Lasith Malinga, play- Turner 2-0-12-2 ing his fi rst international match Result: Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets in 12 months, was the pick of the Series: Sri Lanka 1-0 Sri Lankan bowlers, claiming two Toss: Sri Lanka wickets in two balls while also Umpires: Mick Martell (AUS), Paul taking a couple of catches on his Wilson (AUS) return. Third umpire: Sam Nogajski (AUS) Sri Lanka skipper Upul Tha- Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL) ranga fell for a duck but Dilshan Munaweera (44) and Niroshan Dickewalla (30) steadied the in- into the contest claiming two nings before Asela Gunaratne (52) wickets in the 18th over. hit his maiden fi fty to take the James Faulkner conceded only tourists close to win. six runs in his tidy fi nal over that With Sri Lanka seemingly left Sri Lanka needing six off the cruising to victory needing 18 last over from Tye who could only runs off the last three overs, watch on agony as Kapugedera’s Turner injected fresh excitement shot raced to boundary.

Qalandars beat Karachi Kings in PSL thriller

Imran Tahir of South Africa celebrates after taking the wicket of Luke Ronchi of New Zealand during their Twenty20 international match at Eden Park in Auckland yesterday. Agencies, Dubai: Lahore Qa- runs for the Kings. landars defeated Karachi Kings Kumar Sangakkara slammed Reuters SCORECARD the fi ve match one-day series that starts by seven runs in the Pakistan 65 off 45 balls with one six and Auckland at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday Super League 2017 at Dubai eight fours and Shoaib Malik South Africa: T.Bruce b Tahir ...... 33 with nearly all of them making telling International Cricket Stadium made 39 from 30 balls hitting H. Amla c Bruce b Wheeler ...... 62 C. Anderson c de Kock b Phehlukwayo ...... 6 contributions. on Thursday. two sixes. No other batsman eg-spinner Imran Tahir justifi ed Q. de Kock c Santner b Boult ...... 0 C. de Grandhomme c Duminy b Tahir ...... 15 While Quinton de Kock fell for a duck After being put in to bat, from Karachi Kings could his position as the top-ranked F. du Plessis lbw b de Grandhomme ...... 36 L. Ronchi c de Kock b Tahir ...... 0 in the third over, Hashim Amla (62), cap- Qalandars set a 180-run target withstand bowling attack of bowler in white-ball cricket with AB de Villiers c Wheeler b de Grandhomme 26 M. Santner c Amla b Phehlukwayo ...... 5 tain Faf du Plessis (36), AB de Villiers (26) for the Kings who haven’t been Qalandars. an inspired display in South Af- JP Duminy run out Ronchi ...... 29 B. Wheeler b Tahir ...... 6 and JP Duminy (29) all scored quickly. F. Behardien c Anderson b Boult ...... 8 T. Southee b Tahir ...... 20 able to win a match in the Sohail Tanvir, SP Narine, and Lrica’s 78-run victory over New Zealand Amla hit nine boundaries and a six in C. Morris not out ...... 9 T. Boult not out ...... 1 second edition of the PSL. Mohamed Irfan took two in their one-off Twenty20 international W. Parnell not out ...... 4 Extras (lb1, w2) ...... 3 his 43-ball innings and combined with Fakhar Zaman made 53 off 36 wicket each while Bilawal at Eden Park yesterday. Extras (b4, lb4, w3) ...... 11 Total (all out; 14.5 overs) ...... 107 du Plessis in an 87-run partnership from balls hitting three sixes and Bhatti got one wicket. Tahir, who took two wickets in two Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) ...... 185 Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Phillips), 2-10 (Morris), 8.3 overs as the visitors looked well set to five fours. Umar Akmal’s 25 In yesterday’s early match balls in his second over, had his fi gures Fall of wickets: 1-15 (de Kock), 2-102 (du 3-38 (Williamson), 4-55 (Anderson), 5-60 (Bruce), score in excess of 200. off 16 and Mohamed Rizwan’s in Sharjah, Peshawar Zalmi marginally sullied by successive sixes Plessis), 3-123 (Amla), 4-145 (de Villiers), 5-171 6-60 (Ronchi) 7-68 (Santner), 8-80 (de Grand- De Grandhomme, however, dismissed 29 off 22 balls were the other and shared points after rain (Behardien), 6-181 (Duminy) homme), 9-106 (Wheeler), 10-107 (Southee) both du Plessis and de Villiers to leave from Colin de Grandhomme but still fi n- Bowling: Boult 4-0-8-2, Wheeler 4-0-49-1, Bowling: Morris 3-1-10-2, Paterson 2-0-13-0, notable contributions from stopped play. ished with a career-best 5-24 in 3.5 overs, Southee 4-0-47-0, Santner 4-0-40-0, de Grand- Parnell 3-0-40-0, Phehlukwayo 3-0-19-3, Tahir their side on 145-4 in the 16th over, en- Qalandars. Tamim Iqbal hit 62 and Shoaib with the home batsmen unable to pick his homme 3-0-22-0, Munro 1-0-11-0 3.5-0-24-5 suring the all-rounders needed to push Mohamed Amir, Sohail Khan Maqsood 30 as Peshawar googly. New Zealand: Toss: New Zealand the innings on. and Usama Amir took two made 117 for 3 in 16 overs, but The 37-year-old was able to build on a G. Phillips c de Kock b Morris...... 5 Umpire: Chris Brown (NZL), Wayne Knights Opening New Zealand bowler Trent wickets each while Imad heavy rain prevented further superb performance by opening bowler K Williamson c Parnell b Phehlukwayo ...... 13 (NZL) Boult fi nished with an impressive 2-8 Wasim took one wicket for 22 play. Chris Morris, who was also denied a hat- C.Munro b Morris ...... 0 Third umpire: Tony Gillies (AUS) from four overs. trick on his way to fi gures of 2-10 in his “We played some good cricket,” du initial three-over spell. Plessis said. “We were consistent with Andile Phehlukwayo claimed three “They played well in all departments. selves a par target. But rotating strike is the bat on a wicket that bounced and we RESOLUTE victims, including the vital wicket of Frustrating from our perspective, we hard on drop-in surfaces and we lacked played really well. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, didn’t fi re a shot,” Williamson told re- partnerships.” The loss was New Zea- “We have had six or seven months that as the hosts were dismissed for 107 in 14.5 porters. “On this ground, you don’t know land’s fi rst at home this summer. have been amazing. We are confi dent but overs in pursuit of South Africa’s 185 for what a good score is. We pulled it back The South African top order also un- we know that we have to rock up every Pakistan vows to six. (when bowling) and probably gave our- derlined how dangerous they would be in day and perform.” host PSL fi nal TOUR MATCH despite Lahore blast Smith and Marsh tons take Australia to 327/5 AFP towards reviving international Dubai cricket,” PSL chairman Najam IANS accounted for the early wickets of Smith walked off . Sethi told AFP Thursday in Du- Mumbai Renshaw and then Warner, whose Thereafter, Peter Handscomb bai. “VVIP security is ensured.” quickfi re 30-ball knock contained (45) joined Marsh and the duo akistani cricket offi cials The violence-hit country has four boundaries. added 79 runs for the fourth have vowed to stage the not hosted a high-profi le foreign ustralia skipper Steve But Smith and Marsh started wicket before Marsh too joined fi nal of their Twenty20 team since a 2009 gun and bomb Smith and middle order off on a positive note and went his skipper in the dressing room league in Lahore next attack on the Sri Lankan cricket batsman Shaun Marsh after the loose deliveries from the after reaching the three-fi gure month,P despite a powerful Tali- side that killed eight people and started their cricket tour India A bowlers. mark. With both the centurions ban suicide bomb blast which injured nine others, including toA the subcontinent on a high, Resuming the post-lunch ses- back in the pavilion, the India A killed 13 people there this week. visiting players. with both striking defi ant tons sion at 81/2, the right-handed bowlers sniff ed the chance of a The fi rst two rounds of the Sethi said international play- to take the visitors to 327/5 at duo added 130 runs in 33 overs comeback and skipper Hardik Pakistan Super League (PSL) are ers competing in the PSL — a list stumps on the opening day of the without losing any more wick- Pandya responded well by dis- being played in Dubai and Shar- which includes former New Zea- three-day practice game against ets to help Australia reach 211/2 missing Handscomb to leave the jah, but organisers had planned land captain Brendon McCullum, India A at the Brabourne Stadium at tea. In due course, Smith, who visitors at 305/5. the March 5 fi nal in the eastern West Indian stars Chris Gayle here yesterday. has 17 hundreds in 50 Tests, also All-rounder Mitchell Marsh Pakistani city, vowing “head of and Dwayne Bravo, Australia’s Put in to bat, Australia lost the brought up his 30th fi rst class ton (16 not out) and wicketkeeper- state security” for international Shane Watson, Bangladesh’s opening duo of Matt Renshaw in his 100th game. batsman Matthew Wade (7 not players. Shakib Al Hasan and England’s (11) and David Warner (25) early Smith, who consumed 161 out) then spent some quality time However multiple Taliban Twenty20 captain Eoin Morgan but Smith (107 retired) and Marsh deliveries for his knock, hit in the middle as the day came to suicide attacks in Pakistan this — would be asked by February 22 (104 retired) put on 156 runs for 12 boundaries and a six while an end with the visitors at 327/5. week, including Monday’s bomb if they are willing to go to Lahore the third wicket to deny the home Marsh’s innings was the more For the hosts, Saini returned in Lahore, put those plans in should their team make the fi nal. boys any more inroads into the subdued which came from 173 with fi gures of 2/27 from his 12.4 jeopardy. “After that those who do not game. Promising Haryana me- balls and contained 11 hits to the overs while Pandya chipped in “We are committed to hosting want to go will be replaced with dium pacer Navdeep Saini, who fence and one over it, as the duo with one wicket as the rest of the the fi nal in Lahore as our people other foreign players who are came in as a fi rst change bowler, took the score to 211/2 before bowlers failed to impress. want it there and it will be a step available for Lahore,” he said. Saturday, February 18, 2017 GULF TIMES SPORT

RUGBY Budapest mayor fl ags possible Doha RFC shine in rain, withdrawal of city’s 2024 end ‘undefeated’ run of Olympics bid Reuters Budapest

udapest could decide as soon as next week whether to withdraw Bits bid to hold the 2024 Olympic Games, the Hungarian capital’s mayor Abu Dhabi Harlequins said yesterday, in another blow to organisers’ attempts to find a host city. ‘Rugby is a confidence game. Top two inches win you the game. Beating the undefeated, going into Hamburg, Rome and Boston have already abandoned their bids to host the the last three-four games of the season, our confidence is high. A confident team is a winning team’ Games, an event, whose costs have risen sharply over the past 20 years. If Bu- dapest pulls out, that would leave only Paris and Los Angeles still in the race. Prospects of a successful bid dimmed after a local political move- ment, Momentum, gathered enough signatures to force a referendum on the matter, which has grown increas- ingly unpopular among Hungarians according to a recent opinion poll. Budapest Mayor Istvan Tarlos told a news conference that if a referendum was called, he would “seriously con- sider” a proposal to withdraw the bid. If Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the Hungarian Olympic Committee sup- ported a withdrawal, he would submit a motion to that eff ect to the city council on Wednesday, the local news website index.hu quoted Tarlos as saying. Momentum, launched by a group of students born around 1989 when the Communist regime collapsed, said it had collected more than 266,000 sig- natures on a petition against the bid within a month, which its leader said would be enough to trigger a vote. Doha RFC’s Isireli Biumaiwai (second from left) off loads the ball to teammate Luke Ward (left) after a scrum during their West Asia Premiership match against Abu Dhabi Harlequins in Doha yesterday. “The past 30 days have been one of the most magnificent periods in the By Mikhil Bhat Stevenson missed a chance to go “It (the win) sends a message more left 14 points out on the fi eld, and I Everyone is due a bad game now and history of democracy in Budapest,” Doha ahead in the sixth minute after send- than anything I guess. I think they think 43-16 sends a much bigger mes- again, and it just happened that too Andras Fekete-Gyor told journalists af- ing a penalty kick wide, Doha went on are fi rst, we are second and Bahrain is sage than 29-16.” many had it on the same day today.” ter announcing the petition result. “It the scoreboard fi rst and never relin- third. We have got Bahrain next week, Harlequins coach Mike McFarlane McFarlane was all praise for Doha would be really cowardly on their part oha RFC sent “a message” quished the lead. they have got Bahrain in two weeks. felt a two-week break coming into hooker Owen Thomas, who was in- if (Orban and Tarlos) made the refer- loud and clear yesterday. Doha had four tries, one each So us beating them, if we get a big win yesterday’s game left them rusty. jured during the game and had a sling endum impossible or if they withdrew They “beat the undefeated” from Isireli Biumaiwai, Jope Tawake next weekend then we are the favour- “It was a good game. Having two around his right arm. the bid before calling a referendum,” in a West Asia Premiership Tikomaileponi, Pita Beracibi and Ili- ites to win the whole thing regardless weeks off probably left us a bit under- “Owen, our hooker, might have he added. “This would be not only clash.D Abu Dhabi Harlequins, who esa Rakabu, and Brook Tremayne con- of the table,” Ford added. cooked in terms of match tempo. But a broken arm. He is one of our best cowardice but also betrayal.” until yesterday only had a 23-all draw verted three of those besides scoring a Talking about the game, he said: “I that’s no excuse. We have a lot of tal- players. But we will power on and see There was no immediate comment against Doha as a blot on their other- penalty goal. haven’t seen thunder and lightning ented lads there, not turning in per- what happens over the next couple of from bid organisers or city hall, but wise perfect eight-win season, were Stevenson had a tough day at the during a game in four seasons that I formances,” McFarlane said, adding weeks. It doesn’t look promising that Orban’s Fidesz party appeared to dis- handed a 29-16 defeat at the ‘Fortress’. offi ce, scoring two penalties but miss- have been here. But man to a man, I that he was only going to look at the he will play the next game,” Ford said. tance itself from the bid. Lajos Kosa, a The game had everything that you ing out on a couple of kicks and not think we were much, much, much bet- positives. “It’s been a long season and For now, though, the win will be a senior Fidesz lawmaker, said the issue expect from a top of the table clash. converting either of the two tries that ter. Their points came from our errors to have come so far and pick up our only big boost to Doha’s campaign. did not come up at a party meeting It was fast-paced and physical, with teammates Brian Geraghty and An- and ours came from our good work. loss. You have to look at the positives.” “Rugby is a confi dence game. Top and was in the city’s hands. tempers fl ying, a passionate and vocal drew Semple scored. “It was a very, very quick game and Asked about dropping a few kick- two inches win you the game; it is all “This is a national process and the crowd courtesy a couple of disallowed “That is probably going to be the I think the two tries that were disal- ing points, he said: “We tried to inject about the mentality. Beating the un- IOC will not comment at this stage,” tries for Doha, and for good measure, most physical game in Gulf rugby that lowed, I think our team was so much tempo into the game. Lukee (Andrew defeated, going into the last three-four an International Olympic Committee apart from intermittent rain, there was you will see for a while,” Doha captain faster than the referee. He called them Stevenson) will tell you himself, he is games of the season, our confi dence is spokesperson said. thunder and lightning too. David Ford told Gulf Times after the knock ons but the fans (near the try not happy. high. A confi dent team is a winning The Budapest Election Off ice must But after Quins fl y-half Andrew win yesterday. line) called both of them tries. So we “He is actually pinpoint every game. team,” Ford added. now rule whether enough valid signatures—10% of Budapest’s roughly 1.4mn voters—have been collected to call a referendum. The International Olympic Committee is due to announce the 2024 host city in September. If Budapest won, Hungary would become the first Eastern Euro- pean country to welcome the Summer Games in the post-Communist era. Hamburg pulled out after a negative referendum result in 2015, while Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi ended her city’s bid last year to honour an election promise. A Zavecz Research institute poll published last week showed 51.95% of Budapest citizens would vote against the Olympics, up from 31.7% in September. Orban’s chief of staff Janos Lazar had said on Thursday the government would await the outcome of the refer- endum initiative. “The wishes of the people will be respected,” he said. Momentum, with support from left- ist and opposition parties, advocates spending the huge budget for the Games on sectors including health- care and education. If Budapest rejects the Games, this would deal an unexpected blow to Or- Doha RFC’s Mathew ban’s Olympic dreams and a boost for Lamont is tackled Momentum, which plans to turn itself during their West into a political party next month. Asia Premiership Budapest is vying with Paris and Los match against Abu Angeles for the summer Games, after Dhabi Harlequins in Hamburg — following a referendum Doha yesterday. — and Rome dropped out, both citing PICTURES: Shaji financial concerns. Hackett found ‘alive and sober’ aft er disappearance

AFP media showing himself with a black eye, and ian swimmer to qualify for an Olympics. But he off ered their support. “We are concerned for Sydney accused his brother of beating him up. narrowly missed out on a berth and after the Grant’s welfare,” Coates said in a statement. “He’s in hiding from everybody, including Olympic trials in Adelaide last April, he hit the “This is not the Grant we know and respect. us,” Hackett’s father said. “I think he’s very, very headlines again after a meltdown on a plane. Grant is a great Olympic champion, one of the lympic swimming great Grant Hackett embarrassed, but let’s see how things go.” Hackett was accused of drunkenly squeezing greatest swimmers of all time... We hope he can is “alive and sober”, his father told media The double Olympic gold medallist was the nipple of a fellow business-class passenger overcome his current challenges.” Oyesterday after he went missing following released without charge on Wednesday after his in an embarrassing incident which prompted Swimming Australia chief executive Mark a family bust-up, sparking fears for his safety. family called police following a reported bout of him to vow to quit drinking. Anderson added: “Given these recent circum- Hackett’s father Neville said Australia’s trou- heavy drinking which led to “uncontrollable rage”. “This is now a chronic problem... so, from a stances, we once again reached out to Grant bled former 1500m world record-holder, who His brother, Craig, said the former swimmer mental health perspective, I hope something and his family to continue to off er support and was briefly detained this week after a domestic had mental health problems and was no longer can be done,” Craig Hackett said. “This is not assistance in any way we can.” incident, was in contact with police. “Police the person he once knew. On Thursday, Hackett Grant Hackett, this is a completely diff erent Hackett retired after the 2008 Beijing Olym- off icers are happy he’s alive and sober,” Neville a picture of himself on Instagram showing a cut person. I don’t know this person, my mum and pics, having won the 1500m freestyle at both Hackett said, according to the Australian Broad- and blackened right eye, and dry blood on his dad don’t know this person. He’s there in body, the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Games. He casting Corp (ABC). “He’s told the police off icers nose. “My brother comments to the media... but but he is not there in mind, in soul, or spirit.” also claimed four world titles in the 30-length he just wants to hide from everybody.” does anyone know he beat the shit out of me,” Hackett mumbled a few words to reporters event. But after retirement he quickly ran into Hackett’s father raised the alarm on Thursday Hackett wrote in the caption. after his release, saying he was “not great” and problems with a messy divorce and allegations after his “mentally disturbed” son, 36, failed to Hackett came out of six years of troubled “probably needed to” go into rehab. he smashed up his Melbourne home in 2011. In turn up for appointments with a doctor and a retirement in 2014 in a bid to make the Rio Australian Olympic Committee president 2014, he checked into a US rehabilitation clinic lawyer. Hackett had posted a picture on social Games, hoping to become the oldest Austral- John Coates and Swimming Australia both to treat an addiction to sleeping pills.