SPORT Tuesday 28 November 2017 PAGE | 30 PAGE | 31 PAGE | 32-33 Mourinho lauds Neymar puts Australia crush striker Lukaku’s PSG on cloud England in work rate nine at Monaco 1st Ashes Test Al Shaqab’s Wadee adjudged world champion Qatar Olympic Committee President H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani poses with Al Shaqab’s Wadee, who was adjudged the world champion at the Le Salon du Cheval de Paris in the French capital on Sunday. The event which is regarded as the world’s leading event for the best purebred Arabian horses showcases more than 100 horses representing 20 countries every year. Both our riders have Qatari duo looks to impress worked hard to prepare for the top class event and we are confident that they will show a at Aquabike World Cup good performance Fawad Hussain in the competition: The Peninsula Sheikh Jassim op Qatari pilot Waleed Mahmoud Al Sharshani will be targetting the top spot when he lines up against the world’s Tbest competitors at next month’s Jet Ski Aquabike World Cup 2017 to be held in Pattaya, Thailand. Riders from as many as 35 It’s a top class event countries will compete at Jomt- and the competition ien Beach in the showpiece event will also be very of aquabike sport to be held from December 7 to 10. tough. I am in good Qatar will be represented by form and very much two riders with Ali Al Mannai confident of being the other member of the achieving a good squad along with Al Sharshani. “It’s a top class event and the result in the competition will also be very upcoming challenge: tough,” Al Sharshani told a press FROM LEFT: Qatari Aquabike pilots Waleed Mahmoud Al Sharshani and Ali Mohammad Al Naimai pose for a photograph Al Sharshani conference at Doha Marine Sports with Sheikh Jassim bin Nasser Al Thani, Chairman Speed Marine, Saleh Ibrahim Al Mannai, Vice Chairman Doha Marine Club yesterday. Sports Club and Hossam Khatib, General Manager, Speed Marine during a press conference held at Doha Marine Sports Club “The competition will see top yesterday. Picture: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula riders who will come with a lot of preparations. I have also trained hard for this competition The next month’s event will be “I’ve been doing well in this doing well, barring any technical Vice Chairman Doha Marine “We wish the best of luck to and have so far competed in five fourth appearance for Al Sharshani event and the US event was my problem,” said the top Qatari Sports Club and Al Naimai. team Qatar. Both our riders have races this season. in the World Cup. He competes in best performance. I have gained rider. Speed Marine are the spon- worked hard to prepare for the “I am in good form and very the Pro Runabout Grand Prix and a lot of experience of competing Also present in the press con- sors for the Qatari team which top class event and we are con- much confident of achieving a his best result so far was the top at the top level and I am hoping ference were Sheikh Jassim bin will also include six officials who fident that they will show a good good result in the upcoming chal- spot, which he earned in the US in to repeat that show in Thailand. Nasser Al Thani, Chairman Speed will accompany the riders in performance in the competition,” lenge,” said the top Qatari rider. January 2016 edition. I think I have a good chance of Marine, Saleh Ibrahim Al Mannai, Thailand. Sheikh Jassim said. Iran earn first win of qualifiers U-19 Football League: Third round kicks off on Friday The Peninsula Doha Shahaniya 1-0, while Al points with goal difference ran defeated Qatar QNA Gharafa routed Al Khor 7-0 separating them. THIRD ROUND to record their first and Al Sadd registered the Qatar SC and Al Khor are FIXTURES: Iwin of the FIBA he third round of the round’s biggest win in a 9-0 11th and 12th, while the Al World Cup Asian U-19 football league thumping of Al Kharaitiyat. Ahli and Mesaimeer are lAl Sadd vs Al Sailiya qualifiers in Tehran Tkicks off on Friday and The results mean Al without points in 13th and lAl Wakrah vs Al yesterday. The hosts eight matches will take Gharafa are top of the league 14th, having played one Rayyan won the match with a Action from place. on six points, the same toll game. Al Sailiya, Al Shamal lMuaither vs Al Khor margin of 65-39, to yesterday’s FIBA The second round of the that Al Sadd, Al Rayyan and and Al Kharaitiyat are the lMesaimeer vs Al bounce back from a league concluded on Sun- Al Arabi have but Al Gharafa top three sides, also without World Cup Asian Markhiya Day-two loss. day and saw Al Wakrah beat are on top thanks to the goal points. qualifier between lAl Shahaniya vs Al Arsalan Kazemi Al Sailiya 2-0, Muaither difference. Al Gharafa’s Ali Al Iran and Qatar. Shamal ruled the boards with www.fiba.basketball beat Al Shamal 2-1, Al Al Shahaniya are fifth on Omari is the league’s top 17 rebounds to prop Rayyan overcome Qatar SC four points ahead of Al scorer on 14 strikes ahead of lAl Arabi vs Umm up Iran’s cause, while 3-0, and Al Markhiya defeat Markhiya on goal Qatar SC’s Rashid Al Barash- Salal the scoring cudgels fell on the shoul- Qatari players could not find any Al Ahli 1-0. difference. idi on 11, while Muaither’s lAl Ahli vs Al Duhail ders of Meisam Mirzaei, Sajjad rhythm in yesterdat’s game, and they In addition, Al Arabi Al Duhail, Umm Salal, Al Ibrahim Al Sadiq and Al lAl Gharafa vs Mashayekhi and Vahid Dalirzahan, absorbed their second loss in Group D. beat Al Duhail 3-0, Umm Wakrah and Muaither are Sadd’s Rami Suhail follow Qatar SC who put up 14, 13 and 10 points Abdulrahman Saad was the top con- Salal narrowly beat Al seventh to 10th on three with eight goals. respectively. tributor for Al Annabi with 18 points. 30 SPORT TUESDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2017 Manchester City go for the kill London AFP anchester City will bid to hammer home their advantage at the Mourinho lauds top of the Premier striker Lukaku’s MLeague against Southampton, while Manchester United head to Watford hoping to cling onto work rate the leaders’ coat-tails in a cru- cial midweek programme. London City underlined their deter- AFP mination to win the title with a gutsy 2-1 victory at Huddersfield ose Mourinho has hailed on Sunday as Pep Guardiola’s the prodigious work rate of side reestablished an eight-point Jstriker Romelu Lukaku lead over second placed United. (pictured) despite the strik- Their Manchester rivals had er’s struggles in front of goal closed the gap to five points with following an electric start to a 1-0 win against Brighton on his Manchester United career. Saturday and, with City trailing The 24-year-old endured to a Nicolas Otamendi own goal another frustrating afternoon at half-time against Hudders- on Saturday when United’s field, Jose Mourinho’s men were eked out a 1-0 win against dreaming of a title lifeline. promoted Brighton as Ashley But City crushed those hopes Young’s strike looped in off in gritty fashion as Sergio Ague- Lewis Dunk. ro’s penalty two minutes after Lukaku has mustered just the interval eased any nerves one goal in his past 10 from the leaders, who piled on matches for United following the pressure and were rewarded an impressive start to life at with six minutes left when Old Trafford but Mourinho Raheem Sterling netted the refuses to criticise the striker. winner. “In the last minute he was City have now won their last Manchester City’s English midfielder Raheem Sterling celebrates after scoring their second goal during the English Premier fighting and running back like 11 Premier League matches and League football match against Huddersfield Town at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield, northern England on Sunday. he was in the first minute, so 18 in all competitions. I think it is also a mentality United can again move to Today was so close - it’s going to last season’s shock 3-1 win over Brighton at Old Trafford until Wednesday to have any chance question,” Mourinho said of within five points of their hated happen. Mourinho’s team. Lewis Dunk’s own goal from an of catching the leaders. Lukaku. neighbours if they win at Wat- “When you play every few While Watford impressed in Ashley Young effort sealed their Key to their title defence is “The way Romelu wins ford today, before City return to days, when you see the sched- a 3-0 win at Newcastle on Sat- second successive league win. Eden Hazard’s ability to main- the corner for the goal, the action at home to Southampton uling - December, January - we urday, United laboured to see off United defender Victor Lin- tain the fine form he showed in way Romelu ends the game 24 hours later. go to Donetsk to play in the delof hopes his side can continue Saturday’s 1-1 draw at making tackles in the left- Guardiola admits City’s scin- Champions League. It’s to grind out the wins while they Liverpool. back position, that is the tillating run will end eventually, impossible.