Liverpool to host Bayern Munich sans van Dijk PAGE 18 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019 FIFA women’s referees for France World Cup finish screening at Aspetar PAGE 18 AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AL RAYYAN VS SAIPA (6 PM) AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS Al Rayyan’s coach confident of Lions clearing Iran’s Saipa test Al Gharafa to host Zobahan IKOLI VICTOR DOHA COACH Bulent Uygun be- lieves Al Rayyan SC will put up a worthy performance in overcoming the challenge of Saipa of Iran in their AFC Champions League play- off match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Tuesday. Al Rayyan have made eight appearances in the competi- tion so far but are yet to make it beyond the group stage. They suffered a similiar fate in 2018 despite staying unbeaten and being in a strong position after their first four games. Saipa, meanwhile, have only once qualified for the Continental competition back in 2008 when they reached the quarter-finals before los- ing to a Bunyodkor side that featured Brazilian FIFA World Cup winner Rivaldo. Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Monday, Bulent said, “We will present a football game worthy of the club as we are ready to con- front Iran’s Saipa and ad- vance to the group stage. “Al Rayyan is a big club and has experience in the Asian Champions League. The players are ready for this test and victory will be ours,” Al Rayyan players during a training session ahead of their AFC Champions League play-off against Iranian club Saipa to be played at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Tuesday. he added. Bulent noted that Al Rayy- an is constantly evolving on both the technical and physi- cal sides, thanking the presi- dent of the club for his support to the team. The Turkish coach dis- closed that the duo of defender Daniel Goma and goalkeeper Omar Barry will be unavail- able due to injuries. Rayyan produced a decent performance in their last QNB Stars League match, winning 3-1 against Al Arabi over the weekend. Rodrigo Tabata, captain Al Rayyan coach Bulent Uygun and captain Rodrigo Tabata with officials at the pre-match media briefing. of the team is confident Al Al Gharafa and Zobahan officials Rayyan will get the desired re- stage of the AFC Champions guish in the bottom half of the Last year they were unlucky unveil their team’s shirts for the sult despite the strength of the League,” added Tabata. table after losing to Umm Salal to be eliminated at the group AFC Champions League play-off Iranian club team. In the other game in Doha last week, and they will also be stage by virtue of an inferior to be played at the Thani “The game will be played on Tuesday, Qatar’s Al Ghara- without injured Dutchman head-to-head record against Bin Jassim Stadium in Doha in the presence of our fans. fa will welcome Iranian side Wesley Sneijder. the United Arab Emirates’ Al Rayyan and Saipa officials with their team’s shirt. on Tuesday. Expectedly we’ll be stronger. Zobahan to Thani bin Jassim The Cheetahs have quali- Al Jazira. We have an idea about their Stadium with both sides seek- fied for the competition eight Zobahan finished the are sitting dangerously near 1-0 in Preliminary Stage 2. Republic’s Seongnam Ilhwa game and we will play to win. ing a place in the group stage. times, with a quarter-final 2017-18 Iranian Pro League the relegation zone having not The Isfahan side’s best Chunma in 2010, while they “We have a new technical crew After finishing fourth in appearance in 2010 as their season as runners-up but are won a game since August. performance in the tourna- have also reached the knock- and we hope to achieve our the QNB Stars League last best performance, while they enduring a miserable cam- They needed extra time ment was when they fin- out rounds in two of the past goals and advance to the group year, Al Gharafa currently lan- reached the last 16 in 2013. paign this time around and goal to overcome Kuwait SC ished as runners-up to Korea three seasons. India’s 1983 & 2011 cricket champs invited to World Cup 2022 Qatar Formula One pre-season testing TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK Vettel and Ferrari set the standard in Barcelona DOHA LEIPZIG (Germany): Sebastian Vettel set the standard for Ferrari on the first day of Formula One pre-season testing in Barcelona on THE invitation extended to Monday. The German was quickest with a 1 minute 18.161 sec- India’s cricket World Cup win- onds set early in the session around the Circuit de Catalunya and ning teams of 1983 and 2011 completed a massive 169 laps, more than any other driver. by Nasser al Khater, the CEO World champions Mercedes, represented by Valtteri Bottas and of the newly-established FIFA then driver’s titleholder Lewis Hamilton, were well down the World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC timesheets but did manage 150 laps. Briton Hamilton was only (a joint venture responsible ninth fastest with a best of 1:20.135, slightly slower than Bottas, for the planning and delivery with the Finn posting a 1:20.127. McLaren’s Carlos Sainz, in his of operations and services for first outing for his new team, was second quickest overall – just the tournament) to attend 0.397 seconds slower than Vettel. Struggling McLaren only finished the event in Qatar has been sixth in last season’s standings. Alfa Romeo unveiled their car and warmly received and the news Nasser al Khater, CEO of the FIFA veteran driver Kimi Raikkonen wasted no time in spinning into the widely published by newspa- World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC gravel on its first lap. Nonetheless he finished fifth overall. Lap pers and news outlets. joint venture. times are not necessarily representative of a team’s competitive Al Khater, who was in India performance but data collection is considered important. (DPA) to attend a sports awards func- “I did not realise how big tion in Mumbai, invited mem- cricket was in India. I know bers of the triumphant 1983 there are some members India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev (left) and 2011 skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and 2011 India squads to wit- from the 1983 World Cup- with the trophies at an event. ness the tournament in 2022. winning team that beat West “It is safe to say that this Indies are here, and there in Qatar,” he added. the cricket world when it up- surprise win in the inaugural World Cup (in Qatar) is for are members from the team Khater also invited mem- staged defending champions World T20 in 2007, completed all of us to celebrate. I think I that won the World Cup in bers of the Indian football team West Indies in the final at a double when he led the team have to say we look forward to 2011. I extend you a special to witness the World Cup. Lord’s in London. to victory in the One-day version welcoming you there,” Khater invitation to come and at- India’s 1983 team, cap- Mahendra Singh Dhoni, as well in 2011, defeating Sri was stated as saying. tend the football World Cup tained by Kapil Dev, stunned who had captained India to a Lanka in the final in Mumbai. Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel drives the tests on Monday. (AFP) Sports Tuesday, February 19, 2019 17 Japan upgrades downpour Last year’s finalists bound for first round forecasts before Tokyo 2020 exit after FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2019 seeding AFP Katsuhiro Nakagawa, director TOKYO of the Remote Sensing Labora- row, Serbia and the Nether- tory at the National Institute of 2014 world champs lands will meet as soon as the WITH an eye on the Tokyo Information and Communica- Qatar will feature pool phase. The two 3x3 pow- 2020 Olympics, Japanese re- tions Technology (NICT). erhouses (also both finalists at searchers are developing a new Japan is one of the most in Pool C alongside the World Cup 2017) are in for system to accurately forecast seismically active regions in Slovenia, China, an early clash with the United torrential downpours -- known the world and routinely experi- States, not to mention South in Japan as ‘guerilla rainstorms’ ences severe natural disasters, Lithuania and a Korea and Turkey. -- 30 minutes before they strike. including earthquakes, floods Only the first 2 teams in Scientists have created a and landslides that kill dozens qualifier each pool advance to the quar- high-tech radar capable of pro- of people every year. ter finals meaning one of the ducing a three-dimensional Because of that, the nation FIBA main contenders in the men’s map of a rain cloud in 30 to 60 has created sophisticated early- MIES, SWITZERLAND category will be eliminated in seconds. They say this is a signif- warning technology and dis- the pool phase. icant improvement on existing aster mitigation systems, and THE 40 participating teams The other reigning cham- systems that measure only parts regularly holds emergency drills (20 men’s and 20 women’s) pions – Italy’s women – got a of a cloud in up to five minutes. in schools. Sudden, localised were divided into 8 pools of very similar outcome in Pool Along with the radar, in- torrential rains can cause killer 5 - none more difficult than D. They will meet 2017 world stalled last year at Saitama Uni- flash floods, submerge roads Men’s Pool A featuring last champions Russia and 2016 versity, just north of Tokyo, the in low-lying areas, or overflow year’s 2 finalists Serbia and the silver medalists Ukraine, not team is also using radio waves drainage systems.