6 November 21, 2016 Faghani Receives AFC ‘Referee of National Diving Team Makes History the Year’ Award in Asian Event KUALA LUMPUR (AFC) - Asian The AFC Referees Special Awards referees have set a new benchmark for are the first of the AFC Annual excellence in 2016, gracing some of the Awards to be presented this year and world’s biggest stages. In recognition among four awards that will be pre- for their outstanding performances, the sented at specific occasions relevant Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to the individual recipients. The AFC on Sunday awarded six match officials Futsal Player of the Year, AFC Youth – three men and women – with the AFC Player of the Year and AFC Asian In- Referees Special Award 2016 in Kuala ternational Player of the Year awards Lumpur, Malaysia. will also be presented to the respec- The men’s trio from the Islamic tive winners at an appropriate date Republic of Iran - Alireza Faghani and venue. as well as assistant referees Reza The shortlists for those other AFC Sokhandan and Mohammad Reza Annual Awards are: Mansouri - and the women’s team AFC FUTSAL PLAYER OF THE comprising Australians Kate Jace- YEAR wicz and Renae Coghill as well as 1. Aliasghar Hasanzadeh (IR Iran) Asian referees have set a new benchmark for excellence in 2016 India’s Uvena Fernandes - received 2. Ahmad Esmaeilpour (IR Iran) Members of the national Iranian men’s diving team their awards from the AFC Referees football continues to undertake under Argentina’s River Plate. 3. Farhad Tavakoli (IR Iran) Committee Vice-Chairman, Hany Ta- the banner of One Asia, One Goal and Jacewicz, Coghill and Uvena Fer- AFC YOUTH PLAYER OF THE TEHRAN (Press TV) - The na- event at the Tokyo Metropolitan leb Ballan Safar (Qatar), at the open- I am confident that they will continue nandes completed an all-Asian affair YEAR tional Iranian men’s diving team Gymnasium indoor pool on Sat- ing of the AFC Elite Referees and As- to do us proud in the years ahead.” when they were selected to officiate (Men) has exceeded expectations in the urday, and finished third in overall sistant Referees Seminar taking place Faghani, Sokhandan and Mansouri in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World 1. Ritsu Doan (Japan) 10th edition of the Asian Swim- standing to pick up the bronze, the in the Malaysian capital. made history this year as Asia’s first Cup Jordan 2016 final between DPR 2. Mohammed Dawood (Iraq) ming Championships in Japan, and Islamic Republic of Iran Amateur AFC President Shaikh Salman bin trio to officiate the final of the Men’s Korea and Japan last month. They 3. Rakan Al Anaze (Saudi Arabia) claimed the third spot in the conti- Swimming Federation’s website Ebrahim Al Khalifa said: “The AFC’s (Women) Olympic Football Tournament when also featured prominently in the nental tournament. reported. Vision and Mission has underlined they took charge of the Brazil versus group stages, taking charge of the fix- 1. Fuka Nagano (Japan) The Iranian squad, comprised of China finished the champion, our desire to ensure Asian players Germany gold medal match in August tures between Brazil and England, as 2. Sung Hyang-sim (DPR Korea) Shahnam Nazarpour and Mojtaba while the hosts were named run- and officials succeed on the world in Rio de Janeiro. well as Venezuela and Germany. 3. Hana Takahashi (Japan) stage. The performances of our men During the hugely successful AFC Jacewicz and Coghill, who obtained AFC ASIAN INTERNATIONAL Valipour, took part in the men’s ners-up and awarded the silver and women referees this year demon- Asian Cup 2015 Australia, Faghani their FIFA international referee status PLAYER OF THE YEAR synchronized 10-meter platform medal. strate once again our continent as a and Sokhandan were appointed to of- in 2011 and 2015 respectively, also 1. Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City/ great force in world football and that ficiate the final match between Korea worked together in the W-League Japan) our referees – both men and women – Republic and host nation Australia. 2016 final between Melbourne City 2. Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dort- Iran Finish 4th at Asian have earned global respect The men’s trio also officiated the and Sydney FC. Uvena Fernandes is mund/Japan) “Their achievements serve as a tes- 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final in India’s first-ever female referee to of- 3. Son Heung-min (Tottenham Host- Water Polo Championship tament to the progressive steps Asian Tokyo, which saw Barcelona take on ficiate in a FIFA World Cup. pur/Korea Republic) TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran finished 8-4 victory over Singapore but lost in fourth place at the Asian Water to titleholder Kazakhstan 14-4 in its Polo Championship at the Tokyo second match. Cristiano Ronaldo Hits Hat-Trick as Real Madrid Stun Atletico Madrid Metropolitan Gymnasium indoor The Persians beat Hong Kong pool. 19-8 and qualified for the knockout MADRID (Euro Sport) - Cris- to Sergio Ramos, Pepe and Toni performance of the season so Madri d in the standings, with Iran lost to China on penalties in stage. tiano Ronaldo hit a hat-trick as Kroos, opting for a central unit far to move four points clear at Zidane’s side currently on an un- the bronze medal match on Sunday The team, headed by Serbian Real Madrid stunned Atletico of Luka Modric and Mateo Ko- the top of the Liga table follow- beaten run of 24 games. Ronaldo after the two teams drew 7-7 in reg- coach Aleksandar Ciric, defeated Madrid with a 3-0 win in the last vacic in an unfamiliar 4-4-2 for- ing Barcelona’s goalless draw and his team-mates laid down a ular time. Saudi Arabia 15-6 to book a place in derby at the Vicente Calderon. mation. against Malaga earlier in the day. marker with such a comprehen- Zinedine Zidane picked a The tactical switch worked with The result also moves Real Ma- sive victory at the home of their Iran started the campaign with an the semis but lost to host Japan 15-6. makeshift team with injuries Real Madrid turning in their best drid nine points clear of Atletico fiercest rivals. Land Rover BAR Wins America’s Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish Lead Going Into Final Day play on day four, Wiggins and carry on for another season and Cup World Series Title Cavendish saw Kenny de Ketele on Monday told reporters to “ask and Moreno de Pauw - the pair him on Sunday” what his future that beat them in last month’s held. London Six Day - wipe out their After finishing second in Sat- advantage in the first Madison urday’s points race, the British and take the lead courtesy of their pair were runners-up in the team superior points total. elimination before winning the But five-time Olympic champi- one-lap time trial. on Wiggins and 30-time Tour de They were second to De Ketele France stage winner Cavendish and De Pauw in the first Madison took a lap in the final event of the and the 500 meter time trial, but day, the second Madison, to boost second-place finishes to Olympic Wiggins’ chances of ending his champion Elia Viviani and Ilgo career on a high. Keisse in the last two events were Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish lead going into final The 36-year-old has long hinted enough to restore their lead. day of racing in Ghent this could be his final competitive Both De Ketele and De Pauw LONODN (Euro Sport) - Sir heading into the final day of the race, with the city of his birth pro- in second and Viviani and Keisse Land Rover BAR - the British challenge headed by Olympic legend Ben Bradley Wiggins and Mark Caven- Ghent Six Day event. viding an appropriate exit venue. in third are a lap down on Cav- Ainslie - has won the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series with a dish restored their one-lap lead late A lap ahead of their main rivals However, last month Wiggins endish and Wiggins, but possess first place finish at the ultimate event in Japan suggested he could be tempted to better points totals, meaning they in the day to retain their advantage overnight after a dominant dis- FUKUOKA (Japan Today) - third-place finish in Sunday’s final would overtake the leaders if they Land Rover BAR won the Amer- race at the Fukuoka regatta make up the deficit. ica’s Cup World Series title with a After Artemis Racing of Swe- 43,000 People Take Part in Africa’s Largest Race den won the first two races in Fu- ADDIS ABABA (Anadolu Agen- kuoka, Land Rover BAR needed cy) - Ethiopia’s capital was decked Boxing Federation of India to finish ahead of the Swedes in in green, red and yellow Sunday as the last race of the day to clinch 43,000 people took part in Africa’s Planning to Launch Leagues the title. Land Rover was third in largest running event. the final race, while Artemis was The Great Ethiopian Run -- a 10 NEW DELHI (Indian Express) - Eager to make up for the lost time, the fourth. kilometer (6 mile) route through recently-formed Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is planning to launch a Skipper Ben Ainslie’s Land Addis Ababa -- saw elite athletes domestic league next year, the details of which will be worked out after set- Rover BAR team finished the se- as well as ordinary Ethiopians of tling a “few issues”. ries with 512 points, 19 ahead of all ages and abilities take part. “We need to have a league, we are just trying to settle down a few things. Oracle Team USA, the two-time Legendary distance runner But in 2017, we are definitely going to launch a league,” BFI President defending America’s Cup cham- Haile Gebrselassie helped launch Ajay Singh in an interaction on the sidelines of the ongoing National pion, in second place. the first run in 2001 and it has Women’s Boxing Championships here but did not dwell on the issues left Emirates Team New Zealand, gone on to become the fifth larg- to be sorted. the hard-luck loser to Oracle in est public running event in the It is to be noted, that professional boxing scene in India got a boost after the 2013 America’s Cup, finished world. amateur boxing hit a downward spiral owing to an administrative mess third overall with 493 points. “The most important thing is to Ethiopia’s capital was decked in green, red and yellow Sunday as 43,000 which lasted four years starting 2012 and ended in September this year Artemis Racing was fourth and see people coming out and cel- people took part in Africa’s largest running event. with the formation of BFI. SoftBank Team Japan was fifth. ebrate,” he told Anadolu Agency. Ethiopia, won the women’s event. A heavy police presence lined to “We are well behind at this stage because of the lost time, so it will Land Rover BAR earned two bo- This year, Ethiopian runner Abe “Thank God I made it and I know route amid concerns about anti- take time to build things. We need to build our infrastructure bottom up,” nus points to carry into the quali- Gashahun won the elite men’s I have to work hard to make it to government protesters staging a Singh said in an interaction on sidelines of the ongoing National Cham- fiers in June, while Oracle Team race while Foten Tesfaye, also of the top internationally,” she said. demonstration. pionships for women. USA earned one bonus point.