14 Tuesday, December 15, 2020 Sports Demanding Baqqa loop stage to kick-start Hail Baja II Tribune News Network pointed out: “We needed to do to drive the Yamaha. This is a to resume their duel in the Hail (Saudi Arabia) something. The car just wasn’t chance here in Hail for me to quad category. feeling right. We watched prepare for the big challenge, ‘Hail Rally Toyota 2020’ Action resumes at ‘Hail some video footage of the first the Dakar. This is the first time is taking place under the su- Rally Toyota 2020’ with the Baja and we could see it didn’t the prototype Yamaha will do pervision of the Hail Regional first selective section of Hail seem to be handling properly. a race, so it will be a first for Development Authority in co- Baja 2 in the deserts around So the team made some big both of us in the desert.” operation with the General Baqqa on Tuesday morning. changes to the suspension.” X-raid team director Sven Authority for Tourism and Na- The event is the fifth and final The plan was to carry out a Quandt added: “This is a new tional Heritage and the Gen- round of the 2020 FIA World short test today (Monday). project for us. It is aimed at eral Authority for Sport. Cup for Cross-Country Bajas. Meanwhile, the Red Bull beginners and gentleman The opening selective sec- The two days between the crews of Al Attiyah and Mat- drivers who love to go to the tion of 311.57 km takes place Bajas marked a perfect oppor- thieu Baumel and Carlos Sainz Dakar as well in the future. We to the north-east of Hail and tunity for some teams to carry , Lucas Cruz, Stephane Pe- are running the cars here for starts and finishes near the out testing and for others to terhansel and Edouard Bou- the first time. No testing, noth- town of Baqqa (one of the change settings and make re- langer spent an enjoyable few ing. This, for us, is a pure test smallest governorates by visions to the cars before the hours on Sunday afternoon and we see what we have to population in the Hail region) resumption of competitive ac- working on a Red Bull promo- cure until Dakar. We hope not after looping through the An tion. tion with esteemed motion too much. This is an afford- Nafud desert. With Bernhard Ten Brinke picture helicopter pilot Fred able side-by-side. Hopefully The first FIA vehicle is due and Vladimir Vasilyev both North. if everything works out then, on stage from 09.07hrs, but needing to be as competi- The California-based leg- maybe, next summer, you can the motorcycles and quads will tive as possible to fend off a end of the skies was respon- Stephane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger during the Hail Baja 1 in Saudi Arabia. (Red Bull Content Pool) buy a machine like this.” leave Hail for the stage start late Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah sible for some spectacular Local driver Al Mashna Al around daybreak with French- challenge for the FIA Baja ti- television coverage and pho- ment in numerous blockbust- Twice former DTM cham- 1000R Rally prototypes en- Shammeri triumphed in the man Adrien van Beveren look- tle, strategies were assessed tography on Hail Baja 1, with er movies, North set the world pion and triple Race of Cham- tered in the T3 class. first of the National rallies and ing for a second successive win for the coming days and Ten his low-flying antics enabling record for the highest altitude pions winner Mattias Ekstrom The Swede said: “This is the Nissan Pick-Up driver will on two wheels with his factory Brinke’s engineers have made the on-event television crew to ever achieved in a helicopter will get his first taste of cross- my first time in Saudi Arabia be aiming to fend off a large Yamaha WRF 450. There will some radical changes to his get up close and very personal – a staggering 12,954 metres country competition at Hail and my first time to do a race Saudi challenge, while Riyadh be a liaison of 99.10km to the Toyota’s suspension. with the action. above sea level set in South Af- Baja 2 in one of two new X- in a side-by-side (T3). I’m re- Al Shammeri and Abdulma- stage start and a return trip of As co-driver Tom Colsoul Away from his involve- rica in March 2002. raid-developed Yamaha YXZ ally excited to be with X-raid jeed Al Khulaifi are expected 97.08km to the service park.

News in brief Kiwis sweep West Indies to Australia call up Henriques for India Test

Sydney: All-rounder Moises Henriques was on Monday called up to Australia’s injury-hit Test squad to face India after pace- man Sean Abbott was ruled out with a calf strain. top Test rankings With the first Test in Adelaide beginning Thursday, the Portugal-born all-rounder’s call-up is the latest of a number of enforced changes to the squad to play the day-night match AFP against Virat Kohli’s men. Australia will have to cope without Wellington talismanic opening batsman David Warner, who suffered a groin tear. shot to the top His likely replacement, rookie Will Pucovski, was ruled out with of the world Test rankings concussion after being struck on the helmet by a bouncer in a Monday when they thrashed warm-up match last week. the West Indies by an innings There had been speculation that Australia could call up red- and 12 runs to wrap up an em- hot young all-rounder Cameron Green, but he too looks to have phatic series win. missed out after also suffering a concussion when hit on the It lifted the Black Caps to head by a powerful straight drive while last week. 116 points, equal with Aus- Abbott, who has a “mild calf strain”, was expected to be fit for tralia at the head of the rank- the second Test said Cricket Australia. (afp) ings table, and also extended their unbeaten home run to 15 Tests. New Zealand also stayed WI skipper Holder wants end to having in the hunt for the inaugural only home umpires World Test Championship final as they overtook Eng- Wellington: West Indies pressed on land to move into third in the Monday for an end to cricket’s insistence on home umpires standings behind Australia because of the coronavirus pandemic, although he had no seri- and India, who start a four- ous complaints about the officiating in New Zealand. Test series this week. Speaking after the West Indies suffered back-to-back heavy “It does sound pretty cool,” losses to the Black Caps when only New Zealand officials were said , New Zea- in charge, Holder said a fairer system would be to have an land’s stand-in captain while umpire from both countries on duty. The International Cricket is on pater- Council (ICC) introduced neutral umpires 26 years ago to end nity leave. accusations of home-team bias. “I didn’t realise that until But with the Covid-19 disruption to international sport and this morning,” he said of the the “logistical challenges with international travel” the ICC rankings boost. rescinded the rule this year to again allow for home umpires “We have been playing and match referees. Holder said in any Test series there would some good cricket as of late in New Zealand team poses for a photo as they celebrate their series win on the fourth day of the second Test against West Indies at the Basin be questionable decisions and he thought the New Zealand our conditions, and away for Reserve in Wellington on Tuesday. (AFP) umpires “did a reasonable job” as the Black Caps coasted that matter, and it’s a pretty to a first Test victory by an innings and 134 runs and won the cool thing.” ‘Not good enough’ son Holder on 60 and Joshua just 16 more than New Zealand West Indies 2nd innings (Over- second by an innings and 12 runs. “But, I don’t understand After Williamson pulled Captain Jason Holder said da Silva on 25. maestro Williamson scored on night 244-6) a situation where we’re having home umpires,” he said. “If out on the eve of the sec- they only had themselves to Holder added one to his his own in the first Test. K. Brathwaite c Young b Boult we can travel and do a quarantine, I don’t see why an opposing ond Test, Latham said the blame. overnight 60 before he was Even with Williamson out 24, J. Campbell b Jamieson 68 (team) umpire can’t do the travel and quarantine. If players are team stepped up with Hen- “It’s just tough when we bowled by Tim Southee, who for the second Test, New Zea- D. Bravo c Nicholls b Boult 4, S. making the sacrifice and go on the road and continue cricket ry Nicholls overcoming a didn’t take our opportunities also had Alzarri Joseph caught land were still able to post 460 Brooks c Watling b Wagner 36, then I feel as though the umpires should do the same. (afp) form slump to score 174 and when they came. We were behind after an entertaining as Nicholls shrugged off a bat- R. Chase c Latham b Jamieson lay the foundations of the good in patches but still not 24 – all from boundaries. ting slump to contribute his 174, 0, J. Blackwood b Boult 20, J. victory. good enough,” he said. Da Silva marked his maiden aided by five dropped catches. Holder b Southee 61, J. da Silva Kyle Jamieson, in only his “I don’t think conditions Test with a half-century but on John Campbell’s 68 in the lbw Wagner 57, A. Joseph c fourth Test, took five were that tough in order to get 57 he fell lbw to , second innings of the final Watling b Southee 24, C. Holder Shotokan Karate Ryu awards in the first innings and two in runs. The was a really who also bowled Shannon Ga- Test was the best contribution 13, S. Gabriel b Wagner 6th Kyu to participants the second to be man of the good wicket. We’ve just not briel without scoring to leave by the West Indies’ top order. 0; Extras: (b1, lb7, w1, nb1) 10 series. been consistent over a period Chemar Holder not out 13. Their highest scores of the Total: (All Out, 79.1 overs) 317 Tim Southee took seven of time. We haven’t been able For New Zealand, Wagner series came from Jermaine Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Brath- in the Test. New Zealand also to string it together, more of- took three for 54 and Trent Blackwood (104) and Alzarri waite), 2-41 (Bravo), 3-130 won the first Test in Hamilton ten than not.” Boult finished with three for 96. Joseph (89) batting at six and (Brooks), 4-131 (Chase), 5-134 by an innings. After losing the first Test Despite winning the toss eight in a lost-cause second in- (Campbell), 6-170 (Blackwood), “It was great for our squad in New Zealand by an innings and having the advantage of nings of the first Test. 7-252 (Holder), 8-282 (Jo- that we do have depth where and 134 runs, and being rolled bowling first on green wickets New Zealand start a two- seph), 9-307 (da Silva), 10-317 guys can come in and perform for 131 in the first innings of in both Tests, the West Indies Test series against (Gabriel). straight away,” Latham said. the second Test, they saved bowlers struggled for consist- on December 26 and will need Bowling: Southee 22-4-96-2, But it was a disappoint- their best for their final bat ency and their batsmen lacked another series sweep to be in Boult 21-3-96-3, Jamieson 15-4- ing tour for the West Indies, on tour, scoring 317 all out in the variety of shot selection to with a chance of reaching the 43-2 (1w), Wagner 17.1-4-54-3 with both Tests ending on the their second innings. handle New Zealand’s swing Test championship final. (1nb), Mitchell 4-0-20-0. fourth morning. The tourists resumed the and seam attack. Toss: West Indies They have now lost four in day at 244 for six, needing a The top five West Indies Scoreboard Result: New Zealand won by an a row since beating England in further 85 runs to make New batsmen totalled only 267 New Zealand 1st innings 460 innings and 12 runs. Southampton in July. Zealand bat again and with Ja- across their four Test innings, West Indies 1st innings 131 Series: New Zealand 2-0.

Shotokan Karate Ryu recently awarded 6th Kyu (orange belt) to 8 male and females par- ticipants of the training course All Blacks face France in ‘special’ 2023 Rugby World Cup pool stages spanning over months. The grading test took place on De- AFP will organise a superb World beat Foster’s men for the first both, it’s going to be a tough ers Australia as well as Fiji, a cember 12 and Mirza Gazanfar Paris Cup,” Foster told a press con- time in their history in No- pool.” European team and the win- Ali Baig (4th Dan Black Belt) ference. vember. Champions South Africa ner of the final qualifying tour- was examiner. The partici- New Zealand head coach “We’ve watched with ad- A qualifier each from Oce- will face Ireland as well as nament. pants were Mohammed Abdul Ian Foster said facing hosts miration the way they’re re- ania and the Americas round Scotland and a nation from Italy and two qualifiers, Hakeem, Basheer Kuruvakun- France in a mouthwatering building their team and are out a competitive-looking Pool Asia/Pacific and a further Eu- one from the Americas and nen, Saheer K C, Shabana Riaz, 2023 Rugby World Cup pool really building something spe- D. ropean nation in Pool B. another from Africa, make up Maryam Baig, Mirza Yousef game will be “special”, after cial for 2023. “It’s a great pool to be “It’s exciting, really, to the rest of Pool A alongside the M Baig, Shaista Hussain and Monday’s draw in Paris. “For us to know the size a part of,” England captain know who your RWC pool op- All Blacks and the French. Kunh Ali Kutty. “ I would like to The sides met in the 1987 of the challenge has given us Owen Farrell said. ponents will be,” Springboks The draw was held days congratulate all the participants and 2011 finals, with the All a clear focus and one we can’t “Obviously with the way skipper Siya Kolisi said. after a host of former inter- and wish them good luck for Blacks winning on both occa- wait for,” he added. that Japan and Argentina are Wales, who lost to the nationals said they were plan- their future endeavours. They sions. England take on Japan, going at the minute, some of Springboks in the 2019 semi- ning legal action against the really put in lot of efforts to “It’s going to be very spe- who hosted the last World Cup the rugby that has been played finals, are in Pool C with two- sport’s authorities over the obtain 6th Kyu,” remarked Baig. cial. I have no doubt they in 2019, and Argentina, who over the last few years by them time Webb Ellis trophy hold- result of concussion.