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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 SPORTS

Nepalese champ mounts Photo of the day unlikely cycling challenge

KATHMANDU: A short and skinny former came almost by chance. Tired of going to cycle mechanic from one of the world’s a mechanic every time his bike broke, he poorest countries is hoping to beat the joined a workshop to learn how to fix it odds and surprise Asia’s best mountain himself. Soon, his expertise as a mechanic bikers at the Asian Games. brought him into contact with mountain Nepal’s Ajay Pandit Chhetri, who is 5ft bikers visiting Nepal, who opened his 4in (1.62m) tall and weighs just 48 kilos eyes to the possibilities and prompted (106 pounds), is a shopkeeper’s son who him to enter his first race. won his first race on a borrowed bike. “When I was repairing... those powerful When he makes his Asian Games debut cycles, I used to dream about owning in the cross-country race on October 1, them. Now I know that dreams can come he’ll be riding a bike that cost far less than true,” he said. Chhetri, 26, has spent the his competitors’ cutting-edge machines. past four months training rigorously for But in his favour is a life steeped in the Asian Games, but he has continued to mountain biking after spending years taste success along the way. since childhood riding Nepal’s remote Last week he became the first foreign- Himalayan trails. er to win the 268-kilometre (167 miles) And in Incheon, Chhetri believes he Tour of the Dragon race in Bhutan, smash- can make an impression by finishing in ing the course record by more than 30 the top five. “Even now, those racing minutes. against me in South Korea will have bikes Chhetri’s experience of Himalayan ter- costing double of mine,” Chhetri told AFP. rain helped him navigate the hilly course, “It is like a fight between a khukri (a tradi- including four treacherous mountain tional Nepalese knife) and a gun.” passes, three of which were over 10,000 Chhetri has been Nepal’s national feet (3,000 metres). champion since 2009, quite a feat consid- He is no stranger to competing at alti- ering he couldn’t afford his own mountain tude, having won Nepal’s annual 400-kilo- bike when he won his first race aged 15. metre Yak Attack, dubbed the world’s Chris Christensen performs in Copenhagen, Denmark. — www.redbull.com At the time, even a low-end mountain highest mountain bike race, four times. bike costing about 20,000 rupees ($205) The race kicks off in Kathmandu, trav- was out of his reach, until well-wishers erses the Annapurna mountain circuit at pitched in to help him pay for it. more than 17,500 feet and ends close to “It amuses me when people get sur- the Chinese border. Although Nepal is Thousands flood in prised by my achievements,” he said. “I “naturally blessed with a terrain perfect may be thin and short, but my hard work for mountain biking”, Chhetri said a lack of and preparation has brought me this far.” government support and insurance dis- Chhetri’s love of mountain biking courages riders from turning professional. ahead of Asian Games comes from long before he dreamt of “Often we don’t take on challenging winning medals. As a young boy, he spent routes even if we want to because there is his free time riding around hills on the no insurance to fall back on. What will INCHEON: Thousands of athletes and officials licence and colliding with a bus. Asia’s pockets of severe poverty, will provide a outskirts of Kathmandu. “I was always happen to me if I break my bones?” gathered in Incheon yesterday as the clock In athletics, China’s Zhang Peimeng will running theme as countries like Nepal and East good at sports, but cycling appealed to Chhetri is travelling to Incheon with ticked down to Asia’s biggest sports spectacular attempt to become the first native Asian to run Timor take on their wealthier neighbours. and organisers fretted over low ticket sales. the 100m in less than 10 seconds. And organisers are urging Incheon’s residents me because it is all about an individual’s 197 other athletes who will represent Long queues formed at South Korea’s China will go for clean-sweeps in their spe- to come out and support the full range of events effort. It is about what you can do,” he Nepal in 24 sports, including athletics, Incheon airport two days ahead of the start of cialist sports of diving, table tennis and bad- rather than just those in which South Korea is said. His evolution as a competitive racer martial arts and wrestling. — AFP the Asian Games, an Olympic-size event with 36 minton, where the highly decorated Lin Dan strong. On Monday, an organising committee sports, 45 countries and about 10,000 athletes. may meet his Malaysian rival Lee Chong Wei. official said only five percent of athletics tickets China, with roughly one-tenth of the com- petitors, will dominate proceedings, four years after walking off with a record 199 golds and 416 medals overall at Guangzhou 2010. China’s Olympic swim stars Sun Yang, Ye Shiwen and badminton’s Lin Dan will hog the limelight along with Japan’s emerging athletes and South Korean home favourites. Attention is also focusing on North Korea’s team as they make the rare and politically sensi- tive trip south to compete for their sports-loving supreme leader, Kim Jong-Un. Sexual harassment cases tainted the build-up after an Iranian official was kicked out for verbal- ly harassing a volunteer and a Palestinian foot- baller was accused of groping a woman in the athletes’ village. Organisers are also braced for swathes of empty seats with just 18 percent of tickets sold across the sprawling, 49-venue site as of early this week. The Games will be declared open at a gala ceremony in Incheon’s 62,000-seat, purpose- built main stadium on Friday, headlined by K- Pop stars and “Gangnam ” singer Psy. Froome leads British Incheon organisers are calling it a “frugal” Games which at about $2 billion, is costing a assault on Ponferrada fraction of Guangzhou 2010 and pales in com- INCHEON: China’s synchronised swimming team practices at the Munhak Park Tae-hwan parison with the Beijing and Sochi Olympics. Aquatics Center. The 17th Asian Games will open in Incheon, South Korea tomorrow, with 45 World and Olympic champions dot the entry nations and territories competing in 36 sports. — AFP LONDON: Former champi- “For the men’s road race, Chris proved sheets, while many teams are using Incheon as a ons Chris Froome and he’s in good shape by coming second at chance to blood young athletes ahead of the Japan are trying to make it a men’s and had been sold and six percent for football. “We were named in the Great Britain team for the Vuelta and I’m pleased David Millar will 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. women’s football double in the home of their hope people can come out to watch other the Road World Championships in Spain be leading the team in his last outing in China’s controversial Sun will be the main arch-foes South Korea, a result which would nations, too, because this is a festival for all that was announced yesterday. Great Britain kit.” attraction in the pool and looks set to face South sorely test the patience of home fans. Asians,” the official said. “That will really help us But while Froome, who recently came The line-up for the men’s road race in Korea’s Park Tae-Hwan and Japan’s Kosuke And war-ravaged Afghanistan can write stage a successful event.” second in the Tour of Spain behind Alberto Ponferrada on September 28, the final day Hagino in the 200m and 400m freestyle. another chapter in their cricketing fairytale by Despite the slow sales, Incheon officials say Contador, will spearhead a nine-man team of the competition, is completed by Steve The two-time Olympic champion is back after winning their biggest title yet, four years after the long-term goal is to position what is South in the men’s road race, Wiggins will only Cummings, Luke Rowe, Yates twins Simon a seven-month ban imposed following his brief claiming silver in Guangzhou. Korea’s third-biggest city, just west of Seoul, as feature in the time-trial. and Adam, and . Wiggins, who jail term last year for driving a Porsche without a Such tales of perseverance, especially from an Asian financial hub. — AFP Froome, the winner, won the Tour de France in 2012 before is joined in the road race squad by Geraint adding the time-trial gold medal at the Thomas, Pete Kennaugh and David Millar, London Olympics, will compete in the who is due to retire at the end of the sea- September 24 race-against-the-clock, son. technical director Shane alongside . Lizzie Armitstead Sutton said: “I’m pleased with the teams leads the six-strong women’s squad, which we’ve selected for the UCI Road World also includes two-time junior world cham- Championships. Across the board, we have pion Lucy Garner but does not feature a some real podium contenders. competitor for the time-trial. —AFP OCA throws Iranian official out of Asiad SEOUL: The president of the Olympic “Although this is a negative inci- Council of Asia (OCA) apologised yes- dent, there can be a positive from it. It terday after an Iranian official was is part of the Games to educate, to thrown out of the Asian Games in exchange cultures and to understand South Korea after being charged with other nationalities and cultures.” sexual harassment. The OCA has asked Iran’s National Police had charged the official fol- Olympic Committee to send the offi- lowing a complaint by a female volun- cial home. “The Olympic Council of teer at a soccer stadium. A Palestine Asia has issued a zero tolerance policy soccer player has also been charged for any cases of sexual harassment at with the same offence after another the Asian Games in Incheon, Korea,” it incident at the athletes village. OCA said in a statement. INCHEON: Performers have their makeup applied backstage prior to a rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the 2014 Asian Games at the main President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al- “It was not a matter of a physical stadium venue in Incheon. — AFP Sabah told Reuters in an interview attack; it was verbal sexual harass- that the OCA had taken the necessary ment,” the OCA said of the incident, action to respond to the incidents and which took place on Monday at a soc- that it would serve as a lesson to all cer stadium in Ansan. Thai princess going for gold the other athletes and officials at the “The OCA will not tolerate any mis- Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 Games in Incheon, behavior of this nature and we will INCHEON: The team for the 17th Asian last year’s South East Asian Games, where she fin- Dream Park, a former waste disposal site that west of Seoul. take a tough stance. We cannot accept Games includes a real-life princess with a down- ished 10th in individual dressage and fifth in the Korean officials have transformed into a riding “We are sorry to start the Games this, so we have removed him from the to-earth approach to life and a heart set on win- team event, and has set her sights on winning centre, but Princess is entered in just with these kinds of incidents,” he said. Games.” ning gold. gold in Incheon even though the competition is two, the individual and team dressage. “There was a quick resolution, the South Korean police had said on Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, the grand- harder. “I am well-prepared for the Asian Games,” “I prefer dressage because it’s the foundation organising committee and the city Tuesday the official had admitted daughter of King , has been she told the Post. “I have trained hard of equestrian sport and requires such a great deal appreciated that the OCA did our job. touching the volunteer but did not chosen to represent her country in equestrian, since the end of the SEA Games with the aim of of concentration,” Princess Sirivannavari told But we are sorry about this.” The OCA consider his actions to be illegal. riding a horse called Prince Charming. The 27- representing Thailand again at the Incheon reporters. said in a statement earlier yesterday Yesterday, police told Reuters they year-old has already competed at the Asian Games. “The rider and horse must develop a strong that Amereh Ahmad, who looked after had charged a player from Palestine’s Games before, but in a different sport. She was a “It will be tougher than the SEA Games and I bond and be able to communicate with one the equipment for the Iran soccer soccer team with sexual harassment member of the Thai badminton team at the 2006 will do my best.” Princess Sirivannavari is the latest another, more so than in any other equestrian team, had been banned from all Asian following a complaint from a female Games in Doha, where she spurned any special in a long line of royals to compete internationally regime. Games sites, including the athletes vil- staff member at the athletes village. treatment by opting to stay in the athletes’ vil- in equestrian, a traditionally popular sport among “And, since I love art so much, I find dressage lage, venues and hotels. The player, who was not identified, lage. Although she has ridden horses since child- monarchs. At the last Olympics, there were three very elegant and beautiful. Every posture is mar- “I think now others will understand was charged without physical deten- hood, Princess Sirivannavari only started royals in the equestrian events - Britain’s Zara vellous, and the rider has to dress up too. I also what is against the law and what are tion and the case transferred to the showjumping seriously a few years ago, while she Phillips as well as Prince Abdullah bin Miteb and like free style, in which the rider has to control the the lines they cannot cross,” said prosecutor’s office, the police con- was studying fine arts and working as a fashion Prince Faisal Al Shalan, both from Saudi Arabia. horse according to the rhythm of the music that’s Sheikh Ahmad. firmed. — Reuters designer in Paris. She made the Thailand team for There are six equestrian events at Incheon’s played.” — Reuters