TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2015 SPORTS

Juanmi gets Spain call Totti hails Rossi’s role Milne out of World Cup MADRID: Spain have called up Malaga forward Juanmi as cover for the ROME: AS Roma showed they still have an appetite for the fight in a hard- AUCKLAND: New Zealand fast bowler has been ruled out of the remain- injured Diego Costa for the Euro 2016 qualifier at home to Ukraine, the fought 1-0 win at Cesena, their first victory in over a month, in a match decided der of the World Cup after suffering pain in his heel and has been replaced in by a goal from “capitan futuro” Daniele De Rossi. the squad by , the team said yesterday. Spanish federation (RFEF) said yesterday. The club’s “ of the future” was praised by current skipper and Roma Brazil-born Costa, who missed Spain’s last two games due to injury, The 22-year-old had been suffering pain in his left heel for the last two weeks, stalwart Francesco Totti. “I’m proud of my team mates,” Totti, who missed the coach said. While he was pain-free before the quarter-final against West scored in Chelsea’s 3-2 Premier League victory at Hull City on Sunday but game due to injury, wrote on his personal blog (http://www.francescototti.com). Indies, it had ‘flared up again’. “It’s to a point now where he wasn’t able to bowl so he’s had to come off with about 15 minutes left due to a hamstring injury. “Costa “But I especially embrace Daniele. His goal allowed us to win at a difficult unable to bowl and he’s in a lot of pain when he bowls,” Hesson told reporters at Eden will undergo tests on Monday in London and the results will be available to time for us and for him.” Roma have won only three games since the Christmas Park. “He’s fine walking in a straight line but unfortunately when he bowls it’s become Spain’s medical staff for their evaluation,” the RFEF said in a statement. break and a one-point gap on leaders Juventus has turned into a 14-point increasingly uncomfortable to a point where he’s unable to carry on.” Juanmi will compete for a place up front against Ukraine deficit which, with 10 league games remaining, has all but ended any realistic Milne’s injury has created a selection dilemma, with virtually the same side picked on Friday with Alvaro Morata of Juventus and Barcelona’s title hopes for Rudy Garcia’s men. “Finishing in second place is our goal,” mid- for all of New Zealand’s World Cup matches. Pedro. Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas was also named in fielder Radja Nainggolan told reporters. “We have 10 games left and we have to Hesson was loathe to confirm whether Henry, whose inclusion was yet to be rati- try to grab as many points as we can.” Holding on to second place, which guar- coach Vicente del Bosque’s squad And could be deployed as a fied by the governing International Cricket Council, would come into antees a spot in next season’s Champions League, will not be easy, however, the side as a ‘like-for-like’ pick. “Once we get to the ground tomorrow forward. With four matches played, Spain are second in with surging Lazio have narrowed the gap to one point after winning their sixth we’ll look at whoever is available in the squad and we’ll look at the Group C on nine points, three behind leaders Slovakia, who successive game against Verona. The outcome could be decided in the second- again and we’ll pick what we deem to be the best squad beat them 2-1 in Zilina in October, and level with last fixture of the season when the Roman sides meet in the most anticipated tomorrow,” he said. Swing bowler and left-armer Mitchell Ukraine. derby since the 2013 Coppa Italia final which Lazio won 1-0. McClenaghan are also available, though Mills often opens the bowl- They also play a friendly against the After being torn apart at home by Fiorentina in Thursday’s Europa League ing and it would be a difficult decision to split the new ball pairing Netherlands in Amsterdam on March 31, a repeat game Garcia had promised that he would make changes and only use players of and . Unlike Mills, McClenaghan of the 2010 World Cup final and the first time who were ready to battle. The French coach was true to his word against Cesena bowled in the tournament when he replaced Milne in the the teams will have met since Netherlands as 21-year old Salih Ucan was in the starting line-up for the first time this season final pool game against Bangladesh but he struggled for and was replaced by youth-team midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini. —Reuters line and length and was expensive. —Reuters Marquez the man to keep Honda happy

LONDON: Honda were way off the pace on their results. So I know who my rivals are and who I return to Formula One with McLaren but they have to keep a close eye on.” are sure to be on it in MotoGP when Marc Marquez starts his bid for a third successive THE PODIUM crown with Sunday’s season-opener in Qatar. Ducati’s Italian Andrea Dovizioso and team The 22-year-old Spaniard will be favorite again mate Andrea Iannone reckon they still have the in a gang of four main contenders that includes equipment to make life difficult for Marquez. compatriots Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa as “We go to Qatar to get on the podium,” well as 36-year-old Italian great Valentino Rossi. Dovizioso told the Gazzetta dello Sport. Injury- But the landscape looks different to last year, prone Pedrosa, 29, has been eclipsed by team when Marquez chalked up a record 13 wins for mate Marquez since the younger Spaniard’s sen- his Repsol Honda team, with the field looking sational debut and will want to show that closer and Ducati making a strong comeback. At Honda were right to renew his contract for two last week’s final test at Qatar’s floodlit Losail cir- more years. Double champion Lorenzo has cuit, the top 14 riders were separated by less trained hard after a disappointing 2014 and was than one second. While Lorenzo’s Yamaha team more comfortable on the Yamaha in testing. are looking to mount more of a challenge, “Overall the pre-season was good for us,” he Ducati have impressed with a Desmosedici GP15 said. “We have a good bike, especially compared bike that looks set to end the Italian manufac- to last year and we gained something with the turer’s five-year winless streak. Because of their new gearbox... we think we have a big margin to lack of recent success, and decision to switch improve while developing.” from factory to open category, Ducati have a Aprilia and Suzuki, the latter returning after a range of allowances including a softer tyre three-year MotoGP absence with rising Spanish option than the works Honda and Yamaha prospect Maverick Vinales making his debut, are teams. However they will lose those once they back with works teams. Australian Jack Miller, have chalked up three wins in a season. “At the arriving direct from Moto3 and billed as a star of end of the day, it’s clear that our rivals are the the future, will be a youngster to watch at Honda Yamaha riders and Dani-they are our rivals for LCR as he follows in the tracks of now-retired the championship,” Marquez, last year’s winner champion compatriot Casey Stoner. While in Qatar, told the motogp.com website. “At some Formula One was left with a shrunken starting specific point, the Ducati will be there at the grid of 15 cars at its Australian opener two weeks front but they have this ‘handicap’ of losing ago, the number of riders entered in the MotoGP some of their advantages if they get good class has now risen to 25. — Reuters

Marc Marquez in action in this file photo. TSC Together hosts cricket tournament

KUWAIT: As part of its Employee Mangaf Store received the runner-up prize. Engagement Programme, The Sultan Center Antoinette Sullivan, Director of Human NEW YORK: Anaheim Ducks’ Jakob Silfverberg (right) skates away as New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider reacts after scoring during the first period (TSC) recently established a Sports and Resources at TSC, commented on the 2015 of the NHL hockey game. — AP Social Committee - TSC Together. TSC Cricket Tournament, saying: “We are very Together, is managed by TSC employees pleased that so many teams took part in and aims at fostering team spirit, providing this competition and noted that TSC Rangers and Lightning excel employees with an opportunity to share Together members worked very hard to common activities and to generally have deliver a top-class event, for all TSC employ- some fun together, through organizing ees. As a company, we realize the impor- NEW YORK: Derek Stepan broke out of a seconds into overtime lifted the Detroit Red and bounced off goaltender Mike Smith’s employee chosen events. tance of maintaining an active and healthy long slump with two goals and an assist, and Wings over the St. Louis Blues. The teams back and in with 3:13 left to snap a tie for A recent event organized was a Cricket lifestyle. Equally important, however, is that the New York Rangers caught the Western reignited their old Western Conference rival- Vancouver. Tournament, where 16 teams competed these team events foster a sense of team Conference-leading Anaheim Ducks atop the ry, accumulating 36 penalty minutes in a A day after a stirring win in Los Angeles, against each other all striving to win the spirit and friendly rivalry, whilst strengthen- NHL standings with a 7-2 rout Sunday night. third period that included multiple skirmish- the Canucks had hit the post four previous Championship title. A series of highly com- ing relationships with colleagues, all in the Stepan, who had no points in his previous es on the ice. The Red Wings had a man times while Smith stopped 41 shots in a petitive games led to the Quarter Finals, spirit of fun. “ 12 games, scored a goal in each of the first advantage for the final 1:21 of regulation remarkable performance a day after inadver- Semi-Finals and Finals on the 14th of In addition to the Championship trophy, two periods as the Rangers found their miss- and the opening moments of overtime. tently banking a clearance pass off Brandon February. awards were given to Finance Department ing offense while playing the second of Abdelkader’s winner was just the second Sutter’s backside and into his own net. But Supporters filled the stands of the for the best-uniformed team, Sabir named back-to-back games. They snapped the power-play goal the Blues have allowed in 25 Edler’s goal on the power play helped the Khaitan Cricket Ground, as family and the best batsman, Fayas as best bowler and Ducks’ four-game winning streak as Anaheim chances over the past seven games. second-place Canucks move four points friends came together to support their Bheem named Man of the Tournament. TSC (46-21-7) began a five-game trip. The Red Wings’ Erik Cole tied it at 1 just 24 ahead of idle Calgary in the Pacific Division. teams. With six teams left in the quarter Together has a full Calendar of such team Chris Kreider, Carl Hagelin, JT Miller, seconds into the third period. Alexander Yannick Weber scored in the first period, finals, competing for two spots, Sultan sporting and social events planned in the Jesper Fast and Derick Brassard also scored Steen started the scoring for the Blues with a and Henrik Sedin added an empty-netter Telecom prevailed receiving the Cricket 2015, aimed at keeping Lifestyle and Fun for for New York. power-play goal at 9:38 of the second. with 1:09 left. Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored Tournament Championship trophy, while the employees, top of the agenda, at TSC. The Rangers (46-18-7), Ducks, and on an end-to-end play when he roofed the Montreal Canadiens all have 99 points, but CANUCKS 3, COYOTES 1 second rebound of his own shot in the first New York has played fewer games than both. Alexander Edler’s shot glanced off the post period for his 20th goal for Arizona. — AP Cam Talbot got off to a rare slow start, allow- ing two goals to Anaheim’s Corey Perry in the first period when the Ducks had 17 shots. He was perfect the rest of the way. NHL results/standings

LIGHTNING 5, BRUINS 3 Detroit 2, St. Louis 1 (OT); Tampa Bay 5, Boston 3; NY Rangers 7, Anaheim 2; Vancouver 3, Arizona 1. JT Brown and Anton Stralman scored 15 seconds apart soon after Tampa Bay captain Western Conference Tampa Bay 45 21 7 238 188 97 Steven Stamkos got into a fight, and the Pacific Division Detroit 39 21 11 204 190 89 Lightning stopped a 10-game losing streak W L OTL GF GA PTS Boston 36 25 12 193 190 84 against the Boston Bruins. Anaheim 46 21 7 216 206 99 Ottawa 36 24 11 207 188 83 Tampa Bay also got goals from Vladislav Vancouver 42 26 4 206 193 88 Florida 33 25 14 177 197 80 Calgary 39 27 6 211 189 84 Namestnikov, Jason Garrison and Ondrej Toronto 27 40 6 192 235 60 Palat. The Lightning’s last win over Boston Los Angeles 34 23 14 189 179 82 Buffalo 20 45 7 135 241 47 was on Mar. 13, 2012, a 6-1 victory. San Jose 35 29 8 199 201 78 Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and Daniel Edmonton 20 39 13 172 247 53 Metropolitan Division Paille scored for the Bruins, who are 0-3-2 Arizona 21 44 8 149 242 50 NY Rangers 46 18 7 217 163 99 over their last five games and hold a one- Central Division NY Islanders 44 25 4 225 203 92 point lead over Ottawa for the final Eastern St. Louis 45 21 7 223 180 97 Pittsburgh 40 22 10 200 178 90 Conference playoff spot. The Senators have Nashville 44 21 8 208 176 96 Washington 39 24 10 212 180 88 played two fewer games. Chicago 43 22 6 203 162 92 Philadelphia 29 29 16 192 215 74 Less than a minute after Stamkos fought Minnesota 40 25 7 207 181 87 New Jersey 31 30 11 163 183 73 Boston’s Brad Marchand at 10:05 of the first, Winnipeg 37 23 12 201 189 86 Columbus 33 35 4 193 225 70 Colorado 33 26 12 191 198 78 Brown (10:47) and Stralman (11:02) beat Carolina 26 35 10 164 196 62 Tuukka Rask to put the Lightning up 3-1. Dallas 34 28 10 224 230 78 Eastern Conference Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one RED WINGS 2, BLUES 1 Atlantic Division point in the standings and are not included in Justin Abdelkader’s power-play goal 24 Montreal 46 20 7 193 159 99 the loss column (L).