Sports Sunday, October 18, 2020 15 New world record for Jepchirchir morning, a group of favour- in another 14 seconds behind. Cheptegei misses ites broke away early during Cheptegei finished fourth the four-lap race but three of in 59min 21sec, over half a out at world them suffered falls to disap- minute behind Kiplimo, a rare pear from contention. disappointment for an athlete half- Defending champion Net- who has lit up a truncated AFP sanet Gudeta’s race almost came 2020 season. Gdynia () to an abrupt stop as the leaders “I couldn’t give more than took a 90-degree turn on to the that,” said Cheptegei, who set a Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir seafront, the defending cham- world 10,000m record in Valen- lowered her own world re- pion taking a fall and losing sev- cia just 10 days ago. “I have been cord for an all-women’s half eral seconds to the leaders. training more for 5000m and at the world cham- It was a gap she would 10,000m so I was not well pre- pionships in Gdynia on Satur- never close, the Ethiopian pared for it, but I’m very happy day but serial record-breaker slipping farther behind during – running a sub-60 (minute) is missed out the third lap. really special for me. on a medal in the men’s race. Turkey’s Yasemin Can “My body was really go- The 27-year-old Jep- led a group of seven through ing very well but I discov- chirchir, who also won world 10km in 30mins 47sec after ered I still had some fatigue Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya poses with a giant cheque over fifty thousand US dollars after she set a new gold in 2016, which Jepchirchir began to in the legs.” world record during women’s race next to IAAF President Sebastian Coe after the 2020 IAAF World Half produced a final sprint to take control. The 24-year-old had only Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, on Saturday. (AFP) take the women’s title in 1hr The Ethiopian Ababel made three outings this year 5min 16sec. Yeshaneh, world record hold- but each time had broken a That bettered the previous er in a mixed race (1hr 4min world record. Coe happy with pacemaking light technology best set by Jepchirchir herself 31sec), then tangled with In February he claimed in Prague on September 5 of and both the world 5km road record in AFP system which lights up to indi- that we further and foster un- 1hr 5min 34sec. crashed to the ground, leav- Monaco. Then, after a period Gdynia (Poland) cate the world record pace. derstanding. “It’s unbelievable,” said ing Jepchirchir, Kejeta and of coronavirus lockdown at “You have to innovate, “Pace lights I have no Jepchirchir. Yehualaw to battle it out in the home in , he returned president there’s no question about problem with. Our one-day “My goal was to win this final sprint. to Monaco and, in his first Sebastian Coe has said he that,” Coe said in Gdynia, meetings are about entertain- race. I did not expect that I Joshua Cheptegei on the podium race back, wiped almost two embraced new track technol- Poland, ahead of Saturday’s ment and I think Wavelight would beat the world record, Cheptegei after the men’s race of the 2020 seconds off Kenenisa Bekele’s ogy that features pacemaking world half-marathon races. that allows people in the sta- but I realised that it could hap- disappointment IAAF World Half Marathon Cham- 16-year-old track world record lights, a system used to great While acknowledging there dium, people on television, to pen when we passed 20km. Jacob Kiplimo took the men’s pionships in Gdynia, Poland, on time over the 5,000m as he effect in two stunning world was a balance to be struck, Coe understand a little bit more “It was a little bit windy, but race in a new championship Saturday. (AFP) clocked 12min 35.36sec. records last week. argued that technological ad- about the incredible talent, the course was good for me.” record of 58min 49sec but his Earlier this month in Va- Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei vances were paramount in at- the incredible speeds our com- She came home just two Ugandan compatriot Chep- from the leading pack after lencia, he smashed Bekele’s (men’s 10,000m) and Ethiopia’s tracting new audiences. petitors are running at actu- seconds clear of Germany’s tegei, the favourite for the title, the 15km mark. 10,000m track world record, Letesenbet Gidey (women’s “You need to create a con- ally lends to the type of under- Melat Yisak Kejeta, who could only finish fourth. The 2017 world junior taking off over six seconds as 5,000m) blew two longstanding nection and the key connection standing I want.” smashed the European wom- Kiplimo, who turns 20 cross champion then pushed he clocked 26mins 11sec. records apart in Valencia. is understanding,” said the two- Coe also argued that en-only record to take silver in next month, had never raced clear in the last few metres to Those efforts may have Both athletics had a team time Olympic 1500m gold med- pacemakers had been around 1hr 5min 18secs, with Ethio- the 21.1km distance before edge Kandie by five seconds counted against him as he at- of metronomic pacemakers al winner for Britain, who set 12 for decades, notably citing pia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw a but he showed nerves of and secure his first major title. tempted the half-marathon around them who utilised world records in his career. Roger Bannister’s first sub- further second behind. steel as he and the Kenyan The Ethiopian Amedework distance for the first time in Wavelight technology – a “I think it’s really impor- four-minute mile as a “pace- On a cold and windy Kibiwott Kandie broke away Walelegn took bronze, coming competition. trackside visual time guidance tant that we use innovation so made event”. Dhawan hits first IPL ton to keep Capitals top of the table

AFP balls with 14 fours and one six ning seven victory that national retirement. After a Dubai but his partners Shreyas Iyer Points Tally kept ’s side in fourth 55 off 24 balls in a win over (23) and (24) Team M W L NRR Pts place and the final playoff spot. and a devastating 73 hit his first hit the boundaries that kept DC 9 7 2 +0.921 14 The 36-year-old’s latest off 33 balls against Kolkata, centu- Delhi in the hunt. The surprise MI 8 6 2 +1.353 12 power hitting left both sides in de Villiers now has the IPL’s ry on Saturday as Delhi Capi- IPL contenders needed 15 off RCB 9 6 3 -0.096 12 awe. He hit three straight sixes best strike rate and only Sanju tals beat the last over and it was spin KKR 8 4 4 -0.684 8 off the penultimate over by Samson is up with his 19 sixes. to go back top of the table. bowler who blasted SRH 8 3 5 +0.009 6 Jaydev Unadkat and overtook De Villiers said he was South African veteran AB three sixes to secure the win CSK 9 3 6 -0.386 6 the target 177-6 with another six always “very nervous” going de Villiers produced another with a ball to spare. RR 9 3 6 -0.778 6 off with two balls to into such a run chase. “I try to KXIP 8 2 6 -0.295 4 blistering display “It feels very special,” said spare. Bangalore made 179 for hide it. I get very stressed. I’m meanwhile to take Royal Chal- the 34-year-old. three with Kohli also making 43. proud of my performances. lengers Bangalore to victory “At the start of the season nai have only three wins from “I said to a few of the Ra- Want to perform for my team, over and also I was hitting the ball well nine games and are slumber- jasthan boys, I know you lost have an impact to win games.” keep them in the playoff race. but I wasn’t converting those ing in sixth place in the eight but sometimes it doesn’t mat- Scores: Chennai Super Kings opener Dhawan bat- 20s into 50s. Once you do that, team league. Mumbai play ter which side you’re on, you 179-4 (F du Plessis 58, Shane ted through the Delhi innings you take that confidence into King’s XI Punjab on Sunday. can only go wow,” said de Vil- Watson 36, A Rayudu 45 n.o., R as they chased Chennai’s the next game.” In the opening game of the liers’ South African teammate Jadeja 33 n.o.; A Nortje 4-44) lost 179-4 in which Delhi now lead reigning day, De Villiers hit an unbeaten . to 185-5 in 19.5 made 58 and Ambati Rayudu champions 55 off 22 balls taking Bangalore India coach Ravi Shastri overs (Shikhar Dhawan 101 n.o., an unbeaten 45. by two points while M.S. Dho- from the verge of defeat – need- said this week that de Villiers Shreyas Iyer 23, MP Stoinis 24; D Dhawan made 101 off 57 ni’s three-time winners Chen- ing 35 off 12 balls – to a stun- should come out of his inter- Chahar 2-18) by five . Shikhar Dhawan during hs unbeaten 101-run knock in Sharjah on Saturday. ’s ‘Gul-dozer’ calls time on topsy-turvy journey

I want to be remembered as someone who tried his best for the country and it’s flattering that I was called ‘Gul-dozer’ during this memorable journey in . –

It was a topsy-turvy jour- six runs in the semi-final win Dravid, and ney for Gul, whose affair with over New Zealand. VVS Laxman. cricket began on the crowded “Winning the World Cup The feat almost halted a streets of . was the highest point of my burgeoning career, causing a He entered the interna- career,” he said. “I remember stress fracture in his back. tional arena exactly a month those were very tough days He later featured in the after the legendary pace duo of and there was unrest in our inaugural Indian Premier Wasim Akram and Waqar You- country so our win brought League in 2008, topping the nis retired following Pakistan’s smiles back on the faces.” chart for the Kolkata Knight disastrous 2003 World Cup. At the time, Pakistan’s mil- Riders with 12 wickets in six It was like the baton of itary was fighting an insurgen- games – the only time Paki- swing had been cy from militants in the north- stan players were allowed to passed from one generation to western region of the country. feature in the world’s most another, Gul recalled. lucrative league. But the 2011 “It was tough to fill those Bitter-sweet India World Cup semi-final against shoes but I tried my best and memories India – in the one-day format it was great to lead Pakistan to Gul attributes his – turned out to be the most the final of the Twenty20 World skills to the early days of his bitter of his career. Cup in 2007 and then to the ti- love for the game. He was targeted by the top tle two years later,” he said. “I grew up playing 20-20- order and finished with figures He finished with 163 Test over matches in the streets of 0-69 in eight overs for the and 179 ODI wickets, but he and then Ramadan cricket match in Mohali, India. achieved his greatest success where you look for wickets in a “Before that match I was in Twenty20 cricket, the start 20-over innings,” he said. the top wicket taker for my of his career coinciding with But his baptism was in team so India targeted me Teammates and opponents give a guard of honour to Pakistani cricketer Umar Gul during the in on Friday. (AFP) the launch of the shortest for- , where he became and to add to that we lost that mat in 2003. an instant hero in 2004. match,” Gul reminisced. AFP stumps, has called time on his winner bowed out to a guard of as someone who tried his best Gul was at his destructive In only his fifth Test, Gul With his playing years Rawalpindi 17-year cricket career. honour from teammates and for the country and it’s flat- best in in 2009, fin- destroyed a star-studded In- now behind him, next for Gul With no crowds to bid opponents after his final match tering that I was called ‘Gul- ishing as the top wicket taker dian batting order in a is a move into coaching: “I Pakistan bowler Umar Gul, farewell to the national hero – a disappointing defeat – in dozer’ during this memora- of the Twenty20 World Cup Test with figures of 5-21. His will try to make new Bulldoz- who earned the nickname because of coronavirus restric- Rawalpindi on Friday. ble journey in cricket,” the with 13. That included a mes- victims included the great ers for my country... it is my ‘Gul-dozer’ for his rattling of tions, the Twenty20 World Cup “I want to be remembered 36-year-old told AFP. merising five wickets for just , Rahul duty to the nation.”