SPORT Saturday 11 August 2018 PAGE | 17 PAGE | 18 Focus on Neymar, Abdulla clocks Mbappe as PSG second fastest begin title defence T2 time in Hungary Al Attiyah eyes third Asiad gold Fares Ibrahim in action in the event which begins on August 18 and ends on Sep- tember 2. The other members of the squad include Rio Games Olympian Rashid Saleh Hamad. Qatar are taking part in 31 events out of the 54. Youth Championships in the US ARMSTRONG VAS Besides shooting, Qatar will last month. The youth team shone look bag medals in weightlifting at the event by bagging two gold THE PENINSULA through Fares Ibrahim. medals in the boys category, one Ibrahim has been in in individual event and the other DOHA: London Olympic Games impressive form winning the for a team contest, and went to bronze medallist Nasser Al Saleh silver medal in the 94kg category bag the overall title. Al Attiyah of Qatar taking part in at the 2017 World Weightlifting Right handed Qatar’s Ghanim his sixth Asian Games will be Championships in Anaheim in Aboujassoum had a perfect game looking forward to clinch gold in California. during the singles in the All Event the Skeet event in the shooting He will be hoping to continue on Friday at Thunderbowl Lanes competition of the Games in Indo- his good show in Indonesia. to clinch the gold. nesia. Another medal hope for Qatar Aboujassoum then teamed up The 47-year old, who has won is Abdullah Al Tamimi in Squash. with Jassim Al Muraikhi, Jassim Al has two gold medals in the team Al Tamimi last month beat Deyab, Aboujassoum and skeet events at the Asian Games Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip in five Mohammed AlMerekhi to give in 2002 and 2010 and a bronze sets to win the $35,000 Malaysian Qatar the gold in the boys team medal in the 2002 Games, is yet Open title and thus will eager to event. to win a gold or a silver medal at pick up his first gold medal at the Aboujassoum said the compe- the Games. Asian Games, both in the indi- tition at the championship was The two-time Dakar Rally vidual and team event. Elsewhere, Qatar medel hopes winner, who has been taking part All eyes will also be focused rest with Volleyball, Beach Vol- in each of the continental games on the Qatar’s young bowling leybal, Handball, Equestrian, Bas- Abdullah since 1998, heads a strong squad team which won the Overall Boys ketball, Basketball 3x3 and Nasser Al Saleh Al Tamimi of 20 shooters who will be seen title at the 2018 World Bowling Football teams. Al Attiyah Qatar athletes looking to dominate in Indonesia CHINTHANA WASALA THE PENINSULA Abdalelah Haroun DOHA: In the absence of World Champion Mutaz Barshim, star Abder- rahman Samba will lead Qatar’s gold quest in track and field at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia. Currently the fastest 400 metres hurdler in the world, Asian record holder Samba will be the one to watch when the athletics events begin at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on August 25. Barshim, Qatar’s most cel- ebrated athlete, is still recov- ering from an ankle sprain injury Ashraf Elseify which led to damaged ligaments while attempting to set a new world record height of 2.46 metres in Hungary on July 2. Samba is only the second man to ever crack 47 seconds in the 400m hurdles and has proved that he is no match for any of the Asian athletes in his pet event. The 27-year-old has shattered mul- tiple Diamond League meet records during the course of the season and in Paris, clocked the world leading time hmed Bader of 46.98 seconds on June 30. In the last Diamond League meet in London, Samba shifted his focus to opportunity to strike an all-Qatari man Femi Ogunode, his brother Tosin middle distance runners Musaab Ali and 400 metres dash, which was dominated podium at the Asiad this time. With the Ogunode is expected to fill his void in former World Junior and Asian Junior by compatriot Abdalelah Haroun. three fastest 400 metres sprinters in the 100 metres event. Tosin has not champion Hamza Driouch, Jong jumper Haroun raced to victory at the their possession, Qatar also have the competed in the 100 metres dash this Rima Taha and Javelin thrower London Stadium, setting a new national opportunity to win the gold medal in year, but he won the silver medal in 60 Mohamad Kaida will also be among the record and his personal best of 44.07 the 4x400 metres relay. metres event during the Asian Indoor ones to watch out for. seconds. This also makes him the fastest Meanwhile, the 2015 Asian Athletics Championships held in Tehran, earlier The rest of the Qatari athletes who 400 metres sprinter in Asia this season. Championship silver medallist and this year. will be looking to impress on the Gelora According to current standings, double World Junior champion hammer Asian Championships silver med- Bung Karno track are, Mabrook Jahzah, Samba is the second fastest in Asia in thrower Ashraf Elseify will also be allist Ahmed Bader will carry Qatar’s Sosse Kenza, Mohamed Mohamed, the 400 metres flat event, while another aiming for a gold. hopes in the men’s javelin throw. Mariam Farid, Abdulrahman Al Khater, Qatari athlete, Mohamed Nasir Abbas, Elseify has won two consecutive The 2014, Incheon Games bronze Hammer thrower Ahmed Elsify, Bashair is ranked third. Abbas clocked his per- World Junior Championships titles in medallist, Jamal Hairana (800 metres), Almanwari, Rania Alnaji, Abubaker sonal best of 45.15 seconds during the 2012 and 2014 and currently holds the World Junior Championship bronze Abdalla (800metres), Rashid Al Mannai World Challenge meet in Madrid, Spain Junior World Record with an impressive medallist, high jumper Mahamat (Triple jump), Saoud Alh (110 metres Abderrahman Samba in June. 85.57m throw. Hamdi, World and Asian Under-20 hurdles) and Yaser Bagharab This means they have a golden In the absence of Qatar’s fastest discus throw champion Moaaz Ibrahim, (3000metres). SATURDAY 11 AUGUST 2018 SPORT 17 Champs City eye fresh title glory AFP make only one major close- Winning start General view of the Old Trafford, season signing -- landing Algeria LONDON: Vincent Kompany has Manchester, Britain ahead of the English winger Riyad Mahrez from for Hong Kong warned Manchester City’s rivals Premier League match yesterday. Leicester in a £60m deal. that the Premier League cham- And City defender Kyle and Palestine pions won’t rest on their laurels Walker epitomised the squad’s THE PENINSULA as they aim to follow their hunger for more silverware by record-breaking season with cutting short his post-World another title triumph. Cup holiday to return to BEKASI: Hong Kong opened Pep Guardiola’s side swept training ahead of the Com- their 2018 Asian Games to the title last term with a record munity Shield. Group A campaign with a 3-1 100 points, amassing more wins Walker had just two weeks win over Laos, while Palestine and scoring more goals than any off following England’s run to and Chinese Taipei played to previous champion in the the World Cup semi-finals, but a goalless draw yesterday. Premier League era. he said: “I had the option if I Laos made the first Inspired by Kevin De Bruyne, wanted to come back later I attempt of the game, with Sergio Aguero, Leroy Sane, could, but I wanted to be Phouthone Innalay missing Raheem Sterling and David Silva, involved. the target in the third minute, City’s eye-catching style earned “I left Manchester City at the but it was Hong Kong whi comparisons with the finest end of last season in a good place opened the scoring with teams in English football history. and I wanted to pick up where Cheng Chin Lung finding the But no team has successfully we left off. I’m not resting on this. back of the net in the 20th defended the Premier League It is a short career. I want to win minute. title since Manchester United in as much as I can win.” In the 40th minute, Hong 2008 and 2009, while City were Guardiola doesn’t expect City Kong’s Tan Chun Lok doubled unable to maintain the standards to beat their points record this their tally to go into the break of their 2012 and 2014 title wins season, but with a first Cham- with a 2-0 lead. in the campaigns that pions League crown also in their A minute into the second followed. sights, the Spaniard is deter- half, Phithack Kongmathilath City captain Kompany mined to keep driving his players came close to reducing Laos’ admits his team lacked urgency towards greater heights. deficit but his shot missed the and desire in those failed title “People say, ‘Can you target. defences under Roberto Mancini improve on 100 points?’ - I say However, his persistence and Manuel Pellegrini, but the no. We are not here to do that,” paid off in the 62nd minute Belgian has sensed a far more back in to the training sessions be little chance of a City letdown. we realise this is precious and Guardiola said. when he etched his name on focused approach from Guardi- and everybody was a little bit They have already made a we want to hold on to it. “But individually the players the scoresheet. ola’s group. less intense, a little bit more positive impression ahead of the “Number two, we went into can improve.