400M Record Holder Van Niekerk Waits on for Doha 2019 Worlds
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Al Ahli’s new signing Mohamed Diame eyes QNB Stars League title PAGE 14 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2019 Qatar drawn with Croatia and Spain in men’s FRENCH LIGUE 1 handball for World Beach Games PAGE 15 Nice vs Marseille 400m record holder Van Niekerk waits on for Doha 2019 Worlds From (left) 400m World and Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk, coach Ans Botha and the South African Ambassador to Qatar HE Faizel Moosa during a reception at the ambassador’s residence in Doha on Tuesday. Wayde van Niekerk during his rehabilitation at Aspetar, world’s leading orthapaedic and sports medicine hospital, in Doha. AYENI OLUSEGUN fended his 400 metres world ‘South Africans are all behind Semenya’ World Championships in Doha. lives in line again. lete is mentally tired. We take DOHA title, while also claiming a sil- At an event to host the “After Beijing, Rio and and it day-to-day, give the injury ver medal in the 200m. The South African Ambassador to Qatar HE Faizel Moosa has athlete by the South African the double in 2017, Wayde was proper time and be patient. If AFTER conquering the world With the world at his feet, reiterated his country’s support for Caster Semenya as the Ambassador to Qatar HE mentally drained. “In 2017 the body tells us to slow down in Beijing in 2015, a 24-year-old Wayde’s career hit a setback. athlete battles an International Association of Athletics Faizel Moosa, the coach Bo- in Italy where our base is, we we will do that but as time star announced himself to the The South African suffered a Federations (IAAF) ruling. tha who is fondly called Tan- both talked about skipping goes on, we will adjust to that.” Olympics in Rio when a fresh- freak anterior cruciate liga- At an event to host Olympic gold medalist Wayde van Niekerk, nie Ans by her athletes said, 2018 just for him to rest, but The former Namibian faced Wayde van Niekerk glided ment injury while playing a the envoy said, “As South Africans we feel very disappointed “At this stage, we are really we didn’t have to decide that athlete, who started coaching from a difficult lane eight -- celebrity rugby match. Wayde that she can’t participate. unsure. We are still waiting because (the injury) decided Wayde in 2012, and decided to obliterating Michael Johnson’s underwent surgery in the “You are born the way you are born. At the moment there’s a for the tests, but at the mo- for us. We see it (the injury) as take the sprinter off the short 17-year-old 400 metres record United States, followed by six legal process taking place but again, as South Africans we ment it is unsure, I can’t say,” an opportunity to get our lives distances added, “Off the track with a time of 43.03. He became months of rehabilitation in support her 100 percent.” Botha said of Wayde par- together again,” she added. I’m his mother and on the the first man to win the Olym- Doha at Aspetar. Semenya is challenging the the International Association of ticipation in the upcoming Botha, who was named In- track I’m his coach. With the pics or world 400 metres from The injury has threatened Athletics Federations’ new rules that she and other athletes World Championships. ternational Association of Ath- injury, his pain is your pain lane eight and also holds the the 27-year-old’s career and with differences of sexual development (DSD) must either take “Not only for me as a coach letics Federations (IAAF) coach as a coach and his disappoint- world-best time in 300 metres. doubts remain over whether testosterone-reducing medication in order to compete in track but for the athlete, it’s really of the year in 2017, said for now, ment is yours – but I have to Wayde, born in Cape he will be able to reach the events from 400m to the mile or change to another distance. heart breaking. But I believe Wayde’s recovery is day-to-day. be strong and positive and not Town, South Africa was just pace he had before the injury. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and triple world champion something like this doesn’t “As a coach, you have to allow my “disappointment” getting started and a year later But legendary coach Ans in the women’s 800 metres, has won 31 straight races since happen for nothing. Wayde know your athlete, and his and pain which I feel for him at the 2017 World Athletics Botha says Wayde is looking 2015 and has made it clear she’ll continue to fight for the and I see it as something which body tells you when to push to be carried out to him. I have Championships in London, forward to making his return right to race. (TNN) needed to happen to make us and when not to. Sometimes to be strong and be there for the sprinter successfully de- which could likely be at the 2019 mentally stronger and get our the body is okay but the ath- him and support him.” Nervous Osaka survives scare, Muguruza falls DPA/AFP NEW YORK WORLD number one Nao- mi Osaka survived a scare as she started her US Open title defence with a hard- fought 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 first-round victory over Anna Blinkova on Tuesday. Osaka, 21, fought from 3-0 down in the first set but wasted a match point at 6-5 I don’t think I’ve ever in the second, forcing her to been this nervous in go the full distance against the my life and she (Anna 84th-ranked Russian at Ar- Blinkova) played thur Ashe Stadium. really amazing. It was Osaka’s first match at the site since she became - Naomi Osaka the first Japanese national to win a grand slam title in a con- troversy-marred final against Serena Williams last year. She went on to lift the Aus- tralian Open trophy in Janu- ary but has not won a tourna- ment since. Osaka suffered a first-round exit last month at Wimbledon and the Japanese star found a spirited Blinkova hard to put away in Arthur Ashe Stadium before she advanced winning Alison Riske of the United States reacts after defeating two-time Defending champion Naoimi Osaka of Japan reacts during her first round match against Anna Blinkova of Russia at the 2019 US Open in in two hours and 28 minutes. Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the women’s New York on Tuesday. Osaka won 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2. (AFP) “I don’t think I’ve ever singles first round match on day two of the 2019 US Open at the been this nervous in my life USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Tuesday. young and fast-rising play- can sensation Coco Gauff, Kvitova winning a Czech duel 6-1 6-4 3-6 6-3 by Kazakhstan’s and she played really amaz- ers in action on day two of Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ca- against qualifier Denisa Aller- Mikhail Kukushkin in the first ing,” top seed Osaka said after ter you did well last year,” “It helps me a lot. I learn the New York major, after the nadians Denis Shapovalov and tova, 6-2, 6-4. round. Bautista Augut, who moving through to a second she added. “I definitely didn’t from the tough matches and it established forces of Venus Felix Auger-Aliassime (playing Two-time major winner reached the semi-finals at Wim- round meeting with Poland’s want to lose in the third set.” helps me be prepared and try and Serena Williams, Maria against each other), German Garbine Muguruza of Spain bledon last month, was broken Magda Linette. Osaka, who was beaten by and adjust my gameplan. Sharapova, Novak Djoko- Alexander Zverev and Austral- suffered her second straight seven times by Kukushkin. “I just came off really slow Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva “I didn’t smile that much vic and Roger Federer had ia’s Nick Kyrgios were among first-round exit following Wim- Up next for the Kazakh will and never found my rhythm in her Wimbledon opener, playing this match but hope- grabbed the headlines on the the young players in action. bledon, losing 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 be Australian Alexei Popyrin, but I fought as hard as I could said the battling nature of her fully I’ll change that in the first day of play on Monday. But the old guard was against American Alison Riske. who beat Argentine Federico and I managed to win. win here would serve her well next match.” Canadian teenager Bianca also present, with two-time Spanish 10th seed Roberto Delbonis 6-1 7-5 7-6(5) earlier “You want to do well af- moving forward. Osaka led a group of Andreescu, 15-year-old Ameri- Wimbledon champion Petra Bautista Augut was upset 3-6 on Tuesday. Sports Wednesday, August 28, 2019 13 Impressive debut Serena routs Sharapova, India’s Nagal exits ‘rusty’ Federer gets going with head held high AFP Karolina Pliskova struggled NEW YORK but advanced. Serbian star Djokovic, who SERENA Williams over- has won four of the past five whelmed Maria Sharapova Grand Slam singles titles, dis- 6-1, 6-1 on Monday to reach patched Spain’s 76th-ranked the second round of the US Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, Open in search of her 24th 6-1, 6-4.