Asian Athletics Picture Focus Doha Bank Fetes Indian
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GGOLFOLF | Page 6 Day vows to bring diff erent mindset to Presidents Cup Thursday, April 25, 2019 CRICKET Sha’baan 20, 1440 AH Gayle named in GULF TIMES West Indies squad for World Cup SPORT Page 7 ASIAN ATHLETICS SPOTLIGHT Samba sets out goals for the El-Seify’s silver season – and the world record boosts Qatar on is one of them fi nal day of action Musaab Ali wins 1500m bronze while the men’s 4x400m relay quartet also finish on the podium after India were disqualified for jostling and obstruction By Mikhil Bhat the gold ahead of 2017 winner and com- Doha patriot Yang Chen (61.87) in the women’s discus throw. Thailand’s Subenrat In- s he begins to set out on as 2018. We didn’t want to saeng (58.20) won bronze. his 2019 season, Ab- change too much since 2018 eam Qatar concluded the 23rd Eight years after winning his fi rst Asian derrahman Samba, was so great. But we will make edition of the Asian Athletics medal, a silver, Syria’s Majdeddin Ghazal Athe world’s top-ranked some very small changes. Not Championship with a silver and fi nally stepped on to the top podium yes- 400m hurdler, says he’ll follow a big things. Because the season is two bronze medals on the fi nal terday, with a 2.31m eff ort in men’s high very simple plan. So simple, it’s very long.” Tday yesterday, with the men’s 4x400m jump with Qatari World Champion Mutaz almost a copy/paste of the 2018 He said it’s too early to con- relay team, Ashraf El-Seify and Musaab Barshim in the audience. campaign that propelled him fi rm how many races he’ll con- Ali making it to the podium. Defending champion Chitra P won In- into the international spotlight. test this year, but thinks the Overall, Qatar won two gold medals, dia’s third and last gold of the champion- “I began last season with 47.9 numbers will be similar to last something they had missed out on doing ships, when she retained her 1500m title, and I fi nished the season with season: about 10 in his specialty, last time in 2017, besides a silver and three beating Jakarta runner up Gashaw Tigest 46.9,” he said, speaking with re- some relays legs for the Qatari bronze. (4:14.81) for the gold. porters soon after his sizzling national team, and a handful of In front of a noisy crowd at the state- In the fi rst fi nals of the day, Japan’s 47.51 performance at the Asian fl at 400m. of-the-art Khalifa International Stadium, Ayako Kimura won her second women’s Athletics Championships in Most immediately, he’ll be the former World U20 champion El-Seify 100m hurdles crown when the 30-year- Doha on Monday (22). “This year back in action in the 4x400m had led his event with a 73.27m eff ort be- old ran a 13.13 seconds for Japan’s second I started with a 47.5, so I want to relay here today (24), and then fore Tajikistan’s Dilshad Nazarov came up gold at the Championships. fi nish with 46.5.” again at the IAAF World Relays with a 73.28 on his fourth attempt. Two-time Asian Games champion, He even elaborated further. “I Yokohama 2019. Nazarov, who had lost to El-Seify in the China’s Xie Wenjun was in his elements think maybe more than one sec- No matter the number, or the 2018 Asian Games, then stamped his au- with a clean run, even as many around ond.” towering goals he’s set for him- thority with a 76.14m on his fi fth to even- him clipped hurdle too many in the 110m One second last year, another self, Samba says he doesn’t allow tually win his fi fth Asian gold. hurdles fi nal yesterday. second this year. That seems a himself to get weighed down by “It took me some time to fi nd my The 2015 Asian Championships winner logical approach for an athlete pressure. rhythm because it was cold today but beat compatriot Liu Xiang’s champion- who is still very new to his event “All of the Diamond Leagues, in general it happens with the ham- ship record from 2011 by one hundredth and, for all intents and purposes, all the races I compete in, I com- mer throwers to slowly fi nd a big throw,” of a second in a time of 13.21 seconds. only embarking on his second pete because I enjoy competing. El-Seify said after the event. “I want to Yaqoub al-Youha won the third medal full year as a professional ath- I don’t have any pressure.” throw 80m this season, that is my aim. If I for Kuwait with a national record 13.35 lete. The only diff erence is that That attitude is a contribut- make it here in Doha at the World Cham- seconds, edging out Kuei-Ru Chen (13.39) his plan would land him well un- ing factor to why, at the age of pionships, I could be placed in a high po- of Taipei. der Kevin Young’s 46.78 world just 24, he’s already become an sition.” Bahrain’s Salwa Naser chased down record set at the 1992 Olympic inspiration to some of his con- Earlier in the evening, the men’s India’s V. Velluvakoroth, who had held a Games in Barcelona, more than temporaries. 4x400m relay quartet of Ashraf Hus- healthy gap on the back straight, in the three years before Samba was In Monday’s Asian Champi- sein Osman, Abubaker Haydar Abdalla, fi nal lap of the women’s 4x400m relay born. onships fi nal, he dragged four Bassem Hemeida and Abderrahman for her fourth gold of the championships. “Yes,” the Qatari superstar of the next fi ve fi nishers to life- Samba took bronze, with Japan taking the India had to settle for silver in a time of confi rmed, “the world record is time bests, Chen Chieh of Chi- gold. 3:32.21, one tenth of a second behind one of my goals this year.” nese Taipei, the silver medallist, India had crossed the line second ahead Bahrain. Those are lofty aspirations by among them. of China and Qatar, but were later dis- Earlier in the day, Naser beat the a man who is already the second “It’s an honour to race against qualifi ed for jostling and obstruction, and 17-year-old championship record in fastest hurdler of all time. He him here,” said Chen, who both China and Qatar were upgraded in 200m by one tenth of a second in a time lowered the Asian record all the clocked 48.92, his fi rst foray into their positions. of 22.74 seconds. Naser had won gold in way to 46.98 last season and ex- sub-49 second territory. “My Qatar’s fi rst medal of the day was cour- her specialized 400m event on the fi rst tended his unbeaten streak to 11 goal this season is fi nish close to tesy Musaab Ali, who won the bronze in Ashraf El-Seify of Qatar in action on way to a silver medal in the hammer throw on day, and then was part of the winning with his victory here on Monday. Samba.” the men’s 1500m after a photo was pulled the final day of the Asian Athletics Championships. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil 4x400m mixed team on Tuesday. It was the sixth fastest perform- As he listened to Samba de- out for the decision between him and Kazakhstan’s Olga Safronova too won ance of his career, but no one clare that he’s out to improve a India’s Ajay Kumar Saroj. Eventually, a know I can run fast starting from the Dia- Zhenye of China raced to a gold win- her third medal of the competition, hav- else has ever run so fast this early full second over the course of the last-ditch eff ort by Saroj earned him the mond League here in Doha. My goal for ning time of 20.33 seconds, ahead of Yuki ing won the 100m and then a silver in the in the season. season, a wide smile turned into silver with both the runners fi nishing in the season is to be ready for the World Koike (20.55) of Japan. Bahrain’s Yaqoob 4x100m, fi nishing second behind Naser. “I’m happy about that – It’s a laugh. Why did he laugh? season’s best 3:43.18. Bahrain’s Abraham Championships.” Salem (20.84) picked up a bronze beating India’s Dutee Chand out-leaned Bah- fast, but I’m thinking about “Because I believe he can do Rotich took the gold in 3:42.85. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Femi Lebanon’s Noureddine Hadid by a whisk- rain’s Edidionh Odiong for a bronze with something much faster than it,” Chen said. “Yesterday in the heat, I went in front Ogunode’s 200m race came to an agonis- er at the fi nish line. both running 23.24. this. But yes, it’s a great start.” If Samba sticks to his timeline, from the beginning but in the end I hardly ing end courtesy what looked like a ham- This was China’s last and ninth gold Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew and compa- He arrived in solid early sea- that could come soon after his qualifi ed.