Trippier's Suspension by FA
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FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 4 NNFLFL | Page 6 Haaland back Belichick’s exit in action as plan, Watt trade: Bundesliga subplots to returns watch in 2021 Saturday, January 2, 2021 CRICKET Jumada I 18, 1442 AH Sharma picked GULF TIMES as vice-captain for last two Tests SPORT Page 7 MOTORSPORT ‘Superman’ al-Attiyah set to fl ex Dakar muscles Qatari star will be gunning for his fourth Dakar Rally title when the event gets underway with a prologue today AFP Al-Attiyah is a potent sym- Jeddah bol of the rise of Qatar, the Gulf emirate which in a matter of dec- ades has transformed itself into a atari Dakar rally driver sporting powerhouse. Nasser Saleh al-Atti- Before training at the vast As- yah has prepared for pire Academy in Doha, al-Attiyah the race’s second edi- had struggled during his younger Qtion in Saudi Arabia with a strict years to fi nance his dream of be- training regimen to build muscle coming a winning racing driver. adapted to coronavirus restric- “The programme varied be- tions. tween cycling 100 to 150 kilome- Staged in Africa between 1979 tres (62 to 94 miles) daily, running, and 2007, the world’s most fa- and other exercises,” he said. mous rally shifted to the moun- Nicknamed ‘Superman’ by tainous terrain of South America his compatriots for his ability to between 2009 and 2019. “dance on the sand dunes”, he Al-Attiyah won the reincar- has been Middle East champion nated race in 2011, 2015 and 2019. on 16 occasions, won 75 regional The rally’s transfer to Saudi competitions, three editions of Arabia in 2020 returned 50-year- Dakar and lifted the all-terrain old al-Attiyah to the Gulf desert rally world cup four times. environment he knew best, hav- Despite his success at the ing been born in Doha, the Qatari wheel, he also turns his hand capital. to Olympic skeet shooting. Al- “I adopted a diff erent physical Attiyah is now preparing for the programme which concentrated virus-delayed 2021 Olympics on building muscle,” he told AFP after securing fourth-place at ahead of the competition which the Athens Games in 2004 and gets underway today and lasts bronze at London 2012. until January 16. He set up a rally academy in Along with his French co-driv- Spain to pass on his know-how to er Mathieu Baumel, “we trained future generations — and not just according to the countries hold- drivers. ing Dakar”, he said. “I bought a farm in Barcelona, As a result of lockdown rules in and I love being there,” he had said response to the coronavirus pan- earlier this year. “Generations will demic, the champion driver was graduate, not only drivers, but also forced to adapt his preparation. engineers and mechanics, it will be “I have a simulator at home similar to a university.” and a sports room which allows The farm is also where he trains me to stay in the rallying atmos- in the skeet. “I will be ready for phere,” al-Attiyah said. the Olympics in 2021. God will- Behind the wheel of his Toyota, ing, we will be in form,” he said. al-Attiyah came second at Dakar “Our goal is gold and to represent 2020, the fi rst edition of the race my country and the Arab world.” staged on the Arabian penin- Al-Attiyah says his love of sula, behind Spain’s Carlos Sainz sports keeps him competitive. (Mini) and ahead of Frenchman “When you love something, you Stephane Peterhansel (Mini). Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah (also inset) and his co-driver Mathieu Baumel of France ride during a driving session on the eve of technical checkup in Jeddah on Thursday. (AFP) give it from your heart,” he said. FOOTBALL / QNB STARS LEAGUE No room for complacency against Al Kharaitiyat, says Al Sadd’s Xavi By Sports Reporter eral notches in their bid to regain high-level players. They always re- Doha the league shield. The Lions are main as one of the big clubs in the placed sixth with 16 points. Qatar league. Therefore, the match Blanc expected a diffi cult game will not be easy. Especially since he QNB Stars League against Al Sailiya. “Our next we are not in our best conditions of will step into the sec- match against Al Sailiya is dif- late,” he said. ond phase today, with fi cult and we hope to get out of “But at the same time, I trust Al Sadd looking primed it with a positive result like our the group of players who are with Tfor the title. The Wolves have a last game against Al Khor. But we us and we believe in their ability seven-point lead over Al Gharafa must keep providing our best in to achieve a positive result, es- and are the only side unbeaten in order to achieve the victory that pecially since we put up strong the competition. To say they are we are preparing the team for,” performances against big teams, a notch above their opponents, is the 55-year-old coach said. and it will be a diffi cult match for stating obvious. “With regard to the problem both teams. There is no room for Sadd begin the second half of wasting opportunities, we will complacency and we should not of the league at home with a work to solve it and develop the waste points, Trabelsi added. seemingly easy game against Al team’s performance in general Elsewhere, Al Ahli face Al Kharaitiyat, who are bottom of and score goals not only through Wakrah at the Al Arabi Stadium. the table with just six points. the attackers, but also through Nebojsa Jovovic-coached Al Kharaitiyat have won just two the defenders,” added Blanc. Ahli, who had lost 3-5 to reigning matches so far and have suff ered Al Sailiya are eighth in the table champions Al Duhail in the last the most number of defeats in the with 12 points with Sami Trabel- round, will be looking to get back top fl ight. si’s men suff ering from a slump in into top four, having also led the But Sadd coach Xavi Hernan- form of late. They slipped by one league at one stage. Qatar SC and dez refused to take Kharaitiyat Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez. place after their loss to Al Arabi Al Ahli are tied on 19 points, but lightly, urging his players to take last week. But Al Sailiya are able the former were placed fourth on the game seriously. “We play in the fi rst leg of the tournament them, also because they have a to cause an upset on their day, better goal diff erence Al Ahli thus against the bottom-placed team and we must continue the same good team and good players, and Al Sadd’s Rodrigo Tabata takes part in a training session ahead of the like they did when they stunned slipped from third to fi fth place. in the table, but they are a good way,” Xavi said yesterday. it will be diffi cult to get the three QNB Stars League match against Al Kharaitiyat. Al Duhail. Al Wakrah are seventh in team. I respect their coach Yousef “The match against Al points,” he added. Trabelsi conceded his players the table with 13 points as they Adam very much. He performed Kharaitiyat will be diffi cult be- Al Sadd will be without their In another match today, Al Frenchman had lost his fi rst game are not in the best form of late. earned a promotion of one po- well and I think that he is a very cause all clubs are playing with a stars Akram Afi f and Boualem Rayyan take on Al Sailiya. Last in Qatar when Al Rayyan lost to “What makes the encounter more sition following their 2-1 vic- good coach who does a great job. lot of motivation against Al Sadd, Khoukhi as they are suff ering season’s runners-up Al Rayyan Al Sadd 0-1 in the Qatar Clasico. diffi cult is that Al Rayyan are play- tory over Al Kharaitiyat. Marquez His team deserves more points so we have to be careful and not from coronavirus infection. The got back to winning ways under As the tournament’s second ing to win as part of their attempt Lopez’s men will have a tough and does not deserve to be in the complacent so that we do not duo missed Al Sadd’s 1-1 draw new coach Laurent Blanc as they leg kicks off , Al Rayyan will be to compete for the top, and it is a task on hand against fi fth placed last place. We had done good work lose points. We have to respect against Qatar SC last week. beat Al Khor 1-0 last week. The keen to lift their game by sev- strong and excellent team that has Al Ahli. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, January 2, 2021 SPORT QOC BEACH GAMES Seashore players celebrate after emerging as champions in the women’s beach football at the inaugural QOC Beach Games at Aspire. Al Ahlam won the men’s 3x3 basketball title after defeating Al Wakrah in the final. Secretary-General of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Jassim bin Rashid al-Buainain (third right) and other off icials attend the QOC Beach Games at Aspire yesterday. Team Al Maha won the women’s beach volleyball gold after defeating Qatar B beat Team Doha to clinch the women’s 3x3 basketball title.