Sports Friday, August 20, 2021 11 Qatar swimmers make a big splash on opening day of GCC Aquatic C’ship

Team Qatar (seen in pic) took a commanding lead in the overall medal-tally with an outstanding show yesterday, winning a total of 28 medals, including 18 gold and five silver medals. Saudi Arabia are in the second spot with a total of 18 medals, including four gold and eight silver medals. Kuwait occupy Medal winners for 50-meter freestyle in age group 15-17, Ali Al Nuaimi of Podium finishers of age group 11-12 for the 50m freestyle, Qatar’s the third spot after winning one gold, nine silver and eight bronze medals. The 28th Championships, Qatar (gold), Saudi Arabia’s Safwan Al Qadmani (silver) and Ali Alawi of Ziad Muhammad (gold), Moaz Al Shaibani of Oman (silver) and Gha- organised by the Qatar Swimming Association, sees swimmers, divers and water polo teams from six Bahrain (bronze) with officials during presentation ceremony at the Hamad nem El Salahi of Saudi Arabia (bronze), with officials during presen- countries in action. The championship continues till August 22. (TNN) Aquatic Centre in Doha on Thursday. tation ceremony at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha on Thursday.

CINCINNATI WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN Barty storms into last eight; injured Halep withdraws;

Jabeur tops Swiatek again People walk in front of a countdown clock for the Tokyo 2020 Para- lympic Games five days before the opening ceremony, outside Tokyo station in Japan on Thursday. (AFP) IPC, international organisations launch ‘Wethe15’ ahead of Paralympic Games

ANI UN SDG Action Campaign, Bonn (Germany) the European Commission, The Valuable 500, Global Citi- The International Paralympic zen, Global Disability Inno- Committee (IPC) along with vation Hub, the UN Alliance multiple leading international of Civilizations (UNAOC), organisations have united to International Disability and launch ‘WeThe15’ on Thurs- Development Consortium, C- day ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Talent, Global Goals Advisory, Ashleigh Barty of Australia in action during the Western & Southern Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center Paralympic Games, which as- ATscale -- the Global Partner- in Mason, Ohio, on Wednesday. (Getty Images/AFP) pires to be the biggest ever hu- ship for Assistive Technology, man rights movement to rep- Zero Project, and the Global Agencies gulf was too great to make up. Halep suffers injury resent the world’s 1.2 billion Alliance of Assistive Technol- Mason (Ohio) Though Azarenka staved Meanwhile, the two-time persons with disabilities. ogy Organisations (GAATO). off two match points at 1-5 Grand Slam champion Simo- Launched ahead of the Top seed Ash Barty cruised to hold for a second time, na Halep’s first tournament Ons Jabeur of Tunisia returns a shot to Anett Kontaveit of Estonia dur- Games, WeThe15 aims to end into the last eight of the another judicious approach in three months was cut short ing the Western & Southern Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center in discrimination towards per- Western and Southern Open shot sealed Barty’s third in on Wednesday when the No.12 Mason, Ohio, on Wednesday. (Getty Images/AFP) sons with disabilities and act on Thursday with a clinical the next game. seed withdrew from her third- as a global movement pub- 6-0, 6-2 defeat of defending round match against Ameri- four matches all were three- Andreescu loses licly campaigning for disabil- champion Victoria Azarenka Kerber bests Ostapenko can Jessica Pegula. setters, too. Bianca Andreescu’s diffi- ity visibility, accessibility, and at the WTA 1000 tournament Germany’s Angelique Kerber The three-time Cincin- “That was surprising, me cult 2021 continued as the sev- inclusion. Spearheaded by in Cincinnati. came from 2-4 down in the nati finalist underwent a scan getting it done in straight enth seed was beaten by Karo- the International Paralympic In her first victory since third set to beat Latvian Jelena on the leg injury she suffered sets!” Jabeur joked after the lina Muchova, who recorded Committee (IPC) and Inter- Wimbledon, Australian Barty Ostapenko 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. in her second-round victory match. her fourth win over a top-10 national Disability Alliance had set up a showdown with Kerber had lost a 4-6, 6-3, against Poland’s Magda Li- “Honestly, I was really player this year thanks to a 6-4 (IDA), WeThe15 brings to- the Belorusian but eventually 6-4 thriller to Ostapenko in nette, which revealed a small ready for this match for a 6-2 success. gether the biggest coalition This general view shows the she proved to be no match of the third round of Rome in tear in her right adductor. long time. I finished late yes- Andreescu – the 2019 US ever of international organisa- Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Barty’s form and fitness. May, and a similar treat was She hopes to be ready terday and playing late today, Open champion – has found tions from the worlds of sport, flag near a building in Tokyo on Barty fired 25 winners and swiftly promised to the Cin- for the US Open, where she I was ready. I didn’t make it tough since retiring from human rights, policy, busi- Thursday. (AFP) broke Azarenka five times, cinnati fans when both players reached the semifinals in the same mistakes I made at the final of the Miami Open in ness, arts, and entertainment. needing only one hour and roared out of the gates, rack- 2015. The main draw for the Wimbledon and closed out April. Together they will work with IPC President Andrew 11 minutes to wrap up a thor- ing up winner after winner in year’s final Grand Slam begins the first set. Having withdrawn from governments, businesses, and Parsons in a release said: oughly dominant win. the opening stages. in 12 days. “She’s a great player. She Strasbourg at the quarter-fi- the public over the next dec- “WeThe15 aspires to be the Despite an 85% first serve The German was out- Earlier, second seed Osa- has tricky shots. She doesn’t nal stage, she lost in the first ade to initiate change for the biggest ever human rights percentage, Azarenka did not gunned by a free-wheeling ka, meanwhile, rallied from give you the same rhythm and round at Roland Garros and world’s largest marginalised movement for persons with reach game point in a 26-min- Ostapenko, who ultimately a set down en route to a 4-6, always changed it up. It wasn’t Wimbledon, winning just one group who make up 15 per disabilities and aims to put ute whitewash first set - just tallied 49 frequently breath- 6-3, 6-4 win over Coco Gauff, easy to play her, so me being of three matches in between cent of the global population. disability right at the heart of the ninth bagel set the Belaru- taking winners to Kerber’s which means the Japanese aggressive today and putting those majors as she recov- Harnessing sport’s unique the inclusion agenda, along- sian has received in her pro- 22. But former World No.1 star will face Bernarda Pera’s a lot of pressure on her serve ered from ankle trouble and ability to engage massive global side ethnicity, gender and fessional career, and first since Kerber played the scoreboard conqueror Jil Teichmann. helped me a lot.” COVID-19. audiences and create positive sexual orientation. By uniting losing 6-0, 6-3 to Naomi Osa- impeccably. Up next for Jabeur is No.11 Third seed Aryna Sabalen- change, the IPC, Special Olym- several leading international ka at Rome 2018. Barty was A watertight second set in Jabeur upsets seed Petra Kvitova, against ka also crashed out, eliminated pics, Invictus Games Founda- organisations and the world’s able to control the flow of al- which she committed just two Swiatek again whom she is 0-2. 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-4) by Paula Ba- tion, and the International Com- 1.2 billion persons with dis- most every baseline exchange, unforced errors enabled her to A month after beating her At the Qatar Total Open in dosa, and she was joined out mittee of Sports for the Deaf abilities behind one common dragging Azarenka from line take the steam out of Ostapen- on the grass at Wimbledon - Doha last year, the pair played the door by fourth seed Elina (Deaflympics) have teamed up movement, we will make a to corner with knifing slices ko’s momentum, and from 1-3 where she rallied from a set a tight quarterfinal in front of Svitolina, who lost 7-5 2-6 6-4 for the first time in history. tangible and well overdue dif- and finely timed forehands. down in the third set Kerber down - Ons Jabeur picked up a passionate crowd in Jabeur’s to Angelique Kerber. The four organisations ference for the planet’s largest Indeed, Barty would win managed to weather her op- another win over Iga Swiatek corner, which was won by Kvi- Olympic gold medal- will use the profile of their marginalised group. the first 10 games of the match ponent’s wild oscillations and for her fourth Top 10 win of tova in two tiebreaks. list Belinda Bencic, two-time international sports events “By partnering with Spe- in this manner before Aza- respond with aggression of her the season. This one was a “Petra is someone that I re- Wimbledon champion Petra and athlete communities to cial Olympics, Invictus Games, renka, taking her frustration own. dominant display from start to spect so much. I’m looking for Kvitova, former world number further raise awareness and and Deaflympics, there will be out in powerful strikes, found Kerber’s trademark fore- finish by the Tunisian: a 6-3, my revenge, because last time one Garbine Muguruza – the understanding of the issues at least one major interna- an ace to hold serve. The clos- hand down the line garnered 6-3 victory in just 78 minutes. it was very tough in two sets. I eighth seed – and Elena Ry- facing persons with disabili- tional sport event for persons ing stages of the match would her winners on two crucial Stat of the Day: The carry great memories from that bakina also progressed, claim- ties around the globe. Joining with disabilities to showcase feature some valiant fighting break points: down 1-3 in the straight-sets victory for Jabeur match, but I’m looking forward ing straight-sets wins over Ve- the sports organisations in this WeThe15 each year between from the defending champion decider and at 5-5, having was in itself notable: the pair’s to play her. ronika Kudermetova, Shelby decade of action are Interna- now and 2030. WeThe15 and some slightly more incon- failed to serve out the match previous two matches went “I hope I can do my best to Rogers, Caroline Garcia and tional Disability Alliance, UN could be a real game-changer sistent play from Barty, but the at 5-4. the distance, and Jabeur’s last win tomorrow.” Elise Mertens respectively. Human Rights, UNESCO, the for persons with disabilities.”