CRICKET | Page 3 Royals ride Gopal and Buttler show to beat Bangalore Wednesday, April 3, 2019 FOOTBALL Rajab 27, 1440 AH Pogba wants to GULF TIMES stay at Man United, says Solskjaer SPORT Page 7 FOOTBALL Victorious Duhail return with Asian club handball title Amir Cup fi nal set for May 16 By Sports Reporter Qatar Stars League (QSL) and semi-fi nals will be held on Doha the Second Division. May 11 and 12 at Al Sadd The tournament will be Stadium. held over fi ve stages with Qatar Football Asso- he fi nal of the 47th the fi rst two rounds re- ciation’s Chairman of the edition of HH the served for Second Division Competitions Commit- Amir Cup will be teams. In the second phase tee Hamad al-Mannai said, held on May 16, of the tournament — set “The stages of the 2019 withT the venue for the title to commence on April 21 HH the Amir Cup have clash to be decided later. — will see top three teams been carefully studied and The draw ceremony for the from the Second Division planned by the offi cials of tournament is scheduled for competing against the 10th, QFA. The scheduling of the April 14. 11th and 12th placed sides 2019 HH the Amir Cup will The prestigious champi- in QNB Stars League. The allow our clubs — featuring onship will kick off with a matches will be held at Al in the 2019 AFC Champi- preliminary match between Gharafa Stadium and Al ons League — ample time second division teams Me- Arabi Stadium. to rest and prepare for their saimeer and Al Shamal on In the third stage, QNB matches.” April 11 at the Al Duhail stadi- Stars League teams (5th, Al-Mannai said that the um, the winner of which will 6th, 7th and 8th) will com- dates of matches have been qualify for the competition. pete against each other at approved for all the stages Following the qualifi ca- Grand Hamad Stadium and with only match-ups re- tion match, the draw cer- Al Gharafa Stadium. The maining to be decided. He emony will be conducted at fourth round, which is the expressed his confi dence the Kempinski Hotel, where quarter-fi nals stage, will that the current edition of Al Duhail handball players and off icials returned to a warm welcome at Doha’s Hamad International Airport from Kuwait after winning the 21st Asian the kick-off times and the see the top four of the QNB HH the Amir Cup will wit- Men’s Club League Championship. Duhail beat Al Wakrah 22-21 in the final game, which was held on Monday at Kuwait SC hall. Earlier in the day, match-ups will be revealed. Stars League competing ness the same success like Kuwait SC handball team, who had lost to Al Wakrah in the semi-final, played UAE’s Al Sharjah, who lost their semi-final against Duhail, for the third Qatar’s most popular foot- against each other on May the previous editions, and place. Kuwait SC missed out narrowly with a 27-28 loss. PICTURE: Anas Khalid ball tournament will bring 2 and 3 at Al Duhail Stadium wished good luck to all par- together teams from the QNB and Al Arabi Stadium. The ticipating clubs. ASIAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIP Doha ready to host Asia’s best athletes this month ‘There is no better way to test our preparations for such major events than hosting the Asian Athletics Championships’ QNA elite athletes to Doha, the glo- such major events than hosting dominance over the champion- amazing atmosphere for fans of Doha bal hub for athletics, where our the Asian Athletics Champion- ship, China has taken over as the game in Qatar and the re- outstanding facilities promise to ships,” al-Hamad added. undisputed champion for 17 con- gion,” said Qatar Athletics Fed- deliver a fl awless experience for The four-day tournament will secutive editions until it was un- eration president Dr Thani bin he organising commit- everyone involved in the event,” take place at Khalifa International seated by last editions hosts and Abdulrahman al-Kuwari. tee of the Asian Athletics said al-Hamad. Stadium where innovative and eventual winners, India. Along with the Diamond Championships is in- Al-Hamad said this edition of environment-friendly cooling With top Asian athletes de- League round in May, Asian tensifying preparations the continental athletics show- technology has been successfully scending on Doha from the dif- Athletics Championships will Tto host the 23rd edition of the piece brings together nearly operating, ensuring optimal con- ferent regions of the continent, be the official test event of the Championships from April 21-24 1,000 athletes and up to 450 of- ditions for athletes and fans alike. the Championships will surely IAAF Worlds, with all major op- at Khalifa International Stadium, fi cials from 45 countries, who Over morning and evening produce promising athletes who erations, including the venue, with the participation of top ath- will compete for top honours in sessions will have athletes will can then return to Doha in Sep- transport and accommodation, letes from the continent. the world’s most populous con- compete for 186 medals in 21 tember and shine on the global set to be examined to ensure a Asian Athletics Association tinent. men’s events, 21 women’s events stage when the city hosts the smooth and spotless experience president and IAAF vice-president “Qatar is about to embark on in addition to a mixed relay event World Championships. during the global showpiece. Dahlan al-Hamad said Doha 2019 an enthralling summer of fi rst- that makes its debut in the Asian “It’s a great honour to welcome Doha has a proven track record will be one of the most important class athletics with the IAAF Athletics Championships. some of the fi nest athletes in the of bringing international athlet- tournaments in the history of Asia Diamond League and IAAF The tournament will see the world to Doha for yet another ics to the region by staging the In this July 9, 2017 picture, the then QOC secretary-general and current as Doha, the world-renowned World Athletics Championships usual continental powerhouses major athletics event. As always, annual Doha Diamond League, Qatar Athletics Federation president Dr Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari athletics destination, is set to wel- to follow as top athletics events go head-to-head for the number our facilities and infrastructure World Indoor Athletics Champi- (left) receives the flag from Asian Athletics Association president and come Asia’s top athletes. staged in Doha. There is no better one spot in Asia’s athletics. Af- are ready to help athletes com- onships in 2010 and Asian Games IAAF vice-president Dahlan al-Hamad for the 2019 edition of the Asian “I’m thrilled to welcome Asia’s way to test our preparations for ter an initial period of Japanese pete at their best and deliver an in 2006. Athletics Championships, which Doha will host. State-of-the-art Khalifa International Stadium will host the Asian Athletics Championship from April 21-24. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 SPORT FORMULA 1 A Schumacher is back in a Ferrari cockpit Reuters “The way he has developed in Manama the last years, he deserves where he is now. Now we should give him the time and the peace to do ick Schumacher, son his job.” of seven times world Michael Schumacher, who still champion Michael, holds the record of 91 grand prix made his Formula wins, won fi ve of his titles with MOne test debut with Ferrari yes- Ferrari in a golden period from terday at the Bahrain circuit, 2000 to 2004. He left the team where 15 years ago his father won in 2006 before a comeback with the fi rst grand prix in the Middle Mercedes from 2010-12. East. Schumacher senior has not The 20-year-old European F3 been seen in public since he suf- champion made his Formula Two fered severe head injuries in a ski- debut at the Sakhir circuit over ing accident in the French Alps in the weekend, fi nishing eighth December 2013. He turned 50 in and sixth in the two races. January. The German, whose father Mick, who joined the Ferrari won the Bahrain Grand Prix from academy in January, was the only pole position in a Ferrari one-two debutant on track in a rain-hit on April 4, 2004, will also test opening session that followed with the Ferrari-powered Alfa Sunday’s second grand prix of Romeo team (formerly Sauber) Mick Schumacher (also right) prepares to drive his first laps for Ferrari the season. today. at the in-season test at the Sakhir circuit yesterday. (AFP) They were joined by double Yesterday’s test in the SF90 world champion Fernando Alon- was Mick’s fi rst experience of Francorchamps circuit before the certainly some links and expec- so, who left Formula One at the a modern F1 car, although he 2017 Belgian Grand Prix. tations,” four times champion end of last season but was back did drive his father’s 1994 title- “Obviously, with the name and and current Ferrari driver Sebas- in a McLaren testing tyres for winning Benetton at the Spa- being the son of Michael, there’s tian Vettel said last week. Pirelli. GOLF TENNIS Bencic, Ostapenko Valenzuela: the ease into second round in Charleston Reuters the opening game of her match Toronto but quickly righted the ship and dominated the rest of the way in a 6-1, 6-4 win over Swede Jo- amateur who turned wiss ninth seed Belinda hanna Larsson.