Sport TUESDAY 5 JANUARY 2021 MoeenMoee Ali tests positive for COVID-19 aass EEnglandn arrive in Sri Lanka It’sIt’s a reallyrea dangerous virus and wherever we will be, we will be in contact with it in some shape or form. If so, we have to manage it as best as possible.p We’re as best prepared as we can be for it and we’re ffullyully aawarew of what we’re getting ourselves into. England captain Joe Root Sport |09 QATAR VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE: Al Khor beat Al Gharafa 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-21); Al Ahli beat Qatar SC 3-2 (24-26, 25-23, 25-17, 25-23, 15-11) QFA announces Amir Cup draw; 16-team event set to kick off on January 25 Al Duhail to begin title hunt against Al Ahli THE PENINSULA – DOHA that was restricted to a limited number of invitees. Former champions Al Duhail The draw for Amir Cup is yesterday were drawn to play based on the rankings in the Al Ahli in their opening Amir QNB Stars League and the Cup match. Second Division League of the The two teams are part of 2019-2020 season. the 16-team tournament set to Teams Al Duhail, Al begin later this month. Rayyan, Al Sadd, Al Gharafa, Al The 49th Amir Cup draw Sailiya, Al Wakra, Al Arabi and ceremony was conducted by Qatar SC have been placed in Qatar Football Association Group A as the top eight sides (QFA) at Ritz-Carlton Hotel from the First Division. yesterday. Al Ahli, Umm Salal, Al Khor In other fixtures, Qatar SC and Al Shahaniya were slotted will take on Al Shamal, Al with top three teams from the Wakrah will play Al Kharaitiyat Second Division Al Kharaitiyat, and Al Rayyan will face off Al Markhiyay and Al Shamal against Al Markhiya. teamsteteamams ini additionaddddititiioon to Al Gharafa will take on Al ‘special‘‘spepecicialal qualifiers’quaualilifif eerrs’ Shahaniya, Al Sadd will play Muaither.MuMuaaiiththerer. Muaither, Al Sailiya have a date LastLaL stt month,moonthh, Al with Al Khor while Al Arabi will SaddSaSadddd beatbeaat Al ArabiAraabi go head-to-head with Umm 2-12-2 1 atat brandbrranndd newneew Salal. 20222020222 WorldWoro lldd CupCuup The Amir Cup matches will venuevveenue AhmadAhhmamad BinBiin AliAli kick off on January 25 with StadiumStStaaddiium toto winwinn thethhe games between Al Duhail and 20202020200 AmirAmmir CupCCuup ttititle.ttle. Al Ahli and Qatar SC against Al An official picks a Shamal, it was announced team during the yesterday. 49th Amir Cup The complete playing draw ceremony at schedule will be released soon. Ritz-Carlton Hotel Turki Al Ali, General yesterday. Manager of Al Sadd Club, said the Amir Cup draw presented ‘a balanced look’. Muaither, are expected to play involving Al Sadd and Mubarak Al Kuwari, Director “Yes, Al Sadd has the desire the winner from the Al Gharafa Muaither. Therefore, I think of Marketing and Communi- to win the title again,” Ali said vs Al Shahaniya match. that our path will not be easy cations, QFA, Ali Hassan Al yesterday after the draw Saad Al Shammari, Vice at all. We will have to start Salat, Head of Communication ceremony. President of Al Gharafa, said strong from the word go,” Al Department, Ali Hammoud Al “Overall I think that the his team would be starting off Shammari said yesterday. Nuaimi, Head of the Compe- draw is well balanced and against a ‘difficult opponent’ in “We hope that our team titions Department, and seems equal for all teams that Al Shahaniya. will present the desired level Hamad Al Hajri, a member of enter the competition. Clearly “I think that the draw is not in the tournament. We want to the Competitions Committee, the best side will emerge be easy for Al Gharafa, starting win this title again,” Al who conducted the draw champion,” he added. with a game against Al Sha- Shammari said. ceremony. Defending champions Al haniya. If we win, then we face The draw was held in Club officials were also Sadd, who open against the winner from the match the presence of Khaled present at the draw ceremony Toyota's Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyah and navigator Matthieu Tokyo Olympics: Baumel in their Toyota Hilux during the second stage of the 200 days to go 2021 Dakar Rally yesterday. AP – TOKYO Tick-Tock-Tick. The countdown clock for the postponed Tokyo Olympics hit 200 days to go yesterday. Also yesterday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he would consider calling a state of emergency as new coronavirus cases surge to record numbers in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures. Japan has never had a lockdown for COVID-19, attempting to juggle the economy and health risks. Tick-Tock-Tick. It’s nearing deadline time million, but worrying as new for Tokyo Olympic organizers, cases rise quickly. A poll last the International Olympic Com- month by national broadcaster Qatar's Al Attiyah wins stage 2 mittee, and various Japanese NHK show 63% want the government entities as they try Olympics postponed or to pull off the Games in the canceled. middle of a pandemic. Yoshiro Mori, the president as Dakar battle begins to heat up Officials have promised to of the organising committee and announce concrete plans early a former prime minister, again AP – JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA STAGE 2 (TOP 3 CARS) Sebastien Loeb, the nine-time in the new year about how to ruled out any cancellation of the 1: Nasser Al Attiyah, Matthieu Baumel (Toyota Gazoo Racing) 04H 03' 14'' world rally champion who get 15,000 Olympic and Paral- games in an interview several Nasser Al Attiyah won the second 2: Stéphane Peterhansel, Edouard Boulanger (X-Raid Mini JCW) +02' 35'' skipped the Dakar last year after ympic athletes into Japan; about days ago with the Nikkan Sports stage of the Dakar Rally as the 3: Carlos Sainz, Lucas Cruz (X-Raid Mini JCW) +09' 17'' finishing third in 2019, improved the safety of the Athletes Village, newspaper. leaders took on a familiar look from 17th to sixth overall. and hundreds of thousands of Any reduction in fans will hit yesterday. OVERALL STANDINGS (CARS) AFTER STAGE 2 In the motorbike category, fans, media, judges, officials, the organizing committee Al Attiyah, who started 10th on 1: Stéphane Peterhansel, Edouard Boulanger (X-Raid Mini JCW) 07H 17' 18'' Joan Barreda dominated from broadcasters and VIPs. budget. Tokyo has budgeted the 457-kilometer (284-mile) 2: Carlos Sainz, Lucas Cruz (X-Raid Mini JCW) +06' 37'' the first time checkpoint and The new year is here. $800m for ticket sales, and any sandy special in southern Saudi 3: Nasser Al Attiyah, Matthieu Baumel (Toyota Gazoo Racing) +09' 14'' won. Ricky Brabec, the Suga pledged again to hold shortfall will have to be made Arabia from Bisha to Wadi ad- 4: Mathieu Serradori, Fabian Lurquin (SRT Racing) +14' 21'' defending champion, was the Olympics, saying it would up by government entities, Dawasir, took over the stage lead 5: Jakub Przygonski, Timo Gottschalk (Orlen Team/Overdrive) +26' 27'' second, and that’s also how they be “proof that people have which are footing most of the after about 300 kilometers and lined up overall. Ross Branch, overcome the coronavirus.” Olympic bills. beat home Stephane Peterhansel fourth on the stage, was third And he said vaccine approval The official budget for the by 2 1/2 minutes. Between the three of them, they have won overall, six minutes back. would be speeded up by a Tokyo Olympics was increased Carlos Sainz, the defending champion 10 of the last 11 Dakars, and are favored to Toby Price of Australia, the stage one month so that vaccinations last month to $15.4bn, an who opened the stage, slipped to sixth but win the second race in Saudi. winner, fell to 15th overall, and Matthias could begin in February increase of $2.8bn because of rallied and finished third, more than nine “Yesterday, we lost a lot of time Walkner of Austria, the 2018 champion, instead of March. the delay. However, several minutes off the pace. because we opened the way and it was not lost more than two hours repairing a Japan has attributed more government audits the last few Peterhansel took the race lead overall, really good for us and we didn’t take risks,” mechanical problem and fell from third than 3,400 deaths to years suggest the real number his Mini team-mate Sainz was 6 1/2 Al Attiyah said. to 46th. COVID-19, modest by global is about $25bn. All but $6.7bn is minutes back in second, and Al Attiyah’s “But today we went flat out and eve- The race finishes in Jeddah on standards for a country of 125 public money. Toyota was third, nine minutes down. rything is working very, very well.” January 15. TUESDAY 5 JANUARY 2021 SPORT 11 Handball: Qatar ready for ‘tough battles’ at World Championship THE PENINSULA – DOHA and competing against the best especially European sides, is rel- sides is not easy at all,” he added. atively less ‘as they have strong Asian champions Qatar will be “The World Championship is competitive leagues’. aiming to top the preliminary the strongest competition and we “Usually we try to cover this group when they commence their always prepare for it well, but this big difference in preparation campaign at this month’s Men’s time the preparation was not in against our European rivals by World Handball Champi- the required manner. Our prepa- conducting long overseas camps onship in Egypt. ration was not at the level we were and bringing in prominent profes- This was said by Dr keen to have due to the circum- sionals at our clubs, but this did Ahmed Al Shaa’bi, Pres- stances that world sport has expe- not happen in the last season (in ident of the Qatari rienced as a result of the Corona Qatar) and therefore our rivals Handball Federation (QHF), pandemic sweeping the globe,” he have the advantage in the World as Qatar geared up for their said.