22 Wednesday, March 29, 2017 SPORTS SPORTS Wednesday, March 29, 2017 23

TCR added to Bahrain GP Iran’s Mehdi Taremi (R) shoots the ball as he plays against China’s Mei Fang (L) Football Manama Circuit (Abu Dhabi). eading touring car championship, There are 13 teams competing this Scores at the time of closing the TCR International Series, season, led by defending champions hasL been added to the support race Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing. Horse programme of the 2017 Formula 1 Now in its third year, TCR Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix to take International Series was conceived place at the Bahrain International and launched by Marcello Lotti, the Circuit in Sakhir from April 14 to 16. man who revived the FIA World The weekend’s support programme Touring Car Championship back now features a pair of top-class in 2005. He envisioned a new class international series, namely the FIA that could fill a gap at the bottom of Formula 2 Championship and TCR; the Touring Car pyramid, one that show to go along with the leading one-make was affordable for car manufacturers regional championship, the Porsche and independent teams alike and was GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East. capable of offering close and exciting TCR will be holding the second races. of 10 rounds in its 2017 season at Seven leading brands of car Bahrain. manufacturers are to be represented Russia 3 Belgium 3 The championship kicks off on at in the series’ races in Bahrain – Iran Republic of Ireland 0 Iceland 1 begins April 1 and 2 at Rustavi International Audi, Volkswagen, Honda, SEAT, Alfa Austria 1 Finland 1 Motorpark in Tbilisi, Georgia, Romeo, Opel and Kia. Netherlands 1 Italy 2 Manama purebred Arabian horses and Mohammed Abdullah (91.56 points), with other events scheduled for The addition of the TCR Portugal 2 Sweden 3 he championship of the Late Bahrain’s distinction in having the 2) Bint Al-Noor (Abdul Raouf Spa (Belgium), Monza (Italy), International Series adds to the France 0 Spain 2 Shaikh Faisal bin Hamad Al finest types of them, commending the Ibrahim, 90.44), Salzburgring (Austria), Budapest many attractions already Cameroon 1 Guinea 1 KhalifaT for locally Purebred Arabian good competitive level demonstrated 3) Ak Aliya (Ali Ahmad Abdullah, (Hungary), Oschersleben (Germany), lined up for this year’s Horses got underway at the Rashid by the participants on the first day of 90.13). Sochi (Russia), Buriram (Thailand), Formula 1 Gulf Air Egypt 3 Togo 0 Equestrian and Horseracing Club. the championship. Mares of age 1 year B1: Zhejiang (China), and Yas Marina Bahrain Grand Prix. Luxembourg 0 Cape Verde 2 beat Morocco 1 Tunisia 0 The event is being held under the Dr Khalid Ahmed Hassan, 1) Amlia Al-Khawalid (Khalid patronage of HH Shaikh Nasser bin Chairman of the Championship’s Yaqub Al-Mas, 90.56), Mozambique 1 Lesotho 0 Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative Organising Committee, commended 2) Al-Anoud Al-Zain (Bashar South Africa 0 Angola 0 of His Majesty the King for Charity Shaikh Nasser’s sponsorship of Mustafa, 90.25), Tanzania 2 Burundi 1 Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman this championship and the support 3) Shaikhat Al-Anoud (Sharaf Gilbert of the Supreme Council for Youth of Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Al-Din Abdullah. 89.06). and Sports, President of Bahrain Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Mares of age 2 years: shines at Australia get crucial win Olympic Committee, Honourary Royal Equestrian and Endurance 1) Jawaher bint Bashir (Abdullah Belgian cyclist Philippe Gilbert of Tehran China President of the Royal Equestrian Federation. Ahmed, 90.25), Quick-Step Floors celebrates as he al-Shehri scoring the winner in the after a game featuring 42 fouls they Kawashima saved a late penalty and Endurance Federation (BREEF). 2) Aliya Al-Zain (Dr Bashar crosses the finish line ran’s Mehdi Taremi dealt 53rd minute for a 1-0 victory over ran out 2-0 victors thanks to goals from Adisak Kraisorn to deny Mauritius 0 Comoros 2 Shaikh Nasser stated that holding Results (owner, points): Mustafa, 89.94), De Panne China’s World Cup hopes a Iraq, who languish in fifth place from Jackson Irvine and Mathew Thailand a consolation. I South Sudan 0 Djibouti 2 such tournaments stems from the Mares of age 1 year A1: 3) Jood Al-Amir (Asmar Stable, Brussels at both E3 Harelbeke and Dwars door major blow yesterday, as Australia with just four points. Leckie. It allowed the Socceroos Elsewhere, China-based Hong keenness to highlight the beauty of 1) Ruya Al-Layal owned by Saeed 89.06). elgian Philippe Gilbert took a solo Vlaanderen last week. grabbed a crucial win over UAE to Marcello Lippi’s team had to keep pace with Japan and Saudi Jeong-Ho struck in the fourth victory in yesterday’ s opening The Ardennes Classics specialist stay in the hunt for an automatic raised Chinese hopes with their Arabia in Group B as they hunt for minute as Uli Stielike’s South Bstage of the final warm-up event is targeting the cobbled classics spot at Russia 2018. 1-0 win over the Koreans, but the top-two finish which will give Korea beat Syria 1-0 to remain ahead of Sunday’s prestigious Tour of this season as he bids to win the Australia, however, can take Taremi’s goal straight after half- them an automatic berth in Russia. second in Group A. CONCACAF qualifying: Flanders. ‘Monument’ Tour of Flanders for the nothing for granted as they lie time consigned them to defeat by Qatar’s already slim hopes of The 34-year-old Quick Step Floors first time. in third spot with 13 points after the same scoreline. ‘Incredibly happy’ qualifying for the tournament also Honduras 1 Costa Rica 0 rider finished 17 seconds ahead of A winner of all three Ardennes Japan and Saudi Arabia also won While Iran, Asia’s top-ranked Japan had little trouble in their vanished as they went down to Trinidad and Australia’s Luke Durbridge with Classics -- Amstel Gold, Fleche to jointly go three points clear in team, maintain their four-point four-goal stroll in Saitama, which Uzbekistan 1-0 in Tashkent. Tobago v Mexico (1900). Simone Consonni of Italy another 17 Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege Group B with 16. cushion from South Korea at the featured a 50th international strike After their acrimonious 1-0 loss Panama v USA (2105). seconds further back in third at the -- Gilbert’s best previous finish at Japan ended Thailand’s top of Group A, China are second for Leicester City forward Shinji to Iran last week in Doha, Qatar end of the 205km first stage of Three Flanders was third in 2009 and 2010. campaign with a 4-0 victory from bottom with only three Okazaki. Shinji Kagawa gave the were desperately looking for a Days of De Panne. He made his winning move on the in Saitama, and South Korea games to go. China are pumping hosts the lead in their Asian Group miracle but a cracking 65th minute It was the former world champion’s Mur de Grammont climb 16km from squeezed past Syria 1-0 huge resources into football in an B qualifier with a sharp finish after free-kick from Odil Akhmedov first victory of the season and came the finish and never looked back. to get back on track effort to lift themselves among eight minutes, before Okazaki put paid to their hopes at the after recent near misses on a pair of Wednesday’s second stage is a hilly after last week’s the sport’s elite, starting with thundered home a diving header Bunyodkor Stadium. cobbled classics -- Gilbert was second 193km ride from Zottegem to Coxyde. upset to China. qualifying for only the second to bring up his half-century in Qatar continue to languish at Saudi Arabia World Cup in their history. swashbuckling style. the bottom of Group A with just grabbed But they may now have to win all Okazaki’s landmark goal, on four points after losing five of their three points of their remaining games against his 108th Japan appearance, came seven games. The Uzbeks, who in Jeddah Syria, Uzbekistan and Qatar to on 19 minutes in Saitama and also have never qualified for the with Yahya reach next year’s tournament in effectively killed the contest. World Cup finals before, are in Russia. Yuya Kubo and Maya Yoshida third spot with 12 points, just one In Sydney, Australia badly added further goals for the Blue point behind South Korea with needed a win against UAE and Samurai after the break and Eiji three games left. (AFP) Group A: South Korea 1 Syria in Seoul 0 Pliskova halts Baroni run Iran 1 China in Tehran 0 Australian Open - 18 years after her previous Uzbekistan 1 Qatar in Tashkent 0 Miami appearance in the last four of a slam in 1999 at Group B: zech Wimbledon. Australia 2 UAE in Sydney 0 Csecond- In Miami she put out fifth-seed Agnieszka Japan 4 Thailand in Saitama 0 Bahrain’s National Athletics female team have been congratulated by HH seed Radwanska in the previous round but the Saudi Arabia 1 Iraq in Jeddah 0 Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Karolina confident and in-form Pliskova proved to be a Council for Youth and Sports, President of West Asian Athletics Federation, Pliskova test too far. President of Bahrain Athletics Association after finishing in third position booked her The win was sweet revenge for Pliskova who and winning the bronze medal, in the 42nd IAAF World Cross Country place in the had lost to the Croat in the quarterfinals of the Championships held in Uganda. The team composed of runners Ruth Jebet, semi-finals of Australian Open in January and now has the best Rose Chelimo, Eunice Chumba and Desi Mokonin (58 points) managed third the Miami Open win-loss record of the year (23-3). AFC Wimbledon 3 Rochdale 1 position in the 10km cross country race, behind Kenya (10) in first position, yesterday, ending the The Czech has won two out of four tournaments Oxford 5 Bury 1 Supreme Council for Youth and Sports deputy General Secretary and Bahrain Olympic Committee with Ethiopia (45). Jebet (32 minutes 49 seconds) achieved the best position hopes of Croat veteran this season, triumphing in Brisbane and Doha. Port Vale 0 MK Dons 0 (BOC) General Secretary Abdulrahman Askar received a cable of thanks from Al AhlI Club chair- among Bahraini runners by finishing in seventh position behind the top six Marijana Lucic-Baroni with a 6-3, The 25-year-old’s victory in the Doha final Sheff Utd 2 Millwall 0 man Khalid Kanoo for his support to the volleyball team at the 35th Arab Clubs Championship in all from Kenya. The mixed relay team of composed of Sadik Mikhou, Dalila 6-4 win. came against Caroline Wozniacki and the pair League Two: Bahrain. Above, Al Ahli Club celebrating after winning the Arab Clubs Volleyball Championship in Abdulkadir, Benson Kiplagat Seurei and Tigist Gashaw came in fifth position Lucic-Baroni has been enjoying a late career could face each other again in the Miami semi- Quinton de Kock runs Karolina Pliskova of Czech Accrington v Cambridge (1945) Bahrain in 23 minutesbetween 30 the seconds. wickets upturn in fortunes at the age of 35 and final, should the Dane be able to beat Czech Lucie Republic returns a shot in January reached the semi-final of the Safarova.