Al Duhail Celebrate Amir Cup Handball Victory
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CCRICKETRICKET | Page 3 FOOTBALL | Page 7 De Kock stars Barca ponder in breezy Messi rest as Mumbai win Madrid wait on over KKR injured Hazard Saturday, October 17, 2020 CYCLING Safar 30, 1442 AH Ulissi claims Giro GULF TIMES stage 13 as Almeida strengthens lead SPORT Page 2 Al Duhail celebrate Amir Cup handball victory Al Duhail players lift their coach in celebration after winning the 2019-20 Amir Cup handball Qatar Red Crescent Society’s Farouq Mohamed receives a memento title with a 31-29 win over Al Wakrah at Al Duhail Handball Arena yesterday. This was the from Qatar Handball Federation on the sidelines of the Amir Cup final in club’s second title this season, having beaten Al Wakrah with a similar scoreline of 32-29 for honour of their eff orts to secure all the players and participants during Action from the 2019-20 Amir Cup handball final between Al Duhail (in red) their Qatar Cup victory too. PICTURES: Shemeer Rasheed the tournament in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. and Al Wakrah (in blue) yesterday. FOOTBALL / QNB STARS LEAGUE SQUASH PSA confi rms Champs Al Duhail, Qatar Classic unbeaten Al Sadd to go ahead in November he Professional Squash staff were tested prior to travel- Association (PSA) has ling to the tournaments before confi rmed that the Qa- taking a further test upon arrival. in action today tar Classic – announced Once a negative result had been Tas part of the provisional PSA received, that person was then World Tour calendar on August allowed to enter the tournament Al Duhail host Qatar SC in the early kickoff at 5:30pm, while Al Sadd play at Al Khor 6 – will go ahead as scheduled on bubble, with further testing eve- November 1-7 in Doha. ry four days during tournaments. By Sports Reporter The Qatar Classic will be the Throughout all testing so far, Doha second men’s PSA World Tour only two players have tested pos- Platinum tournament of the 2020- itive for Covid-19. These tests 21 season and will adhere to the were taken before entering the efending champions same Covid-19 protocols in place tournament bubble and occurred Al Duhail are aiming at all three previous PSA World prior to the CIB Egyptian Open to bounce back from Tour events since the restart. beginning. a shock defeat to Al Qatar Squash Federation Sec- The El Gouna International DWakrah when they take on a re- retary General, Tariq Darwish and Everbright Sun Hung Kai surgent Qatar SC today, even as Zainal, said: “We are delighted Hong Kong Open – which were Al Sadd will look to stay unbeat- to welcome the world’s squash on the provisional calendar for en in their tie against Al Khor in family back to Doha again for November and December – will Week 4 of the 2020-21 season the Qatar Classic despite the not go ahead due to complica- QNB Stars League. challenges occasioned by the tions arising from the Covid-19 Al Duhail are seventh in the Covid-19 pandemic which has pandemic with the PSA remain- table with three points, but have had an unprecedented impact on ing hopeful that it could replace played one game less as their global sports. those with other events. high-profi le fi xture against Al “I would like to assure all stake- Following the return of the Sadd in Week 3 was postponed holders that the health and safety PSA Challenger Tour last month owing to both teams’ commit- of all participants is paramount with the Expression Networks ments in the 2020 AFC Cham- to us, and various measures have Nolan and Liam’s Tournament, pions League. The blockbuster been put in place, in partnership there are a further 10 Challenger clash is now scheduled for with the health authorities, to en- tournaments scheduled up until Wednesday at the Al Duhail Sta- sure a very safe and conducive en- the end of 2020 across the Mid- dium. vironment for all. We are glad that dle East, Europe, North America The venue will also host the we could hold the event in Doha and Asia. clash today at 5:30pm. against all the odds and looking “While we are naturally disap- Qatar SC are in eighth posi- forward to one impressive squash pointed that the El Gouna Inter- tion with three points. They tournament.” national and Hong Kong Open made headlines before the tour- Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez and Al Duhail coach Hatem al-Moaddeb (right). PSA Chief Executive Alex will no longer go ahead as a re- nament took a break on Septem- Gough said: “We’re pleased to sult of the Covid-19 pandemic, ber 13 after Round 3 action by ter,” Ali said ahead of the today’s now in seventh place. We must win the 2019-20 Ooredoo Cup and our fi rst goal is to win the confi rm that the Qatar Classic we are working hard to confi rm beating last season’s runners-up match. get back to the winning path in just last week. They had beaten title, so we are ready to compete will go ahead and I would like alternative events for the rest of Al Rayyan 1-0 to register their “Defi nitely, our victory over order to retain the title. Al Kharaitiyat and Al Sailiya by for it. The international play- to thank the Qatar Squash Fed- 2020 and hope to share further fi rst victory. Al Rayyan in the last round has “The Qatar SC match is very an identical 5-1 margin in the ers are back with us after several eration for their hard work in news in due course,” Gough said. Coached by former Qatar in- had a positive impact on us and important to us and we will be fi rst two weeks. days’ absence and we won the putting on this tournament.” “This has been a diffi cult time ternational midfi elder Younis it was a great motivation for fully focused and everyone will Al Khor, meanwhile, are 10th Ooredoo Cup,” Xavi said at the The PSA World Tour returned for all involved in the sport, but Ali, The Kings had previously us. But the Al Duhail match is see the real performance of Al in the table with the two points pre-match press conference. on September 16 with the Man- we have taken a hugely important lost 0-2 to Al Gharafa and 1-2 to of great importance and we are Duhail team, starting from this they collected from draws with “We are in good condition chester Open and was followed step to relaunching professional Al Kharaitiyat. ready not only to face Al Duhail, match.” Al Arabi (2-2) and Umm Salal to face Al Khor which we know later that month by the CIB PSA squash with the successful stag- “Al Duhail are coming from but also for all matches.” At Al Khor Stadium (7:45pm (goalless). will be diffi cult because we will World Tour Finals, while the CIB ing of three events in September their failure to go past the group For his part, Duhail coach kickoff ), Xavi Hernandez’s Al The Knights, who have face a team that has made many Egyptian Open is currently tak- and October. stage of 2020 AFC Champions Hatem al-Moaddeb said: “Al Sadd will fancy their chances Frenchman Hantz Frederic as changes, especially at the pro- ing place in front of the Great “Strict Covid-19 protocols League and they have the de- Duhail are the league champions against tenth-placed Al Khor. their new coach, had lost 0-1 to fessional level. Pyramid of Giza. were in place at all events and we sire to compensate for it. On our and we could not aff ord to have The Wolves, second in the Al Ahli in Week 3. “So we have to be ready and All three events have been held are delighted that not one player part, we strive in every match to such a start, as the team lost a league with six points from two “The League championship is play with the ideal mentality to in accordance with strict Cov- tested positive whilst in the tour- present our best and fare bet- match and won a match, and is matches, beat Al Arabi 4-0 to very important to us this season win points.” id-19 protocols. All players and nament bubble.” Gulf Times 2 Saturday, October 17, 2020 SPORT TENNIS French Open champ Swiatek adjusting to celebrity status Reuters port. “I’m doing pretty well, but Paris if I’m going to have any prob- Empty Wimbledon part of organisers’ 2021 plans lems, then Naomi texted me that I can always ask her for advice Next year’s Wimbledon Championships to deliver on that priority,” AELTC Chief rench Open champion or for support,” she added. “We could be held without spectators amid Executive Sally Bolton said in a state- Iga Swiatek says she is had a quick chat on social media the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers ment. The organisers would have learnt trying to adjust to her right after the fi nal. I feel like I of the grasscourt Grand Slam said yes- from the other Grand Slams and would new celebrity status after am supported, so it is great.” terday. The tournament in England was also keep a close watch on the Australian Fbecoming the fi rst Polish player Swiatek was the fi rst Polish cancelled this year for the first time since Open, which is expected to be held in to win a Grand Slam singles title.