CCYCLINGYCLING | Page 7 SPOTLIGH T| Page 6 Wellens wins Australia’s 14th stage golden era of Vuelta as swim coach Roglic leads Talbot dies Thursday, November 5, 2020 CRICKET Rabia I 19, 1442 AH Unfi t for Australia, fi t GULF TIMES for IPL: Rohit ‘injury’ intrigues many SPORT Page 4 BASKETBALL Monroe powers Al Arabi to Amir Cup victory over Sadd Al Arabi, who first won the title in 2018, beat Al Sadd 87-78 after acing all quarters Sheikh Saoud bin Ali al-Thani, President of FIBA Asia and First Vice-President of Qatar Olympic Committee, presents the Amir Cup trophy to Al Arabi captain Fahad al-Darwish as his team members cheer at the Al Gharafa Sports Club yesterday. At right, Al Arabi top-scorer Sammy Monroe goes for the basket. PiCTURES: Noushad T By Sports Reporter door Hall. departments of the game. Monroe’s fi eld goal accuracy was Doha Al Arabi, who fi rst won the title in “We knew it was going to be a tough just 47.8% but he more than made up 2018, beat Al Sadd 87-78 yesterday match but we were confi dent through- for it by providing seven assists, and 55 and although Al Sadd managed 23 Al Sadd players managed double-digit after acing all quarters and leading for out,” said Al Arabi coach Hatem Mam- he received enough help from Khaled points in the fi nal 10 minutes, they fell scores. ammy Monroe scored a match- more than 34 minutes in the match. louk. Roushdy who came up with 24 points, well short of the target. “We tried our best but Al Arabi were high 31 points as Al Arabi Monroe, who was on the court for 36 “Sammy was excellent through- including 12 from the three-point Captain Babacar Dieng was the the better team today,” said Al Sadd quelled the challenge of Al minutes, scored 11 fi eld goals besides out but it was essentially a team eff ort mark. top scorer for Al Sadd with 30 points, coach Vasileios Bratsiakos. SSadd to win the Amir Cup for nailing eight out of nine free-throws where everybody played their part,” he Al Arabi won the fi rst quarter 23-15, while Konstantinos Vasileiadis was the “I congratulate them on their suc- the second time at the Al Gharafa In- in a match that saw Al Arabi excel in all added. the second 41-38 and the third 68- second best with 25. None of the other cess.” SPOTLIGHT Maradona brain surgery successful: doctor AFP Several times in the last eight tails of his condition. Olivos, Argentina months he has been in isolation “I just want to thank everyone and was forced to stay at home last for the constant displays of love for week after a bodyguard showed my dad, for my sister and for me, rgentine football great coronavirus symptoms, although thanks to everyone who prayed for Diego Maradona is recov- he later tested negative. him,” she tweeted yesterday morn- ering “without compli- Prior to falling ill, Maradona had ing. Acations” from successful been depressed, his lawyer Matias Maradona was transferred from brain surgery for a blood clot, his Morla said yesterday. the hospital in La Plata, 60 kilo- personal doctor said yesterday. The famously fast-living icon metres (37 miles) south of Buenos Surgeons at a specialist pri- had only been able to spend half an Aires, to the capital at 6:00pm vate clinic in Buenos Aires spent hour at his own birthday celebra- (2100 GMT) on Tuesday accom- 80 minutes removing the clot on tion at his team’s training ground panied by another daughter, Gian- Tuesday night. on Friday, when he had diffi culty nina. “He has no neurological issues. Following this surgery, fellow walking. Dozens of Gimnasia fans outside He’s progressing without any com- Argentina football star Lionel Messi “He was behaving strangely, he the La Plata hospital chanted his plications,” said Leopoldo Luque. sent him a message of support. was very depressed and spoke about name as he left. World Cup winner Maradona had “Diego, all the strength in the dead relatives that he missed,” said Earlier in the day, Luque claimed been taken to hospital in La Plata — world. My family and I want to see Morla. Maradona was suff ering from anae- where he is the coach of top-fl ight you well as soon as possible,” said He said Maradona was “very mia — a lack of iron in his system — side Gimnasia y Esgrima — on the Barcelona forward, who like worried” about the surgery and and dehydration. Monday for a series of tests after Maradona in his pomp wears the praised Luque, adding that “if he He also suggested Maradona’s feeling unwell. No.10 jersey. hadn’t detected the clot, Marado- lifestyle had contributed to his A scan revealed the blood clot, Groups of fans congregated out- na’s destiny would have been dif- condition. and on Tuesday he was transferred side the clinic with banners show- ferent.” “He’s an elderly patient with to the specialist clinic in a northern ing Maradona’s face and the words Luque insisted on Tuesday that many pressures in his life. It’s a neighbourhood of the capital. “Come on, Diego!” the procedure was “a routine op- time when we must help him. It’s “We managed to successfully “Once more his health has played eration.” very diffi cult to be Maradona,” Lu- remove the clot. Diego coped well a trick on him but he has antibodies “The operation consists of a que said of the star. with the surgery,” said Luque. to recover with the help of the peo- small incision to drain the blood. In He said it was a condition that Maradona, who turned 60 on ple,” fan Oscar Medina told AFP. 24 or 48 hours the patient can leave also aff ected Vice President Cris- Friday, has suff ered ill health be- Due to his age and previous the hospital,” neurosurgeon Raul tina Kirchner when she was presi- fore. He has survived two heart at- health issues, Maradona is con- Matera told TyC Sports channel. dent. tacks, and also contracted hepatitis sidered high risk in relation to the Maradona’s daughter Dalma said “It breaks my heart to see him Supporters of Argentine former football star Diego Maradona gather outside the hospital where and underwent gastric bypass sur- coronavirus pandemic, which has she had visited her father after his like this,” Giannina tweeted the he underwent brain surgery for a blood clot, in Olivos, Buenos Aires province. gery. hit Argentina hard. surgery but did not give further de- next day. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, November 5, 2020 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE EUROPA LEAGUE Spurs’ Mourinho Liverpool, Bayern defends Kane over penalty criticism AFP lection. The Arsenal boss said London he would rotate his squad as he attempts to keep his players fi t. “You will see some changes again run riot as Real ose Mourinho has insisted tomorrow,” he said. “We have to Harry Kane did nothing manage the minutes and expo- wrong after the England sure we give to the players. We forward was criticised for have to think what we need now, Jhow he won a penalty in Tot- as well as also looking ahead.” tenham Hotspur’s 2-1 win over Leicester have shrugged off Brighton in the Premier League last season’s collapse that saw Madrid edge Inter last weekend. Kane appeared to them fall short of the Champions draw a foul from Adam Lallana to League by winning fi ve of their win the spot-kick, which he then fi rst seven games in a top-fl ight With three wins from three, Liverpool are well on course to top Group D converted to open the scoring at season for the fi rst time in their home to the Seagulls. history. The Foxes have beaten Mourinho, during his pre- Zorya Luhansk and AEK Athens match press conference ahead of in Group G and next host Braga, today’s Europa League tie away who also have six points after to Ludogorets, was adamant any two rounds. fault lay with Lallana. “Harry Serie A leaders AC Milan put Kane was in a position to con- their 24-match unbeaten run on trol the ball and Lallana came in the line against Lille, who are a reckless fashion. Why are you second in Ligue 1 and also yet saying it is clever?” Mourinho to lose in any competition this said. “Clever is taking the ball term. Celtic host Sparta Prague and scoring a goal. It’s a foul.” in the other game in Group H, The experienced Portuguese while Steven Gerrard’s Rang- boss added: “I thought it was a ers are chasing a third win in as direct free-kick but VAR said it many fi xtures away to Group D was inside the box because it was frontrunners Benfi ca. on the line. What are we talking about being clever? Harry Kane FIXTURES just wants to score goals. Lal- (kick-off s Groups A-F at 1755 lana was reckless. Why are you GMT, Groups G-L at 2000 GMT speaking about us? Speak about unless noted) Liverpool, Manchester United, City and others with ‘clever’ Group A: Roma (ITA) v CFR Cluj players and getting penalties. (ROM); Young Boys (SUI) v CSKA Don’t speak about Harry Kane.” Sofia (BUL) (2000) Tottenham will be without Group B: Rapid Vienna (AUT) v Sergio Reguilon, Erik Lamela and Dundalk (IRL); Arsenal (ENG) v Serge Aurier for the trip to Bul- Molde (NOR) (2000) garia after the trio missed train- Group C: Hapoel Beer-Sheva ing today.