SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 12 Bahrain kick off crucial training camp National football team begin vital preparations ahead of FIFA World Cup 2022, AFC Asian Cup 2023 joint-qualifiers

Jassim Khulaif from Budaiya, Abbas The camp is the Fadhel from Al Shabab, Ebrahim Lut- • fallah from Al Khaldiya Club, and over- team’s final lead-up to seas-based professional Sayed Dhiya that crucial qualifiers Saeed from Al Nasr SC in Kuwait. During their two-week camp, Bah- TDT | Manama rain will play two international friendly KNOW WHAT games. First, they will take on their Ukranian counterparts at the Metalist ahrain’s senior men’s national Oblast Sports Complex stadium in the football team kicked off a cru- city of Kharkiv on May 23. They will Head coach Helio Sousa has Bcial training camp last night, then go against Malaysia at home on named 23 players for this supervised by head coach Helio Sou- May 28. camp, which will include sa, in preparation for their remaining Bahrain are in Group C of joint-qual- two international friendly joint-qualifying matches for the FIFA ifying, along with Iraq, Iran, Cambodia matches in a week – first World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup and Hong Kong. Bahrain are set to go against Ukraine on May 23 2023. against Cambodia on June 3, Iran on Those qualifiers are scheduled to be June 7 and then Hong Kong on June 15, and then against Malaysia held in the Kingdom beginning the first all in the Kingdom. on May 28 week of next month, and the camp is The Bahrainis are currently second in the team’s final lead-up to that crucial the group with nine points, having won There are eight groups in all in this period. Bahrain players during training last night two matches and drawn thrice. Iraq are round of qualifiers, with five nations in Last night’s sessions were held at the leaders with 11 points after winning each group. At the end of this stage of Riffa Club. namely Ahmed Abdulla, Ali Haram, Ali namely Ahmed Nabeel, Mohammed three games and drawing two other qualification, the eight group winners Part of the Bahrainis’ camp will be Madan, Hamad Shamsan, Hashim Isa, Adel and league top scorer Mahdi Ab- times. Iran are third with six points and the four best runners-up advance held in Kiev, starting Thursday later Hazza Ali, Jassim Al Shaikh, Komail duljabbar. Two are from East Riffa, but have played just three matches so to the third round of World Cup quali- this week. Alaswad, Mahdi Humaidan, Moham- including Mohammed Al Rumaihi and far and have two wins and two losses. fying, and also secure their berths in the Sousa named a squad list of 23 players med Marhoon, Redha Isa, Sayed Baqer Abdulla Hazaa. Hong Kong and Cambodia completed Asian Cup. The next best 24 teams will for the camp, including 13 from nation- and Sayed Shubbar Alawi. The rest of the team features Mo - the Group C table with five points and compete in a separate competition for al league-and-cup champions Riffa, Three players are from Manama, hammed Marhoon from Malkiya Club, one point, respectively. the remaining 12 slots in the Asian Cup.

Bauhaus takes second win in three stages for Bahrain Victorious Ruba Al-Omari clinches second in TDT | Manama Swiss Open Athletics Championships eam Bahrain Victorious’ TDT | Manama Tsuccess at the Tour de The more I race now, Hongrie continued in the third the more I have uba Al-Omari was able to of five stages, as confidence in myself, Rachieve second place on sprinted to yet another victory the first day of the Swiss Open – his second of the event after allowing me to do more for Athletics in discus throw. also winning stage one. work for the team in Al-Omari achieved a dis- The leg started in the Hun- the front to help chase tance of 22.15 meters, achiev- garian area of Veszprém, with the breakaway. And we ing qualification for the 2021 riders taking on 142 kilometres won today! Tokyo Olympics, and broke to the finish in Tata. An early the minimum distance of 19.45 Ruba Al-Omari AHMED MADAN breakaway of five riders formed meters required to qualify. in discus throw while Amal after 20 kilometres, but the gap positioning and getting more Tomorrow, Ahmed Abbas Fardan will participate in shot was controlled with them not confident with the group. Mushaima is set to compete put. getting more than four minutes. “The more I race now, the The peloton worked to close more I have confidence in my- the gap on the break with good self, allowing me to do more work from Team Bahrain Vic- Bahraini Ahmed Madan competes during stage three in the Tour de Hongrie work for the team in the front to Djokovic survives Tsitsipas scare to torious and the Bahraini rider the line. A strong show from Jumbo [team] between us, and help chase the breakaway. And Ahmed Madan doing turns on also saw him cross I let Fred go, but I could go and we won today!” meet Sonego in Rome semi-finals the front of the group. the line in third to complete the get the win.” The Tour de Hongrie is a five- In the last kilometres, two podium. Madan, who is the first-ever leg road race that started in the crashes reduced the sprinting With the win, Bauhaus went Bahraini to be competing on town of Siofok and ends in Bu- group, but Team Bahrain Vic- back into both the overall and a professional world tour, has dapest. Over the five days, the torious positioned themselves points jersey. He was quoted as been delighted with his first riders will take on a total of 792 well through Marcel Sieberg, saying after the stage: “We had a race with the team. kilometres, ascending over 7,954 and Fred really good tactic and were able “Stage 3 of Tour de Hongrie metres. Wright. to stay calm in the last corners. done,” he was quoted as say- It is a part of the 2021 UCI The lead-out train put Bau- With 1km to go, Haussler was ing. “It was a shorter stage with Europe Tour, and Team Bahrain haus in a great position to win amazingly strong. sunny weather. Haussler helped Victorious are one of eight UCI and he beat his competition to “There was one guy from me a lot today on the stage with WorldTeams taking part.

Karolina Pliskova into third straight Italian Open final Novak Djokovic hits a return during the match AFP | Rome day because of rain in Rome. AFP | Rome overnight. Gauff, 17, advanced on Friday Djokovic twice recovered zech ninth seed Karolína to her first clay-court semi-final from a break down in the final CPliskova booked her berth after world number one Ash- orld number one No - set to seal a berth in the final in a third consecutive Italian leigh Barty retired injured while Wvak Djokovic survived a four for the eighth straight Open final yesterday with a leading their last eight clash three-set battle with Greece’s year on his second match three sets win over Croatia’s 6-4, 2-1. Stefanos Tsitsipas over two point. Petra Martic. The Australian suffered from days in their rain-delayed The 33-year-old next meets Former world number one a recurring right arm issue and quarter-finals to advance to Italian Lorenzo Sonego who Pliskova won through 6-1, 3-6, chose against taking any risks the Italian Open semi-finals shocked Russian seventh seed 6-2 in the semi-final as she bids before the French Open, which yesterday. Andrey Rublev 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in to reclaim the title she won in she won in 2019, starting on May The defending champion 2hr 33min. 2019 but lost last year after retir- 30. won through 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 after “It felt like we played two ing injured while trailing Roma- Third seed Halep withdrew 3hr 16min on court in the clash matches, actually we did, one nia’s Simona Halep in the final. with a calf injury earlier this which had been suspended yesterday where he was a bet- Pliskova is the only top 10 week with second seed Naomi from Friday because of rain in ter player,” said Djokovic. player left in the draw and Karolína Pliskova hits a return Osaka, four-time Rome winner the Italian capital. “He started also better today will next meet either reigning Gauff. two-time Rome winner, 6-2, 7-5 Serena Williams, Sofia Kenin The Serb, a five-time Rome I managed somehow to hold French Open champion Iga Swi- Earlier Poland’s Swiatek oust- in 1hr 36min in the match which and Petra Kvitova, among the winner, had been trailing 6-4, my nerve, breaking serve at atek or American teenager Coco ed fifth seed Elina Svitolina, a had been pushed back from Fri- favourites exiting early. 2-1 when the game was halted important moments.

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