Sport TUESday 10 August 2021 Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra returns to India as superstar I feel very happy that I am getting so much respect from the people (after winning the gold medal in the event at the Tokyo Olympics).

Neeraj Chopra Sport | 15 CRICKET: 5th and final T20 in Dhaka Bangladesh 122 for 8 (Naim 23) beat Australia 62 (Wade 22, Shakib 4-9) by 60 runs Murray added QREC announces calendar, racing to US Open main draw season to kick off on October 13 after Wawrinka withdrawal The Peninsula – requirements accurately. We look forward to a successful Reuters – New York The Racing Department of the new season for all parties,” Al Qatar Racing and Equestrian Kubaisi said. Former champion Andy Club (QREC), during a meeting Al Boenain said: "We are Murray has been added to the with horse owners and trainers, pleased with this compre- main draw of the US Open yesterday announced that hensive development in the following the withdrawal of action of the new season will programme to meet and reflect Swiss Stan Wawrinka, tour- kick off on October 13 at Al the aspirations and requests of nament organisers said Rayyan racecourse. owners and trainers.” yesterday. QREC has issued two sep- "Their suggestions were Murray, who had hip sur- arate calendars; one for the Al raised through our previous geries in 2018 and 2019, has Rayyan racecourse including 55 meetings and after the issuance only played a handful of ATP race days and the other for the of the first draft of the Tour-level events this year Al Uqda racecourses including programme,to which they pre- having missed the Australian 15 race days making a total of sented a number of valuable Open because of a positive Racing and Technical Adviser to the Chairman of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, Sami 70 race days for the 2021/2022 comments, which were taken COVID-19 test and opting out Jassim Al Boenain, speaks during the meeting. season. into account in the final version. of competing at the French The total number of races The new programme takes into Open. is 531 races, 83 races more than attended by QREC Racing expressed their aspirations for focuses on race variety and account the gradual pro- The 34-year-old Murray the last season. The number of Manager Abdulla Rashid Al a successful season, which will enhancing racing standards. In gression of weekly race reached the third round at races could increase during the Kubaisi, Racing and Technical serve as a basis for their fact, we started to prepare the meetings as the season kicks off Wimbledon but withdrew season when races are divided Adviser to Chairman Sami accurate preparations for future programme as soon as the last to ensure horses reach their from the men’s singles tour- or with new races added Jassim Al Boenain and Handi- seasons. season ended. Our concepts peak potentials in the major nament at the Tokyo according to the developments capper Marcus Weedon. Al Kubaisi, QREC Racing have been based on the meetings, topped by the H H Olympics on the advice of his of the season. Following the meeting, Manager, lauded the cooper- numbers and categories of The Amir Sword Festival days. medical team, dashing his Races at the Al Rayyan owners and trainers, who were ation of owners and trainers. horses as well as the require- It further accommodates all hopes for a third consecutive racecourse will conclude on present, praised the devel- “We have taken into con- ments and suggestions of horse categories as well as their gold medal. May 5, 2022. The races at Al opment of the upcoming sea- sideration that the programme owners and trainers. We have various age groups and ratings Murray, who won the first Uqda racecourse will start on son’s programme, both in terms should include races, which also been keen to complete the and offers fair opportunities to of his three career Grand Slam November 13 will come to a of quantity and suite the various horse cate- programme as soon as possible all through the large number of titles at the 2012 US Open, did close on February 24, 2022. quality. gories,” Al Kubaisi said in order to give them the oppor- races over a variety of dis- represent Britain in the men’s The meeting was T h e y “In line with the QREC’s tunity to prepare for the next tances. We wish everyone all doubles event in Tokyo where strategy, the programme season and set their goals and the best in the coming season.” he lost in the quarter-finals. At last year’s US Open, Murray suffered a straight-sets loss in the second round to Canadian Felix Auger-Ali- assime. Wawrinka, who cap- tured the last of his three career Grand Slam titles at the 2016 US Open, withdrew as he continues to recover from foot surgery. The 36-year-old former world number three underwent an operation on his left foot this year and has not played on the tour since an Riders in action during an earlier edition of The Amir Sword Festival at Al Rayyan Park in this file photo. opening round defeat at the Qatar Open in March. More bad Fans outside Messi’s news for house ‘devastated’ Barca: Injured Aguero out over Argentine’s exit REUTERS – BARCELONA contract but was unable to finalise the deal due to the for 10 weeks Barcelona fans gathered Spanish league’s financial AP – BARCELONA outside Lionel Messi’s house control rules and the club’s yesterday eager for a glimpse huge debts. In more bad news for Barcelona of the club’s greatest ever “I don’t think the club has after the departure of Lionel Messi, player and spoke of their done enough to make him stay, the club said yesterday that new sadness at the Argentine I think it was in the club’s striker Sergio Aguero will not debut leaving the club after 21 years. hands to make him stay, with the club until mid-October A tearful Messi on Sunday beyond the money,” said Barca because of a calf injury. bid farewell to the club he has and Argentina fan Gonzalo Barcelona said medical tests spent his entire career at and Moreno. showed that Aguero has a tendon said he was talking with French Messi said on Sunday that injury in his right calf and will be club St Germain over a PSG was “a possibility” but that sidelined for about 10 weeks. possible move. he had not yet signed any deal. Officials of the Qatar Table Tennis Association pose for a photograph with Team Qatar players It was the latest setback for Bar- “I feel devastated,” said French media have reported at the Hamad International Airport prior to their departure to Jordan ahead of the Arab Table celona after the club announced last Cristian Garcia, wearing a that he is on the verge of doing Tennis Championship which kicks off today. week that it could not sign star Barca shirt with Messi’s name so, however. striker Messi to a new contract and number 10 on the back. There were no signs of because of its financial struggles. “To see a player that I have movement around his house in Arab Table Tennis Championship: Spanish media said Aguero got always followed, who is an the hills of the wealthy district hurt in Sunday’s training session. example for me, to see him of Castelldefels where he has He did not participate at the cer- leave now brings me a lot of made his home with his wife Team Qatar leaves for Jordan emony during which the squad pain.” Messi said he had agreed and three sons, although the was introduced to fans later, nor a 50% pay cut in order to stay player was expected to fly to The Peninsula – Doha Ali Sultan Al Muftah, the Arab Championship will played in the exhibition match in at Barca and sign a new Paris within a day or two. Assistant Secretary of QTTA, be very challenging, espe- which Barcelona defeated The players and officials of is the head of the mission to cially after the long break Juventus 3-0. Barcelona fans wait to see Messi. the Qatar table tennis team Jordan. The team includes due to the COVID-19 pan- Aguero was with the Argentina yesterday left for Amman, Ahmed Khalil Al Mohannadi, demic as all Arab teams and team that won the Copa America in Jordan, to participate in the Ahmed Muthanna Al Awlaki, clubs strive to achieve Brazil last month. Arab Championship which Mohamed Abdel Wahhab, as success and targeting The 33-year-old striker was will be held from today. well as several other players. podium spots. signed in July as a free agent from The 13-day Champi- The women’s delegation "However, our chances Manchester City, where he had onship is organised by the is managed by Noura Al Abri are also good and we also try many injury problems in his 10 Arab Table Tennis Feder- and includes Chinese coach our best to achieve out- seasons at the club. But he still left ation, headed by Khalil Al Sully, and players Maha Ali standing results, especially as City’s record scorer with 260 Mohannadi who is also the Flamerzi, Maha Ali, Maryam since we have prepared well goals. President of Qatar Table Ali and Shawq Al Abdullah. during the recent months. He signed a contract with Bar- Tennis Association (QTTA) Thani Al Zaraa, director We have held training camps celona until the end of the 2022-23 and First Vice-President of of the national teams at both in Qatar and abroad in season with a buyout clause set at the International Table QTTA, confirmed that par- preparation for this event,"Al €100m ($117m). Tennis Federation (ITTF). ticipation in this edition of Zaraa said. TUESday 10 August 2021 SPORT 15 New Zealand Flying the Olympic flag, Paris celebrates looks beyond COVID for 2024 record haul of medals REUTERS – PARIS “We want to find ways to open the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo holds the Olympic games to the people,” Paris Games flag with President of the Paris 2024 Organising REUTERS – WELLINGTON France rolled out the red carpet for chief Tony Estanguet said on Friday. Committee TonyE stanguet while French Olympic the Olympic flag yesterday, with the “Our focus is on taking sport out medallists arrive in Paris, yesterday. New Zealand has hailed its host of the next 2024 Summer Games of the traditional spaces and putting athletes for an “incredible” promising to make the sporting spec- competition at the heart of the city’s Tokyo Games as the country of tacle open to the masses after a most famous landmarks,” Estanguet, five million burnished its repu- pandemic-hit Tokyo Games held a three-time Olympic canoe tation for punching above its behind closed doors. champion, added. weight with a record medals Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo waved In a nod to breaking with an old haul. Stefanos Tsitsipas the flag which she was handed in made-for-TV format, organisers of New Zealand claimed Tokyo during the handover ceremony the Paris 2024 games have for the past seven golds, six silvers and as she stepped out of the aircraft year been working on taking the seven bronzes to finish 13th on bringing home some of the country’s opening ceremony out of the Olympic the medal table, edging coun- Tsitsipas calls last athletes. stadium and into the heart of Paris. tries including South Korea (16) The 2024 games would be “some- For the first time, amateur runners and Spain (22). for coaching thing very positive for our country. will participate in the marathon, road- “There were some They come at a good moment,” biking enthusiasts will cycle the incredible performances,” New to be allowed Hidalgo told reporters. course soon after the Olympians and Zealand chef de mission Robert Paris she said had learned many sailing enthusiasts may be able to do Waddell told TVNZ during matches lessons from Tokyo’s experience. battle in real-time with their sporting yesterday. Delayed by a year and upended heroes. “We have really enjoyed REUTERS – TORONTO by strict COVID-19 countermeasures “We need to balance the tradition how the team has come as contagious variants surged back of the Olympics with creativity and together. Stefanos Tsitsipas said around the world, the 2020 Games innovation,” Estanguet has said. “I think partly because of coaching during matches still fell short of the triumph and financial No-one knows if the world will the fact that we haven’t had takes place on the ATP Tour windfall Japan had wanted. have conquered the pandemic in three family and friends ... over here and that rules in place banning At Sunday’s handover ceremony, years time. Estanguet told Reuters in with us, it has been a really such instruction need to be Paris sought to change the tone. February that Paris 2024 was working tight-knit team feeling and changed. Several thousand sports fans thronged on its own contingency plans. we’ve all drawn a lot of inspi- Tsitsipas, speaking in a fan zone in the shadow of the Eiffel Already not everything has gone ration from each other’s Toronto where he is the third Tower, whooping and cheering as Paris’ way. The city’s bid to fly a giant success.” New Zealand’s tally seed for the Masters 1000 some Tokyo medallists bounced flag from the Eiffel Tower and set a was boosted by canoe sprint hardcourt event, feels there onstage to a backtrack of blaring rock first world record for the 2024 Games sensation Lisa Carrington, who needs to be a way to allow music. was thwarted on Sunday by the wind. became the country’s most communication between decorated Olympian with a coaches and players that is not three-gold haul at Tokyo, while overly intrusive to the flow of claiming her third successive a match. India's Chopra returns home as superstar kayak single 200 metres title “Some referees have been after Rio and . catching the coaches that have AP – NEW DELHI Olympic javelin throw gold medallist Neeraj Chopra shows New Zealand’s traditional been coaching, some others his medal upon his arrival in New Delhi, India, yesterday. strengths delivered, with haven’t,” said Tsitsipas on Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra was rowing producing three golds Sunday. given a rousing welcome as he arrived and two silvers, the women’s “It has been there all home in India yesterday after winning the rugby sevens team dominating these years, it’s never going men’s javelin event in Tokyo and securing to win gold and the men taking to change, it’s not going to the country’s first-ever athletics gold. silver. stop. In a cricket-mad country, Chopra’s But Waddell was thrilled by “My opinion on that is that Olympic win was seen as a triumph for the unexpected minor medals in coaching should be allowed, nation of nearly 1.4 billion people, cata- boxing and trampoline. there should be certain regu- pulting the 23-year-old to stardom. “All those medals were lations and certain ways to Hundreds of people gathered at New across 11 different sports which enhance it into players per- Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is a great thing for New Zealand formance without it becoming to greet Chopra, who gave the V-for-victory because it’s not just one sport too much.” sign as he looked over the crowd. that’s delivering,” he said. The issue of players Chopra and other members of the “What Dylan Schmidt did receiving instruction during Indian Olympic team received flower gar- in trampolining, what David matches came to the forefront lands as they left the airport. People held Nyika did in boxing, those show at the 2018 US Open final Indian flags and chanted “Bharat mata ki a pathway for other young kids when Serena Williams was jai” (Long live mother India). in New Zealand who might be warned by the chair umpire “I feel very happy that I am getting so able to follow in those footsteps after her coach gestured from much respect from the people,” Chopra said. and achieve at the same sort of the stands during the A nationwide celebration erupted the 87.58 meters. His gold was India’s seventh wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya. The bronze level.” showdown against Naomi moment he won the gold medal on Sat- medal in Tokyo, its best-ever Olympic medals were won by shuttler P.V. Sindhu, Following on from victory Osaka. urday. Rewards started flowing for Chopra, showing and surpassing the six it won in the men’s hockey team, boxer Lovlina Bor- over cricket powerhouse India The penalty infuriated Wil- with several state governments and private London in 2012. gohain and wrestler Bajrang Punia. in the inaugural World Test liams and she was later docked organizations honoring him for his Apart from Chopra’s gold, India won Chopra is the second Indian to win an Championship final in June, the a point and a game for further achievement. two silver medals and four bronze medals individual gold medal at the Olympics after Olympic haul continues New code violations before falling Chopra, the son of a farmer, won the at the Tokyo Olympics. The silver medals sport shooter Abhinav Bindra won gold at Zealand’s track record of doing in straight sets. javelin title with a personal-best throw of came from weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. more with less. NTT IndyCar Series: Ericsson wins as drivers dominate The Peninsula – NASHVILLE top seven finishing Big Machine Honda Race (Top 5) positions today, with 1: ( Racing Honda) Honda’s Marcus Ericsson turned a spec- every Honda team 2: ( Honda) tacular start-line crash into an featuring at least one 3: ( Honda) incredible victory on the streets of driver in the top 10. 4: Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport Honda) Nashville, Tennessee, as Honda NTT Behind Ericsson, 5: (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda) NTT IndyCar Series Manufacturers’ Championship IndyCar Series drivers and teams domi- team-mate and (After 11 of 16 rounds) nated the inaugural Big Machine Music defending series Honda - 959 points, - 838 City Grand Prix. champion Scott NTT IndyCar Series Drivers’ Championship (After 11 rounds) In the first of many incidents in the Dixon moved to 1. Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda - 410 points [2 race wins] 80-lap contest, Ericsson hit the back of second in the drivers’ 2. Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda - 368 [1 win] Sebastien Bourdais’ A.J. Foyt Racing c h a m p i o n s h i p 3. Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP - 362 [2 wins] IndyCar, with Ericsson’s Chip Ganassi standings with a The podium winners, Marcus Ericsson, Scott Dixon and JamesH inchcliffe. Racing machine rising high in the air second- place finish. after making wheel-to-wheel contact Andretti Autosport for with Vasser-Sul- with Bourdais. Ericsson was assessed a teammates James Hinchcliffe and Ryan livan. Championship leader Alex Palou stop-and-go penalty for avoidable Hunter-Reay finished third and fourth, ran seventh in a third Chip Ganassi contact, but came back to hold off a pre- respectively; and Graham Rahal Honda; while Helio Castroneves, in his viously-dominant and rounded out the top five for Honda. first IndyCar race since winning the score his second career IndyCar victory. In addition to Hinchcliffe, 500, finished ninth for Honda drivers and teams swept the also had his best finish of 2021 in sixth . Marcus Ericsson winning the race. Stewards rule out review of Vettel’s disqualification

REUTERS – LONDON Hamilton inherited the the fact that there was not analysis of more than 100 position and gained two extra enough fuel in the tank. The channels of fuel system- Points Leaders Formula One stewards points in his battle with Red question of what caused that related data, which stewards dismissed Aston Martin’s Bull rival . situation was left out of con- accepted had brought a new 1. Lewis Hamilton, 195. request for a review of It also lifted Ferrari to sideration,” the stewards element to light in the failure 2. Max Verstappen, 187. ’s (pictured) third place overall, ahead of said, explaining their of the fuel system. 3. Lando Norris, 113. Hungarian Grand Prix McLaren, and boosted Wil- decision. They added, however, 4. Valtteri Bottas, 108. disqualification yesterday, a liams’ points haul to 10. “The F1 Technical Regu- that this was not relevant to 5. Sergio Perez, 104. ruling that stretched Lewis The stewards said after a lations unequivocally calls the decision. 6. Carlos Sainz Jr, 83. Hamilton’s championship video hearing that Aston for a remaining amount of “In order to be able to 7. , 80. lead to eight points. Martin had discovered a mal- one litre and does not allow affirm a ‘relevant’ fact, Aston 8. Pierre Gasly, 50. The German, a four-times functioning fuel system, any exceptions under which Martin would have had to 9. , 50. world champion, was “which would have resulted circumstances or for what present facts that actually 10. Esteban Ocon, 39. stripped of second place after in the ejection of fuel during reasons it could be dispensed more than one litre of fuel 11. , 38. a required litre of fuel could the race”, was to blame. with.” was remaining,” the 12. Sebastian Vettel, 30. not be extracted following Aston Martin had previ- Aston Martin had statement said. 13. Yuki Tsunoda, 18. the Aug. 1 race won surpris- ously said there should have requested the review on the “The explanation why 14. , 18. 15. Nicholas Latifi, 6. ingly by Alpine’s Esteban been 1.44 litres left in the car, grounds that they had dis- this requirement could not be 16. George Russell, 4. Ocon. according to their covered “significant new evi- met is not relevant to the 17. Kimi Raikkonen, 2. The disqualification calculations. dence” which had been pre- decision as to whether a 18. , 1. meant Mercedes’ seven- “In the original decision, viously unavailable to them. breach of the regulations has 19. Mick Schumacher, 0. times world champion the stewards only assumed This turned out to be occurred.” 20. Nikita Mazepin, 0. Sport TUESday 10 August 2021 14 Bangladesh dominate Australia to complete T20 series win AP – DHAKA Australia’s collapse as Bangladesh won Bangladesh, ripped through the Aus- Sarkar as Bangladesh got a good start. However Christian clawed back the series 4-1. tralian middle order. The pair added 42 runs in 4.3 overs with the wicket for Soumya Sarkar for Shakib Al Hasan returned a remarkable Only two Australian batsmen Shakib then ensured Australia before offspinner Turner removed 16. figure of 4-9 as Bangladesh held reached double figures with captain would fail to reach its previous low of Mahedi for 13. Pacer Nathan Ellis, who claimed a Australia to its lowest Twenty20 cricket Matthew Wade scoring 22 and Ben 79 against England at Southampton. Australian pacers then stalled hat trick on his debut, curbed Bang- score in winning the final game of their McDermott making 17. Bangladesh batsmen also were not Bangladesh’s progress, varying their ladesh batsmen’s aggression in the series by 60 runs yesterday. Shakib got the first of his four comfortable in this extremely slow pace. death overs but Shakib denied the Aus- Shakib became the second bowler wickets, baffling Wade with quicker track after their captain Mahmudullah Dan Christian had Naim caught by tralians a second victory. to take 100 T20 wickets, after Sri deliveries after left-arm spinner Ansum decided to bat first. Agar with a slower delivery to further Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, as Bangladesh Ahmed dismissed opener Dan Christian Opener Mohammad Naim top- worsen Bangladesh. Brief scores: defended 112-8 by bowling Australia (3) and Mitchell Marsh (4). scored for the side with 23 and Mah- Shakib struggled to make 11 off 20 Bangladesh 122 for 8 (Naim 23, out for 62 in 13.4 overs. Shakib then got the better of Ashton mudullah made 19. but Afif Hossain showed some intent, Ellis 2-16, Christian 2-17) beat Aus- Pacer Mohammad Saifuddin ended Turner for his 100th wicket. In between Mahedi Hasan opened with Naim launching Christian for a six in the first tralia 62 (Wade 22, Shakib 4-9, with 3-12 to play a key role in triggering Saifuddin, one of the two changes by instead of out-of-form Soumya ball he faced. Saifuddin 3-12) by 60 runs