6 October 16, 2018 Iran Nominated for Inspiring Simona Halep Earns 2nd Straight Year-End League of Year Award No. 1 Ranking TEHRAN (Tasnim) - SPIA Asia and the AFC have shortlisted the top 10 nominees for the Best Football LONDON (AP) - Simona Halep is ‘’So I don’t know now, but for sure I League of the Year for the Inspiring and Developing back as the year-end No. 1 for the second will take a decision for my health first.’’ categories. year in a row, despite a back injury that Despite the injury, Halep is still Australia, China PR, The Islamic Republic of doctors say could lead to a long-term relishing in her season. She has been Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, problem. at the top of the rankings for nearly Thailand, The United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan Halep, who won her first major title the entire year even though her results are the shortlisted nominees for the Inspiring League at this year’s French Open, clinched suffered as the season wore on. category. the year-end top tennis ranking on Halep has played in 15 tournaments Bhutan, Guam, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyz Monday but may be forced to pull out so far in 2018, but she followed up her Republic, Philippines, Singapore, Tajikistan and of the upcoming Kremlin Cup and the first major title by losing in the third Vietnam have been shortlisted for the Developing season-ending WTA Finals because of round at Wimbledon. She then lost in category, the-afc.com reported. a herniated disk. the first round at the U.S. Open. The nominees are assessed through 11 categories ‘’I haven’t practiced 100 percent yet Keeping her best level throughout - management & administration, financial but today, tomorrow, I will do close to the long season is something Halep performance, competition, marketing & promotion 100,’’ Halep said in a conference call, has struggled with, even though she and media & communications - among others. ‘’and I will be able to know better the has qualified for the WTA Finals in The results of the assessment is more focused next day. each of the five years since its move to on administration and management areas of the ‘’The doctor told me it’s nothing Singapore. organization rather than technical performance of about the surgery, but if I will keep ‘’It’s really difficult and I feel it every the league. playing there is a risk of long-term year, and I feel it more and more, to The top three nominees shall receive a direct injury. I don’t need that and I don’t want be honest. I give everything I have invitation to the SPIA Conference & Awards 2018 to that, so I have to make good decisions the first part of the year and then it’s be held in Bangkok on November 19 & 20. in the next days.’’ difficult for me to play,’’ said Halep, The 27-year-old Halep had her who also reached French Open finals best year on tour in 2018, reaching in 2014 and 2017 but lost both times. the Australian Open final and then ‘’My goal for the next years is to be winning her first Grand Slam title a few better in this position, if I would be able Nurmagomedov Challenges Mayweather to Clash months later at Roland Garros. But she to qualify again for the Finals. I want LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Mixed match. Like McGregor, the Russian announced at the start of this month just to be better and ready to play the martial arts fighter Khabib has no previous experience as a that she had an MRI exam after retiring tournament.’’ Nurmagomedov has taken a page out professional boxer. from her first-round match at the China But before she takes the court in of Conor McGregor’s playbook and McGregor made millions last year Open and the herniated disk problem Singapore, or in Moscow, there’s that issued a challenge to undefeated boxer by taking on Mayweather in lopsided was found. back injury that is still bothering her. Floyd Mayweather. boxing match. Mayweather appeared The Kremlin Cup runs this week and ‘’It’s been very stressful, and I was Nurmagomedov’s challenge came to toy with McGregor in the early the WTA Finals, which is for the top worried every day because I was in a video posted on Instagram by rounds before stopping the Irishman eight players in the world, begin in waiting to see how I feel every morning Mayweather’s promoter Leonard in the 10th to improve to 50-0. Singapore on Oct. 21. I wake up,’’ Halep said. ‘’So it’s pretty Ellerbe who indicated he ran into the Last weekend, Nurmagomedov ‘’I hope first to be able to play here (in stressful but somehow it’s normal UFC fighter at a fight card in Russia. retained his UFC lightweight crown, Moscow) because ... I have already 3-4 because injuries are pretty normal “Let’s go Floyd. We have to beating McGregor by fourth-round days getting ready for this tournament,’’ when you play at the highest level. So fight now: 50-0 versus 27-0,” submission. Halep said. ‘’But if I will not be able to I try just to keep myself calm and to be Nurmagomedov said with Ellerbe He then climbed out of the play here, I’m very doubtful that I will positive. I know it’s not an easy injury. standing next to him smiling. “We Octagon to fight with a member be able to play in Singapore because it’s The back is always difficult, but I have are two guys who never lose. In the of McGregor’s entourage who had very fast. to accept it and to look forward.’’ jungle there is only one king. Of been taunting him. McGregor also course, I am the king because he him easily. Let’s go.” whether he wished to fight took some punches from members of Italy Earn 1st Competitive cannot drop McGregor but I drop Nurmagomedov did not say Mayweather in a boxing or UFC Nurmagomedov’s team. Win in a Year McLaren’s Vandoorne Moves to Formula E LONDON (Reuters) - McLaren’s reserve role. Stoffel Vandoorne will switch to the HWA are making their Formula all-electric Formula E series at the One debut in the 2018/19 season end of the Formula One season, the that is due to start in Saudi Arabia Mercedes-affiliated HWA RACELAB in December. Mercedes are due to team said on Monday. enter the series in 2019-20. HWA said the 26-year-old Belgian “Stoffel has demonstrated his will join Britain’s Gary Paffett, talent and his speed not only in 37, who won his second German Formula One, but also in the 2015 Touring Cars (DTM) championship GP2 which he won by a wide with Mercedes at the weekend. margin,” said HWA team principal McLaren will have an all-new Ulrich Fritz. Formula One lineup next year, with Vandoorne, who is due to race Spaniard Carlos Sainz replacing at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, double world champion compatriot Texas, this weekend will be testing Fernando Alonso and British rookie for the Formula E team in Valencia, Italy players celebrate after scoring during the UEFA Nations League Lando Norris moving up from the Spain, on Tuesday. soccer match between Poland and Italy at the Silesian Stadium Chorzow, Poland, Oct 14, 2018. Italy won 1.0.

Beijing 2022 Seeks Proposals for Winter Olympic ROME (Dispatches) — Italy is with Lorenzo Insigne. finally showing signs of emerging Still, the match appeared headed from its crisis, nearly a year after for a scoreless draw until Biraghi Opening Ceremony failing to qualify for the World Cup. slid in to redirect a corner inside the Monday and ends at 16:00 Beijing the whole ceremony or one element of closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Cristiano Biraghi’s goal in stoppage far post two minutes into injury time. time on Dec. 31, 2018, the Organizing the ceremony. Liao said that they hope Olympic Games were held. time earned the Azzurri a much- “We dominated the game Committee for the 2022 Olympic and the proposals will be innovative and use Beijing 2022 will organize a review needed 1-0 win in Poland on Sunday completely and should have scored Paralympic Winter Games said. high-tech methods to achieve the best board for all the proposals between in the UEFA Nations League. earlier,” Italy coach Roberto “We are looking for creative proposals artistic effects. January and March in 2019. The Playing in Group 3 of League A, Mancini said. “A 0-0 would have that could fully embody the vision of The opening ceremony of the Beijing participants who come up with the best Poland became the first team to been an unfair result. We played the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games is scheduled for 10 proposals will be rewarded. Related be relegated in the new European very well but we can still improve the Olympic spirit, fully demonstrate Feb. 4, 2022, in the National Stadium, or documents can be downloaded at www. competition. a lot. In football you only need time the inheritance and development of the “Bird’s Nest”, where the opening and beijing2022.cn. Italy also hit the crossbar twice in and hard work; magicians do not the splendid Chinese culture, and fully the first half, first with Jorginho then exist.” reflect China’s achievements in the new era,” said Liao Quan, an official with Del Potro Suffers Fractured Kneecap After Fall Beijing 2022. Liao said any interested individual, SHANGHAI (Reuters) - U.S. his career, retired from his right patella bone in Shanghai”. splint on his right leg institution or even non-Chinese Open runner-up Juan Martin del round-of-16 match against Borna “In the coming days, the doctors “It’s a very difficult moment,” BEIJING (Xinhua) - Beijing Winter nationals or organizations are welcome Potro has suffered a fractured right Coric on Thursday after falling will evaluate the recovery process he said. “I feel very sad. It’s a Olympic organizers have invited the to participate. To reduce the cost of the kneecap following his fall during a heavily. needed to return.” hard blow that leaves me without world to make proposals for the opening participants, only text proposals within a match in Shanghai this week, his The statement said that “the The 30-year-old Argentine, who strength. ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic limit of 8,000 Chinese characters can be spokesman said in a statement. medical studies carried out on is ranked fourth in the world and “It’s very difficult for me to Games. submitted. Del Potro, who has been Saturday showed that Juan Martin had been enjoying one of the best think about recovery again, I did The search for proposals began on The proposal can be a design for either unlucky with injuries throughout del Potro suffered a fracture of his seasons of his career, is wearing a not expect this to happen.”