FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 15

Brazilian dominance predicted at Brave 18 Serena can still grab TDT | Manama uan Santiago will be com- Slams record, says Keys Lpeting his first fight out- side Brazil for Brave Combat Federation at Brave 18. The AFP | Zhuhai, China 2016 Brazilian Fighter of the Year was showcased by Fight- merican number three er’s Only as the prospect to Madison Keys said she look out for in 2018. Ahas no doubt Serena Wil- Luan Santiago had faced Lu- liams can equal the record of 24 cas Mineiro for the lightweight Grand Slam titles despite her world championship title after stormy defeat in the US Open Ottman Azaitar declined to final. face both the top contenders. Keys said Williams, who ar- An interim title was intro - gued furiously with the umpire duced and Santiago lost the during her shock loss to Naomi bout to a stoppage as he in - Osaka in New York, certainly jured his shoulder in the final had Margaret Court’s all-time moments of the bout. Luan Santiago mark as a target. The 2016 Brazilian Fighter his lightweight world champi- Williams, 37, returned from of the Year predicted an amaz- onship against Abdul Kareem giving birth to her first child ing future for MMA in Brazil at Al Selwady in the main event. in September last year to reach Brave 18. The Bantamweight world the Wimbledon and US Open Santiago has recovered from champion, Stephen Loman finals, but suffered upset losses the injuries and have resumed from Philippines will be chal- in both to leave her stuck on 23 training at CM System under lenged by Felipe Efrain from major wins. the veteran coach, Cristiano Brazil. Velimurad Alkhasov “I definitely think she can Marcello. He will make his re- from Russia will face Marcel do it, and I definitely think turn to Brave Combat Federa- Adur from Brazil for the Fly- it’s something that she thinks tion to face Djamil Chan from weight championship. about,” Keys told AFP at the WTA Netherlands. With four major stars com- Elite Trophy at Zhuhai in China. Chan made peting from “I think she wants it and I his promo - Brazil, the think when Serena puts her tional debut event is close- mind to something, it usually at Brave 14 in ly followed by happens,” she added. Tangier, Mo- This event is going fans and media Keys, 23, started playing ten- Serena Williams, of the United States, serves to Magda Linette, of Poland, during the first round of the US Open tennis rocco knock- in the nation. nis after watching Williams and tournament ing out Alejan- to be awesome! Brave 18 marks her sister Venus on television dro Martinez I think everyone the first event and has often cited them as an “So I think we’ll always have ally great American players within 29 sec- is going to get featuring a ma- inspiration. her in the sport even through and I think the younger ones onds of the first along. I have great jor lineup of “She came back and she she’s not playing.” have done a really great job this round creating friends involved, Brazilian stars played three Grand Slams and Until Sloane Stephens won year.” the record the “Mineiro” and in the Kingdom made two finals,” the world last year’s US Open, the last Asked if anybody on the for the fastest Adur, mainly of Bahrain. number 16 said. KNOW WHAT American woman to lift a major current tour will ever match knockout in Currently “No one is ever going to be trophy, apart from the Williams Williams’s achievements, Keys the promotion. LUAN SANTIAGO Lucas Minei- Serena and I think she’s done a sisters, was Jennifer Capriati said: “Everything’s always The fight card ro is the only ton for the sport and has helped in 2002. possible. also features champion from players like me a lot,” she added. Madison Keys, 23, But Keys said American wom- “But to do what she did, es- three Brazilian Brazil to hold She said it will be a “big loss” started playing ten- en’s tennis was in “pretty good” pecially as she started at such fighters con- a world cham- when Williams finally retires, nis after watching shape. Sixth-ranked Stephens, a young age, and to keep con- testing for the world cham- pionship. Luan expressed his but that she would remain a Williams and her the current American num - tinuing to be so good, I think it pionships in three weight hope that there will be more major figure in tennis. sister Venus on ber one, was runner-up at last would be very difficult.” classes. athletes joining Lucas as the “Obviously when she decides week’s WTA Finals. Keys beat top seed Daria Ka- Lucas Mineiro will defend champion after Brave 18. to stop playing it’s going to be a television and has “Sloane has obviously done satkina in her opening match big loss but I think she’ll always often cited them as really well this year, I think I’m in Zhuhai, which follows be a part of it, and she’s always an inspiration one of the US players who’s had the round-robin format un - going to hold all these records a pretty good season this year,” til Saturday’s semi-finals. She Most number of world titles to and still be the greatest tennis Keys said. will next play China’s Wang be contested in Bahrain player ever. “I think there’s a lot of re - Qiang. TDT | Manama a professional athlete from Palestine will compete in the rave 18 hosted in the King- main event of an International Bdom of Bahrain will create Mixed Martial Arts organi- Brave CF the biggest exposure a record for the most number sation to contest for the title of championship titles con- opportunity. platform for the Kingdom tested in a single edition of Lucas Mineiro from Brazil the promotion. Across three will defend the lightweight TDT | Manama Brave CF has contracted over divisions, three world champi- world championship against 250 professional athletes from onship titles will be contested. Abdul Kareem Al Selwady rave Combat Federation over 45 nations which is a re- Previously a maximum of from Palestine. Bis the first sports media cord for any sports initiative two championship titles were The bantamweight title will property found in Bahrain un- based in GCC to achieve. contested during Brave 8 in be defended by Stephen Lo- der the leadership of HH Shai- Brave International Combat Brazil, Brave 9 in Bahrain, man from Philippines against kh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khal- Week 2018 is scheduled as the Brave 11 in Brazil and Brave 16 Felipe Efrain from Brazil. The ifa. The initiative has grown largest combat sports festival in UAE. Brave 18 is scheduled inaugural flyweight champi- into the fastest growing mixed till date in Asia. The event will as the biggest edition of the onship will be contested be- martial arts organisation in bring participants from over promotion for the year 2018. tween Velimurad Alkhasov the world hosting events in 12 100 nations to the Kingdom For the first time in the from Russia and Marcel Adur nations across 5 continents in of Bahrain to take part in the history of mixed martial arts, from Brazil. two years of operations. World Championships 2018.

Cricket Australia chairman quits after outcry

AFP | Sydney missioned report was not provided to His deputy Earl Eddings was ap- the country’s state associations before pointed as interim chairman and said: ricket Australia chairman Da- he was re-elected. “We have a way to go to earn back the Cvid Peever quit yesterday after He was also widely criticised after trust of the cricket community.” coming under intense pressure over an interview with broadcaster ABC The review by the Sydney-based a ball-tampering scandal which has this week in which he referred to the Ethics Centre blasted CA’s conduct at Seef District too triggered an exodus of senior figures ball-tampering affair, which rattled leading up to the tampering incident and long bans for three players. the sport and caused an outcry among in March, when players were caught The former Rio Tinto mining execu- the Australian public, as a “hiccup”. using sandpaper to alter the ball at a tive was only voted in for a new three- “Cricket Australia has today con- Test match in Cape Town. year term last week, days before a firmed that Mr. David Peever has an- It found that an “arrogant” and scathing independent review sparked nounced his resignation as chairman “controlling” culture within the gov- by cheating row slammed the body. of the board of Cricket Australia, ef- erning body contributed to players, Calls have been mounting for Peever fective immediately,” the governing who existed in a “gilded bubble”, Um al Hassan +973 17728699 Seef District +973 17364999 to go after it emerged that the CA-com- body said in a statement. cheating in the pursuit of victory.