TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2014 SPORTS After World Cup success, Photo of the day concern at Rio Games RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil defied dire predictions to deliver AFP reporter at the scene found. one of the best World Cups in history, but with two years Next to it are two venues inaugurated in 2007 — the until the Rio Olympics, organizers are racing against the HSBC Arena, staging gymnastics and trampoline, and the clock all over again. Maria Lenk aquatic park. Nearby, the golf course is just Sewage in the bay hosting sailing competitions and being laid but is far from being finished erection of the slow work at other sites have raised concerns about Rio stands has yet to start at a venue now due for delivery in 2016, the first Olympics in South America, in a repeat of the mid-2015. General Fernando Azevedo e Silva, appointed by delays that had workers scrambling to polish off stadiums Rousseff to head the public Olympic Authority coordinat- only days before the World Cup began last month. ing the works, said he was “very optimistic.” A major worry surrounds much-delayed progress at the “There are no confirmed delays-though there is not Olympic Park in the northern Deodoro district, which will much flexibility, in particular for Deodoro,” he told AFP. “The host a slew of events. Work was originally to start last year main thing is to recoup the delay at Deodoro.” but the site was only inaugurated on July 3, well behind The Maracana Stadium is already complete thanks to its schedule. pre-World Cup overhaul, but the Joao Havelange Olympic Three existing installations there, dating from the 2007 stadium has been undergoing renovations for more than a Pan American Games, are being renovated: centers for year owing to wind resistence problems with the roof. shooting, equestrian events, and another for modern pen- Rio’s vast Guanabara Bay, beautiful on postcards, is pol- tathlon. Four more sites are being built, a mix of perma- luted with thousands of liters of untreated sewage tipped nent and temporary structures. In April, IOC vice-president into it each day, and there is no sign as yet of a promised John Coates said preparations were “the worst ever”- clean-up. A total of 27 projects are due to be undertaken to though he backtracked two days later. Rio Mayor Eduardo bolster Rio’s infrastructure and improve urban mobility and Paes, who has admitted to concerns over the Deodoro the environment. They include a revamping of the port timetable, said last week that the World Cup success would area and a new metro line along with rapid transit buses. ease concerns about preparations for the August 5-21, Work also started last November on a 23-kilometer (15- 2016 Games. “We still have lots of work ahead of us, but we mile) tunnel linking the city center with the western Barra are confident that we will deliver things on time,” Paes said, district hosting the Olympic village. adding that Deodoro was 60 percent ready. There, the 31 village buildings are 40 percent ready and “You will have to see, but it will be the Olympics of the more than 5,000 construction personnel are now working Jeffrey Herlings performs during FIM Motocross World Championship 2014 in Teutschenthal, Germany. Olympics,” he insisted, although Deodoro delivery for the on the site. “In all, more than 3,604 apartments will host — www.redbull.com first quarter of 2016 gives the hosts little room for maneu- 18,000 people in 10,000 rooms during the Games,” says ver. After talks Friday with President Dilma Rousseff, Maurizio Cruz Lopez, director general of the Ilha Pura International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach building program of constructors Carvalho Hosken and said he was “pleased to hear the confidence” she has in the Odebrecht in a public-private initiative. Hewitt beats Karlovic to Games and that the event “will be a top priority.” The high-quality flats will be marketed to private buyers Barra da Tijuca, the main Olympic site hosting 15 disci- after the Games with the largest expected to fetch around plines including gymnastics, aquatics, combat sports and $1 million. The Games’ price tag will be at least 36 billion clinch 30th career title tennis, is also behind schedule. reais ($12 billion) but city authorities say the private sector Strikes have been a factor behind the delays and con- or at least public-private partnerships will stump up more NEWPORT: Ageing warrior Lleyton struction of the velodrome has barely got under way, an than half. — AFP Hewitt claimed the 30th title of his career when he downed towering Croat Ivo Karlovic in the final of the Hall of Fame Championships in Newport on Sunday. Australian Hewitt, who famously lost to Karlovic in the first round of Wimbledon as defending champion in 2003, edged a grasscourt battle between the two tour veterans 6-3 6- 7(4) 7-6(3) in two-and-a-half hours. “I felt relief to have finally won here,” Hewitt, who won the Newport final in his third successive bid, told reporters. “For me, I’ve come here the last three years and have come awful- ly close the last two years. It’s nice to be rewarded today.” The 33-year-old has now won eight grasscourt titles, second only to Roger Federer amongst active players and is one of only four current players to Lleyton Hewitt have 30 career titles. But he did it the hard way, squan- “We had tough conditions today, between Hewitt and Karlovic made dering two match points on serve in especially for serving,” Hewitt said of the match the oldest tour-level final the second set, before Karlovic broke the gusty winds. “I was just trying to since 1977, when Ken Rosewall and and subsequently took the tie-break. play clean tennis as much as possible. Tom Gorman played in the Hong The scene was a virtual carbon From the baseline I was able to adjust Kong final (74 years and 8 months). copy of Hewitt’s runnerup finish last to (the) wind better than him.” Later in the day, Hewitt teamed year, when the 2002 Wimbledon Karlovic said his serve, his greatest with fellow Australian Chris Guccione champion served for the match at 5-4 weapon, had deserted him. “I was to win the doubles title 7-5 6-4 over in the second before losing. committing a lot of double faults and Israel’s Jonathan Erlich and American The Australian got off to a slow missing volleys, both of which I don’t Rajeev Ram. It was sweet ending to start in the third set, but saved three normally do. That was because of the the week for Hewitt, who lost in the break points. The pair held serve until wind and because Hewitt was always Newport singles final to Nicolas the tie-break, and Hewitt converted right there.” According to the ATP, the Mahut last year and John Isner in on his third match point. combined 68 years and 10 months 2012. — Reuters Lleyton Hewitt England, India search for positive spin after draw MUMBAI: England and India will take a more than 50 overs apiece on the series. “We want to have an option in fresh look at their spin options for the Nottingham track and with the second case it’s hot and dry at Lord’s, and might second test at Lord’s after tail-enders test starting on Thursday, the visitors spin more.” exposed the limitations of both pace wasted no time adding specialist spin- India will also be pondering a few attacks in the drawn first test at ner Simon Kerrigan to the squad. changes for Lord’s and regular spinner Nottingham. Part-time off-spinner Ali did take four Ravichandran Ashwin looks to be in a England’s four-man seam battery wickets at Trent Bridge but leaked runs good position to force his way into the and part-time spinner Moeen Ali failed while failing to maintain pressure on the starting eleven. to break the resilience of India’s lower- batsmen. In recent series, left-armer Jadeja has order batsmen in both innings at Trent Lancashire left-arm spinner Kerrigan, been preferred to Ashwin when India Bridge, robbing the team of opportuni- 25, has made one test appearance play overseas but his mediocre showing ties to force a victory on a low, flat wick- before - against Australia in the 2013 in the first test may open the door for NOTTINGHAM: England captain Alastair Cook (second right) leads his team from the pitch after the match was et. India’s attack, with left-arm spinner Ashes series at The Oval - where he con- the 27-year-old off-spinner. drawn on the final day of the first cricket Test match against India. — AFP Ravindra Jadeja as their lone slow-bowl- ceded 53 runs without taking a wicket. “I don’t regret not playing Ashwin ing option, fared no better with centuri- However, captain Alastair Cook had because there was no help for the spin- on Joe Root and James Anderson stitch- encouraging words for the slow bowler ners on this track,” captain Mahendra South Africa’s Amla ing together an all-time record 198-run after his inclusion in the squad. “He’s Singh Dhoni said at Trent Bridge, justify- last-wicket stand to keep the visitors at been good around us and bowled beau- ing the decision to pick Jadeja. bay. England’s front-line pacemen tifully in the nets,” Cook told Sky Sports As the team head to Lord’s for the Anderson and Stuart Broad bowled after the opening test of the five-match next match, things are likely to change set for historic Test in the face of different conditions.