11 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2019 sports

Toyota Gazoo Racing upbeat ahead of WEC Club off to winning start in BBA Silver League Bahrain Club defeated Samaheej as they began their campaign in Zain Bahrain Silver League

TDT | by 20 in the second quarter to fall behind 39-53. fought TDT | Manama kajima and Anthony Davidson ahrain Club defeated Sa- back in the third quarter and in the #8 TS050 Hybrid win- maheej 93-77 last night reduced the gap to 63-74, before oyota Gazoo Racing re- ning their fifth race of the year. to get their campaign off seizing control in the fourth and Tturns to the Kingdom for For just the second time in Bto a winning start in the Zain final frame with a red hot per- next weekend’s FIA WEC Bapco WEC history after last season’s Bahrain Silver League, currently formance where they outscored 8 Hours of Bahrain. Sebring race, Saturday’s race being played at Zain Basketball Nuwaidrat 24-8 to seal the win. The event brings the cur- will be contested over eight Arena in Um Al Hassam. Also victorious were Ettihad, tain down on a highly success- hours. It will begin at 3pm and Bahrain Club took the lead who cruised against Isa Town ful year for Toyota, with the run into darkness, with the early on and never looked back. in a generally one-sided game. fourth round of the 2019-2020 chequered flag scheduled to They were ahead 22-12 at the Ettihad raced out of the gate FIA World Endurance Champi- fly at 11pm. end of the first quarter, and then and took a 26-11 lead after one. onship (WEC). Air temperatures around 25 they stretched their advantage In the second quarter Isa Town The team returns as World degress Celsius can be expect- to 46-28 at the half. Samaheej fought back and closed in to Champions and they are in ed during the day, but when outscored their rivals by three in within 33-40 at the half, and pole position to retain both the sun sets, track tempera- the third period but still trailed they continued to reduce the drivers’ and teams’ titles, with tures are likely to drop. There- 50-65, and then both teams were gap although marginally in the two wins to their credit so far fore, the week’s schedule is de- almost evenly matched in the third, which ended 49-55. But and five races remaining. signed to give teams a chance last canto en route to the final Ettihad closed the game out Toyota leads its standings by to experience all conditions, buzzer. with a superb fourth quarter, 27 points while the #8 TS050 with Thursday’s three hours of The Silver League is the where they fired in 26 points Hybrid crew of Sebastien Bue- practice split over a day and a championship for the six bot- while holding Isa Town to just mi, Kazuki Nakajima and Bren- night session. tom-ranked teams from the Zain 14. don Hartley top the drivers’ At the conclusion of Satur- Bahrain Basketball League’s All three winning teams will championship by just three day’s race, the team has just 11 preliminary round. be hoping to continue their im- points from team-mates Mike hours before it will be in action Elsewhere in the Silver pressive starts and carry them Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and again, with the WEC rookie League’s opening round of over to their next games next Jose María López in the #7 car. test beginning at 10am on Sun- games, Sitra overcame Nu - week as they battle for their di- However, victory for Rebel- day. Toyota will give Thomas waidrat 87-82 while Al Ettihad vision’s crown. lion Racing last time out in Laurent, Kenta Yamashita and defeated Isa Town 81-63. Silver League action contin- Nuwaidrat’s Haminn Quantance goes for a basket as he gets by Sitra import Shanghai cut that advantage Nyck de Vries a chance to drive Sitra faced a massive deficit ues on Tuesday with Nuwaidrat Milos Macura and illustrated the unprece- the TS050 Hybrids. heading into the second half but facing Isa Town. Then, on Sat- dented challenge to the effi- That is not the end of the used a scintillating fourth-quar- urday next week, Ettihad and Zain Bahrain Top Six League only unbeaten squad from the ciency of the TS050 Hybrid in action at BIC. Sunday evening ter performance to steal the vic- Nuwaidrat face off. On Sunday, commence, with an exciting preliminary round, defending its farewell season. The #8 car will see the official WEC tory. Sitra and Samaheej lock horns clash between Al Ahli and . league champions , finished second while the #7 prize-giving ceremony for the Sitra led 24-18 after the first in the day’s early game. The rest of the Top Six in - and title outsiders Al Hala and was third in China. 2018-2019 season, which end- period but were then outscored The late game will see the cludes Manama, who were the Al Najma. Compared to its last visit to ed in June at Le Mans. Toyota Bahrain in 2017, this weekend will collect its teams’ World the TS050 Hybrids are permit- Championship trophy, while Panthers and DHL team ted less hybrid power and less Buemi, Nakajima and Fernan- members along with fuel per lap, whilst also weigh- do Alonso will be presented officials of the Carrefour ing more, as part of WEC’s with their trophies. Corporate League success handicap system. As “I like racing in Bahrain be- organized by Cricket championship leader, the #8 cause I enjoy the track and the Bahrain Association. car carries maximum success atmosphere, plus some of my Panthers lifted the handicap of 2.72secs per lap, family are living there too,” Carrefour Cup after with the #7 having 2.51secs said Buemi. “I also have very defeating DHL by 4 runs per lap. good memories because I won in the final match of the Toyota has positive mem- my first WEC race in Bahrain tournament ories of the 5.412km, 15-turn in 2013 and became World Bahrain International Circuit, Champion a year later. It’s also having won three times there a cool race to participate in in WEC. The team’s last visit to because we start in the day and Sakhir came at the end of the finish in the night. I’m looking 2017 season, with Buemi, Na- forward to it.”

Sachi rally past Shahzad Zafar

TDT | Manama Brave Warriors 166/7 (Mani 67, Zaraq 3/28) beat Pak CC anesh’s all-round perfor- 141/9 (Zaman 49, Waqas 3/23, Indian Club set to host 7-A-Side Gmance helped Sachi CC Waseem 3/24) by 25 runs beat Shahzad Zafar by 8 wick- Sprite CC 194/6 (Qadeer 45, Cricket Tournament ets in CBA Division C – T -20 Asif 38, Midilaj 2/31) beat Ti- TDT | Manama The entry fee is set at BD50 league. tans 137/8 (Saleem 43, Waseem per team; each team will be Shahzad Zafar won the toss 23, Inayat 3/12, Zafar 2/16) by he Indian Club BMMI Indi- allowed a squad of 9 players, and elected to bat first. Ha - 57 runs Tan Expat 7-A-Side Softball with 7 taking the field for each mid’s half century helped them Waqas Pak CC 143/10 Cricket Tournament 2019 gets match; entries will close on to score 155 runs in 20 overs. (Touseef 41, Wahab 21, Wil- underway at The Club’s prem- 07th December 2019. T-shirts Ganesh took three wickets for son 3/22) beat SNCS TransFast ises in Gudaibiya from Tuesday for the teams will be provided Sachi CC. Chasing the target, 127/10 (Shah Alam 17, Ehtish- 10th December 2019. by the Club. Sachi’s openers Ganesh and am 3/32) by 16 runs Always a popular event at Further information on the Sagar’s first wicket partner- Karnataka Royals 90/1 in 8.4 The Indian Club, this year’s event and entry forms can be ship of 111 runs helped them overs (Gajendra 44, Numair tournament is expected to at- obtained by contacting the to reach the target in 15 overs 31) beat Indian Delights 89/6 tract a good entry as teams vie Cricket Secretary Vivek Sub- with two wickets loss. (Jerin 22, ) by 9 wickets not only for the trophies and ramanya on 36367143 or the Sachi CC 156/2 (Ganesh 60, Riffa Stars 147/2 in 14.4 overs cash prizes on offer, but also Coordinators Remy Pinto on Sagar 69) beat Shahzad Zafar (Nabeel 65, Adnan 40) beat the glory and bragging rights 39922707 or Nishanth Bhat on 155/6 (Hamid 69, Majid 32, Ga- KIMS CC 143/8 (Vyshak 46, Bi- of coming out on top in India’s 39408015 or The Indian Club nesh 3/32) by 8 wickets lal 4/21) by 8 wickets. no 1 sport. on 17253157.