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FOOTBALL | Page 2 BOXING | Page 4 Psychologist in Coronavirus constant touch KO: Thai fighters with players: in despair as Arsenal’s Arteta rings fall silent Sunday, April 19, 2020 ATHLETICS Sha’ban 26, 1441 AH A Greek August GULF TIMES in the life of Briton Holmes SPORT Page 6 FOCUS Athletes banned until 2020 can compete at Olympics: Athletics Integrity head ‘It’s an unfortunate situation but under the legal framework the ban is based on time and not tied to particular events’ Reuters London, United Kingdom Tokyo Games ‘unrealistic’ in 2021 unless Covid-19 vaccine found he postponement of the Tokyo Olympics will al- DPA “If we do get a vaccine within low athletes banned until London, United Kingdom the next year then actually I 2020 to qualify for the think that (Olympics) is real- T istic. The vaccine will be the Games next year as doping bans are based on time periods and not olding the delayed game-changer — an effective, events, Athletics Integrity Unit Olympic Games and affordable, available vaccine,” (AIU) head Brett Clothier told HParalympics in Tokyo Sridhar asserted. Reuters. next year is “very unrealistic” “If we don’t get a scientific Last month, the International unless a vaccine against the breakthrough then I think that Olympic Committee and the coronavirus has been found by looks very unrealistic,” she Japanese government agreed to then, a leading global health added. postpone the Tokyo Games, due scientist has warned, according Last month, the International to start in July, to 2021 because to a BBC report on Friday. Olympic Committee (IOC) and of the impact of the coronavirus “We’re hearing from the scien- Japanese organisers agreed to pandemic that has killed over tists that this could be possible. postpone this summer’s Tokyo 150,000 people worldwide. I had thought it would be a Games to 2021 due to the rapid World Anti-Doping Agency year or a year and a half away worldwide spread of the novel (WADA) bans are designed to but we’re hearing possibly this coronavirus. prevent athletes from compet- could come sooner,” Professor The rescheduled Olympic ing during an Olympic cycle and Devi Sridhar, chair of global Games are to begin with an Clothier said stopping athletes health at the University of Edin- opening ceremony on July 23, whose bans expire this year from burgh, told a news conference. 2021, and close on 8 August. competing in 2021 would lead to legal complications. “The standard penalty under help protect clean athletes, as the athletes we need to at the right the WADA code for doping is a agency tries to ensure no one gets time. four-year ban,” Clothier said. a “free pass” from reduced test- “While our testing activities “And that’s been designed that ing during the pandemic. are reduced at the moment, we way to tie in with the Olympic Clothier said that though are focusing on our priority and cycle. current testing limitations give high-risk athletes and making “But in this case, of course, it’s dopers an opportunity to cheat, sure we can test them as much an anomaly that the Olympics agencies should be proactive as possible within the limitations have moved so some athletes will A man wearing a face mask walks next to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic countdown clock outside the Tokyo railway station on Friday. (AFP) in identifying athletes prone we have. benefit from that. to cheating while also cracking “We’re hoping that we’ll see “It’s an unfortunate situation caught after August this year the biggest impact the pandemic “We do testing for over a 100 conducting testing where we can down on the root causes of dop- change around the anti-doping but one that is very clear under would be banned for two Olym- has had on anti-doping agencies countries round the world and but there is a severe disruption, ing. world... where more organisa- the legal framework so the ban pic Games — in Tokyo and Paris is the lack of regular testing. there are different restrictions in no question.” “One thing that needs to be tions invest in intelligence capa- is based on time and not tied to — since they fall within the four- “The restrictions on move- each country... and those restric- The United States Anti-Dop- understood though is testing for bilities so that they can address particular events.” year sanction range. ment that are happening in many tions are changing day-to-day, ing Agency (USADA) said a new us isn’t just a numbers game,” he the root causes of doping and the The anomaly could prove to be But with social distancing pro- countries are having a severe week-to-week. self-administered doping test, added. “We use intelligence and people behind doping rather than a double-edged sword, however, tocols and lockdowns in place in disruption to testing processes “So our normal testing opera- where athletes are monitored live investigation methodologies to just using the tests as a facade or with Clothier saying athletes several countries, Clothier said around the world,” he said. tions are disrupted. We are still by a doping control officer, could make sure we are testing the right a numbers game.” TENNIS Djokovic shares Olympic regrets with Murray in live chat Reuters Open final against you in 2016,” “Maybe that match against Asked to come up with the London, United Kingdom Murray, who has also finished you in London, or the semi-final perfect player if they could runner-up at the Australian against Rafa in Beijing (in 2008),” combine strokes from different Open five times, said. Djokovic, who won the bronze players, both picked each other ive tennis action is a fad- “Obviously I would have loved medal in Beijing said. “In Rio I for having the best service re- ing memory during the to win the Australian Open or felt really good but two days be- turns. coronavirus shutdown the French Open but I think as a fore the match I felt my wrist. It “If I won a free point off my Lbut 20,000 fans tuned in challenge for me, because clay started to be more painful. It’s no first serve against you I was cele- to watch old rivals Novak Djok- was such a tough surface for excuse, I got injections, but I felt brating like I won a set,” Djokovic, ovic (right) and Andy Murray me throughout my career, that sad that I wasn’t at my best and who owns 17 Grand Slam titles, chew the fat on Instagram on Fri- would have been for me my big- could work my way in the tour- said of his fellow 32-year-old. day. gest achievement.” nament. Both said they would swap for Sitting on their sofas at home, The Serb hit back from losing “If I could change any out- the serves of John Isner or Nick the duo spent an entertaining the first set to outplay Murray in comes would be Rio and Lon- Kyrgios, while Murray said Nad- hour reminiscing about some of that Paris showdown, complet- don.” al’s forehand was the toughest the classics in their 36-match se- ing his career Grand Slam in the Three-time Grand Slam and Djokovic picked Roger Fed- ries, painful losses and even came process. champion Murray, trying to sal- erer’s. up with the perfect tennis player. World number one Djokovic vage his career after hip surgery Unsurprisingly they were in The knockabout banter of- has never won the Olympic gold at the start of 2019, admitted he agreement on which player is fered some candid reflections on medal though, a feat Murray wished he had enjoyed his suc- mentally the toughest — Nadal. their glittering careers — both on achieved in 2012 and 2016. cesses more. “It’s like going on court to face hold as tennis awaits the end of Djokovic said his semi-final “After the issues I’ve had the Gladiator,” Djokovic said. the pandemic which has claimed defeats against Murray and Rafael last few years, I sometimes do Asked by a fan what they would more than 150,000 lives globally. Nadal in the 2012 and 2008 Ol- wish I had enjoyed those mo- have done rather than tennis, Asked which losses hurt the ympics were two of his toughest ments more. When you see the Djokovic picked being a scientist. most, both selected matches losses — together with his defeat end coming you think... I should For Murray? “Right now it against each other. by Juan Martin del Potro in the first have enjoyed the wins or even the would be cool to be a doctor be- “For me it was the French round of the 2016 Rio Games. losses that were great matches.” cause you realise what’s impor- Gulf Times 2 Sunday, April 19, 2020 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT FOCUS Arsenal psychologist Premier League could in constant touch with players: Arteta Reuters Arsenal are ninth in the league London with 40 points from 28 matches. Meanwhile, according to return by mid-June in Guardian, Arsenal’s first-team rsenal’s psychologist players are expected to formally has been in constant agree a 12.5% wage cut for the communication with next year within 48 hours, mak- Athe Premier League ing them the first squad in the club’s players to offer any help Premier League to accept a re- they may need during the lock- duction in pay. ‘best-case scenario’ down due to the novel corona- The agreement, which the virus outbreak, manager Mikel Guardian understands would be Arteta has said.