Sports Thursday, April 23, 2020 13 Safety comes first, says Al Wakrah’s Hassani

Tribune News Network on the field and that makes it really competitive. It’s a pity that we can’t do what we love, but safety Doha Having been the promoted team from the Second comes above all. We train in small groups of maximum Division, Al Wakrah have done well by being seventh in four players every day to get even fitter and run a lot QNB Stars League side Al Wakrah’s Moroccan mid- the standings… with the ball. fielder Iliass Bel Hassani is staying as fit as ever as he That says something about the club that wants to strictly follows the daily training programme designed grow. It’s a nice team that we’ve. It’s like a real family What preventive measures did you take to- by the club during the current stoppage of tournaments. atmosphere. wards precautions against the spread of virus? Bel Hassani, who joined Al Wakrah from Dutch Other than for training, I mostly stayed indoors. I club PEC Zwolle in this season’s January transfer win- You already have five wins to your credit, the used to go out only for training and essential shopping. dow, spoke to qsl.qa in an exclusive interview. same as Al Ahli. How’s the team composition? We’ve good players and we can play the game well. How’ve been your training sessions going? How do you rate Al Wakrah’s performance so We’ve got a balanced squad. We also have to realise that I believe I’m even fitter now than earlier because far in the QNB Stars League? if we do that, we can look forward to putting up better I’m following a specific regimen. Training is going on We’re looking good. It would have been better had performances. well and we’re working hard, as always. we taken a few more points from the last few games. Since there’re no matches now because of the Do you have any special fitness session these What’s the level of competition like in ? preventive measures against the spread of cor- days? It’s very competitive. Teams like to play football and onavirus, how do you stay fit to be ready for the I follow the daily training programme designed by Al Wakrah’s Moroccan midfielder Bel Iliass Hassani (right) says he’s they want to fight. There’re many outstanding players action? the club and that’s excellent. training in small groups and is mostly staying indoors. Italian sports More QSL stars take minister Germany’s locked-out postpones pay cuts, join fight decision over against COVID-19 football season football fans ponder how Tribune News Network DPA Doha Rome to support their teams Qatar Stars League play- Italy’s Sport Minister ers Kayke Rodrigues of Qatar Vincenzo Spadafora met on AFP Sports Club, Hector Moreno Wednesday with top football Berlin of Al Gharafa and and Lucca bodies but there was no deci- Borges of Al Khor Sports Club sion about whether the sea- How do you support your foot- have announced their decision son could restart. ball team when you are not al- to take pay cuts in support of Serie A clubs and the lowed inside the stadium or Qatar’s fight against the novel Italian football federation even anywhere near it? coronavirus (COVID-19). (FIGC) had hoped to get the German football fans are The three join the list of go ahead to resume training having to come up with inno- many other illustrious foot- on May 4, with plans to re- vative ways to cheer on their ballers including Al Sadd head Hector Moreno. sume the season three weeks clubs, with hopes the Bundes- coach Xavi Hernandez. later. The campaign was liga can return behind closed The other Qatar’s football halted in March by the new doors next month as the coro- stars who have stepped forward coronavirus pandemic. navirus pandemic forces sup- and announced that they would “In the next few days, af- porters to stay away. be taking pay cuts as a gesture ter meeting with the health The German Football of solidarity in dealing with the minister [Roberto Speranza] League (DFL) will meet on crisis include the [government’s] scien- Thursday to outline plans for Qatar’s national team and tific committee we will issue the country’s top flight to re- Al Sadd captain Hassan al measures regarding a possi- sume from May 9 having been Haydos, 2018 AFC Player of ble restart and the modality halted in mid-March. the Year , of training,” Spadafora said. It is planned that the games defender Bassem al Rawi, who FIGC and Serie A last will be held in near-empty sta- plays for Al Duhail in the Qatar week submitted to the gov- diums without fans -- dubbed Bayern Munich’s Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee during a training session in Munich, Germany, on Wednesday. (AFP) Stars League, Assem Madibo, ernment a medical protocol ‘ghost games’ in German. , Al Sadd goalkeep- to guarantee the safety of With large public events ders. It’s overwhelming, we Cologne’s CEO Alexander showing matches. er , Al Duhail SC players at training camps. banned in most of Germany never expected this”, beamed Wehrle told German daily Bild. The league season has also midfielder Assim Madibo and All sporting activities until at least August 31, the DFL Thomas Ludwig, chairman of “We would then also like to ground to a halt in Denmark Al Gharafa Lucca Borges. have been on hold since will also need special permis- Fanprojekt Moenchenglad- involve the fans.” with no sign of a return date. March 9 with Italy going into sion from Angela Merkel’s gov- bach (FPMG), who came up However, the fear among However Midtjylland are lockdown as it became the ernment in order to resume. with the novel idea. the clubs, politicians and the working on the idea of fans in European nation worst hit To prepare for a potential Gladbach winger Patrick police union is that during 2,000 parked cars watching on by the virus. The government restart, the Bundesliga’s 18 Herrmann has said the figures ‘ghost games’ fans will gather screens outside the stadium and could partially ease meas- clubs have been back in train- on the terraces give the players outside stadiums to support cheering to radio commentary. ures after May 3. ing for three weeks, and fans a morale boost during training their team despite the current Christian Ramrath, chair- Serie A has 12 matchdays across the country are coming sessions at Borussia Park. ban on assemblies. man of Borussia Dortmund fan left while the semi-finals of up with novel ways to support Their rivals Cologne are also Current league leaders club ‘Schwarz-Gelbe Essener’ the Italian Cup are also still their team without setting foot planning for a restart with part Bayern Munich have said they told Bild that ghost games are to be played. on the terraces. of their stadium covered for would take measures to stop “not the football many of us Kayke Rodrigues. For €19 ($21), Borussia home games with banners and fans congregating outside their want to have”. Moenchengladbach support- flags donated by fans. Allianz Arena during matches. However, if the Bundesliga ers can have life-sized card- One solution could be returns, Ramrath plans to watch board figure of themselves, ‘Step towards normality’ an idea by Danish club FC matches with other Dortmund Olympic ski many decked in team colours, “There are various ideas on Midtjylland, who want to fans via Skype or he even hopes propped up on the terraces. how we could decorate the sta- turn their stadium’s car park the local drive-through cinema champ Jacobsen “We have over 6,500 or- dium for home ghost games,” into a drive-through cinema in Essen will show games live. ends career DPA Peru launches Oslo Snooker’s World Championship fund to support World and Olympic cross- country skiing champion given July start after virus delay virus-hit Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen is ending her career because AFP week, but it is now set to run chairman Barry Hearn said. football clubs the coronavirus pandemic London between July 31 and August The Crucible Theatre showed her that her future 16, subject to British gov- which hosts the tournament AFP lies in the medical profession. The World Snooker Cham- ernment guidelines on the has a capacity of just under Lima “I am ready to spend my pionship has been resched- health crisis. 1,000, but it could be played time in a different way and to uled to start in July after “The world is going with a reduced crowd, be- Peru’s football federation has put my medical studies first. being postponed due to through a very challenging hind closed doors or even said it will set up a million-dol- That’s why I end my career as the coronavirus pandemic, period but live sport can be postponed again depending lar fund to help first and second a national team skier, before governing body World a massive inspiration for the on government advice. division clubs counter the eco- I might lose my motivation,” Snooker Tour (WST) said on public and can boost morale. The World Championship nomic effects of the coronavi- Norwegian Jacobsen told Wednesday. This gives fans of top class was won last year by top- rus pandemic. NRK radio on Wednesday. The sport’s premier tour- sport something on their ranked Judd Trump, who “We have received the green She has one year left in nament was originally sched- calendar to look ahead to thrashed Scotland’s John light from CONMEBOL to ded- her studies. Judd Trump is the reigning world snooker champion. uled to open in Sheffield last and enjoy for 17 days,” WST Higgins 18-9 in the final. icate the funds it allocates as Jacobsen, 33, won the part of its Evolution 2020 pro- 2007 sprint world title and gram in support of our Liga 1 has one Olympic and two and Liga 2 clubs,” the FPF said world championship gold in a statement on Tuesday. medals from relay races. She Bale gives £500,000 to ‘special’ Cardiff hospital FPF president Agustin topped six World Cup races Lozano said that if the sport’s and was second in the 2008 regional governing body overall World Cup. AFP video to thank everybody in ness in Wales with more than CONMEBOL and FIFA pro- London the NHS for their hard work 8,000 cases recorded. vided additional funds for and sacrifice during this COV- Spain’s La Liga has been Peruvian football, they would Wales attacker Gareth ID-19 crisis,” he said suspended since March 12 be intended for relaunching Bale said on Wednesday that “The University Hospital due to the outbreak but foot- the first and second division he had donated £500,000 of Wales holds a special place ball authorities in the coun- championships. ($615,000) to the hospital in my heart, it’s where I was try have agreed on a return South American football where he was born to help in born and it’s provided great to protocol for professional chief Alejandro Dominguez the fight against the coronavi- support to my friends, my players. earlier this month asked FIFA rus pandemic. family and the wider commu- League president Javier for an urgent meeting on set- Real Madrid’s Bale, 30, nity. Tebas last week said play ting up a global fund to help who has won four Champions “Me and my family we’d could restart as early as next federations affected by the cor- League titles since joining the like to show our support. Keep month, although a fortnight onavirus pandemic. Spanish giants in 2013, made up the good work, you’re do- extension of the nationwide Peru’s football boss also the announcement in a Twit- ing an amazing job and thank lockdown until May 9 an- hopes that competitions can ter post by the Cardiff and you very much,” he added. nounced on Saturday ap- resume in July behind closed Vale Health Board. As of Wednesday 624 pears to have scuppered doors and intends to require Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen “I just wanted to make this people had died from the ill- those plans. Wales and Real Madrid player Gareth Bale. players to take virus tests.