Gatlin Dreaming of 'Historic' Bolt Duel
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SPORTS Saturday, June 24, 2017 21 Afghanistan ecstatic over TestKabu status unanimous vote by the granted the full membership The successes have brought “Afghanistan... dared to 24-year-old Kabul resident ricket-mad Afghanistan International Cricket Council and the Test status, and I much-needed cheer in a dream that this would happen Mohammad Daud. was euphoric after being during its annual meeting in congratulate this news to the country beset by a wrenching and today it has become a “It’s a shame that we have awardedC Test match status, a London. cricket board, and to the entire conflict that has resulted in reality.” got Test status but don’t have rare glimmer of good news “This achievement was a Afghan nation.” a record number of civilian But many fans rued the the infrastructure to match.” amid rising insecurity, though dream for Afghanistan and Afghan cricket has made casualties. lack of infrastructure -- and Last year, Afghanistan’s many lamented the lack of we have been yearning for rapid strides since the fall of “For a nation like security -- to host international national team shifted its base sports infrastructure in the this status,” said Afghanistan the Taliban in late 2001, with Afghanistan it is a huge and matches. from Sharjah in United Arab conflict-torn country. Cricket Board chairman the country’s premier leg- remarkable achievement, “Afghanistan does not have Emirates to Noida, Delhi, Both Ireland and Atif Mashal, hailing spinner Rashid Khan the entire nation will be many cricket grounds that while India’s former batsman Afghanistan became cricket’s it as a “historic making waves in T20 celebrating,” said Afghanistan meet international standards Lalchand Rajput replaced 11th and 12th Test nations achievement”. leagues including Indian Cricket Board chief executive and most importantly Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq on Thursday following a “We have been Premier League this year. Shafiq Stanikzai. security to host games,” said as team coach. (AFP) Contador, Degenkolb India’s Srikanth into Aus Open semis headline Trek team third straight 21-15, 21-18 and will next Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara Paris Superseries semi-final, face China’s sixth ranked Chen also made it to the last four lberto Contador will have two powerful a turnaround from his Long. following a 21-12, 23-21 climbers alongside him as he targets a third modest form of last Chen won a 78-minute victory over compatriot Sayaka TourA de France title ten years after his first, in season. struggle over two- Takahashi. an international Trek team unveiled on Friday. “It’s going great so far, time Olympic and five-time In the mountains, the 34-year-old can count I just want to play well,” world champion Lin Dan on Colombian Jarlinson Pantano, winner of a he said. 21-16, 12-21, 23-21. stage in last year’s race, and Dutchman Bauke “I missed six-seven China’s sixth seed Sun Yu Mollema. The Trek team also features Germany’s tournaments last year, I just won a re-match of last year’s John Degenkolb, recruited in the close season want to play as many games as women’s final when she and winner of the Milan-SanRemo and the Paris- possible.” knocked out India’s defending Roubaix classics two years ago. After a close first game, champion Saina Nehwal In an international lineup the US-registered Praneeth faltered in not 21-17, 10-21, 21-17. team includes riders of seven different nations. Sydney maintaining the pressure on Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Contador has five wins on major tours while ndia’s Srikanth, who steadily grew in Ying, recovering from flu, 28-year-old Degenkolb has never won a Kidambi confidence and closed out the dug deep to beat India’s stage on the Tour de France in his three SrikanthI match and will face China’s Shi fourth-ranked Pusarla times competing. overcame Yuqi in Saturday’s semi-finals. Sindhu, 10-21, 22-20, 21-16 Trek team for the Tour de France: compatriot Sai Chinese fourth seed Shi and advance to the semi- André Cardoso (POR), Alberto Praneeth 25-23, 21-17 progressed with a 21-17, 21-12 finals of the women’s event. Contador (ESP), John Degenkolb (GER), to reach the semi- win over Denmark’s Hans- The top seed will face Koen De Kort (NED), Fabio Felline finals of badminton’s Kristian Solberg Vittinghus. Japanese third seed Akane (ITA), Michael Gogl (AUT), Markel Australian Open in South Korea’s Lee Hyun-Il Yamaguchi, who powered Irizar (ESP), Bauke Mollema (NED), Srikanth Kidambi of Sydney yesterday. knocked out Chinese eighth past China’s Chen Yufei, Jarlinson Pantano (COL) India celebrates It will be Srikanth’s seed Tian Houwei 17-21, 21-15, 21-14. Gatlin dreaming of ‘historic’ Bolt duel Sacramento “For me, when I made my American returned to track and “It set me back a couple of 10.00 seconds. ustin Gatlin says the prospect comeback into the sport, I said to field in 2010 after a four-year weeks, about three weeks. So Yet the dominant US of lining up for one final duel myself, ‘I just want to be shoulder doping ban, the second drug- I’ve just been clawing to get sprinter of his generation againstJ Usain Bolt is driving his to shoulder with him.’ related sanction of his career. back to where I needed to be,” acknowledges he is being weary body as he attempts to “Watching him run in the But with the exception of a Gatlin said. In the circumstances, nudged aside by a new crop book his place on the US team for Olympics in 2008, when I was lone Gatlin victory in a Rome reaching London for one last of athletes, led by 21-year- August’s World Championships. sitting at a restaurant, I said to Diamond League meeting in showdown with Bolt would be old Christian Coleman, The 35-year-old former myself, ‘I want to run with that 2013, the rivalry has been one- especially satisfying, Gatlin said. the fastest man in the world Olympic and world champion guy.’ sided. Bolt leads Gatlin 8-1 in “It would be the toughest year this season who clocked 9.82 said racing against Bolt in what “There’s no fear -- just a total head-to-head meetings, a record for me. But it would be an honour earlier this month. will be the Jamaican superstar’s respect for how fast he is, the which includes two Olympic and to get through and show the “It’s a foreign experience. farewell to track and field would competition he brings. So I want world 100m finals. fortitude that I have,” he said. I’m usually the young guy,” be “special.” to make it to these last finals.” This season, Gatlin’s Gatlin was a comfortable Gatlin joked. “To be able to run “It’s a part of history,” Gatlin Gatlin’s rivalry with Bolt has preparations have been plagued winner of his 100m first-round with these guys and hang with told reporters at the US trials in been one of sprinting’s most by a series of niggling injuries heat at Sacramento’s Hornet them, I’m enjoying it and Sacramento. compelling narratives since the that have disrupted his training. Stadium on Thursday in a brisk having fun.” Justin Gatlin.