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Saturday, April 30, 2016 FORMULA 1 Rajab 23, 1437 AH Hamilton tops GULF TIMES Russia practice, Vettel stops SPORT Page 11 2016 QATAR CUP El Jaish avenge last year’s loss with Qatar Cup victory Goals from Methnani and Hamedallah help Jaish defeat Lekhwiya 2-1 and win the Qatar Cup in a keenly contested final

El Jaish players celebrate with the Qatar Cup trophy yesterday at the Al Sadd stadium. Jaish defeated Lekhwiya 2-1 to win the 2016 edition. PICTURESS: Noushad Thekkayil & Shemeer Rasheed

By Sports Reporter Doha Jaish players celebrate the winning goal. l Jaish won the Qatar Cup yes- terday, in the process avenging their heartbreaking defeat to Lekhwiya in last year’s fi nal. EThe fi nal played at the Al Sadd stadi- um was a keenly contested aff air with the Armymen clinching a deserved 2-1 win after Abderrazzak Hamedallah convert- ed a penalty in the 89th minute to score what turned out to be the winning goal. Lekhwiya had come into this fi nal having defeated Qatar Stars League champions Al Rayyan in the semi-fi nals. El Jaish, on the other hand, had survived a late fi ghtback from Al Sadd before Lekhwiya defender Mohamed Musa (L) eventually emerging victorious 3-2. and Mohamed Tresor react after the Both teams hit the ground running loss yesterday. but it was Lekhwiya who dominated the initial proceedings. They were able to build a series of attacks with El Jaish coach celebrates after the win yesterday. El Jaish striker Abderrazzak Hamedallah scored Mohamed Muntari leading them. But the winning goal yesterday. none of those moves troubled El Jaish cluding a Luiz Martin freekick saved ceived a long ball from keeper Khalifa Ndiaye. And then the by Ndiaye, but the teams went into the and looked to fl ick it past Ndiaye but lanky Qatar striker, who was play- break with Jaish in the lead. the Jaish keeper pulled off a great refl ex ing with a heavy bandaged right knee, With the team lacking bite, Le- save to deny the Tunisian. couldn’t continue and was replaced by khwiya coach brought The match was into the fi nal min- Alain Dioko. in striker Ismail Mohamed in place of utes and both teams were getting edgy. After absorbing the initial pressure, midfi elder Martin. This move brought Fouls were on the rise and scuffl es were El Jaish then turned aggressor. A Sar- the desired result as Lekhiwya were breaking out. Both teams were building dor Rashidov run down the right fl ank now more threatening on the off ence. attacks. And then in the 87th minute in the 25th minute almost resulted in a El Jaish were looking to defend their Lekhiwya defender Mohamed Musa goal when his shot was spilled by Le- lead and attack on the counter when- committed an error which he will re- khwiya keeper Ivanildo Santos. But ever possible. member for a long time. Mohamed Tresor’s timely clearance With Lekhwiya constantly mount- Musa brought down Magid Moham- prevented Hamedallah from getting to ing the pressure and the Jaish defence ed inside the box and the referee had to the loose ball. fi nally committed an error when de- point to the spot. Abderrazzak made Jaish did get the lead fi ve minutes fender Murad Hussein brought down no mistake and Jaish had the lead in the later. Rashidov’s well-directed free- Khalid Muftah in the 76th minute. The 89th minute. kick found Mohamed Methnani and referee Abdulrahman Jassim pointed Despite there being four minutes of a part , part shoulder eff ort from to the spot. Dioko stepped up, fi red in added time, Lekhwiya couldn’t fi nd him saw the ball fi nd the back of the a powerful strike and converted from an equaliser and Jaish had managed net. With their noses ahead, Jaish were the spot. to avenge their last year’s loss in style. now playing with more confi dence. Back on level terms, Lekhwiya were Coach Sabri Lamouchi was an extremely El Jaish’s who missed the final Lekhwiya attempted a few attacks now the more confi dent side. In the happy man. Jaish have managed to win a celebrates with the trophy along with stand-in towards the end of the fi rst half, in- very next minute, Yousef Msakni re- piece of silverware this season. captain Abdurahman Mohammad. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, April 30, 2016 FOOTBALL

PREVIEW SPOTLIGHT Fresh Arsenal fan backlash lies in Unsung Foxes set wait for Wenger for EPL fairytale ’s side have the eyes of the world on them as they head to Old Traff ord knowing a victory against United would see the 5,000-1 outsiders crowned champions for the first time in their 132-year history

Artist Richard Wilson spray paints a mural of Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri in Leicester yesterday.

AFP League,” Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech said. “You need to start winning games. We have three games to rsene Wenger will be play and we need to get as many forced to confront re- points as we can. newed supporter pro- “I don’t think it will be enough tests at the Emirates Sta- to fi nish in the top two now as the diumA today as he attempts to stop other teams have taken advantage Arsenal’s troubled season implod- of our two points dropped.” ing in the fi nal weeks. In that context, the possible A number of fans’ groups are return of Santi Cazorla after a six- planning to mark the visit of strug- month absence with a knee prob- gling Norwich by displaying plac- lem will be welcomed by Wenger, ards during the game demanding although England midfi elder Alex change after another frustrating Oxlade-Chamberlain remains campaign. sidelined. The Gunners’ “Santi might be in the squad this title challenge was fi nally ended weekend, I don’t know yet. He is AFP Ranieri to get 5mn pound bonus if Leicester win title haven’t won. It’s not in our hands, it’s in following last weekend’s failure available,” Wenger said. London Leicester’s hands,” Kane said. to beat lowly Sunderland, leaving “Everyone is available, but London: Leicester City manager Champions League or won the Premier “They’d have to lose two and draw one Wenger’s side to face another rele- maybe Oxlade-Chamberlain is Claudio Ranieri will earn a five million League. and we’d have to win all three. It’s not gation-threatened team with their not competitive yet. It’s Oxlade- eicester City defender Danny pound ($7.33 million) bonus if his team He currently earns about 1.5 million impossible but it looks unlikely the way focus now trained on preserving a Chamberlain’s fi rst week in full Simpson insists the prolonged win the Premier League title, the Times pounds a year, according to the report, their season has gone so far.” top four spot. training now, so I don’t think I will absence of star striker Jamie Var- reported yesterday. and is in discussions with the club over Tottenham can at least take encour- The goalless draw at the Sta- select him this weekend.” dy won’t stop the Premier League Italian Ranieri also has a separate a new contract. agement from the fact United need the dium of Light opened the door for Norwich will attempt to revive Lleaders clinching the most incredible ti- win almost as much as the north Lon- City to move into third their bid to escape relegation af- clause in his contract that guarantees Leicester need three points from their tle triumph in English football history at him 100,000 pounds for every place last three games to win their first doners. place, leaving Arsenal in fourth ter a recent upturn in form that Manchester United tomorrow. that his team finish above 18th, which top-flight title and will be crowned ’s side are fi ve points place, fi ve points clear of Man- brought seven points from three Claudio Ranieri’s side have the eyes will see him earn 1.7 million pounds if champions if they beat Manchester behind fourth-placed Arsenal and third- chester United who have played a games was ended by successive of the world on them as they head to the Foxes come first. United at Old Traff ord tomorrow or if placed Manchester City but have a game game less. defeats against Crystal Palace and Old Traff ord knowing a victory against When Ranieri took charge of Leicester second-placed Tottenham Hotspur lose in hand in the race for Champions League The odds remain in Arsenal’s fa- Sunderland. United would see the 5,000-1 outsiders in the close season, he was tasked to Chelsea on Monday night. qualifi cation. vour as they attempt to qualify for The 3-0 home defeat against crowned champions for the fi rst time in with keeping the team in the Premier When asked earlier in the season Slumping Arsenal, with just one win the Champions League for a 20th the Black Cats was particularly de- their 132-year history. League. Leicester’s owners wrote a if Leicester’s players would also be in their last four matches, host third- successive season under Wenger’s moralising and the Canaries now In an era where the greed is good man- number of clauses into his contract entitled to a bonus if the team won the bottom Norwich City, who are in the guidance. face a three-way battle with Sun- tra of the Premier League’s big spenders to make a parting of ways easier if he title, Ranieri said: “I don’t know if there relegation zone on goal diff erence below But the French manager con- derland and Newcastle to avoid has proved a turn-off for many, Ranieri’s failed. is a clause (for players) and I don’t tell Sunderland. cedes that record is under threat, going down to the Championship collection of unsung heroes have cap- Ranieri asked for clauses of his own, you. They made a mistake if they didn’t City travel to Southampton before fo- and anything less than victory with Aston Villa. tured the imagination of fans across the granting him incentives if the club arrange it. I considered if I win the cusing on next week’s second leg of their against a Norwich side currently Alex Neil’s side sat out last globe by making the seemingly impossi- qualified for the Europa League, the league.” Champions League semi-fi nal against occupying the third relegation weekend’s round of fi xtures and ble into a reality. Real Madrid. place on goal diff erence will in- the manager must hope the break Completing their astonishing charge Sunderland aim to maintain their climb crease the pressure on Wenger’s will leave his team refreshed. to the title at the home of the 20-time with their spirits lifted by reaching the Even if Leicester only draw tomorrow, to safety when they visit Stoke City. position. “It looks like it is going all the English champions would be a fi tting fi - FA Cup fi nal. they would take the title if second-placed Newcastle United, second from bot- Mesut Ozil’s admission this way now. There are huge amounts nal chapter in the Leicester fairytale. However, few teams epitomise Tottenham Hotspur, seven points adrift tom and one point from safety, host FA week he is in no hurry to sign a to play for and certainly the points But the Foxes’ fi rst shot at sporting against-the-odds success better than with three games remaining, fail to win at Cup fi nalists Crystal Palace as Eagles new contract—his current deal tally, with limited games left, you immortality comes with leading scorer Ranieri’s men and, with Vardy’s replace- Chelsea on Monday. boss , an unpopular fi gure runs until 2018 —only added to the feel it is going to go right to the Vardy banished to the stands after the ment having scored Defeats for both Leicester and Totten- on Tyneside, makes his fi rst return to St sense that while there is no silver- end,” Neil said. England international was this week twice against Swansea, Simpson sees no ham, who haven’t won at Chelsea since James’ Park since quitting in 2014. ware at stake, the remaining weeks “Obviously playing Arsenal handed an additional one-game ban for reason why Leicester’s coronation can’t 1990, would also mean Ranieri’s team are of the season could be signifi cant away at the Emirates is tough but angrily confronting referee Jonathan come this weekend. confi rmed as champions. Fixtures (1400 GMT unless stated) for the club. Missing out on the we need to try and take something Moss following his dismissal for diving “I think we have just sent a message Having harboured genuine hopes of a Today Champions League will do nothing and then we have two at home and against West Ham United earlier this to everyone who has been a bit negative fi rst title since 1961, Tottenham appear to Arsenal v Norwich (1630 GMT), Everton to encourage Ozil and Chile star we have to target them and Everton month. about us,” said Simpson, whose side have have fallen short after a lacklustre second v Bournemouth, Newcastle v Crystal Alexis Sanchez to agree new terms. away, whose home record is not Although Vardy’s presence wasn’t won seven and drawn two of their last half led to Monday’s damaging 1-1 draw Palace, Stoke v Sunderland, Watford v However, a strong fi nish backed great. missed as Leicester crushed lowly Swan- nine matches. against West Bromwich Albion. Aston Villa, West Brom v West Ham by victory at Manchester City in “People can talk about the sea City 4-0 in the fi rst match of his ban “We have players who can come in and With England midfi elder Dele Alli now Tomorrow the penultimate game will guar- points we need, but two wins and last weekend, the trip to United could be do well. Leo (Ulloa) was man of the match ruled out for the rest of the season fol- Manchester United v Leicester (1305 antee third place and automatic a draw from where we are, I think a trickier proposition. and Jeff (Schlupp) has come in and was lowing his three-match suspension for GMT), Southampton v Manchester City passage to the Champions League that will be enough. Leicester last won at Old Traff ord in excellent. punching Albion’s Claudio Yacob, even (1530 GMT), Swansea v Liverpool (1100 group stages, strengthening “It is about us. I look at the four 1998, each of their last six visits have “Yeah, we have had a settled team but Tottenham striker Harry Kane concedes GMT) Wenger’s hand. games we have got and think we ended in defeat and they take on a United we have always known the players who Leicester look out of reach. Monday “Now the fi ght is to get the need to win some of those, not who outfi t who are chasing a top-four berth are trying to get in the team can do well.” “It makes it a lot, lot harder now we Chelsea v Tottenham (1900 GMT) best position for the Champions has got who elsewhere.”

BOTTOMLINE Glorious summer in sight for Leicester City aft er many winters of discontent Reuters ing, a season ticket holder for 34 years, said of Chelsea and Arsenal, neutrals and supporters food and drinks, a butcher is selling sausages where it was,” said Bev Danson, 56, who has Leicester, England the link between Richard’s reburial and Leices- from other clubs are also rooting for Leicester, named after Italian manager Claudio Ranieri, lived in Leicester all her life. ter’s meteoric rise. said shop-worker Derry. and pubs are pouring beer named in honour of The discovery and reburial of Richard’s body Rated 5,000-1 long shots by bookmakers last “The great escape surprised us all and then to top scorer . was estimated to have brought an extra 59 mil- hen King Richard III was reinterred August, if “the Foxes” win at Manchester Unit- push on to the top and possibly, possibly win it, One restaurant is planning to give away 1,000 lion pounds ($86 million) to the local economy, in Leicester in March last year 500 ed on Sunday, the title will be theirs with two is unbelievable. All the planets just seem to have free curries to season-ticket holders if Leicester attracting an extra 600,000 visitors to the city. years after his death, fans of the games still to go. aligned.” win the title. Resident’s believe the club’s success will have English city’s unheralded soccer “Everybody’s buzzing. If they do it on Sunday, The highest Leicester have previously fi n- WHERE IS LEICESTER? a far greater impact, with English soccer avidly Wclub might have thought it too was dead and it will be an absolutely banging day,” said Hard- ished was second, way back in 1928-9. The club Like its soccer team, Leicester itself has rarely followed by millions of fans across the globe and buried. ing, 53, standing by a new statue of King Richard has also been FA Cup runner-up four times but found itself in the headlines. the team certain to play in Europe’s most pres- Richard’s remains had been found beneath a outside the city’s cathedral. never triumphed, although it has won the less The city, which dates back to Roman times tigious competition, the Champions League. municipal car park. Leicester City were also at Leicester, about 100 miles (160 km) north of prestigious League Cup three times. some 2,000 years ago, is one of Britain’s most “It seems as though all eyes are on Leicester,” a low point, bottom of the Premier League table London, has become a sea of blue and white, the Just eight years ago, it was languishing in the ethnically diverse areas, with about half its said Pratik Master, managing director for Lilu having won just six games all season. team’s colours. third tier of English football. 330,000 citizens non-white British, according Restaurant which is serving up dishes renamed Then they embarked on an incredible run, Bunting with the club crest fl utters from poles “I’ve worked in Leicester for 10 years and to a 2011 census. after the team’s manager, who came in for a meal winning seven of their last nine matches to in the main shopping thoroughfares and shop never heard a word about Leicester football The tourist offi ce’s list of famous residents last week, and players. comfortably avoid relegation. windows are adorned with huge Leicester fl ags club until this year,” said Phil Wiley, 52, who past and present has few household names, fea- The fact that the club has a Thai owner, Vi- Now are on the brink of becoming league and blue and white balloons. hails from northeast England. “Now everyone is turing the likes of psychedelic rock band Gaye chai Srivaddhanaprabha, and a Japanese striker, champions for the fi rst time in their 132-year “It’s had a massive impact, everyone’s talking banging on about them. They’ve all gone mad.” Bykers On Acid and crooner Engelbert Hump- , has also ensured an eager fol- history, with just three defeats all season. about it whether you’re a fan or not,” said Ian Billboards for the Leicester Mercury newspa- erdinck. lowing in Asia. Their exploits have thrust the provincial city Derry, 51, who went to his fi rst game in 1969. per read “Biggest Game in Club’s History” and “It’s not a high-profi le city. We’re not re- “We’ve had a great 18 months in Leices- into the global spotlight once again. In a league dominated for the last 25 years by a “Pubs Set For Big City Party”. ally on the tourist map. When we went abroad ter with Richard III but now with the Foxes it’s “It’s a remarkable coincidence,” Wayne Hard- select few rich, glamour clubs such as Man Utd, Bars and restaurants are off ering blue-themed and said we’re from Leicester, they didn’t know brought the world even closer,” Master said. Gulf Times Saturday, April 30, 2016 3 FOOTBALL

LA LIGA FOCUS Van Gaal ready to delay Leicester Real, Atletico’s CL title party

AFP could be champions. For me it’s Manchester no surprise. I’ve seen it many times. I believe in team building and this manager (Claudio Rani- campaign a boost ouis van Gaal is deter- eri) has done that with his team. mined to stop Leicester “Of course they had the cir- City from winning the cumstances with the same team Premier League title at and they didn’t play as many LOld Traff ord tomorrow. matches as other teams in the But the Manchester United Premier League (because of a manager expects that even if his lack of European commitments), side tops the Foxes from celebrat- so it’s always possible. for Barcelona ing on Sunday, the champagne “It’s good for the Premier will merely be on ice temporar- League and the sport of foot- ily, with Leicester’s coronation ball that it’s not always the same The Catalans lead Atletico Madrid solely thanks to their better head-to-head as champions to come in the fol- teams (winning the title),” van lowing few days. Gaal said. record with Real Madrid just a point behind the leaders in third Leicester will become the most United are a distant 17 points unlikely title winners in Pre- behind champions-elect Leices- mier League history if Claudio ter but van Gaal believes they can Ranieri’s side secures victory at still fi nish the season on a high, United. with an FA Cup fi nal against But van Gaal’s team need the Crystal Palace to come next points themselves as they try to month and the opportunity to secure Champions League foot- bridge a fi ve-point gap on Man- ball for next season. chester City and Arsenal, who And so the Dutch manager occupy third and fourth posi- would rather Leicester be re- tions in the Premier League re- liant on second-placed Tot- spectively and are still to play tenham Hotspur losing at each other. Chelsea on Monday or beating “We are fi ghting for the Everton themselves next Satur- Champions League and still in day to guarantee their historic the FA Cup,” said van Gaal. “We triumph. have to fi ght for something and “We have to beat them we shall do it. Hopefully we can (Leicester) because we are still in beat Leicester City.” the race for fourth position,” van United last won the Premier Gaal said Friday. “We cannot al- League title in 2013 under Alex low them to be champions this Ferguson and van Gaal claims weekend at Old Traff ord. they were not geared up to do it “They shall be champions a this season as he looks to con- week later. We don’t spoil the tinue to re-build the squad he party, only postpone it a little bit. inherited from two “I was the fi rst to say they years ago.

SPOTLIGHT Pochettino set to extend Spurs stay until 2021

Barcelona's Luis Suarez celebrates a goal against Sporting Gijon earlier this week. AFP Tottenham, a club he joined in London 2014. AFP By contrast, Barca have enjoyed just a thigh injury as Real travel to San Sebas- they welcome struggling Rayo to the Vi- “It was an easy decision when Barcelona their second free midweek of 2016 and tian. cente Calderon in a Madrid derby. you feel the love of the people appear to have turned the corner with 14 Karim Benzema will join the three- Coach has resisted the ottenham Hotspur man- and the potential of the club is goals without reply against Deportivo la time World Player of the Year on the temptation to rotate his squad in recent ager Mauricio Pochet- massive, so why change?,” he arcelona hold the slightest of ad- Coruna and Sporting Gijon in their last sidelines after he picked up a hamstring weeks, but may have one eye on the re- tino has announced he said. vantages in a thrilling three-way two outings after a run of three straight injury in the fi rst leg at City. turn in Munich on Tuesday with only six intends to extend his “We create a good atmosphere title race with just three league defeats. In their absence Gareth Bale will be days separating the two legs. Tcontract with the Premier League on the training ground and I games remaining ahead of their “There are people who say it is bet- charged with leading the Madrid attack Defender Diego Godin and winger club by two years until 2021. think we can achieve big things tripB to Real Betis today. ter to play every three days to not lose as he did with a double when they came Yannick Carrasco are both expected to The Argentinian has taken in the future. I believe in this The Catalans lead Atletico Madrid the rhythm of competition, others say it from 2-0 down to register a ninth straight miss out through injury with Atletico Spurs to second in the table and project and this club. I want to solely thanks to their better head-to- is better to rest, but the most important La Liga win at last week- hopeful both will be fi t in time to face the north London side still have a stay here.” head record with Real Madrid just a point thing is winning,” Barca defender Gerard end. Bayern. slim chance of winning the title, Pochettino added he had behind the leaders in third. Pique said on Thursday. And Real coach re- with the White Hart Lane club reached a verbal agreement re- However, Barca’s chances of retaining “We need to win the three games that fused to accept he will prioritise the up- Fixtures (all times GMT) seven points behind champions- garding his two-year extension, their title could be boosted by Atletico are left to win La Liga and then the Cup coming second leg with City ahead of Today elect Leicester City with three which he believes will be con- and Real’s European commitments as fi nal. their trip to Anoeta. v Real Madrid (1400), games of the season left. fi rmed in writing in the next few their respective clashes with Rayo Val- “It is in our hands which is the most “It is another fi nal. From here until the Atletico Madrid v Rayo Vallecano (1615), Such has been the impact of days. lecano and Real Sociedad are sandwiched important thing. If we win the three end of the season we only have fi nals re- Real Betis v Barcelona (1830), Granada v former Southampton manager When he took charge of Spurs between the two legs of their Champions games we will be champions.” maining,” he told Madrid’s website. Las Palmas (2005) Pochettino upon Tottenham, in May 2014 he was the club’s League semi-fi nals. Luis Suarez scored four times in each “We have not had much time to pre- Tomorrow that he has been linked with fi fth manager in seven years. Atletico and Real remained on course for of Barca’s last two games to streak three pare, but we know that. We have to play Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (1000), a number of high-profi le jobs But he has brought a degree a second Madrid derby fi nal in three years in ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the race to every three days and it is both a diffi - Espanyol v Sevilla (1400), Deportivo la and touted as a possible succes- of stability to the club, promot- midweek as Atletico will travel to Germany be the league’s top scorer. cult stadium and a diffi cult team to play Coruna v Getafe (1615), Valencia v Villar- sor to Louis van Gaal should the ing a crop of talented and young with a 1-0 lead over Bayern Munich, while The Uruguayan is well set to win at against.” real (1830) Dutchman be sacked by Man- English players such as Harry Real host Manchester City at the Santiago least that personal duel as Ronaldo is ex- Atletico look to have the easiest task Monday chester United. Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier Bernabeu with the scores level at 0-0. pected to miss a third straight game with of the three title contenders today when Malaga v Levante (1830) However, Pochettino ap- while building a team that has peared to end talk of a move to taken Tottenham to the verge of Old Traff ord by saying on Friday qualifi cation for the Champions EUROPA LEAGUE he had no qualms in staying with League.

Palermo president suspended Sevilla get draw at Shakhtar, for Infantino comments : The outspoken president of strugglers Palermo has been handed a 20-day suspension by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) for comments made about FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, it was announced yesterday. Villarreal edge Liverpool 1-0 Maurizio Zamparini was punished for reportedly claiming that Infantino won February’s presidential vote at the expense of DPA Kevin Gameiro made it 2-2 eight minutes Suarez launched a quick break and un- Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa “only because he bought Madrid from time with a calm penalty, after Vi- selfi shly set up supersub Adrian Lopez to more votes”. tolo had been clumsily pulled down in the make it 1-0. As well as the ban, the FIGC handed Zamparini an 18,000-euro box by Facundo Ferreyra. “Of course I’m not too happy with the ($20,602) fine, while Palermo have been fined the same amount. olders Sevilla are well placed The only bad news for Sevilla was a goal we conceded in the last second,” Liv- Swiss-Italian lawyer Infantino, 45, won the FIFA presidential elec- to reach a third straight Eu- serious knee injury suff ered by Michael erpool manager Juergen Klopp said. tion with 115 votes out of a possible 207. ropa League fi nal after battling Krohn-Dehli. “It is 1-0 and they have to come to An- “The system doesn’t change and the new president of FIFA, the out a late 2-2 draw Thursday at “We are all worried about the condi- fi eld where we know how strong we are. chief of bureaucrats, was part of it all before,” Zamparini was ShakhtarH Donetsk in an interesting semi- tion of Michael,” man-of-the-match Vi- We had our moments, we defended really quoted as saying in a video clip published on www.mediagol.it in fi nal fi rst leg, while Villarreal scored a late tolo said. well. This race is not over ... It will be a February. 1-0 home win over Liverpool. “We really had to work hard for this diff erent game at Anfi eld.” “If he got elected, it’s only because he bought more votes than The Shakhtar-Sevilla clash was draw, against good opponents ... The And Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mig- the sheikh.” played in the western Ukrainian city of second leg is not going to be easy at all, nolet said: “I think a draw would have Lviv because of the political and mili- we know that for sure.” been a fairer result, to be honest. I am not dead yet, says Guardiola tary unrest around Donetsk in eastern Meanwhile in Villarreal, Liverpool’s “But they managed to score and we did Ukraine. Joe Allen almost gave the visitors an early not, that is a fact ... Now we have to turn Munich: Bayern Munich coach has responded to Spain midfi elder Vitolo put Sevilla lead, only to be foiled by local keeper Ser- this result around, in the return game.” criticism of his team selection in Wednesday’s Champions League ahead against Shakhtar after just six min- gio Asenjo. Meanwhile, Villarreal hero Adrian said: defeat to Atletico Madrid by insisting he is “not dead yet”. utes with a low drive after being cleverly Villarreal dominated for the next hour, “That was an important goal for us to “I am not dead yet. We still have a match. I still have one more set up by Kevin Gameiro. with Cedric Bakambu heading a corner score, right at the end. bullet,” Guardiola told media on Friday after Bayern lost 1-0 to However, the 2015 and 2014 winners against the Liverpool post. “But it is by no means over yet. We Atletico in their Champions League semi-final first leg in Spain. failed to build on their early lead and al- Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino hit Asen- know that they are going to make things The Bavarians host Atletico in the return next Tuesday but before lowed Shakhtar to take control. jo’s post with a powerful drive, as Liv- very diffi cult for us in Liverpool.” that they can secure a fourth consecutive Bundesliga title with a quickly levelled for lively Sha- erpool fi nally came out of their shell in Villarreal have won all six of their win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach today. khtar after taking a pass from Yaroslav search of what would have been an im- home matches in the Europa League this Guardiola, who will move to Manchester City at the end of the sea- Rakitskiy, then Taras Stepanenko gave portant away goal. season. They are fourth in the Spanish son, has been criticised for leaving Thomas Mueller on the bench them the lead by heading in a centre from Villarreal's Adrian celebrates with However, the visitors were caught by Liga and well played to reach the qualify- at kick-off at the Vicente Calderon, but he said he is focused only the impressive Marlos. teammates after scoring against a slick sucker-punch right at the end as ing round for next season’s Champions on finishing his time at Bayern on a high. Sevilla dominated the second half and Liverpool on Thursday. the hosts snatched a late win, when Denis League. Gulf Times 4 Saturday, April 30, 2016 FOOTBALL

FEATURE Claudio Ranieri: a gentle and principled man on the brink of immortality

By Paolo Bandini wind us up by saying things, like ‘ooh, Tizio, moments your players will always give you a you only got a fi ve and a half’,” says Fraschetti. little something more.” To achieve such an at- “He would joke and comment on it in ironic mosphere requires everybody to feel involved - terms. He was not using the ratings to embar- right down to the supporters. At Cagliari, Rani- As Leicester City close in rass us. He wanted to sdramatizzare and show eri used to hop in a car every Monday evening on the Premier League title, they did not matter. To turn the negative re- with Pulga, his captain, and drive out to visit views into a positive.” one of the team’s countless local fan clubs for former players remember Of course, there was more to Ranieri than dinner and a glass of cannonau. “He is remem- Ranieri’s unorthodox this. Right from the outset, he was a forward bered in Sardinia for his results,” says Pulga, thinker when it came to tactics and training “but also for who he was as a man.” training methods and techniques. He introduced Vigor Lamezia’s Ranieri could be hard when he needed to. The praise a genuinely nice man players to zonal marking -- not yet common former Middlesbrough defender Gianluca Fes- on the peninsula -- and spoke to them about ta, another who played under him at Cagliari, sports psychology. remembers preseason training as “a massacre”. eicester City’s players were not the fi rst Vigor Lamezia were top of the table and un- But even here, Ranieri made sure that nobody to hear Claudio Ranieri ring his imagi- beaten when he resigned after 12 games. “There was favoured. If any individual was caught go- nary bell. Danny Drinkwater provoked was an agent who was very close to the presi- ing easy during a practice session, he would much amusement among the British dent at that time,” explains Fraschetti, “He draw the whole squad up into two lines and pressL corps last month, when he revealed the brought in a bunch of players from his stable. send them off together for an hour-long run. manager’s technique of saying “dilly-ding, Ranieri did not care for this situation and con- The stick has always been accompanied by dilly-dong” to restore focus whenever energy tinued to select whichever players he thought the carrot. At times Ranieri would place bets levels start to dip during training. deserved to play. This led to friction and mo- with his players, promising them all a slap-up Back in Italy, though, at least one observer ments of tension. So, in the end, he resigned.” fi sh supper if they made it through a certain had a diff erent reaction. played for The story hints at another common thread in number of games without dropping a point. As three seasons under Ranieri at Cagliari between players’ memories of Ranieri: that he is a man of Pulga tells it: “He lost a lot of money, too, be- 1988 and 1991. When he came across Drink- principle, someone who will always speak hon- cause we won a lot of those bets.” water’s comments, what he felt was a wave of estly and look you straight in the eye. A manager And then there were the little gifts that Rani- nostalgia. who treats every person the same way, whether eri would give out to his squad at Christmas. “You need to write that he invented this bell that be the seasoned veteran, the kid from the One year it was the “dilly-ding, dilly-dong” at Cagliari!” Pulga tells the Guardian. “As soon academy or the little old lady in the club shop. bell, and another it was a golden toy Ferrari - as I saw the story in England last month, my Antonio Gatto was a 16-year-old trying to a riff on the fact that one newspaper had de- mind immediately went back to the training catch a break with Vigor Lamezia back in 1986. scribed Cagliari as a sports car racing through session where it happened. “From day one, Ranieri treated me as though I the lower divisions. “It was very early in the morning, and us was much older,” Gatto recalls. “He spoke to me But the present that Festa remembers best players were all a bit sleepy. [Ranieri] could see as often as he did the senior players, and he had was an imitation ancient Roman coin, which that mentally we were still in bed, so he shouted no problem throwing me into a match. Bear in had inscribed upon it one of Ranieri’s favourite ‘Dilly-ding, dilly-dong! Training has started! Nocerino, now with Orlando City in Major lation. He fl ashed the mob a smile and lied: mind that, back then, I needed a signature from phrases: Dilly-ding, dilly-dong!’ After that, it became League Soccer, remembers him deploying it “I told him our starting formation.” my parents before I was even allowed to take “volere é potere” - literally, “to want is to do”, the calling card for our season. At Christmas, he even at Juventus. Just because the jokes come naturally, how- part in an offi cial game.” though a better English translation might be, gave us each a bell with ‘, dilly- “When we had a morning practice session, ever, does not mean that they are without pur- For Ranieri, any successful football team “where there’s a will there’s a way”. ding, dilly-dong’ and his name on it. I still have and some players were a bit sluggish, he would pose. Talk to Italian players who have worked requires as its foundation a united group who “This, for me, was such an important senti- mine at home.” call them out to the middle of the pitch and under Ranieri, and almost all will all use the share a sense of rowing together towards a ment,” says Festa. “When someone really wants Ranieri’s simulated alarm call was no less shout ‘Dilly-ding, dilly-dong!’ When I read same word to describe his penchant for joking common goal. Simone Perrotta worked under something, deeply, profoundly, inside them, whimsical to Italian ears three decades ago this story about Leicester, I just started laugh- around. He does it to sdrammatizzare - to di- managers as talented as at then they will succeed in getting it. Leicester than it is to English ones today. And yet, in both ing because all those funny moments with him minish and defuse the tension his team might Roma and with the Italian na- this season are the classic example. Even some- countries it has worked. The manager did not came rushing back into my head.” be feeling in a given situation. tional team. Among such exalted company, it thing that should be totally impossible: if you win a top-fl ight title with Cagliari, but he did That Ranieri has a sense of humour is hardly It is a strategy that he has deployed right was Ranieri’s capacity to bring people together want it truly, and are prepared to work for it, guide them to consecutive promotions from the new information. This is a man who, whilst from the very beginning. His fi rst coaching job, that marked him apart. then miracles can happen.” third division all the way up to Serie A. He kept coaching Roma in 2010, closed out a tense press back in 1986, was with a non-league side called “Diff erent managers know how to get the best Note that desire alone is not enough. If them there at the fi rst time of asking, before conference before the derby against Lazio by Vigor Lamezia. The club’s then captain, Fabio from their players in diff erent ways,” says Per- Leicester stand on the verge of an historic title, landing the Napoli job in the summer of 1991. answering a Norwegian journalist’s question Fraschetti, remembers how Ranieri used to ar- rotta. “What Ranieri did that was special was it is because they dared to dream big, but also The bell came with Ranieri to Naples, and about John Arne Riise in English. When Rani- rive for training every Tuesday with a bundle of to give a sense of empathy to his team. If you, because they knew when to stop dozing and seemingly everywhere else that he has worked eri rose to leave afterward, domestic reporters newspapers under his arm. as a person, can create an empathetic situation start grafting. All it took was to listen out for the since. The former Italy midfi elder Antonio roared in anger at his failure to provide a trans- “He would read out the player ratings and inside the changing room, then in the diffi cult “dilly-ding, dilly-dong” of Ranieri’s alarm bell.

BOTTOMLINE SPOTLIGHT CAS to decide Arsenal’s failures down to team Platini’s fate within 10 days playing in a ‘diffi cult climate’ attend Euro 2016 in his native Reuters Lausanne France in an offi cial capacity in By Dominic Fifield June and July. The Guardian “I am going to go on holiday, uspended UEFA presi- wait and maybe I will be defi - dent said nitely on holiday, or retired,” he was more optimistic said Platini, referring to the We lost the of having his six-year possibility of losing his appeal. banS from soccer overturned af- “If I am president of UEFA, I championship at ter his appeal hearing at sport’s will be at every game at Euro home against the highest tribunal yesterday, 2016.” with a decision due within 10 Platini was banned for eight lower teams: Wenger days. years in December along with “I am even more optimistic former FIFA president Sepp rsène Wenger has admitted his after (this hearing) because, Blatter over a payment of two team have had to play in “a very sincerely the team that came, million Swiss francs ($2.08 diffi cult climate” at the Emirates and you saw that we were nu- million) made to the French- Stadium this season but sug- merous, was very good,” the man by FIFA with Blatter’s ap- gestedA the mutinous atmosphere is being Frenchman told reporters fol- proval in 2011 for work done a whipped up by a few egos with a personal lowing an eight-hour hearing decade earlier. agenda against him and actually has “not Arsenal’s Petr Cech saves a shot from Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe in this file picture. at the Court of Arbitration for FIFA’s ethics committee, a lot behind it”. Sport (CAS). which imposed the ban, said Three of Arsenal’s supporters groups tect what we have and go for what we can Wenger defended his team’s “character did not speak like a man planning to walk CAS secretary general Math- the payment, made at a time intend to protest at today’s televised game still achieve. Our disappointment can’t go and attitude”, which has been questioned away from the last year of his contract at ieu Reebok said that a decision when Blatter was seeking against Norwich City, calling for a “Time too far. not least by former players now work- the Emirates Stadium, and pointed to the would be made by the panel of re-election, lacked transpar- for Change”. Fans from the Arsenal Sup- “We lost the championship at home ing as pundits. “Some people question way he had transformed the club over his three judges “by Monday May ency and presented confl icts porters’ Trust, the Black Scarf Movement against the lower teams -- we have the them,” he said. “I know [the critics] well, time in charge. “When I do go I hope the 9 at the latest”. of interest. Both men denied and Red Action will hand out placards best record against the top clubs - but we and they have less character than this club goes higher up and wins the Cham- If Platini is absolved, he wrongdoing and had their bans pre-match and will urge the crowd to hold played at home in a very diffi cult climate. team have. pions League and the championship would be free to resume his reduced to six years by FIFA’s them up after 12, 78 minutes and, in par- We have to realise that, away from home, “I saw them play and I know them very every year,” he added. “I’ll be the biggest duties as UEFA president and Appeal Committee in February. ticular, after the fi nal whistle, with their we are championship winners [Arsenal closely, and they shouldn’t question this supporter in the stands because I will feel ire aimed at the hierarchy and, by impli- actually boast the third best away record team’s character. Attitude-wise, we’ve as if I have contributed a bit to that with cation, the manager for the way the club in the division at present]. At home, been impeccable from the fi rst to the last the basis we’ve built. is being run. against the smaller teams, we lost the day. But when a club cannot enjoy any- “When we built the stadium, we had fi ve Wenger’s side are currently fourth league. This club does have special values thing any more, it’s in trouble. In football to seven diffi cult fi nancial years where we and attempting to defl ect Manchester though and one I’ve experienced over the you go down very quickly and come up had to pay the money back: we had to be United’s challenge at their back, with the years is to stick together and support the very slowly. We have to stick together. three years in the Champions League out Frenchman admitting his own exaspera- team. There’s no success without that. “I think this club has special values, of fi ve and have an average of 54,000 peo- tion at the fi zzling out of their title chal- “But some groups of people try to and we care about the club and we care ple, and we didn’t know we would be ca- lenge. “It is very frustrating because we manipulate our fans, and I believe apart about our fans as well. We try to keep eve- pable of that. We had to sell our best play- were in a position for a very long time from an agenda -- a personal agenda, rybody happy. But we have to put things a ers every year to survive, but we didn’t do where we could compete for the title” he a big ego -- there’s not a lot behind it.” little bit into perspective and see how the three years out of fi ve in the Champions said. “We won the FA Cup in 2014 , the Piers Morgan, who has been vociferous club’s evolution has gone over the years. League. We did fi ve out of fi ve. Now the Charity Shield [sic] and FA Cup in 2015 , in his criticisms of Wenger on social me- It was not always easy. The quality of the club is in a stronger position and we can and we wanted to go another step up and dia, immediately suggested on work we’ve done at the club has got us compete again with our main opponents. win the league. It wasn’t possible, which that the Arsenal manager was directing into a strong position where expectations But during that time it was very diffi cult. is why we are frustrated. I can understand his criticism at him, though the French- are very high, and where we are frustrated Now the club is in a very strong situation. UEFA’s fallen chief Michel Platini leaves the Court of Arbitration the frustration because no one is more man would not elaborate on whom he was when we don’t get what we want.” You want your fans as well to be behind for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne after his appeal hearing against his frustrated than we are. But we must pro- commenting. Arsenal’s manager of almost 20 years your team.” six-year FIFA ban for ethics violations. Gulf Times Saturday, April 30, 2016 5 CRICKET

IPL/ RISING SUPERGIANTS vs Vizag to host home games of Mumbai Smith’s blazing ton in and Pune in revised IPL schedule IANS vain as Lions chase New Delhi he (IPL) governing council Tannounced yesterday that the south Indian city of Vizag will be the neutral venue for Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Super- down 196-run target giants’ home matches after May 1 for the ongoing season. Cricket fans in the Indian capi- Thrilling last-ball win helps Gujarat stay on top with six wins from seven games while Dhoni’s tal also have cause for celebra- tion as Delhi has been awarded Pune Supergiants slide to sixth in the table, above Bangalore and Punjab, after their fifth defeat the two qualifiers which were originally scheduled to be held in Pune and Nagpur. Agencies “The governing council Pune extended gratitude towards the government of Rajasthan and rendon McCullum and thanked the Rajasthan sports Dwayne Smith, with a swash- minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar buckling opening stand of 93, for the eff orts to get the Sawai were the bedrock of the Gu- Mansingh Cricket Stadium ready jaratB Lions’ narrow three-wicket vic- for hosting the matches. tory over the Rising Pune Supergiants “However, due to paucity of in their Indian Premier League clash in time and uncertainty surround- Pune yesterday. ing whether the matches will The Lions’ pursuit of the 196 runs, after restricting the Supergiants to 195 be held or not, the governing for three, began in earnest with Smith council decided that Vizag and McCullum taking the attack to will be neutral venue for both the proverbial cleaners, putting on 72 Mumbai Indians and Rising in the power-play overs, continuing Pune Supergiants,” the Board of their record of having scored more Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) runs in the fi rst six overs than any announced in a statement. other team this season. “Both the IPL franchises have The eighth over began with Rajat Bha- expressed satisfaction and are tia achieving the breakthrough. McCul- keen to embrace the ACA-VDCA lum went for the slog-sweep, but could Cricket Stadium as their home only edge it to Albie Morkel at short- ground for the upcoming match- leg. The Kiwi’s 22-ball 43 contained es,” the statement added. fi ve boundaries and two maximums launched into the crowd at cow-corner. “The above-mentioned McCullum’s demise did not hold changes have resulted in change Smith back, as he continued on his of timing for two games on May merry way, powering to his 50 off just 28 15, 2016. The Kings XI Punjab vs balls. Smith’s adventurous innings was Sunrisers Hyderabad match at brought to a conclusion when he bot- Mohali will now be played at 4 tom-edged a Thisara Perera delivery on pm and the Mumbai Indians vs to his stumps. The West Indian clubbed Delhi Daredevils (match) will be nine fours and a six in a 37-ball 63. played in Vizag at 8pm.” and Dinesh Karthik The Bombay High Court had continued the assault on the attack ordered that all IPL matches to with a 51-run stand for the third wick- be held in Maharashtra after et. Ashok Dinda accounted for Karthik April 30 must be relocated due (33), caught at deep mid-wicket by Ajinkya Rahane. to the prevailing water crisis in The Lions lost four wickets for 13 the state. The court later modi- runs, to ensure a nail-biting fi nish, fied the order, allowing Rising needing one run off the last delivery. Pune Supergiants to host Mum- Birthday boy, the 26-year-old James bai Indians on May 1. Faulkner, held his nerve to bring home The cricket associations of the spoils of victory. Rising Pune Supergiants’ Australian Mumbai and Maharashtra had Earlier, a maiden T20 century from batsman Steven Smith in full flow appealed to the Supreme Court Steven Smith and his second-wicket during his 54-ball 101 against Gujarat against the high court’s ruling, partnership of 111 with Rahane was Lions in Pune yesterday. (AFP) but the apex court upheld the the foundation of the Pune’s big total. order. A total of 12 matches have Having been invited to bat, openers been aff ected by the decision, Rahane and Saurabh Tiwary failed to including two of the three IPL get the innings off to an eff ectual start, Smith when the Australian captain stumps with a direct hit. It was the a 54-ball 101. Dhoni and Perera were it is not happening for us,” the Pune with Tiwary getting run out in the chopped a delivery on to his stumps. fi rst century stand for the Supergiants the not out batsman at the death on 30 skipper said after what was his team’s play-off s and the final. third over. However, it was a front-foot no-ball in the season so far. and three respectively. fi fth defeat in seven games. Qualifier 1 will be played in Smith joined Rahane at the wicket and the umpire called the batsman back. Dhoni joined Smith for the last Dhoni blamed his bowlers for the Bengaluru on May 24 as origi- and together they instigated the re- Rahane dawdled in comparison, re- six overs and they compiled 64 for defeat. “First six overs, 60 runs, and it Brief scores nally scheduled. Delhi will host covery process. Smith hit some won- quiring 43 deliveries for his 50. Four the third wicket. Bravo proved what put a lot of pressure. I feel we defi nite- Rising Pune Supergiants 195/3 in 20 the Eliminator on May 25 and the derfully timed straight drives as he balls later, the partnership was termi- a good death bowler he is, bowling ly need to improve our new-ball bowl- overs (A Rahane 53, S Smith 101, MS Qualifier 2 on May 27. The IPL hurried to a 29-ball half-century, nated when Rahane was run out. The Smith neck-and-crop with three balls ing. We should crack the code. Other- Dhoni 30*) lost to Gujarat Lions 196/7 final, originally scheduled to be with a single through mid-wicket off batsman went for an imaginary single, remaining. But it was a consummate wise, we will be at the receiving end. in 20 overs (D Smith 63, B McCullum played in Mumbai, will now be Dwayne Bravo. Smith sent him back and the bowler, performance from the Australian, We have tried fi ve-bowler combina- 43, S Raina 34, D Karthik 33; A Dinda held in Bengaluru on May 29. Shivil Kaushik thought he had got Bravo, gathered and threw down the who struck eight fours and fi ve sixes in tions, six-bowler combinations... but 2/40, T Perera 2/41) by three wickets

Caribbean Premier League: Steyn replaces FOCUS injured Malinga in Jamaica Tallawahs Smith backs Cricket Australia’s eff orts outh African fast bowler back in November 2015. across all six teams and I’m look- Dale Steyn was yesterday Despite featuring briefly in ing forward to playing against Snamed as a replacement the Asia Cup, he has been una- some of my great friends and for day-night Test against South Africa for injured Sri Lankan seamer vailable since then and missed team-mates, amongst them Lasith Malinga in the Jamaica out on the World T20 and the Hashim Amla, AB (de Villiers), Reuters Tallawahs team to play in the ongoing Indian Premier League. Faf (du Plessis), David Miller and Sydney Caribbean Premier League. “It is a great privilege to fea- Morne (Morkel) this summer. It Steyn will be making his ture in the CPL for the first time will certainly add a nice bit of debut in the six-franchise and I am proud and delighted spice to the mix.” ricket Australia has bol- Twenty20 tournament which to sign up for the Jamaica Tal- The CPL will this year also stered its campaign to runs from June 30-August 7. lawahs for the forthcoming CPL stage six matches in Florida as host a day-night Test Malinga has been ruled out season,” said Steyn. cricket makes another attempt against South Africa Clater this year by publishing an with a knee injury sustained “There are some outstanding to break the packed American during the West Indies series world-class players signed up sports market. interview with captain Steve Smith (pic) in which he backed the proposed fi xture. South Africa’s players balked at an invitation to play a day- night match in Adelaide in No- vember after discussions with Australian players including Smith, Proteas skipper AB de Villiers said this week. Smith, however, said his team would be happy to play a day- nighter against South Africa best place to play it and I think son said in a statement. “We wicket especially prepared to at the famous South Austral- it could work there. I don’t know continue to be concerned about off set durability problems with ian venue, as well as the fi xture where they’ve got their ideas the durability and visibility of the pink ball. already scheduled to be played from,” he added. “If they wanted the pink ball, both the changing CA are continuing their talks under lights at the Gabba against to play one we’d be happy to.” light conditions and the specifi - over the fi xture with their South Pakistan in December. The Australian Cricketers’ cally prepared pitches are alter- Africa counterparts and it looks “I’m surprised that he named Association, however, yester- ing the conditions that the play- likely that Chief Executive James me,” Smith was quoted as say- day said that feedback it had re- ers are used to at each venue.” Sutherland will have to get his ing from India on the Cricket ceived from the players indicated CA are determined to reprise cheque book out again. Australia (CA) website. “The they would “prefer to only play the success of last year’s inaugu- CA committed an additional feedback we gave them was that one day-night Test in 2016/17”. ral day-night Test against New A$1 million ($762,400) in prize Adelaide is the best place to play “Pink ball tests are a funda- Zealand at Adelaide Oval. money for the series to help it, in our opinion. mentally diff erent game to tra- The Test attracted huge overcome reservations from “We’re playing one in Bris- ditional red ball test matches,” crowds but lasted only three Australia and New Zealand play- bane now, but Adelaide is the chief executive Alistair Nichol- of the scheduled fi ve days on a ers about the use of the pink ball. Gulf Times 6 Saturday, April 30, 2016 SPORT

SPOTLIGHT FOCAL POINT With Cavs’ thriving in playoff s, Hawks eliminate Love confi dent in Celtics with an easy what he provides 104-92 victory ‘I think it’s fair to say that anytime you are trying to close out a team that it’s the most diff icult game. There is a desperation that they will have, that you have to match’ Cavaliers’ LeBron James (pictured) has called Kevin Love the focal point of his team’s off ence. MCT Boston MCT that?” Love asked. “I feel like Independence, Ohio when we’re all engaged, myself included, we’re all naturally big, he Hawks are moving on. And big focal points to this team. I leaving some long-standing fail- uring the early weeks of think right now we’re going to be ures in Boston behind. the season, when Kyrie tough to beat if we all have that The Hawks advanced to the Irving was still working narrow vision.” Tsecond-round of the Eastern Conference his way back from knee Some of the Cavs’ best lineups playoff s with a dominant 104-92 victory surgery,D LeBron James went out of in the fi rst round — and presum- over the Celtics Thursday night at TD his way to call Kevin Love the focal ably for the rest of this postsea- Garden. The Hawks won the best-of- point of the Cavaliers’ off ense. son — include Love at center. The seven series 4-2 and will face the Cava- It was a tough sell at times — Cavs tinkered with it at times liers on Monday in Cleveland. Love himself even questioned during the regular season and The victory marks the fi rst for the the veracity of it — but James in- had great success with it against Hawks over the Celtics since moving sists it’s still true. Despite Kyrie the Pistons. to Atlanta, ending an 0-for-7 streak of Irving this week calling himself When Joe Johnson was a free postseason failures. It was also only the and James two of the best closers agent and choosing where to go, Hawks’ second series win in 11 tries over in the game, James is still stand- Cavs players privately envisioned the Celtics in franchise history. The only ing by his belief the Cavs’ off ense their own “death lineup” with other coming in 1958 when they won the runs through Love. Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith in the NBA Championship in St. Louis. “If you look at the way we’re backcourt, Johnson at small for- There is more. playing now, he’s still the focal ward and James at power forward. The Hawks snapped a 10-game posts- point,” James said the morning Love would’ve been the center. eason losing streak in the city of Boston, of Game 4 against the Detroit As it is, the Cavs are missing a dating back to May 18, 1988. Pistons. “Kev is getting a lot of key piece to possessing their own The Hawks led by as many as 28 points touches on the interior and he’s death lineup. Love sidestepped in the series-clinching victory. It came coming through for us. We need the question Thursday if wheth- with another balanced scoring eff ort. Six him to come through for us and er or not the Cavs have a lineup players fi nished in double fi gures: Paul he’s taken that challenge, so that that can move the ball, play in- Millsap (17 points), Al Horford (15), Kent hasn’t changed.” side or outside and defend. Bazemore (15), Kyle Korver (14), Dennis Indeed, Love was again ter- They can use Iman Shumpert Schroder (12) and Jeff Teague (11). rifi c in the fi rst round for the as the third guard, but Shumpert The Hawks opened a commanding lead second time in as many seasons. is struggling through the worst with a 20-8 run to start the third quar- He struggled with his shot in shooting season of his career. ter. It gave them a 20-point lead at 61-41. Sunday’s closeout victory, but Matthew Dellavedova doesn’t The Hawks would lead by as many as 22 that can be attributed to a hard provide the same type of athleti- points in the quarter as Horford scored 11 fall he took on his right shoulder cism or post-up ability and Tris- third-quarter points. near the end of the fi rst quarter. tan Thompson doesn’t have the They were not done. The arm bothered him the rest of range or passing skills of other The Hawks opened with a 14-2 run in the night. Otherwise, Love was big men. the fourth quarter to take a 28-point lead terrifi c in the series, averaging Still, the Cavs are managing to at 89-61. Game over. 21.3 points and 11.7 rebounds. get by just fi ne with the lineups Series over. He shot 44 percent from 3-point they do possess. As for Love, he “I think it’s fair to say that anytime range through the fi rst three hasn’t made an All-Star game in you are trying to close out a team that it’s games before his shoulder prob- two years since coming to the Cavs the most diffi cult game,” Hawks coach Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) in action against Boston Celtics during game six of the first round of the NBA Playoff s. lems in Game 4. and has struggled to fi t in so badly Mike Budenholzer said before the game. Love was equally good in the at times his stock has seemingly “There is a desperation that they will The Hawks took advantage of some the Hawks with eight fi rst-half points before the game. “Even the games that fi rst-round series last year be- dropped in the world of public have, that you have to match. Our play- dreadful shooting by the Celtics and led and Tim Hardaway Jr. played 12 minutes we’ve played here, we played well. They fore suff ering a shoulder injury perception. He insists, however, ers have been in this situation before and 41-33 at halftime. The Celtics shot just and had seven points. The Hawks bottled just played better than us. It’s no diff er- in Game 4. He has no good expla- he’s the same all-around elite tal- hopefully can fi nd a way to get it done.” 27.7 percent (13 of 47) while the Hawks up Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, ent tonight. We’ll come in with a good nation for why he struggled dur- ent he was when the Cavs acquired The Celtics rallied in the fourth quar- shot 42.5 percent (17 of 40) through the limiting him to nine fi rst-half points, focus level.” ing both regular seasons to fi t in, him from the Minnesota Timber- ter to get as close as 10 points with under fi rst two quarters. including four straight points to end the The Celtics last lead in the game came but suddenly looks great in the wolves. His brief playoff career two minutes to play on a 25-7 run. Isaiah The Hawks led by as many as 13 points second quarter. early in the fi rst quarter at 9-7. Once the postseason. But he was one of the confi rms that. Thomas led the Celtics with a game-high in the fi rst half after starting the second “I feel like we have been engaged the Hawks took the lead they never looked players throughout the year who “I don’t need to justify what 25 points, 16 coming in the second half. quarter on a 14-4 run. Paul Millsap led whole series as a group,” Horford said back. maintained when it was time to I’m capable of,” Love said. “Kind shine in the playoff s, he and the of the same thing with All-Star, team would both be ready. too. I don’t need that to justify BASEBALL So far, so good. how I feel about my game and As for being the focal point, where I think my value is in this Love still has his doubts. league. I know what I’m capable “I wonder how (James) defi nes of. I’m willing to show it.”

Marlins top Dodgers & Maeda Braves end 8-game losing streak with win over Red Sox MCT League rookie of the year. Fern- the series fi nale so the two could Los Angeles andez required elbow recon- duel. Maeda brushed Suzuki There were moments when struction in 2014, but remains aside in three pitches, the last a it appeared the Braves might one of the game’s great talents. slider that Suzuki whiff ed over. fade to yet another loss. single fell in right fi eld, The Dodgers have targeted Fern- The next swing was less feeble. Instead, they kept competing and another landed in andez in trade discussions in JT Realmuto, the Miami catcher, until they finally won another left. In the Los Ange- years past, and could attempt stung a belt-high, fi rst-pitch game. les Dodgers’ bullpen, a another pursuit this summer. fastball. Maeda spun to watch The Braves beat the Red Sox, pairA of relievers warmed. Inside But Fernandez is far from the ball fl y into right fi eld. He ex- 5-3, on Thursday at Fenway the dugout, Manager Dave Rob- a Dodger just yet. His hosts pected it to hit the wall. When the Park to end their losing streak erts made a decision. He would pounced on him in the fi rst in- homer cleared the fence, Maeda at eight games. Veteran Nick not take the baseball away from ning. A single by Utley and a shook his head in shock. Markakis had three RBIs and Kenta Maeda. walk by Corey Seager put run- An inning later, Fernandez rookie Mallex Smith had two Clinging to a one-run lead in ners aboard for Yasmani Gran- snuff ed out a Dodgers rally in as the Braves (5-17) beat up the seventh inning, Maeda al- dal. With Justin Turner resting, ferocious fashion. After Utley Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz. lowed former Dodger Dee Gor- Grandal shifted into the clean- walked and raced to third on a Buchholz walked four batters don to fl ick a game-tying single up spot for the fi rst time this single by Seager, the table was and allowed eight hits and five into left. Roberts replaced Mae- season. He bashed a 98-mph set for Adrian Gonzalez, Grandal runs over 6 1/3 innings. Braves da with Pedro Baez, and suff ered fastball over the head of center and Puig. Fernandez reduced the starter Jhoulys Chacin allowed an outcome that has been all too fi elder Ichiro Suzuki for a run- trio to rubble. two runs over five-plus innings common for the Dodgers (12-11). scoring double. Unable to catch up to Fernan- before five relief pitchers Baez, like so many of his fellow In his previous nine games, dez’s fastball, Gonzalez swung combined to limit the Red Sox relievers this April, imploded. Yasiel Puig had managed only through a curveball for the fi rst (12-10) to one run the rest of Atlanta Braves players First, Baez let a run-scoring fi ve hits. He received a fortui- strikeout. A changeup, low and the way. celebrate after defeating the single by Martin Prado snake tous bounce against Fernandez. away, fooled Grandal for the Chacin got off to a shaky Boston Red Sox. through the infi eld. Next, he fell Puig made soft contact against second. For the third strikeout, start and allowed seven base for a deke by Gordon at third another 98-mph fastball, but his Fernandez only used curveballs. runners through the first the seventh inning, Christian base. Baez fl inched, a small ges- popup fell behind the mound. Puig fl ailed at the last two in vain three innings but limited the Vazquez led off the bottom ture with a large consequence. Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon (L) throws to first base Sprinting in from the infi eld dirt, to end the threat. damage to two RBIs by Hanley of the inning with a single The umpires called him for a against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gordon could not make a play, A similar sequence unfolded Ramirez. The Braves took a 5-2 against Alexi Ogando. Mookie balk, which brought Gordon and Seager scored from third. in the fi fth. Utley walked. Seager lead on Smith’s run-scoring Betts followed with a walk home. For good measure, Baez Marlins silenced the Dodgers in the tumult after the error, Maeda returned to the mound singled. Fernandez respond- single in the sixth inning. but Ogando retired Dustin surrendered a home run to Mar- lineup. On Thursday, their bats Chase Utley drifted too far from with a two-run lead. He had al- ed with dominance. Gonzalez Ramirez led off the bottom Pedroia on a fly out and stuck lins outfi elder Giancarlo Stanton exposed the patchy threads of second base and got picked off lowed one run in his fi rst four tapped a harmless groundout. of the sixth with a single that out Xander Bogaerts. Braves in the eighth. the bullpen.“They outplayed for the third out. starts, the fewest by any starting Grandal struck out on a curve- chased Chacin in favor of left-hander Hunter Cervenka “I just felt that it’s his game, us,” Roberts said. The off ense scored fi ve runs in pitcher since at least 1913, ac- ball at the knees to strand the left-hander Eric O’Flaherty. came in to get David Ortiz to and I’m going to give him a After an early fl urry against the fi rst three games against Mi- cording to the Elias Sports Bu- two runners. O’Flaherty got Travis Shaw to ground out. chance to complete the inning,” Miami starter Jose Fernandez, ami. But the team did not con- reau. He would match that total ground into a double play and, Ramirez staked Buchholz to a Roberts said of leaving Maeda in the hitters went quiet. The rallies vene for early batting practice with one pitch in the second. Results after Chris Young followed 1-0 lead with an RBI single in to face Gordon. ended in futility — Fernandez Thursday. Instead, bench coach The moment occurred after with a double, struck out the first inning. The Braves re- And so the Dodgers lost for the struck out eight in six innings _ Bob Geren conducted pitchers’ Maeda faced his childhood idol. White Sox 2 Orioles 10 Jackie Bradley Jr. to end the sponded in the second inning fourth consecutive time, swept and in farce. With a pair of run- fi elding practice. Like so many other boys grow- Braves 5 Red Sox 3 inning. with Smith’s RBI double and by a team that entered this series ners on board in the seventh, On Thursday, the Dodgers ing up in Japan in the 1990s, he Cardinals 0 Diamondbacks 3 After the Braves left the a two-run single by Markakis with six victories in 17 attempts. Gordon fumbled a grounder off needed to conquer Fernandez, revered Suzuki. The Marlins in- Marlins 5 Dodgers 3 bases loaded in the top of that put them ahead for good. For four days, Don Mattingly’s the bat of Adrian Gonzalez. But the 23-year-old former National serted Suzuki into the lineup for Gulf Times Saturday, April 30, 2016 7 SPORT

SPOTLIGHT California dream come true: Rams take Goff with first pick ‘It’s exciting for the fan base and the city and something I’m ready to step into and take control of. But at Top 20 picks in first the same time, I’m going to go there and work as hard as I can and be the best teammate I can be...’ round of NFL Draft 1 Los Angeles Rams (from Titans) - MCT Jared Goff , quarterback, California Chicago 2 Philadelphia Eagles (from Browns) - Carson Wentz, quarter- back, North Dakota State e had just fi nished an ap- 3 San Diego Chargers - Joey Bosa, pearance on stage with the defensive end, Ohio State NFL commissioner and more 4 Dallas Cowboys - Ezekiel Elliott, than two hours of scrambling running back, Ohio State Hto interviews, teleconferences, photo 5 Jacksonville Jaguars - Jalen Ram- shoots and autograph signings. sey, cornerback, Florida State Alone in a quiet room off a hallway in 6 Baltimore Ravens - Ronnie the Auditorium Theatre, the No. 1 pick Stanley, tackle, Notre Dame in the NFL draft lifted a Los Angeles 7 San Francisco 49ers - DeForest Rams cap off his head and fi nally ex- Buckner, defensive end, Oregon haled after demonstrating that a quar- 8 Tennessee Titans (from Browns terback known as a pocket passer could through Eagles through Dolphins) - maintain his poise on the run. Jack Conklin, tackle, Michigan State “I can move around a little bit, ap- 9 Chicago Bears (from Buccaneers) parently,” Jared Goff said, chuckling. - Leonard Floyd, linebacker, Georgia The Rams, making their fi rst pick as 10 New York Giants - Eli Apple, a Los Angeles franchise in more than cornerback, Ohio State two decades, on Thursday selected the 11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from 21-year-old Goff to be their quarter- Bears) - Vernon Hargreaves, corner- back of the future. back, Florida An organisation that made a splash 12 New Orleans Saints - Sheldon by trading up the top of the draft Rankins, defensive tackle, Louisville sounded like it believed it did it again 13 Miami Dolphins (from Eagles) - by selecting Goff . Laremy Tunsil, tackle, Mississippi “We didn’t want to just come home, 14 Oakland Raiders - Karl Joseph, we wanted to come home and contend safety, West Virginia — and contend consistently,” General 15 Cleveland Browns (from Titans Manager Les Snead said during a news through Rams) - Corey Coleman, conference in Los Angeles, adding, wide receiver, Baylor “This was the right thing to do at the 16 Detroit Lions - Taylor Decker, right time for us.” tackle, Ohio State Goff , 6 feet 4 and 215 pounds, was a 17 Atlanta Falcons - Keanu Neal, three-year starter at California and he safety, Florida is expected to compete for the Rams’ 18 Indianapolis Colts - Ryan Kelly, starting job immediately. Coach Jeff center, Alabama Fisher did not rule out the possibility 19 Buff alo Bills - Shaq Lawson, of Goff starting the season opener on defensive end, Clemson Monday Night Football against the San 20 New York Jets - Darron Lee, Francisco 49ers. Jared Goff (California) is selected by the Los Angeles Rams as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. linebacker, Ohio State “We feel like Jared is our guy,” Fisher said in Los Angeles. “This is historic, But Goff , who grew up in Novato in NFL’s second largest market. monumental.” Northern California, was regarded as Not surprisingly, his colour palette teammates’ respect. The decision Goff became the second quarter- the favourite to be the Rams’ choice was close to the Rams’. “I had a few dif- about where he fi ts will be up to the back in seven years to be selected No. in the days leading up the draft. Fisher ferent options but, you know, the navy coaches, he said. 1 by the Rams. They took Sam Bradford said he addressed the possibility with blue with the gold dots was a little fi t- He will travel to Los Angeles on Fri- with the top pick in 2010. Goff “subtly” via text message earlier ting,” he said. day and cannot wait to get his hands Speculation about who the Rams in the week. Snead’s wife, former NFL Network on a playbook as the Rams prepare for would choose raged for two weeks after “It was, ‘Travel safe, enjoy the experi- reporter Kara Henderson, said at a rally their fi rst season in Southern Califor- they worked a deal with the Tennessee ence in Chicago, you earned it,’” Fisher at L.A. Live that Goff looked like actor nia since 1994. Titans that enabled them to move from said. “Asked him if he had any plans to- Ryan Gosling. “It’s exciting for the fan base and ex- No.15 to the top of the draft. night, (Goff ) said ‘No, have nothing go- “I’ve heard that,” Goff said later, citing for the city and something I’m Would they take Goff or Carson ing.’ I said, ‘Good, we’ll talk later.’” grinning and shaking his head. “It’s a ready to step into and take control of,” Wentz, the North Dakota State quar- Goff seemed to take it all in stride good guy to be compared to, I guess.” he said. “But at the same time, I’m go- terback who helped lead his team to Thursday, from the moment he hit Goff said he planned to make a name ing to go in there and work as hard as I two Football Championship Subdivi- the red carpet with his mother on his of his own for a team that has not had can and be the best teammate I can be sion titles? way into the auditorium, to the time been to the playoff s since 2004 and has and be the best leader I can be.” Goff said he did not know that the he exited into a car waiting outside the not had a winning record since 2003. Goff planned to enjoy a celebratory Rams would select him until Snead and building. Case Keenum was the presumptive dinner with family and friends late Fisher called him a few minutes be- The blond-haired Goff was dapperly starting quarterback heading into off - Thursday night. He said the reality of fore Commissioner Roger Goodell an- dressed in a dark navy suit, white shirt, season workouts and Nick Foles and what had just transpired would not nounced the pick. a navy tie fl ecked with a gold pattern Sean Mannion are other quarterbacks sink in until he was about to fall asleep. “‘You ready to be an L.A. Ram?’” he and a white pocket handkerchief. He on the roster. “Probably then, I’ll be like, ‘All right, said they asked. looked the part of a quarterback head- A general view of football fans in the stands during the first round of the 2016 Goff said he planned to learn from this is real,’” he said. “I’m just trying to His answer: “Absolutely.” ed to star-driven Los Angeles and the NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. the veterans and work hard to gain enjoy it.”

NHL Ducks face some hard decisions after another Game 7 loss Another early deficit, another “We did everything the hard night of chasing an opponent way,” Boudreau said. “We and a past, another sold-out thought, in the third period, Oshie’s treble powers Capitals Honda Center feeling impos- we still believed we were sibly empty. Another Game 7. going to tie it up. It just wasn’t Another loss. meant to be.” Yes, the Ducks did it again, did it In their previous three Game 7s, again by not doing it again. the Ducks permitted goals 2:23 past Penguins in Game 1 For the fourth consecutive into the first period against the postseason -- impossible, right? Blackhawks, 4:30 into the first MCT The Penguins’ best scoring rebound past Braden Holtby for -- the Ducks were the losers- period against the Kings and Washington chance early in the game came his fi rst in these playoff s. take-none Wednesday, falling to 1:49 into the first period against on a Chris Kunitz shot from the Bonino made the goal possi- Nashville, 2-1, on a night when the Red Wings. slot during the fi rst minute, but ble with an excellent individual only victory would do. They never did come back J Oshie scored his third it caromed off the left post. eff ort, as he deked past Capitals So, once again, the Ducks to take a lead in any of those goal of the game at Capitals winger Daniel Winnik, defenseman Dmitry Orlov near trudge off toward summer games. This franchise’s miser- 9:33 in overtime to lead whom the Penguins had acquired the blue line before going to the having lost a series they once able recent history in these Washington to a 4-3 from Toronto at the trade deadline net and getting off a shot that led in games, 3-2, and still sup- situations sours even more Tvictory over the Penguins at the a year ago, gave Crosby a nasty created the rebound Lovejoy posedly had in their grasp by when adding in Boudreau’s Verizon Center Thursday night two-handed slash across the legs converted. hosting the finale. torturous Game 7 past. in Game 1 of their second-round a few shifts into the game. Carl Hagelin received the sec- Forget it, folks. This core group, The Ducks’ coach, one of the playoff series. Although there was no pen- ond assist. additions and subtractions best people this game has Oshie scored on a wrapa- alty on that play, both teams had Just 57 seconds later, Evgeni along the way be damned, still ever known has lived his own round, and the goal was verifi ed a power play during the opening Malkin gave the Penguins a 2-1 can’t close out when it matters version of this same night- after a lengthy video review. period. lead, as he whipped a backhander the absolute most. mare, one even he struggles The Penguins have lost their Neither was able to score with by Holtby from low in the right In the end, they still only made to put into words. past eight playoff games that ex- the extra man, but Andre Bura- circle for his third goal of the play- it halfway back, this team Boudreau’s teams are now 1-7 tended beyond regulation. kovsky gave Washington a 1-0 off s. Chris Kunitz and Kris Letang that spent the entire regular in Game 7s. Although the Penguins have lead at 10:13, when he swiped in a got assists; for Kunitz, it was his season rebounding ultimately Yes, this was the Ducks. This won seven of eight previous rebound from the right side of the fi rst point in these playoff s. unable to do so. was a Game 7. And this was playoff series against the Capi- crease to cap an odd-man break. The Penguins stayed on top What’s next? Changes, no Honda Center, where after- tals, they have now lost the Murray had little chance of for just 33 seconds, however, as doubt, only the degree of ward a few fans lingered just opener to them eight times. stopping Burakovsky, and those Oshie pulled Washington even which remaining uncertain. to continue booing a blank The Penguins also have slim possibilities decreased con- at 12:10. Without question, everyone in sheet of ice. dropped Game 1 seven consecu- TJ Oshie #77 of the Washington Capitals celebrates after scoring the siderably when Penguins de- He picked off an Olli Maatta this organisation is now open When the playoff s opened, the tive times when opening a series game winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins. fenseman Brian Dumoulin slid pass near the left point in the to evaluation, from everyone odds of the Ducks winning the on the road. backward into him while trying Washington end, then car- sitting on the bench to every- Stanley Cup were generally One more ominous stat for He was shaken up early in the opening-round series against to defend the play. ried the puck up the ice before one standing behind it. in the 8/1 range, compared to the Penguins: The team winning third period when Washington’s Philadelphia because of an un- Washington had a clear edge throwing a shot by Murray on The immediate burden falls 25/1 for the Predators. Finding Game 1 went on to win all eight Tom Wilson initiated knee-on- disclosed injury. in play for most of the period the short side. to coach Bruce Boudreau, anyone who publicly picked series during the fi rst round of knee contact with him in the The Penguins started strongly after the Penguins broke quick- Oshie struck again at 3:23 of who has led the Ducks to four Nashville to take this series this year’s playoff s. neutral zone but stayed in the and ran up a quick 5-1 advantage ly from the gate, but the Pen- the third, tossing a backhander consecutive Pacific Division ti- was, to be blunt, pointless. Penguins winger Conor game. in shots. Washington’s only one guins countered with a typically past Murray from the inner edge tles. His teams, however, have Like any rerun, everyone Sheary, who did not practice Brooks Orpik, a former Pen- during that span came when strong second period. of the left circle, but Bonino re- finished each postseason in a knows the ending doesn’t Tuesday or Wednesday, played guins defenseman, returned to Alex Ovechkin had a breakaway They tied the game at 1, at sponded by scoring his fi rst of place that couldn’t feel farther change no matter how many in his usual spot with Sidney Washington’s lineup after miss- at 2:42, but he was unable to beat 10:40, when defenseman Ben the playoff s from inside the right from first. times you watch it. Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. ing the fi nal three games of its Penguins goalie Matt Murray. Lovejoy punched a Nick Bonino circle at 8:42 to force overtime. Gulf Times 8 Saturday, April 30, 2016 SPORT

FOCUS British cycling chief ‘unaware’ of Sutton allegations AFP called Paralympic cyclists “gimps”. been made aware, formally or informally, 2008 and 2012 Paralympics. London A key fi gure behind the scenes in the of any allegation that Shane Sutton had Sutton was named technical di- success of British cyclists at both the used the off ensive term ‘gimps’ in refer- rector of British Cycling, succeeding Beijing and London Olympics, Sutton ence to Paralympic athletes prior to the Brailsford, who left to concentrate on ritish cycling chief execu- was suspended by British Cycling late media reports of the past few days. The his role with Team Sky in April 2014. tive Ian Drake (pictured left) on Tuesday after the “gimp” allegation suggestion that I would have not acted Formerly with Welsh Cycling, Sutton said yesterday he had no prior was made public. on such an allegation is wholly wrong.” joined British Cycling in 2002. knowledge of allegations of That announcement came soon An internal performance review Sutton has a reputation for being discriminationB towards Paralympic after British Cycling launched an in- conducted after the London 2012 Ol- blunt with riders but Britain’s Dani riders, which prompted the resig- dependent review into claims he had ympic Games by Drake’s predecessor, King, a London 2012 cycling gold med- nation of technical director Shane been sexist in his treatment of Varnish. Peter King, has yet to be published allist, told Tuesday’s London Evening Sutton (pic right). Sutton has denied all the allegations or made available to senior staff , al- Standard: “Shane is a no-nonsense The 58-year-old Australian quit on of discrimination against him and has though the governing body has said it kind of guy. But he was no-nonsense Wednesday, just 100 days before the said he will co-operate with the review. will be disclosed to the review. with the men as well as the women.” start of the Rio Olympics, saying he did Meanwhile, attention has shifted Britain won eight gold medals at Meanwhile Laura Trott, one of Brit- not want to be a “distraction” for Brit- to what British Cycling chiefs knew both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics— ain’s track-cycling stars who won two ish riders in the build-up to the Games. and when, amid allegations that offi - taking seven out of 10 events on the golds in front of her home crowd in Sutton stood down following allega- cials had previously been informed of track at each Games—when Dave 2012, issued a statement on Wednes- tions he had told British sprinter Jess concerns about Sutton’s conduct but Brailsford was performance director day in which she said she had only ever Varnish to “go and have a baby” after chose not to act. and Sutton his deputy as head coach. had a “wholly positive and healthy she was dropped from the team, and However, Drake said: “I have never The team won 25 more golds in the working relationship” with Sutton.

DEVELOPMENT SPOTLIGHT ‘Sorry’ Hackett to No suspension for quit booze aft er plane meltdown AFP “I wanted to support that Melbourne through my actions, but (through) pure stupidity, mak- ing poor decisions at crucial cyclist Yates despite ustralian swimming times in my life, I have com- great Grant Hack- promised that and myself and ett yesterday said he (I have) a huge amount of re- plans to quit drinking gret around that.” afterA a highly publicised melt- Australian Federal Police did down on a plane which left him not lay charges against Hack- with a “deep sense of shame”. ett over the plane incident. The dual Olympic champi- The swimmer said he has since failing drugs test on, 35, was accused of drunk- apologised to the man whose enly squeezing the nipple of a nipple he pinched and “every- fellow business class passen- thing is fi ne now”. ‘The UCI confirms that British rider Simon Yates has been notified of an ger on a fl ight from Adelaide. Hackett retired after the Hackett, who failed to qual- 2008 Beijing Olympics after adverse analytical finding of terbutaline. As per the UCI’s anti-doping rules, ify for the Rio Olympics at this winning the 1,500m freestyle month’s Australian trials in at both the 2000 and 2004 such substance does not entail the imposition of a provisional suspension’ Adelaide, admitted he had been Games. binge-drinking and that his He went through a divorce reputation has been blackened. and then did a stint in rehab in “It has defi nitely got a tar- 2014 after seeking help for an nish to it unfortunately, and I addiction to sleeping pills, be- have to live with that,” he said, fore coming out of retirement in his fi rst public appearance with hopes of becoming the since the incident on April oldest Australian swimmer to 17. “It is very diffi cult. A deep qualify for an Olympics. sense of shame, guilt, embar- But he missed out when he rassment, of regret… I am so failed to qualify for the 200m sorry for my actions and the freestyle fi nal at the Australian people it has impacted.” Swimming Championships in The former long-time Adelaide. 1,500m world record-holder Hackett said he planned said he had let down his family, to get professional help to friends, Australian swimmers stop drinking and wanted to and all athletes involved in the set a positive example for his sport. children. Australian swimming is try- “I will seek help. I have de- ing to turn a corner after a fl op cided to get off the drink—I at the 2012 Olympics when don’t want to see my life in this their campaign was marred situation again,” he said. by ill-discipline, drug use and “That is an issue, something drunkenness. that needs to be addressed and “I only wanted to be an ad- I am doing that. I want a hap- vocate and a help to the sport py and prosperous life and I and I love the sport and I love have two little children that I the athletes within the sport love and I want to make sure and what they are trying to everything that I do is positive achieve,” Hackett said. for them.” Show-jumper Keach returns to Olympics aft er 28 years ustralian show-jumper mittee (AOC) news release. Scott Keach will not be “I remember going to the Aalone in competing in opening ceremony and closing his second Olympics in ceremony and things like that. Rio later this year but it is We had good horses and riders unlikely anyone else in the on our team but in the end Athletes’ Village will have things didn’t quite go our way. waited so long for another “Looking back it would have taste of the Games. been ideal to have another Keach was named in Aus- two years of competition un- tralia’s team for the August der my belt. I was young and 5-21 Olympics alongside inexperienced for internation- Edwina Tops-Alexander this al competition. The end result week, his only previous Olym- was disappointing.” pic experience having come at Keach, who took a long the 1988 Games. break from show-jumping in Now 51, Florida resident the 1990s and 2000s, would Keach is hoping to improve claim the Australian record upon the fifth place in the for the longest gap between team eventing competition Olympic appearances in Brazil, and 23rd in the individual the AOC said. AFP use exemption (TUE) certifi cate procedure, the UCI won’t com- “The substance was given until a violation was found to have event he achieved nearly Sailors Karyn Davis-Gojnich London after he tested positive for terbu- ment any further.” in an ongoing treatment of Si- occurred following a legal process. three decades ago in Seoul. and Nicky Bethwaite previous- taline, which is used to help alle- mon Yates’ documented asthma “UK Anti-Doping does not “I remember the whole ly held the record courtesy of viate asthma symptoms. Yates’s team said it was problems,” he added. discuss or disclose details of any Olympic experience and I the 16-year gap between their ritish cyclist Simon A TUE allows competitors to their fault, and not the It said the team doctor made cases until due legal process has enjoyed it very much,” he said participation in Seoul and the Yates has not been sus- take otherwise banned drugs for rider’s, that they had not an administrative error by failing been completed and an anti- in an Australian Olympic Com- 2004 Olympics in Athens. pended for failing a drugs legitimate medical reasons. gained a therapeutic use to apply for the TUE required for doping rule violation is deemed test at the Paris-Nice The UCI, cycling’s world gov- exemption (TUE) certifi cate the use of the treatment. to have been committed,” a Brace in March, with his Australian erning body, issued a statement “The use of Terbutaline with- spokeswoman said. aft er he tested positive team Orica-GreenEdge yesterday saying: “The Union Cycliste In- for terbutaline, which out a current TUE is the reason Meanwhile, there was sup- blaming an “administrative er- ternationale (UCI) confi rms that is used to help alleviate it has been fl agged as an adverse port for Yates from Owain Doull, ror” during treatment for asthma. British rider Simon Yates has asthma symptoms. A TUE analytical fi nding. a rider in the British team pur- News of Yates’s failed test came been notifi ed of an adverse ana- allows competitors to take "This is solely based on a hu- suit squad. “Innocent till proven with British Cycling already in lytical fi nding of terbutaline in otherwise banned drugs for man error that the doctor in guilty,” Doull wrote on Twitter. turmoil over the resignation this a sample collected in the scope legitimate medical reasons question has taken full responsi- He added: “Can always rely on week of technical director Shane of an in-competition control on bility for,” the team added. Twitter for some abuse. Sutton, an Australian, amid al- March 12, 2016. Earlier, Orica GreenEdge said “There has been no wrong- "Tweet my thoughts on Yatesy legations he used sexist language “As per the UCI’s anti-doping in a statement of their own: “The doing on Simon Yates’s part. The yesterday and people calling me and made derogatory comments, rules, such substance does not substance was given to Simon team takes full responsibility for naive and stupid for believing in just months from the Rio de Ja- entail the imposition of a provi- Yates in the form of an asthma this mistake and wishes to un- him. I’m not naive, I just know neiro Olympics. sional suspension. inhaler and accordingly, this was derline their support for Simon and trust the lad I raced and Yates’s team said it was their “The rider has the right to re- noted by the team doctor on the during this process.” lived with for years and have seen fault, and not the rider’s, that quest and attend the analysis of Doping Control Form, signed at The UK Anti-Doping body said fi rst hand how he has struggled they had not gained a therapeutic the B sample. At this stage of the the time of the test." its policy was not to discuss cases with asthma.” Gulf Times Saturday, April 30, 2016 9 RUGBY

SUPER RUGBY Warriors stand down ‘unprofessional’ players

he struggling yester- day axed six players from this weekend’s Tmatch-day squad for “failing to meet team standards” at the National club. Chiefs survive Shark Warriors coach Andrew McFadden did not speci- fy why he stood down half his first-choice team but Fairfax NZ reported the players went on a boozy night out in the wake of Monday’s 42-0 humiliation by the . “We’ve dealt with this internally after question- ing the players involved and won’t be going into any details,” McFadden said in a statement. attack to stay on top , The players are New Zealand internationals Manu Vatuvei, , Bodene Thompson and Konrad Hurrell, along with Albert Vete and Sam Lisone. The Warriors boast a talented roster but sit third from bottom on the NRL ladder after three wins from eight matches, with key players failing to perform consistently. Warriors chief executive Jim Doyle said the Bulls destroy Force aff ected players would miss tomorrow’s match against St George Illawarra and instead play reserve grade. “We expect our players to be profes- ‘We’re very pleased to get the win, albeit a fraction ugly, but that’s what you’ve got to do against sional and meet our standards, in this instance it’s tough teams. We didn’t kick very well in that first half, and we were forcing too many passes without very disappointing that those players haven’t,” he told Radio Sport. building any phases so that was what was costing us. We tightened it up in the second half’ Warriors players have long had a reputation for lax standards and poor discipline but Doyle said those in charge of the club were determined to Dane Haylett-Petty make improvements. “At the end of the day we (centre) from Western need to create the environment and the culture Force leads the race to the that’s necessary to get success and therefore we’re ball during yesterday’s comfortable with the steps we’ve taken.” Super Rugby match against South Africa’s Bulls in Perth. (AFP) PREVIEW Giteau boost for Toulon ahead of Toulouse clash

AFP Paris

eteran Australian playmaker Matt Giteau will line up for Toulon in today’s heavyweight Top V14 duel against Toulouse as the French season builds towards a thrilling climax. Giteau underwent a groin operation in January, and only made his return to action in the 19-16 European Cup quarter-fi nal defeat by Racing 92. The 33-year-old limped off during that game after an hour and missed last week’s Top 14 win at Pau. “I feel fi ne, I have done a lot of running and physi- cal work,” Giteau said. “This will be a tough match against Toulouse but I am ready.” Compatriot Drew Mitchell is also set to return for Toulon although South African winger Bryan Habana re- mains sidelined from a powerful starting line-up which boasts Maxime Mermoz and Ma’a Nonu in midfi eld. In a further boost to the deposed European cham- pions, coach Bernard Laporte said Thursday that Welsh international star Leigh Halfpenny, who hasn’t played all season after having two knee operations, could feature in the closing weeks of the campaign. There are still fi ve regular season games to play be- fore the six-team play-off s get underway. Toulon are currently in third spot on 67 points, eight behind leaders Clermont, but just one back Reuters Cruden could boot it into touch to through it and we were lucky to get ner after a text-book line-out drive. just let them off the hook at crucial from Montpellier in second spot. New Plymouth seal the win. a result.” Flyhalf Garth April beat four de- times,” captain Keegan Dan- Toulon are virtually guaranteed a place in the play- “We’re very pleased to get the The Chiefs also rode their luck fenders in a brilliant, jinking run to iel said after the team’s fourth loss off s but the same cannot be said for 19-time French win, albeit a fraction ugly, but that’s last week in a one-point win grab a second try and level the game of the season. champions Toulouse. They are in fi fth place on 57 he Chiefs held on grimly what you’ve got to do against tough against the Wellington Hurricanes at 15-15 at the break. “We’ve come away with six points, 10 behind Toulon and seven back from Racing to stave off a late assault teams,” Chiefs captain Sam Cane and Rennie will be looking for All Black Cruden edged the points on the tour so we’ll look back 92. Bordeaux and Castres—in sixth and seventh at the by the visiting Sharks and said in a pitchside interview. improvement against defending Chiefs ahead with three penalties, and say ‘we’ll take six’ and regroup start of the weekend—both have 53 points. maintain top spot in the “We didn’t kick very well in that champions the Otago Highlanders his last giving the home side a nine- back home.” Toulouse remain a club in transition having seen TSuper Rugby standings after an fi rst half ... and we were forcing too next week. point lead with 11 minutes left. In Perth, South Africa’s Bulls long-time coach Guy Noves depart for the French energy-sapping 24-22 win in New many passes without building any The defeat means the Sharks have It triggered a frantic Sharks as- rampaged to a 42-20 bonus-point national team in 2015 after 22 years at the helm. Plymouth yesterday. phases so that was what was cost- four wins, one draw and four losses sault on the Chiefs’ line which victory over a spent Western Force. Toulouse’s topsy-turvy season was illustrated by a The Waikato side were outscored ing us. We tightened it up a wee bit so far this season, retaining second ended with Ralepelle barging over Centre Jan Serfontein and hooker third failure in four years to escape the pool stages of three tries to two but costly lapses in the second half.” place in the Africa 2 conference. at the back of another imperious Adriaan Strauss bagged a brace of the European Cup. They will still be without skipper of discipline cost the Sharks dearly Despite the seventh straight win The Chiefs leapt out of the blocks rolling maul. tries each to go with a score from and back row star Thierry Dusautoir (foot injury) and in the second half, allowing fl yhalf for the Chiefs, their coach Dave with a try in the opening minute April’s nerveless conversion from number eight Hanro Liebenberg. Yoann Maestri (shoulder). Aaron Cruden to slot three penal- Rennie said they were lucky to stay to centre Seta Tamanivalu and a tight angle made it a two-point The visitors had a narrow They are also missing lock Patricio Albacete (knee), ties for some vital breathing space. top of the competition, saying it stormed to a 15-3 lead after 23 min- game but at the end of a taxing New 18-13 lead at the break, but scrum-half David Mele (triple fracture of the hand), The Sharks’ replacement hooker was not a convincing win. utes following another fi ve-pointer Zealand tour, the Sharks were un- pulled away in the second half to winger Yoann Huget (knee) as well as fl anker Yacou- Chiliboy Ralepelle set up a tense “It was a pretty fl at perform- to number eight Michael Leitch. able to win back possession from move level with the Stormers at ba Camara, who suff ered a right knee injury against fi nish with a late try but the Chiefs ance,” he said. The Durban side pegged back the iron-willed opponents bent on the top of Africa Conference 1 on Racing which will keep him out for nine months. soaked up the fi nal minutes deep “When we did we put them un- defi cit with a try to prop Kyle Coop- gritting out the win. 28 points with both teams having Racing 92, who are already through to the Euro- in attack, clinging to the ball until der pressure we stuttered our way er who shoved over near the left cor- “I think we hung in there ... We played eight matches. pean Cup fi nal, host Clermont tomorrow.

FOCUS New teams need time to adapt: SANZAAR chief Reuters trated or had much impact in the past,” Wellington he added. Stalling Japan look for Asian jump-start One of the concerns was the viewing fi gures within the traditional markets, apan will use the Asia Rugby Cham- former coach Eddie Jones, now in charge uper Rugby’s three expansion which were fl at or in decline. pionship to try to regain some lost of England, has blasted as “crazy”. sides have performed as well “There was a time when some view- Jmomentum since last year’s World Japan’s momentum has stalled since as expected this season as they ers watched all the games but viewing Cup heroics, beginning with today’s their World Cup eff ort, which included struggled to adapt to regular has become more tribal in terms of fol- home opener against South Korea. a stunning 34-32 upset of two-time travelS requirements and the higher in- lowing your team,” Marinos said. “Ob- The Brave Blossoms, who sensation- champions South Africa—the biggest tensity of games, according to south- viously, performances on the fi eld are ally won three pool matches at the shock in tournament history. ern hemisphere rugby’s boss Andy linked to viewing numbers too.” World Cup, have drafted in several To underline the fact, a new-look Marinos (pic). While the draw had been engineered players from Tokyo-based Super Rugby Japan features 17 uncapped players and The competition was expanded to to lessen some of the travel demands side the for a game they will not one member of last year’s World 18 teams this season with the return on players it was too early to overhaul be expected to win comfortably. Cup squad with many unavailable due of the Kings in South Africa and new the competition, he said. Openside flanker Taiyo Ando, involved to club commitments overseas. entries from Japan (Sunwolves) and Administrators would talk to all of in last weekend’s 36-28 victory over the Japan have won 31 of 32 matches in Argentina (Jaguares). the teams, coaches, broadcasters and Jaguares, will start alongside Sunwolves the Asian tournament and its forerun- With the competition at the half- national unions to discuss their con- squad members Kengo Kitagawa, ner, the Asian Five Nations, their perfect way stage, all three teams have won cerns in a strategic overview at the Futoshi Mori, Kazuhiko Usami, Ryohei record only tarnished after their match only one game each and some of their end of the season though they would Yamanaka and Hajime Yamashita. against Hong Kong last year was de- performances have caused concern not make any changes, if any, until the Japan will be led by interim coach clared a draw after a downpour. that the tournament had expanded cant and that takes time for athletes Crowd numbers were between 2018 season. Ryuji Nakatake as the Asian champi- The holders will be overwhelming too quickly and the new teams lacked who haven’t been used to it to adapt to 15,000 and 20,000 in Tokyo, while the “My view is that we need to give the ons look to rule by committee before favourites to win a 24th Asian title since depth. the rigours of getting up every single Jaguares were attracting similar-sized competition time to bed down,” he former All Black Jamie Joseph takes 1969 against the Koreans and Hong “History has shown any new team weekend.” crowds in Buenos Aires, which was said. “(But) if we fi nd ourselves faced over in August, once he sees out his Kong. South Korea won three continen- coming into this competition strug- The Sunwolves shook off a 92-17 “unbelievably good”, he said. with a proposition that is a lot more contract with the Highlanders. tal titles in a row during their heyday in gles,” SANZAAR Chief Executive Ma- mauling at the hands of the Cheetahs “The new teams have added some- valuable, maybe we look at a change Before that Sunwolves coach Mark the 1980s and were last crowned Asian rinos told reporters on a conference two week ago to beat Argentina’s Jag- thing diff erent. The broadcast reach is in the competition, either expanding Hammett will take the helm for three champions in 2002, but have rarely call from . “As much as it’s uares 36-28 last Saturday in front of also growing ... and that has increased it, or manipulating the current model Tests in June, including a pair of home threatened since. The competition runs a battle of attrition on the fi eld, the a large crowd at Prince Chichibu Sta- the attractiveness and reach of our that we’ve got to try and get a diff erent Tests with Scotland—an arrangement until June 4. mental fatigue is also pretty signifi - dium. product into markets we had not pene- balance or diff erent outcome.” Gulf Times 10 Saturday, April 30, 2016 SPORT

GOLF / ZURICH CLASSIC TENNIS / ATP ESTORIL OPEN Carreno Busta Day trails clubhouse knocks out top leader Stuard at seed Simon AFP fi nal draw will be determined Estoril, Portugal later on Friday, with last year’s fi nalist facing Croatian sixth seed Borna Co- ablo Carreno Busta pre- ric in a high-profi le quarter- vented an all-French fi nal between highly-promising rain-hit Zurich Classic semi-fi nal at the Esto- youngsters. ril Open by putting out Spaniard Nicolas Almagro tournamentP top seed Gilles Si- takes on Argentine seventh seed Journeyman sinks eight birdies in a flawless eight-under display mon 6-3, 6-4 yesterday. , with Almagro The upset sent eighth seed leading their head-to-head 3-0. Carreno Busta into today’s Paire, whose patchy game can semi-fi nal against French third come and go, found it tough to seed Benoit Paire, a winner over adjust to faster conditions in Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez the heat of the day after playing 7-6 (2), 6-2 in a hard-fought night matches previously, but showdown on the clay. was pleased to get past Garcia- Carreno Busta is into his sec- Lopez without too much trouble. ond semi-fi nal of the season. “It was a little tough in the be- The Spaniard, one of three from ginning, not great for the confi - his nation in the last eight, is one dence,” he said. victory away from a second career “But I began feeling better and ATP fi nal after losing in Sao Paulo better as the match went on. He to in February. was a tough opponent, I’m glad I Simon’s return to the seaside won in straight sets. venue outside of Lisbon for the “When I was down I told my- fi rst time since 2011 ended in self just to keep going, I’m happy disappointment, as the world to win today.” number 18 was ambushed by his Paire said that he is feel- 50th-ranked opponent, man- ing some physical niggles as he aging only two aces and losing progresses into the weekend, serve twice. with his foot, leg and even a tooth The bottom half of the semi- bothering him.

Brian Stuard lines up a putt on the 17th hole during the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana, on Thursday. (AFP)

AFP ish their fi rst rounds. The opening round the top 25 in seven of his eight events this was a little bit diff erent conditions. The New Orleans will resume early Friday morning and will season, winning the Arnold Palmer and wind was a little bit diff erent. But all in be followed immediately by the second WGC-Match Play. all, a good day.” round. The most impressive opening round Stuard never looked back after notch- ason Day was one of the early came from Stuard of the US, who shot ing three birdies in the fi rst four holes, pace-setters but the world No. 1 “It was a good day. Defi nitely had a bogey-free eight under 64 to take a draining putts of 12, 33 and 23 feet. still fi nished fi ve strokes back of the putter working,” Stuard said. “I one-shot lead over South Africa’s Retief Two more birdies before the turn put clubhouse leader Brian Stuard at played pretty well tee to green but Goosen. him at fi ve under and he began the back theJ Zurich Classic in New Orleans on The 33-year-old journeyman sunk nine with another birdie blitz to move to really made some putts" Thursday. eight birdies and no bogeys in a fl awless eight under. Australian star Day fi red an opening Day drained a 59-foot birdie on the display. JJ Henry, Derek Ernst, Charles How- round three-under 69 and is tied for 12th par-four 16th hole to post his fourth “It was a good day. Defi nitely had the ell, Patrick Rodgers and Australia’s Geoff at the rain-hit PGA Tour event where play birdie of the day. putter working,” Stuard said. “I played Ogilvy are tied for third at 67. was delayed for nearly fi ve hours Thursday. Day, who is playing this event for the pretty well tee to green but really made Rickie Fowler, New Zealand’s Danny Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta returns against France's Afternoon thunderstorms lashed the fourth time, took a week off after finish- some putts. Lee and two South Koreans, Noh Seung- during their Estoril Open quarter-final yesterday. (AFP) TPC Louisiana at Avondale course re- ing in a tie for 23rd at the RBC Heritage “During the delay, I was just kind of Yul and An Byeong-Hun, share eighth sulting in 78 players not being able to fi n- tournament. He hasn’t placed outside killing time and then coming back out, it place at 68. Stosur to face Safarova in Prague fi nal

Australia’s world number 25 Chile’s Aguilar in front at China Open (pictured) will face last year’s Roland AFP given him the first round lead, was still the green shouted out so that’s how I Garros runner-up Lucie Safa- Beijing out on the course when dark clouds knew.” rova in the final of the Prague descended on the Chinese capital. Open clay-court event after He was on par for the day after 14 holes, LEADING (COMPLETED) ROUND both progressed from the hilean Felipe Aguilar (pictured) slipping back to joint fourth place TWO SCORES semi-finals yesterday. Stosur leapt to the top of the Volvo alongside South Korean Kim Taehoon, 133 - Felipe Aguilar (CHi) 68-65 went through after top seed CChina Open leaderboard with a who surged 50 places up the board 134 - Alexander Noren (SWE) 67-67, with- seven-under-par 65 yesterday before with an impressive 64, including a hole- Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 65-69 drew before their scheduled the second round was suspended be- in-one on the 177-yard 13th. 135 - Kim Tae-Hoon (KOR) 71-64, Lucas semi-final clash on Friday. cause of bad weather in Beijing. “It was about 165 metres but the view Bjerregaard (DEN) 68-67, Tyrrell Hatton The Russian world number The world number 477 was 11 under from the tee, we couldn’t see the hole, (GBR) 68-67 13 pulled out complaining of overall, one stroke ahead of Austria’s only the top of the flag,” he said in 136 - Maximilian Kieff er (GER) 70-66, Li a thigh injury, leaving Stosur Bernd Wiesberger and Swede Alex comments posted on the organisers’ Haotong (CHN) 69-67 to advance to a final on Sat- Noren in the clubhouse at the Topwin website. 137 - Alexander Levy (FRA) 70-67, urday against Safarova, the Golf and Country Club. “I was aiming a little to the left of the Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 71-66, Nicolas 16th-ranked Czech who beat South African journeyman Hennie Otto, pin and I just hit a seven iron, it was a Colsaerts (BEL) 70-67, Jorge Campillo compatriot Karolina Pliskova whose stunning nine-under-par 63 had beautiful shot and the galleries beside (ESP) 70-67, Gary Boyd (GBR) 72-65 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

LPGA Hur leads Korean assault at Texas Shootout

AFP why I had fi ve straight birdies and fi n- missed I was still able to putt it because Los Angeles ished strong.” I was just off the green,” Ryu said. Hur began her birdie run on the par- “I was just comfortable with every- four 15th hole. The two-time LPGA thing—the driver, irons, wood, every- ur Mi-Jung (pictured) Tour winner is looking for her fi rst thing was great. Even my putting was posted fi ve consecutive bird- victory since the 2014 Yokohama Tire really great. ies around the turn en route to Classic. Her other win came almost “The only one disappointing thing a fi ve-under 66 on Thursday seven years ago in Portland, Oregon. is I missed a fi ve-foot birdie putt at the toH take the lead after the fi rst round of It is no surprise Hur is in contention last. the LPGA Tour’s Texas Shootout. this week as she has been playing some “But I had a bogey-free round today, The 26-year-old Hur started on the of her best golf of the season in recent so it was a really simple round.” back nine and needed just 27 putts for weeks. a one-stroke lead over fellow South She is coming off her best fi nish of LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES Koreans Ryu So-Yeon, Ji Eun-Hee and the season with a tied for sixth per- 66 - Hur Mi-Jung (KOR) American Gerina Piller. formance at the Swinging Skirts Clas- 67 - Gerina Piller, Ji Eun-Hee (KOR), Ryu Hur led a South Korean assault on the sic. She also recorded back-to-back So-Yeon (KOR) Las Colinas Country Club course as six top-14 fi nishes at the Kia Classic and 68 - Catriona Matthew (SCO), Amy Yang of the top eight on the leaderboard are ANA Inspiration. (KOR), Kim Sei-Young (KOR), Jenny Shin from the Korean Peninsula. Ryu shot a near perfect round with (KOR) “My putting just was everything a bogey-free four-under 67. Ryu had 69 - Brooke M. Henderson (CAN), Jacqui on the course today,” said Hur. “My a tournament course record 63 at the Concolino, Ariya Jutanugarn (THA), shot wasn’t that good and my address Swinging Skirts last week. Alison Walshe (USA), Casey Grice (USA), wasn’t that comfortable but my putting She missed just one fairway and one Carlota Ciganda (ESP), Jodi Ewart Shad- did really well. green on Thursday. off (ENG), Chun In-Gee (KOR), Danielle “So it helps me really a lot and that’s “I shot 17 greens, and even when I Kang (USA) Gulf Times Saturday, April 30, 2016 11 SPORT

FORMULA 1 / RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX One fi ght is FOCUS enough for Hamilton Serena’s absence Triple world champion Hamilton tops Lewis Hamilton has one big fight on his hands already blows Madrid this season and he is not spoiling for another, not even for charity and against the man with the broadest tournament smile in Formula One. Russia practice, The Mercedes driver, 36 points behind teammate Nico Rosberg after three wide open races won by the German, was asked at the Russian Grand Prix about Australian AFP Vettel stops Daniel Ricciardo’s invitation Madrid to take part in a charity box- ing bout. Rosberg, chasing his fourth win this season, quickest in morning “Seems I’m not the only one n the absence of world throwing hands these days. number one Serena Wil- Charity match?,” the smiling liams (pictured), who Red Bull driver said on Twit- withdrew from the tourna- Iment yesterday after suff ering ter earlier in the year with a photo of himself strapping with fl u, a whole host of players his fists for a gym workout. will be targeting victory at the Hamilton had added boxing WTA Madrid Open. training to his winter work- Williams has played just three outs pre-season. tournaments all season, losing in Ricciardo then posted a vid- the fi nal of the Australian Open eo on Instagram this week and at Indian Wells. showing more sparring with With the world’s dominant the comment: “Trying to player missing for so much of the improve my skills before a season, 16 diff erent women have hopeful charity match at the already lifted WTA titles this year, end of the year. (I’ve asked with , Victoria “One reason is that the alti- Lewis hopefully he can be Azarenka and tude really helps the players who convinced).” the only multiple winners. are playing fast and aggressively,” The Briton was clear that That makes it hard to pick a the Czech told the tournament would not be happening. winner for the tournament that website. “I quite like my face the starts this weekend, with Po- “The balls really fl y and I think way it is. Fighting someone land’s Agnieszka Radwanska now that the players who are just you don’t like is easy. I like the top seed, while fi ve-time pushing the ball don’t really have Daniel, so there’s no reason champion Maria a chance to fi nish the ball.” to fight him,” he said. Sharapova is still in the wilder- World number fi ve Azarenka “I’d rather just give the ness after failing a drugs test at is the most in-form player on money to charity. Why the Melbourne Park in January. the Tour as the Belarusian ar- hell am I going to risk this, Williams’s conqueror at the rives in Madrid on the back of a man?,” he added, pointing Australian Open, Kerber, is in 14-match winning streak having to his face. fi ne form after backing up her won in Indian Wells and Miami, fi rst Grand Slam by retaining her as well as helping her coun- title on the indoor clay of Stutt- try relegate Russia in the World gart last week. Group II in the Fed Cup earlier Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton drives into the pitlane during the first practice session for the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi yesterday. (Reuters) And the German is looking this month. to build on her positive start to Azarenka has never won in Reuters we need to keep working hard if we are to “Still, it is a shame, because now we are the European clay-court season Madrid, but does have a good Sochi, Russia try and stay ahead of the Ferraris,” said lacking some laps, especially in the long in Madrid and Rome before the track record as she reached the Hamilton. “They look like they might be runs ... which would have allowed us to see next month. fi nal in 2011 and 2012 and blew another step closer this weekend.” how competitive we are.” “I know I can play well on three match points against Wil- ormula One world champion Lewis Hamilton is the only driver to have won Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who tested clay,” said Kerber. “This is the at- liams in the last 16 last year be- Hamilton was top of the timesheets in Russia since the race’s debut in 2014 a new head protection device at the start titude I’ll take to Paris.” fore losing a fi nal set tie-break. in Russian Grand Prix practice yes- and he needs to complete the hat-trick on of the session and has fi nished fourth in all The faster conditions than a Home hopes are carried by terday after Mercedes team-mate Sunday to eat into his team mate’s hefty 36 three races, was sixth and fi fth for Red Bull normal clay surface in Madrid Garbine Muguruza as the world NicoF Rosberg set the early pace and Ferrari point lead after just three of the 21 races. in the two sessions. due to the slight altitude of the number four hopes to become suff ered reliability problems. The Mercedes pair, who have won 35 of Russian team mate Daniil Kvyat was sev- Spanish capital could help Ker- the fi rst Spanish woman to win Rosberg, chasing his seventh win in a the last 41 races between them, were com- enth, with McLaren’s Jenson Button eighth ber even more. the Madrid Open. row and fourth of the season, was quickest fortably ahead of the rest in the morning and Fernando Alonso 10th in a boost for Two-time champion Petra However, Muguruza has had in the morning around the Olympic Park but Vettel showed pace for Ferrari before Honda-powered McLaren as they fi ght Kvitova returns to defend her a disappointing season so far as used for the 2014 Winter Games in the he hit problems. their way back up the pecking order after crown at the Caja Magica and she has failed to make it beyond Black Sea resort. The four-times world champion, whose a nightmare 2015 season. “Getting at least strongly believes the conditions the quarter-fi nals in seven tour- The championship leader dropped to team have suff ered power unit problems one car into Q3 (the fi nal phase of qualify- favour her style. naments. third in the afternoon, however, with in two races this season, stopped with an ing) tomorrow would be good news for us. I Hamilton setting a best time of one minute hour to go. think that’s possible,” said Alonso. 37.583 seconds on supersoft tyres com- Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was fourth in Renault’s Russian test driver Sergey Sirot- TENNIS / MUNICH OPEN pared to Rosberg’s 1:38.450. both practices. kin, who will be competing in the GP2 sup- Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel stopped on “Looks like we had an electric problem, port series this season, replaced Denmark’s track during the second session but was but I am sure we can fi x it,” said Vettel, who Kevin Magnussen for the fi rst session. still second fastest. faces a fi ve-place grid penalty after a gear- He ended up 13th fastest with regular “I think we’re looking strong here, but box change. race driver Jolyon Palmer 18th. Zverev boosts Formula One agrees cheaper power units from 2017 reputation with Reuters -- something the manufacturers needed excess of 20 million euros ($22.89 mil- driver per season,” the FIA said. Sochi, Russia to make the engines more aff ordable. lion), depending on the manufacturer, Drivers are currently allowed five units Research into “improving the sound”, whereas FIA president Jean Todt has per season, with penalties applied if they Goffi n shock which means cranking up the volume to said 12 million would be an acceptable exceed their allocation. ormula One announced a deal with appease fans yearning for the old ear-split- amount. The FIA said there would be an obliga- the sport’s four engine manufac- ting V8 wail, was under way with the aim The FIA had threatened to introduce tion to supply all teams, a bone of AFP vak Djokovic for most tour-level Fturers yesterday to reduce prices of implementation by 2018 at the latest. an independent power unit supplier if a contention last year when Mercedes, Munich wins this season (28-7). over three years from 2017, ensure all The 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid power units, deal could not be reached. Ferrari and Honda all ruled out provid- On Thursday, Juan Martin del teams are supplied and reduce perform- made up of six main parts including the It said the new agreement would reduce ing engines to rivals Red Bull after that Potro won consecutive claycourt ance gaps. internal combustion engine and energy the cost by one million euros in 2017 team fell out with Renault. ast-rising German teen- matches for the fi rst time in four The governing International Automobile recovery systems, were introduced in compared to 2016 prices. From 2018, Red Bull are now using Renault units ager Alexander Zverev years by seeing off Germany’s Federation (FIA) said in a statement that 2014. the price would drop by a further three with Tag Heuer branding. enhanced his reputation Jan-Lennard Struff 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 the agreement had been approved by While far more fuel eff icient, and techno- million euros. Measures to reduce the performance further Friday when he to make the quarter-fi nals. knockedF top seed David Goffi n The injury-plagued Argen- its World Motor Sport Council and would logically relevant to road car produc- “Cost reduction on power units will gap, with Mercedes dominant since 2014 now be written into the regulations. tion, than ageing V8 engines, the new be driven by changes to the sporting and newest arrivals Honda still some out of the Munich Open with an tine, who was the 2009 US Open As part of the agreement, thrashed units have also been considerably more and technical regulations in 2017 and way off the pace, would include the impressive 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win. champion, broke serve seven out over months, the FIA committed to expensive. 2018, with a progressive reduction of removal of a system of ‘tokens’ limiting Zverev, 19, currently ranked a times. The last time del Potro stable power unit regulations until 2020 A customer supply can cost well in the number of power unit elements per development during the season. career-best 49 in the world, se- won consecutive matches on clay cured victory in the quarter-fi - was at the 2012 French Open. nals in two hours and 22 minutes He will face fourth seed Philipp to move into his fourth career Kohlschreiber, who defeated fel- BOTTOMLINE semi-fi nal. low German 6-4, Zverev next faces Austrian third 6-4 for a spot in the semi-fi nals. seed Dominic Thiem who made “My movement on the court the semi-fi nals of the claycourt isn’t the best right now, but the event with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win important part is to win matches Ricciardo tests head protection device against of Croatia. on clay for the fi rst time in many The 22-year-old Thiem, years,” said del Potro who holds ranked 15 in the world, is now a 6-0 lead in career meetings Reuters ics and style and coolness of F1,” added tied with world number one No- against Kohlschreiber. Sochi, Russia the Briton. Hamilton added that danger was part of Formula One’s appeal and that drivers ed Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo tested knew the risks that they were taking and a new Formula One head protec- were willing to do so. tion device on his car at the Rus- Improving head protection has become sian Grand Prix yesterday with a priority in Formula One, however, after opinionsR divided on the aesthetics if not the deaths last year of Briton Justin Wil- the eff ectiveness. son, who suff ered head injuries from de- The Australian lapped the Sochi circuit bris in an IndyCar crash, and Frenchman with the ‘aeroscreen’ fi tted to the cockpit Jules Bianchi. before pitting to continue regular prac- Ferrari tested another ‘halo’ version of tice without it. the device, without a screen, in pre-sea- “The fi rst impression seems OK,” Ric- son testing in Spain in March. ciardo had told reporters before driv- This weekend also marks the anniver- ing with it on track for the fi rst time. “It sary of the death of Brazilian triple cham- doesn’t really block any more vision than pion Ayrton Senna at Italy’s Imola race- what we do have already.” track on May 1, 1994. The reaction on social media was gen- Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo drives out of the garage during the first practice The front wheel of the Williams erally positive, with even champions session with the 'aeroscreen' fitted to the car. (Reuters) bounced back in that impact with the Mercedes commenting on their Twitter wall, with the Brazilian’s helmet pen- feed that “it doesn’t look half bad”. screen...looks like a shield that the police shield sitting on top of it.” etrated by a suspension arm. Mercedes’ triple world champion use, a riot shield,” he had told reporters “It is a good thing to see that the FIA do Ricciardo said he was a fi rm believer in Lewis Hamilton was not a fan, however. when shown a picture of the device. take safety seriously, it is a constant thing the need for a device like the ‘aeroscreen’. “If they’re going to do this, (then) “You’ve got this cool, elegant, futur- that always need to be worked on, as long “If it saves even one life over the next 20 Germany’s Alexander Zverev returns the ball during his quarterfinal close the cockpit like a fi ghter jet. That istic F1 car, and you’ve got a crappy riot as it doesn’t aff ect hopefully the aesthet- years then you’re going to take it,” he said. match against Belgian David Goff in in Munich yesterday. (AFP)

Saturday, April 30, 2016 GULF TIMES SPORT

HORSE RACING / QIPCO 2000 GUINEAS STAKES SPOTLIGHT Galileo Gold in attempt to snatch 2000 Guineas Capacity crowd

By Our Correspondent win three Group One races - the Phoe- Newmarket, England nix Stakes, the National Stakes and the expected at 2016 Dewhurst. O’Brien also saddles Air Vice Marshal, as he seeks to take the Classic IPCO 2000 Guineas Stakes for a record eighth time. Air Vice Marshal (British Champions Series) will will be ridden by Seamie Heff ernan. Workers Cup fi nal kick off the fl at racing season at Godolphin will be represented by the Newmarket today with as many trio — Mark Johnston-trained and James fter seven weeks of asQ 13 runners in contention for the Clas- Doyle-ridden Buratino, Jim Bolger’s intense competition, sic title. Herald The Dawn with Kevin Manning the fi nal of the 2016 Amongst the runners competing in astride and Ribchester, trained by Rich- Workers Cup is just the Group 1 race, which is open to three- ard Fahey and ridden by William Buick. daysA away. A capacity crowd is year-olds and has a purse of £500,000, The list of contenders also includes expected at Al Ahli Stadium, as is Al Shaqab Racing’s Galileo Gold, who Massaat, runner-up to Air Force Blue Gulf Contracting Company take will be taken by trainer Hugo Palmer and in the Dewhurst. Trainer Owen Bur- on Taleb Group in the fi nale on jockey Frankie Dettori to add the title to rows and jockey Paul Hanagan will at- Friday, May 6. his account following his successful cam- tempt to reverse the places this time. Both the teams have worked paign in the last season. Peter Chapple-Hyam relies on his Rac- hard to reach the showpiece The three-year-old chestnut colt won Galileo Gold ing Post Trophy victor Marcel under event, with Gulf Contracting the Group 2 Vintage Stake during the jockey Pat Smullen while Ed Walker Company coming through a Qatar Goodwood Festival last July, Nov- Stakes at York in May and he came third mile race include Air Force Blue. Aidan looks to Stormy Antarctic following his penalty shoot-out in their semi- ice Stakes at Haydock earlier in the same in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere O’Brien’s star colt will be taken, with convincing victory in the Craven Stakes fi nal against Mowasalat. So far, month and Maiden Auction Stakes at during the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triom- Ryan Moore in the saddle, to score the over the course and distance earlier this they’ve only conceded a solitary Salisbury in September. He was also the phe weekend at Longchamp in October. fi rst Classic of the season following a month. Stormy Antarctic will be ridden goal in the tournament, which is runner-up of Median Auction Maiden The 13 runners declared for the one- stellar juvenile campaign that saw him by jockey George Baker. now in its fourth year. Taleb Group, meanwhile, had to beat last year’s winners MID- FOCUS MAC Contracting Company in the quarterfi nals. They then edged past the high-scoring FIFA president Gianni Infantino Larsen & Toubro in their semi-fi - gestures next to Workers Cup tro- nal, a game witnessed by visiting phy during the semi-final between FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Taleb Group and Larsen & Toubro Throughout the tournament, last week. which began on March 18 in front of a 5,000-strong crowd, cheering their colleagues on. Garcia impressed the fans have created a vibrant Fans can soak up the excite- atmosphere, and the final ment of the day from 3pm, with should be no different. To add the third place play-off between to the occasion, there’ll be en- Mowasalat and Larsen & Toubro tertainers, music and acrobats, scheduled for 4:45pm. as well as free refreshments The fi nal itself kicks off at by Qatar’s stadia and noisemakers for workers 6:45pm. (SC.qa) ‘I’m impressed... especially the unique Arabic designs of Al Bayt and Al Wakrah stadiums’ Emir Cup table tennis

uis Garcia (pictured) has lifted the Champions League at club level, played for Spain at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, Land still calls two of the most legendary grounds in world football – Camp Nou and Anfi eld, his spiritual home. So it is safe to say he recognises what it takes to make a stadium great. So on his recent visit to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s (SC) of- fi ce in Doha to see the progress being made for the 2022 tournament, the former Liv- erpool and Barcelona winger took a keen interest in the spectacular designs of the stadia, highlighting the intriguing blend of tradition and modernity. “I’m really very impressed with what I’ve seen here today, especially the unique Arabic designs of the Al Bayt Stadium and Action from the semi-final matches of the Emir Cup table tennis Al Wakrah Stadium. I’ve been visiting tournament at Al Arabi Indoor Stadium yesterday. El Jaish (be- Doha for quite a while and been seeing the low) will face Qatar Sports Club (above) in the final tomorrow. changes in the country and the city, and PICTURES: Jayaram just to see how these futuristic stadiums are starting to grow is great,” the former Spain striker said. “To arrive here and know you don’t have to travel or fl y and that you can rest, that is a fantastic thing to have. The facil- ities are very important when you are in a World Cup. When we were in the World Cup in 2006 we were in a small town, so we were far away from everything. Garcia is impressed with Al Wakrah Stadium, a FIFA World Cup 2022 venue. Arab region on his numerous visits. about the country. Xavi has already ar- team, they know exactly what to do, and “That’s not easy because even though “Aside from regularly visiting Qa- rived and Sergio Garcia arrived and peo- where you have to be. Right now all of the you have to focus, life still goes on. You tar, I have been to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, ple will start hearing about the World four are very good, but Bayern in one of need places to clear your mind, rest, re- and you feel the passion when you see Cup. Millions and millions of people are the most powerful teams. cover and watch a movie, go for a walk, the people watching the games, they are going to be watching in 2022.” “I see Atletico Madrid very strong and so it is very important to have this. I can’t crazy about football,” he continued. “I ar- On the matter of the more immediate confi dent in the way they play. It is one wait to see the progress and to be at the rived the other day to my Doha hotel and future, the former Atletico Madrid for- of the best defensive teams in Europe, World Cup in Qatar, I like what I have on my bed there was ‘You’ll Never Walk ward also said he favoured his former side and Bayern have to be very careful about seen.” Alone’ written in rose petals, that shows to go all the way in the UEFA Champions Torres because he is very confi dent now, The Badalona-born player, who rose you the passion of the city for football.” League this year, highlighting the fantas- scoring goals again. There is also Griez- through the ranks in the youth teams of “It shows that the country and the re- tic form of one player in particular. mann who has been fantastic for the La Masia – FC Barcelona’s iconic acad- gion need something like this World Cup, “With Barcelona out, who were the whole season, and many players in the emy, also said he has also seen an out- the players will come here, the league will favourites for me, I will go for Atletico team want to win that trophy which they standing passion for football in the entire get better, people will start hearing more Madrid,” he said. “They are a very serious missed out on two years ago.” (SC.qa)

BOTTOMLINE Save the Dream, UNAOC sign agreement to empower youth through sport

Agencies and cohesion within society. HE Nassir Abdulaziz al- and adding their internation- Baku, Azerbaijan The signing is major boost Nasser, United Nations High ally-recognised knowledge for Save the Dream and fol- Representative for the Alliance and expertise. With their sup- lows on from an inspirational of Civilizations, said: “We rec- port, we are determined to ith the aim of en- panel session this week, which ognize that sports convey val- continue reaching out to more couraging more saw several sporting cham- ues such as discipline, sacrifi ce, young people around the world organisations to pions share their experiences solidarity, courage and ethics. through the power of sport empower young about how sport has changed They are more important than and promoting inter-cultural Wpeople and intercultural dia- their lives and what role it has ever, particularly in the resolu- dialogue between people and logue through the values of played for them in promoting tion of signifi cant global issues. communities.” sport, the United Nations Alli- peace, breaking down barriers In joining forces with Save the Save the Dream executive di- ance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and encouraging inter-cultural Dream, sports will be further rector Massimiliano Montanari and Save the Dream have signed dialogue between people and emphasised as a crucial mean to concluded, “Sport brings to- a new agreement at the 7th Glo- communities. facilitate the peace and inclu- gether people from diff erent so- bal Forum of the United Nations Aligned with the conference sion of societies.” cial and cultural backgrounds, Alliance of Civilizations (UN- theme ‘Living Together in In- International Centre for from grassroots right up to the AOC) in Baku, Azerbaijan. clusive Societies: A Challenge Sport Security president and elite level. Through the power of Following the Save the Dream and Goal’, speakers, panellists Save the Dream founder Mo- its values and its ability to break session at the 7th Global Fo- included retired French foot- hamed Hanzab said: “Sport has down social barriers and pro- rum titled Sports for Peace, baller Christian Karembeu, As- a unique ability to break down mote inter-cultural dialogue, it Sustainable and Inclusive De- sociation of Football Federations barriers and misunderstandings is the perfect tool to facilitate velopment, the new agreement of Azerbaijan (AFFA) secretary between people and commu- social inclusion amongst youth. will see the two organisations general Elkan Mammadov, Ec- nities. It promotes peace and “Our partnership with UN- work together to develop joint uadorian peace and sport ac- unites and inspires many peo- AOC will further enhance Save projects - including education tivist Nelsa Curbelo, Save the ple – young and old - around the Dream’s growing global workshops, youth seminars Dream ambassador and co- the world. network, as well as furthering and sport programmes - to help founder and fi rst captain of the “We are delighted to be its ability to achieve our objec- empower young people through Palestinian women’s national working with UNAOC on such tive to promote peace and in- the values of sport, promote football team Honey Thaljieh, an important cause and would spiring and empowering young inter-cultural dialogue and en- and Syrian refugee and football like to thank them for joining people through the values of United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations HE Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser (left) and courage better social inclusion coach Osama Abdul Mohsen. forces with Save the Dream sport.” ICSS president Mohamed Hanzab