Refugee Athletes See Rio As Chance to Call for Peace
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GOLF | Page 5 AATHLETICSTHLETICS | Page 6 Day, Spieth Schippers and McIlroy shines, Kiprop To Advertise here set for US high fi ves Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 Open battle in Oslo Saturday, June 11, 2016 EURO 2016 Ramadan 6, 1437 AH Day of history GULF TIMES arrives for Bale and Wales SPORT Page 2 ENGLAND VS RUSSIA 10PM Temptation of draw might stymie England and Russia With games against Wales and Slovakia to come, and the potential for three teams to qualify with two guaranteed, a point in today’s high-profile match might look a very useful result in a couple of weeks during the business end of the tournament (L-R) File picture of Russia’s coach Leonid Slutsky. England’s coach Roy Hodgson pictured during a team training session. England’s Wayne Rooney takes part in a training session. Reuters front of a 60,000 crowd that will be pre- in that regard as his, and England’s fans on the edge of their seats. England must play without fear, say Hodgson and Rooney Marseille dominantly behind them. more pressing concern is in central de- They are, however, a well-organised However, despite that great run of fence where any combination of Gary and technically adept squad and coach England take on Russia today having of successive England campaigns and form, England are anything but a settled Cahill, Chris Smalling and John Stones Leonid Slutsky has quickly developed not reached a global or European final he too was keen to stress the impor- ngland and Russia are the big side as Roy Hodgson struggles with the has looked vulnerable and remains a strong team spirit since taking over since their 1966 World Cup triumph tance of building confidence. beasts of Group B and, though question of how to shoe-horn his form England’s Achilles heel. from Fabio Capello last August. and it is 20 years since they even “You can play without fear, naturally, each would love a winning start players into an established system. England have not lost in 90 or 120 He has, however, been forced to made a semi-final in the 1996 Euros. younger lads do that. I did it when I when they meet today, the fear Strikers Jamie Vardy, fresh from minutes in 22 Euro matches in fi nals change his plans somewhat after injuries “You can’t wipe the slate clean. We’ll broke into the team in 2003 but it’s Eof losing could well become all-per- leading Leicester City to the most un- and qualifi ers, going back to a 3-2 de- ruled midfi elders Alan Dzagoev and, af- live with the fact it’s been 50 years more of a case of the manager, coach- vading and lead to a cagey encounter. likely Premier League title, and Harry feat by Croatia in November 2007. ter last week’s 1-1 draw with Serbia, Igor since we won a tournament but all we ing staff and me telling the players With games against Wales and Slova- Kane, the Premier League’s top scorer, The impressive statistics are skewed, Denisov out of the tournament. can do is hope the players approach how good they are,” he said. kia to come, and the potential for three seemingly demand selection. however, as they lost on penalties to It- With that to deal with and winnable this one with a relaxed attitude,” said “We have a really talented group teams to qualify with two guaranteed, a But Hodgson is adamant Wayne aly in the 2012 quarter-fi nals and failed games on the horizon, Russia are un- coach Roy Hodgson yesterday. of players and we need them to point at the Velodrome might look a very Rooney, the captain and most expe- to qualify in 2008. likely to take too many risks on Satur- “We try to encourage them to believe believe that themselves, that they’re useful result in a couple of weeks. rienced squad member, should get a Russia reached the semi-fi nals that day, leaving it up to England to decide in themselves, go out and play the good enough to go out there and England, on the back of winning all 10 starting berth, leaving the coach ex- year with a side full of passion and whether to open up in all-out pursuit football we’ve been trying to play, and do it. You can see the confidence qualifi ers, not to mention a rare victory perimenting with his attacking options pace but they were disappointing in of victory or indulge in 90 minutes of we’ll see what it brings.” and ambition and desire in the play- in Germany in a friendly, start favourites right up to the last minute. 2012 and in the 2014 World Cup and cautious chess. Rooney has seen the best and worst ers, and that’s great.” and will expect to make the running in At least he is picking from strength the current crop are not a group to have Now to see what happens. SO IT BEGINS Fans fl ock to opening game as Euro kicks off AFP Paris rance vowed ongoing strikes would not ruin Euro 2016, where football fans waded through layers of security to Fattend yesterday’s opening game in a tournament fraught with terror fears. Thousands of fans gathered at the Stade de France, north of Paris, the site of three suicide bombings during last November’s attacks that have kept the the hosts and Romania. city on high alert. Seven months after the co-ordinated Holding beers or wearing brightly- attacks by the Islamic State group left watch the match, and would do so in coloured wigs, fans submitted to nu- 130 people dead around Paris, die-hard her Airbnb apartment. merous searches as months of gloom fans like Daniel Suciu from Romania re- “In Germany I would watch the and doom in France fi nally appeared to fused to be cowed by fear. matches in bars or at a public viewing, give way to football fun. “We live in a dangerous world. but in France... I am afraid of terrorism. The European championship comes I know it is dangerous but to support I would have a bad feeling if I were after months of woes in France, with Romania is just more important than going to the fan zone with so many peo- the country hit by terror attacks, fl oods, everything,” the 27-year-old told AFP ple,” she said. political turmoil and strikes. as he headed to a fan zone at the foot of She said she was surprised by the “The image that is being given is not the Eiff el Tower. palpable lack of party atmosphere in the one we wanted,” chief organiser However Julia Settgast, 28, a German France compared to Germany. “If it’s Jacques Lambert admitted before the student on a language course in Paris, because they are afraid of terrorism I tournament’s opening match between Dancers perform during the opening ceremony yesterday. The off icial mascot - Super Victor. said she was too jittery to go out and can understand, but it’s very sad.” Gulf Times 2 Saturday, June 11, 2016 EURO 2016 WALES VS SLOVAKIA 7PM BOUNCE BACK Giant Dzyuba keen Spotlight on Bale to grab Euro chance and Wales as day of history arrives File picture of Artem Dzyuba of Russia celebrating after scoring. AFP sive blows, and of course it re- Paris ally hurt,” he told Four Four Two ‘It has been a bit surreal being here... Whenever there was a major championship on I magazine, admitting it was tough to watch as Russia struggled in would be sat at home, watching on TV, so to be involved is amazing’ owering Russian striker Poland-Ukraine and at the 2014 Artem Dzyuba is hoping World Cup. to cut England down to “(But) maybe it was even a size when the two coun- good thing in a funny sort of way, Ttries start their European Cham- as it made me angry. It made me pionship fi nals campaign today. work on my game even more to Russia’s squad is ageing and show everyone, myself included, suff ering from injuries, but the that I belong at this level.” 1.96m (6ft 5in) Zenit St Peters- burg forward dominates the fi eld GIANT JOKER and his recent goalscoring for At 27, he is a late developer in a club and country underlines his Russian side certainly not lack- status as Russia’s primary threat. ing experience — the squad’s “I think it’s a good thing that average age of 28.57 is the third we’re playing against a strong oldest in the tournament along side. From the fi rst minutes we with Italy. will feel what it’s like to play in Dogged by suggestions of a dif- the European Championship, fi cult personality earlier in his ca- and what’s in front of us,” Dzy- reer, Dzyuba has been branded the uba said ahead of the Group B team’s joker by midfi elder Oleg game in Marseille. Ivanov and said the atmosphere in Exiled for the best part of three the Russia camp was “great”. years following his international His strike rate of nine goals debut in November 2011, Dzyuba in 18 international appearances missed out on Russia’s failed makes for impressive reading, campaigns at Euro 2012 and the and Dzyuba will have England World Cup in Brazil which both goalkeeper Joe Hart in his cross- ended after the group stage.