TTENNISENNIS | Page 6 Murray could get extended deadline for Wimbledon Wednesday, May 1, 2019 FOOTBALL Sha’baan 26, 1440 AH Messi’s motivation GULF TIMES spurs on Barca, says Rakitic SPORT Page 2 SPOTLIGHT FOCUS Qatar and Al Sadd Brazil mourns star Afi f bags QFA’s Senna 25 years best player award aft er his AL SADD’S FERREIRA IS BEST COACH, AL-RAWI TOP UNDER-23 PLAYER death AFP Sao Paulo master on the For- mula One racing track, triple world champion Ayrton ASenna was the pride of Bra- zil. Twenty-fi ve years after his tragic death in the San Marino Grand Prix, he remains one of the country’s biggest sporting legends. The anniversary of Senna’s death today — dubbed “Senna Day” — will revive the sense of loss and bewilderment that followed the shocking crash same intensity or emotion,” on the Imola circuit in Italy explained Grunwald. on May 1, 1994, that took the “With Senna, it was Sun- 34-year-old’s life. days with the family” in front It will also serve as a bitter of the television. reminder that since Senna’s Cultural and sporting events last title in 1991, there has are planned for “Senna Day” at never been a Brazilian world Sao Paulo’s Interlagos track. champion. Charismatic and controver- “There were some successes sial, Senna was crowned the after Ayrton Senna... but the F1 world champion in 1988, lack of an internal structure in 1990 and 1991 when he drove Brazilian motorsport did not for McLaren. He had already allow its development,” said switched to the Williams team Alexander Grunwald, a Brazil- when he was killed. ian motorsports journalist. It was at McLaren that Senna’s death sparked an Senna’s notorious rivalry with outpouring of grief around French driver Alain Prost be- Fom left: Best coach Jesualdo Ferreira of Al Sadd, best under-23 player Bassam al-Rawi of Al Duhail, best player Akram Afif of Al Sadd and Mansour Muftah award winner for top the world. But his loss was gan — a relationship that has scorer Baghdad Bounedjah of Al Sadd pose with their trophies during the annual QFA awards gala at QNCC yesterday. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil felt acutely in Brazil where the been scrutinized over and over sight of Senna, easily identi- by F1 observers for years. By Sports Reporter Abdulaziz al-Mohannadi. fi able by his distinctive yel- “It’s obvious that every- Doha A short video on former Qatar interna- low crash helmet, taking the thing was not perfect... there tional and media personality Obaid Juma, chequered fl ag, had been a rare was rivalry on the track,” said who passed away during the season, was source of joy for ordinary peo- Brazilian F1 journalist Fred atar and Al Sadd striker Akram shown at the ceremony. ple struggling to make ends Sabino. However, “the positive Afi f bagged the prestigious meet. aspects outweighed the nega- best player award at the Qatar OTHER AWARDS “In the 1980s we were liv- tive,” he added. Football Association’s annual Football For All Award ing with hyperinfl ation, the After years of public bicker- Qawards gala held yesterday evening at the This award is given to individual/indi- end of the military dictator- ing the two drivers appeared to Qatar National Convention Centre. viduals or institution who contribute to ship — it didn’t make sense to resolve their diff erences before Afi f played a stellar role in Qatar win- the growth of football culture in the so- be proud of Brazil,” explained Senna´s death. ning the Asian Cup in the UAE earlier this ciety. Grunwald. Prost helped carry the coffi n year and was a force to reckon with for The Yarmouk Preparatory School for “But Senna was carrying the of his deceased teammate. his club Al Sadd who won the QNB Stars Boys won the award for its role in organis- Brazilian fl ag around the world “Determination” and “ded- League title last month for the 14th time ing sports events and activities. The most like a symbol that made so ication” are the words often in history. notable among them was the schools’ many Brazilians proud.” used to explain Senna’s suc- “It’s a great honour to win the award football festival held on 21st November, Senna’s legacy was to cess on the track. especially because there are so many 2018, under the auspices of Ministry of “transform” F1 racing, said They are also the values ex- good players in Qatar,” Afi f, 22, said after Education and Higher Education, Su- Grunwald. Apart from his tolled by the Ayrton Senna In- receiving his award from QFA Vice Presi- preme Committee for Delivery and Lega- exceptional driving skills, his stitute, which his sister Vivi- dent Saoud al-Mohannadi. cy and QSL. More than 350 students, rep- attention to other elements of ane founded in 1994 to off er “I thank the QFA, my coaches (Felix resenting 30 schools, participated in it. the sport, such as physical and opportunities for disadvan- Sanchez of the national team and Jesualdo National team coach Felix Sanchez takes a selfie with Bassam al-Rawi and Akram Afif. QFA Board Member Ahmed Abdulaziz mental preparation, as well as taged children. Ferreira of Al Sadd) and of course my col- al-Boenain presented the award to school understanding the vehicle and Books and documentaries leagues for helping me win this honour,” many records in the tournament. Al Sadd Bassam has great technical as well as Principal Ibrahim al-Aidan. the technology that powered about Senna’s life show a man he added. scored a record number of 100 goals in 22 physical abilities and is a key member in Best Referees it, set him apart from other focused on his career almost to Afi f beat his club mate Baghdad matches, winning 18 of them, drawing Qatar national team coach Felix Sanchez’s Abdulrahman al-Jassim, Taleb Salem drivers. a mystical level. Bounedjah and national team colleague three and losing one. They conceded only scheme of things. al-Marri and Saoud Ahmed were ad- Such was his popularity Off the track, Senna’s two Almoez Ali for the top honour. Afi f scored 22 goals to have a goal diff erence of +78, Bassam was loaned out to Celta Vigo in judged the Best Referees. This award was among Brazilians that 25 years great loves were Brazilian TV 26 goals and provided 15 assists in 22 QSL the most by any team. 2015 and KAS Eupen in 2016 by Al Rayyan. fi rst instituted in the 2016-17 season in after his death Senna’s image star Xuxa and the model Adri- matches this season. Ferreira had won the same award in the He returned in 2017 to Al Rayyan and then recognition of the eff orts of referees. continues to be used in adver- ane Galisteu, with whom he An array of dignitaries who includ- 2016-17 season as well. moved to Al Duhail. The award was presented by Qatar’s tising and social campaigns. shared his last months. ed offi cials, celebrities, heads of clubs, The best under-23 player award was Stars League team coaches, Qatar na- former FIFA referee Rustam Bakr. A survey in 2014 showed 47 Before Senna, two-time coaches, players and media representa- bagged by Al Duhail and Qatar national tional team coach, Qatar Olympic team Top Scorer (Mansour Muftah Award) % of people in Senna’s home world champion Emerson Fit- tives attended the awards ceremony. team defender Bassam al-Rawi. He won coach, team managers, media representa- Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedjah of city of Sao Paulo ranked him tipaldi (1972 and 1974) and Meanwhile, Portuguese tactician Jesu- the competition ahead of Al Ahli’s Abdul- tives, representative of QFA, representa- Al Sadd won the Mansour Muftah Award as the biggest sporting name three-time world champion aldo Ferreira of Al Sadd was named as the rahman Fahmy and Al Gharafa goalkeeper tive of Qatar Stars League (QSL), as well for the top scorer, having netted a record in the country. Football great Nelson Piquet (1981, 1983 and best coach of 2018-19 season. He fended Yousef Hassan. as president and Board Members of QFA number of 39 goals in the QNB Stars Pele was a distant second. 1987) put Brazil on the F1 map. off the challenge from Al Sailiya’s Tuni- Bassam, who played an important role participated in the voting process. League. He played a crucial role in Al Pele, a three-time World In the past 25 years, Rubens sian boss Sami Trabelsi and Al Shahania’s in Qatar’s success in the Asian Cup early Al Sailiya’s coach Sami Trabelsi and Sadd’s triumph in the tournament. Cup winner, played at “a time Barrichello and Felipe Massa Spanish trainer Jose Murcia. this year, is a versatile defender. He is club’s Vice-President Ali bin Rashid al- Bounedjah received the award from when people listened to foot- — eleven podiums each but Ferreira, who guided Al Sadd to the known for putting up consistent per- Marri received Special Recognition me- former star Egyptian footballer Mohamed ball on the radio or read it in without a world title — were league triumph, helped The Wolves set formances. mentoes from QFA Vice President Saoud Aboutrika. the newspaper — it wasn’t the the best Brazilian F1 drivers. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, May 1, 2019 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Liverpool’s fl ying Captain Messi’s full-backs ready for Barcelona test AFP motivation spurs on London either Trent Alexan- der-Arnold nor An- drew Robertson have Lionel Messi’s star Npower, but the buccaneering Liv- erpool defenders could play just Barcelona: Rakitic as vital a role as the Barcelona captain in their mouth-watering Champions League semi-fi nal.