THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 12 Bahrain looking ahead to Olympics Kingdom joins rest of the world in marking 100 days until the start of the Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan, which kicks off with the opening ceremony on July 23 • Bahrain to be amongst more than 200 The BOC is doing countries expected to everything to help compete at the Japanese KNOW WHAT ensure the safety of capital this summer the Bahraini mission at the Olympics, Bahraini athletes The Olympic Torch which is a top priority have• so far qualified Relay is currently on- amidst the COVID-19 to participate in three going and the Olympic pandemic sports, including flame will continue its BAHRAIN CHEF DE MISSION HAMAD athletics, boxing journey across Japan’s Hamad Buhijji BUHIJJI and handball 47 prefectures before Buhijji also expressed his kyo Metropolitan Government reaching the Olympic thanks to BOC secretary general headquarters. TDT | Manama Stadium in Tokyo for Mohammed Al Nusuf, especially The International Olympic the Opening Ceremony for his constant follow-up on the Committee’s Coordination Com- ahrain joined the rest on July 23 preparations for the Games. mission Chair John Coates said: of the world yesterday Buhijji noted that the BOC is “Following the challenges we Bmarking 100 days until Buhijji expressed his deep doing everything to help ensure have all faced in recent months, the Tokyo Olympic Games. thanks and pride in the con - the safety of the mission, which in 100 days’ time the Olympic The highly anticipated event, fidence of Supreme Coun - is a top priority amidst the COV- and Paralympic Games Tokyo which was postponed from last cil for Youth and Sports first ID-19 pandemic. He also urged 2020 will be a celebration of year due to the COVID-19 pan- elite runners of all specialties Kingdom’s first-ever partic- vice-chairman and Bahrain the participating sportsmen and solidarity, of the unity of hu - demic, is scheduled to take place are gearing up to compete in ipants in a team sport at any Olympic Committee president women to get vaccinated as part mankind in all our diversity, and between July 23 and August 8 at the track and field events at the Olympics. The Bahrainis booked His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin of their efforts to combat the of resilience. They will show the Japanese capital. Games. their berth at the Tokyo Games Hamad Al Khalifa. virus. just how much stronger we are, The Bahrain Olympic Com- National team boxer Denis after winning the Men’s Asian He said that the Olympics is Buhijji wished all the Bahraini together. mittee (BOC) published a post Latypov made it into the 91kg di- Qualification Tournament held the largest international sport- athletes success as they con - “Tokyo is getting ready. We on social media commemorating vision of men’s boxing. Latypov in Doha in October of 2019, ing event and noted that he will tinue their preparations for the can’t wait for this truly historic yesterday’s occasion. was ranked fifth in the Asia-Oce- defeating South Korea in the work with diligence along with Olympics. occasion.” Bahrain is expected to be ania qualifiers, held last March. final. the rest of the administrative As part of yesterday’s activ- The Olympic Torch Relay is among more than 200 countries The International Boxing Fed- Meanwhile, the Chef de Mis- mission to make Bahrain’s par- ities marking 100 days to the currently ongoing. The Olympic taking part at the Olympics. eration has approved the final sion of Bahrain at the Tokyo ticipation in Tokyo a success. Games, the Organising Com- flame will continue its journey Bahraini athletes are so far list of qualified participants for Games has been named. For- This includes providing all ap- mittee unveiled a giant set of over the next 100 days across the qualified in three sports, in - Tokyo. mer national table tennis team propriate conditions for Bah- Olympic rings on top of Mount country’s 47 prefectures before cluding athletics, boxing and The senior men’s national star Hamad Buhijji has been rain’s athletes to achieve their Takao, which is located in Tokyo, reaching the Olympic Stadium handball. handball team are set to make appointed by the BOC to take on best results and highest levels of and statues of the Olympic and in Tokyo for the Opening Cere- A number of the Kingdom’s an historic appearance as the the role. performance. Paralympic mascots at the To- mony on July 23. Djokovic, Nadal off the mark in Monte Carlo Master blaster Babar hits 122 as AFP | Monte Carlo ovak Djokovic swept past Pakistan defeat South Africa Npromising Italian teenager AFP | Centurion Jannik Sinner 6-4, 6-2 in Mon- te Carlo yesterday on the Ser- abar Azam gave a batting bian world number one’s first Bmasterclass to lead Pakistan appearance since claiming the to a nine-wicket win in the third Australian Open in February. Twenty20 international against And the man he is seeded to South Africa at SuperSport Park meet in the final, Rafael Nadal, in Centurion yesterday. encountered even less resist- Babar hit 122, his first T20 in- ance in brushing aside Federico ternational century, and shared Delbonis 6-1, 6-2 on his delayed a record Pakistan first wicket return after injury since losing partnership of 197 with Mo - in the quarter-finals in Mel - hammad Rizwan (73 not out) bourne. as Pakistan chased down a chal- Sinner, 19, shot to promi - lenging target of 204 with two nence by making it into this Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns the ball during his match against Jannik Sinner overs to spare. month’s Miami Open final. champion Djokovic will next Virtually the only flaw in a The world number 22 face for the first time Briton dazzling batting display by the Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam (R) celebrates after scoring a century as had seen off Spain’s Albert Daniel Evans - a “very smart Pakistan captain was when he Mohammad Rizwan (L) looks on Ramos-Vinolas in straight sets I have to be satisfied player” - who ousted Hubert was dismissed with only sev- who for the second time in the 6-3, 6-4 at this Masters 1000 considering I think I Hurkacz, Sinner’s Miami con- en runs needed, nudging an series remained unbeaten in a event to book his first ever date had a tough draw for queror, for a place in the quar- attempted ramp shot off Liz- successful run chase. with Djokovic. ter-finals. aad Williams to South Afri - He pointed out that Rizwan But it proved a one-sided the first round, playing Later yesterday, Nadal took can wicketkeeper and captain was fasting during Ramadan contest at the Monte Carlo Sinner, who is in form, just 81 minutes to send world Heinrich Klaasen. but nevertheless was involved Country Club, with Djokovic who is striking the ball number 87 Delbonis packing, Rizwan embraced his captain KNOW WHAT throughout the match both as sweeping into the next round in very well with Grigor Dimitrov waiting as he started on his way back to wicketkeeper and batsman. one hour and 34 minutes. NOVAK DJOKOVIC for him in the next round. the dressing room while several It was the ideal riposte by “Solid” is how Djokovic de- Nadal is in the hunt for his South African players ran to Babar Azam dethroned Pakistan, who took a 2-1 lead scribed his own performance. Paris (and the French Open). 12th title in the Principality congratulate him after an in- Indian maestro Virat in the four-match series after “I have to be satisfied con- Hopefully I’ll be able to play ahead of his pursuit of a 14th nings of almost flawless timing Kohli after more than being well-beaten in the sec- sidering I think I had a tough consistently well and stay French Open crown at Roland and placement. three years as the ond match in Johannesburg draw for the first round, playing healthy.” Garros next month and what He hit 15 fours and four sixes yesterday. Sinner, who is in form, who is Sinner said his focus was “al- would be a record 21st Grand off 59 balls. world’s number one Babar and Rizwan shared the striking the ball very well. ways about improving”. Slam. Speaking in Urdu at the post- batsman in one-day in- fourth-highest partnership in “I knew it was going to be “That’s what I’m trying to do. The Mallorcan was in action match presentation, Babar said ternational rankings all T20 internationals, while a challenge. I walked into the Try to learn from this match three days after practising with he was delighted with his per- Babar made the highest individ- court with the right intensity, today as well, even if sometimes Daniil Medvedev, the Russian formance. rat Kohli as the world’s top- ual score by a Pakistan batsman, right focus. it’s tough to accept,” added the second seed who was forced to “I stick to my strengths,” said ranked one-day international beating 111 not out by Ahmed “I just started my clay court Italian. withdraw after testing positive Babar who earlier yesterday batsman. Shehzad against Bangladesh in campaign, so it’s a long way to The 18-time Grand Slam for Covid-19 on Monday. had replaced India skipper Vi- Babar gave credit to Rizwan, Dhaka in 2014. Hon. 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