Sports Wednesday, October 14, 2020 15 Alonso returns to F1 in run out for Renault AFP lona circuit, at the wheel of a “It felt amazing to be able Paris Benetton, the team based in to drive these cars after two Enstone in England which be- years and feel the speed again, Fernando Alonso drove a It was really very special came Renault in 2000. how everything comes so fast, Formula 1 car for the first time for me to get back into an He scored two of his 32 F1 corner after corner, the perfor- in nearly a year and a half on F1 car. It was a good victories in the Spanish Grand mance under braking and all Tuesday in Barcelona. Prix, in 2006 and 2013, and the things a Formula 1 car has The double F1 champion opportunity for me to feel had five further podium fin- to offer. To feel it once again was at the wheel of a Renault, the car. Getting back to the ishes on the track. felt nice.” the team he won his two titles speed of an F1 car is not “It made it special to be He agreed in July to rejoin with and who he will drive for easy, but I felt that I was back in Barcelona,” he said in Renault next season when the next season. improving lap after lap. a team press release. team will compete as Alpine, He drove the Renault be- “I remember the year the French manufacturer’s ing used this season by the Fernando Alonso in an 2000, I drove the Benetton sports car brand. man he replaces, Australian Instagram live broadcast. here with the Enstone guys. “I’m comfortable here with Daniel Ricciardo, who ended Now, in 2020, it’s with Re- Renault,” he said. “Everything the team’s nine-year podium nault, so it’s a special track is a bit easier when you know drought on Sunday when he car”, he said in an Instagram and I have lots of good the faces and the team”. was third in the Eifel Grand live broadcast. memories here. It’s a track I Since leaving F1, Alonso Prix, and Frenchman Este- “It was a good opportu- know very well, so it’s been a has won the Le Mans 24 Hours ban Ocon. nity for me to feel the car,” good day.” twice as well as the endurance The Spaniard, who won his he said. “Getting back to the Alonso had not been in world championship title, all titles in 2005 and 2006 with speed of an F1 car is not easy, an F1 car since a test ses- with Toyota. Renault, was limited to 100km but I felt that I was improving sion for McLaren in Bahrain This year he competed in under the testing rules in a lap after lap.” in April 2019 and had not the Dakar rally, finishing 13th, session officially being used to Alonso’s return to an F1 raced one since the 2018 and drove for a second time in make a promotional film. racing car came on the 20th Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, also the Indianapolis 500 finish- “It was really very special anniversary of his first laps in with McLaren, at the end of ing 21st. He retired in his first for me to get back into an F1 the class, on the same Barce- his 17th season. Indy appearance in 2017. Double Formula One champion Fernando Alonso after his drive in Barcelona on Tuesday.

IPL Qatar to host 2021 GCC Watson, bowlers propel Chennai Aquatics Championships QNA Muscat to crucial win with new approach The Gulf Cooperation Coun- cil (GCC) Swimming organ- Agencies The bowling led by West izing committee decided to Dubai Indies quick Dwayne Bravo, delay tournaments scheduled who returned figures of 2-25 for 2020 to 2021, as a result Shane Watson’s 42 and dis- from his three overs. the State of Qatar will host the ciplined bowling helped Chen- Three-time IPL winners 28th aquatics championships nai Super Kings bounce back Chennai moved level with next August. from two losses to beat Sun- Hyderabad on six points from The committee indicated risers Hyderabad by 20 runs eight games after their third that the 16th swimming cham- in the Indian Premier League win in a tough first half of the pionship in the short course on Tuesday. Twenty20 tournament in the will be held next February, pro- minutes of the previous meeting Sam Curran’s tone-setting United Arab Emirates. vided that the 18th open water number 65 which was held on 21-ball 31 at the top high- England all-rounder Sam swimming championship will September 7th 2019. The com- lighted the Chennai Super Curran contributed with 31 be held in October 2021. mittee also discussed its pro- Kings’ daring, new approach runs after opening the batting The GCC Swimming or- gram and activities for the year with the bat as they put up and then returned figures of ganizing committee had held 2021, as it was agreed to transfer 167 for 6. 1-18 from his three overs of a meeting through visual com- the tournaments scheduled for After Curran completed left-arm pace bowling. munication headed by Chair- 2020 to be held in 2021. the double duty – taking the Ravindra Jadeja scored man of Oman Swimming As- Furthermore, during the prized scalp of David Warn- 25 not out off 10 balls in a sociation (OSA) and Chairman meeting, letters received by er in the powerplay – the crucial cameo and then re- of the Arab Swimming Taha the committee from the Gen- Super Kings’ slower bowlers turned to take the key wicket bin Sulaiman Al Kashari with eral Secretariat and the mem- took over, smothering the of England’s Jonny Bairstow, the participation of members ber Gulf federations were re- Sunrisers Hyderabad to to bowled for 23, with his left- of the committee, includ- viewed, and Muhammad Al 147 for eight. arm spin. ing Secretary General of the Sahili, in charge of the work Kane Williamson (57 off Swimming Federation Talal of the technical expert at the 39 deliveries) manipulated The Chenni Super Kings players celebrate the fall of a wicket during their match against Sunrisers Hy- Scores: Chennai Super Kings Mubarak Al Darwish. Oman Swimming Association, the field and Rashid Khan derabad in Dubai on Tuesday. 167 for 6 (Watson 42, Ray- The meeting discussed sev- was chosen to be the technical gave the Super Kings a late udu 41, Sandeep 2-19) beat eral topics on the agenda where coordinator for the organizing scare with 14 off eight balls, off the last two overs, sealing Watson, who came in at Ambati Rayudu, who made 41, Sunrisers Hyderabad 147 for the participants ratified the committee. but Shardul Thakur and the Super Kings’ third victory number three, put on a key to guide Mahendra Singh Dho- 8 (Williamson 57, Bravo 2-25, Dwayne Bravo defended 26 in eight games. third-wicket stand of 81 with ni-led Chennai to a good total. Karn 2-37) by 20 runs. In-form Hassan to miss Five things: The surprises & new names world half-marathon AFP Dropped catches: A num- Dubai ber of dropped catches by top championships fielders in this year’s tour- Halfway through the 2020 nament have shocked many AFP Indian Premier League, exiled at the IPL. Virat Kohli and Paris to the United Arab Emirates Ravindra Jedja are among the because of the coronavirus elite to have let routine catch- In-form Dutch runner pandemic, it is already increas- es go to ground. The prob- Sifan Hassan will miss Sat- ingly likely that a new name lem venue has been Dubai’s urday’s World Athletics Half- will go on the winner’s trophy. stadium which has a “ring of Marathon Championships Here AFP takes a look at fire” circular lighting system in Gdynia, Poland, after an- five things that stood out in the instead of the regular tall tow- nouncing that she had ended first half of the world’s richest ers of floodlights. According to her season early. cricket tournament including players, the ball gets lost in the Hassan, who is the world the upstart challenge from the black sky and is misjudged by record holder for both the 5km Delhi Capitals and Royal Chal- fielders. “The players are not road race and the mile, both lengers Bangalore. used to playing under such set in 2019, set another world Kohli’s hunt for first title lights, maybe the trajectory record in this coronavirus- Netherlands’s Sifan Hassan. in search of their first IPL title: comes in the way,” Dhoni said affected season, setting a new India captain Virat Kohli has after one game at the venue. best for the one hour run in cus for next year. led Royal Challengers Banga- Brussels in September. “I want to make sure I will lore to their best start to a cam- Fake noise: Known for “It has been a tough year, be in top shape physically and paign with five wins from sev- its packed stadiums and rau- the uncertainty of competi- mentally next year at the Olym- en games. “King” Kohli found cous crowds, the IPL has been tions going ahead was always pic Games.” Hassan said her form with a half-century in his forced by the coronavirus into part of my training regime,” performances this season had team’s win over Rajasthan on exile in empty stadiums in said the Ethiopian-born Has- given her “good faith that I am October 3. Bottom of the table Virat Kohli (centre) has led Royal Challengers Bangalore to their best start to an IPL campaign with five United Arab Emirates. As with san, who also smashed Paula able to reach my highest po- last year, Bangalore are now wins from seven games. European football leagues, or- Ratcliffe’s long-standing Eu- tential, also in uncertain times. level with leaders Mumbai ganisers have turned to fake ropean record for the women’s Therefore I look forward to next Indians and Delhi Capitals on making a claim for national at- duo of Shivam Mavi, 21, and old Dhoni, once known for crowd chants and video re- 10,000m on Saturday. year with a lot of confidence”. 10 points. South African vet- tention in the IPL. Kohli called Kamlesh Nagarkoti, 20, have finishing off games, has failed cordings of cheerleaders to “To focus and push your- Hassan, one of the world’s eran AB De Villiers, who hit an the 20-year-old Padikkal a also made their presence felt to fire in the middle overs with keep TV viewers happy. Social self every day in training is most gifted athletes over a explosive 73 in Monday’s win “serious talent” before the left- taking nine wickets between Chennai in five of their seven media has been divided over difficult, especially when you wide-range of events, holds over Kolkata Knight Riders, hander hit three half-centuries them. games and they are now in the the canned noise but the tour- don’t know if it will be possi- the European record for the has played a key role. Kohli in seven games. Bishnoi, 20, unfamiliar position of seventh nament is still attracting view- ble to deliver performances in half-marathon, having timed hailed the South African as has caught the eye with his leg Dhoni slump: Mahendra in the eight-team table. ers. The stadium was empty a competition environment.” 1hr 05min 15sec in Copenha- “super-human”. spin for King’s XI Punjab and Singh Dhoni has been one of “IPL commentators are but a record 200 million Hassan, who was coached by gen in 2018. Indian youngsters: New his eight wickets so far have IPL’s most successful skip- maintaining the fiction that people watched on screens the now-banned Alberto Sa- The meeting in Hengelo in Indian player including Ban- included England’s Eoin Mor- pers, leading Chennai Super the wicket of Dhoni is still a at home as reigning cham- lazar, added: “The season was the Netherlands had seen the galore opener Devdutt Padik- gan and Jonny Bairstow, and Kings to three titles. But Dho- huge one,” Wisden Almanack pions Mumbai Indians beat short, but the lead up to it was 27-year-old, who was born in kal and Kings XI Punjab spin- Australian star David Warner. ni and the Super Kings are in a editor Lawrence Booth wrote Chennai Super Kings in the long. Therefore I decided to Ethiopia, win the 10,000m ner Ravi Bishnoi have been Kolkata Knight Riders pace slump this year. The 39-year- on Twitter. opening game. give myself some rest and fo- race in 29:36.67 minutes.