TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014 SPORTS Gebrselassie to set pace WCup coaches gather S Africa recall all-rounder at London marathon in Brazil for workshop Morkel for World T-20 LONDON: Haile Gebrselassie will be lead pacemaker for the elite men’s race at the FLORIANOPOLIS: All 32 coaches of the World Cup finalists are scheduled CAPE TOWN: South Africa recalled hard-hitting all-rounder Albie Morkel yesterday in London Marathon, organisers announced late yesterday. Ethiopian Gebrselassie, a mul- to gather in one of the Brazil’s leading tourist resorts for a workshop this their squad for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh starting next month. tiple Olympic and world champion over 10,000 metres as well as a former marathon week as the country seeks to put its best foot forward months before the The 32-year-old, older brother of fast bowler Morne, last played in the 20-over format world record holder, will pace the first 30 km at world-record speed at kick off of the 2014 finals. for the Proteas at the previous World Twenty20 held in Sri Lanka in 2012. South Africa the April 13 event, five days short of his 41st birthday. Cloudy conditions and rain on Santa Catalina Island will take some of have also included uncapped left-arm seamer Beuran A strong field will include Britain’s double Olympic and the shine off the usually hot and humid tropical paradise as participants Hendricks in their squad. world champion distance runner Mo Farah, marathon world debate and discuss the finer details of the tournament. The Cape Cobras player set a record for the most record holder Wilson Kipsang and fellow Kenyan and London Usually the workshop is more of an information seminar for FIFA, which wickets during the domestic Twenty20 competition course record holder Emmanuel Mutai. Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda and London champion gathers together not only the coaches but delegation leaders, team man- concluded earlier this month with 28 from 11 Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia will also compete. agers, security officers, team doctors and media personnel from each quali- matches at an economy rate of just over seven. It is “Haile is an icon of distance running, a man who has broken fied nation. this form that also recently earned him a contract with 27 world records on the track and road during his long and bril- They undertake a thorough run-through of the rules and regulations, King’s XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL). liant career, and we can’t think of anyone better to set our elite from major issues such as transport and training to more mundane things “Beuran’s claims could not be ignored and the experi- men up for a crack at the world marathon record,” race organiser like the maximum permissible size of equipment manufacturers’ logos on ence that Albie will bring on board is important for a high Hugh Brasher said in a statement. the players’ kits. profile tournament of this nature,” convener of selectors “Everyone knows how difficult it is to break the world Ahead of recent World Cups, however, there has been lively debate Andrew Hudson said in a media release. “The bulk of these record on London’s course, especially with such a com- among the coaches, who use the rare opportunity of direct access to players (11 out of 15) were part of our squad that won petitive field, but with Haile pacing and four of the fastest organisers to voice concerns over issues like the number of preparatory their Twenty20 series in Sri Lanka last year under marathon runners in history in the race, there’s a real days, exacting travel schedules and training facilities.—Reuters similar conditions (to Bangladesh).”—Reuters chance we will see something special.” —Reuters Watson wins at Riviera PACIFIC PALISADES: Bubba Watson was Jason Allred and fellow American Brian rewarded for his impressive early season Harman signed off with 68s to share third form when he stormed to his first PGA Tour place at 12-under, a stroke better than 2011 title since the 2012 Masters with a two-shot Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of victory at the Northern Trust Open on South Africa, who also carded a 68. Sunday. Four strokes off the pace going into the MAINTAINED ADVANTAGE final round, the American left-hander seized American journeyman William McGirt, control with five birdies in the first eight bidding for his first PGA Tour victory, began holes on the way to a flawless seven-under- the last day with a two-shot lead but slid par 64 at a sun-splashed Riviera Country back with a 73 to finish five strokes behind Club. Watson. Watson, who has long relished playing at McGirt had maintained his overnight the revered venue despite never having advantage with a comfortable two-putt posted a top-10 finish in seven previous birdie at the par-five first, the easiest hole starts, capped his round in style, rolling in a on the course. 14-foot birdie putt at the last to post a 15- However, he stumbled with a bogey at under total of 269. the tricky par-four second, where his “I am hitting the ball really well ... and it approach ended up just short of the green worked out this week,” an elated Watson before he ran his first putt nine feet past the told CBS Sports after clinching his fifth PGA hole. Tour title and the winner’s cheque for On a course running fast and firm under $1.206 million. a dazzling sun, several of McGirt’s closest “Things are great right now,” said the pursuers began to pile on the heat and, for American, who went bogey-free at Riviera a while, four players were tied at the top at over the weekend as he fired successive 64s. 12-under: Watson’s final round was the lowest by a McGirt, Watson, Harman and Schwartzel. champion at Riviera since Doug Tewell’s 63 Watson, who had holed out from a green- in 1986 sealed a seven-shot victory. side bunker to birdie the sixth, broke the He came into the tournament having deadlock by draining a 16-footer to birdie recorded two top-10s in his first four starts the par-four eighth before reaching the turn DAYTONA BEACH: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet, qualifies for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona on the 2013-14 PGA Tour, his best finish a in a blistering five-under 30. International Speedway. — AFP tie for second at the Phoenix Open earlier The American left-hander, who made the this month. “Today, I got hot early, holed a cut by just two shots after scores of 70 and bunker shot on six to really get it going and 71 before charging up the leaderboard with Dillon on pole for Daytona 500 went bogey-free in the last round,” said a sizzling 64 in the third round, then forged Watson. two strokes clear with a birdie at the par- “I was looking at: ‘There’s a number out five 11th. DAYTONA BEACH: With the famed No. 3 on “I love getting in that race car and driving it. I TRACK RECORD there and I’m going to shoot it. I have to Watson did well to par the treacherous his car and memories of the late Dale think once we get through some of these “Got a pretty good track record of qualify- shoot it and I have to go out there and play 12th, where he sank an eight-foot putt, Earnhardt fresh in his mind, Austin Dillon took races here at the beginning of the year, every- ing here with an ECR engine under the hood, good golf’. before Johnson trimmed his lead to just the fabled number out of hibernation and thing will sink in and I’ll get comfortable and and obviously they’re building some big pow- “You’re always looking at trying to beat one with a birdie at the 15th. straight to the top at Daytona. be able to have some fun.” er. the golf course first, so that was my goal,” Watson refused to buckle and held on to Dillon reawakened the days of The It’s the fourth time the No. 3 has won the The rest of the field is set Thursday through said the American, who was embraced after secure victory with pars on the next five Intimidator and proved he can handle the pole for the Daytona 500. Buddy Baker did it a pair of qualifying races, but Childress and the round by his wife Angie and their son holes before collecting his seventh birdie of spotlight thrust on his ride in the 3, winning in 1969, Ricky Rudd in 1983 and Earnhardt in the ECR engines are strong: They had five cars Caleb, who will celebrate his second birth- the day at the par-four 18th. the pole Sunday for the season-opening 1996. in the top 12 on Sunday. day in two weeks’ time. “He must be hitting the ball great and be Daytona 500. But this one was emotional all the way Childress knew he had a shot at the pole, if Long-hitting American Dustin Johnson, in great control of his golf ball because the He took the top spot with a lap at through RCR, which had its ups-and-downs in not with Dillon then from another one of his one of four players who held at least a share golf course, the greens, are really firm,” 196.019 mph in NASCAR’s season opener in performance in the 13 years since Earnhardt’s four Richard Childress Racing entries.