SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2013 SPORTS Bale misses Madrid’s Monaco suffer a final game of the year Malaga beat Elche shock defeat 2-1 MADRID: Gareth Bale will miss Real Madrid’s final game of the year away ELCHE: Malaga edged 10-man Elche 1-0 on Friday for its first win in PARIS: Radamel Falcao made his comeback after almost a month on to Valencia today due to an inflamed calf muscle, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti nine away games this season in the Spanish league, easing the the sidelines only to miss a penalty as Monaco suffered a shock 2-1 has confirmed. Bale was absent from Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Olimpic pressure on coach Bernd Schuster. Malaga bounced back from its home defeat at the hands of struggling Valenciennes on Friday. The Xativa in the Copa del Rey after picking up the injury in training on Colombian striker, on as a substitute, saw his poorly-struck late penalty Tuesday. However, Ancelotti insisted the injury is not too serious, suggest- elimination from the Copa del Rey earlier this week to Osasuna with a much-needed victory that provisionally lifted it to the middle of saved by visiting goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau as the principality side ing the Welshman will be fully fit by the time Real return to action after the let slip the chance to go provisionally top of the Ligue 1 table. Instead, winter break on January 6. “The injury he has is just a knock. It is not a seri- the standings. Midfielder Ignacio Camacho headed in Sergio “Duda” they remain two points adrift of leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who are ous injury, but he won’t be available for tomorrow,” said Ancelotti. “He has- Barbosa’s free kick six minutes in to score what proved to be the n’t had the necessary time to recover.” Angel di Maria will winner. already confirmed as autumn champions before replace Bale on the right side on the Madrid attack, while Elche kept most of the action to Malaga’s final third but failed to hosting third-placed Lille today. Monaco coach Cristiano Ronaldo will return after being suspended in mid- create clear chances. It was reduced to 10 men in the 60th when Claudio Ranieri had left Falcao on the week. Xabi Alonso is also certain to start given the impact defender Damian Suarez earned his second booking for a studs-first bench at kick-off as his side went looking he has made on the side in recent weeks since returning tackle on Camacho. “I’m happy for the goal but happier for the for a sixth consecutive win. They had not from injury. The former Liverpool midfielder’s contract is up three points that we really needed away from home,” Camacho said. conceded a goal in any of their last five at the end of the season and, although Ancelotti rec- “We have to see the positive side to what happened in the Copa outings but fell behind in bizarre fashion ognized keeping the 32-year-old is a priority, he dis- (del Rey). We’re out, but now we need to look to move up the here with half an hour played, captain Eric missed suggestions that Madrid are over-reliant on league table.” It was promoted Elche’s third straight loss. Barcelona Abidal bundling the ball into his own net Alonso. “The board want Xabi to renew his contract after ‘keeper Danijel Subasic had failed to cut because he is very important, he is experienced and and Atletico Madrid lead the league by three points ahead of Real has a lot of quality.—AFP Madrid. — AP out Arthur Masuaku’s cross from the left.—AFP HK history-making cricketers vie for Chinese fans HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s cricketers made where field space is hard to come by and foot- Hawk Eye, outreach programs into 50 schools strong average of 30.12, while slow left-armer across the border in mainland China. “We have history by qualifying for next year’s World ball and basketball are far more popular. and weekend leagues involving roughly 500 Munir Dar’s 17 wickets at 13.05 apiece placed quite a few youngsters coming through. We Twenty20 in Bangladesh, but when the news Cricket was brought to Hong Kong when players. However, it remains hard for cricket to him second on the leading bowlers’ list. Rather have 100 percent Chinese teams playing in the reached the city’s Chinese population, it was the British colonized the island in 1841. Once gain traction in the Chinese community, Hong than Chinese players, the squad is made up leagues,” says Walsh. “Our avowed aim is to greeted with a collective shrug. The former played in predominantly white clubs, it grew Kong’s dominant ethnic group. mainly of South Asians like 23-year-old vice- grow the game and we say part of our onus is British colony placed sixth out of 16 teams at to depend on short-term, mainly Western Samson Lam, a 33-year-old league cricketer captain Waqas Barkat, a hard-hitting middle to grow it that way-by that way I mean north recent qualifiers in the UAE, ensuring the city expatriates passing through on work con- who took up the sport three years ago and order batsman. over those hills into China,” he adds, gesturing will be represented at a major international tracts. now plays in an all-Chinese team, blames a Barkat, the son of Pakistani immigrants beyond the verdant ground of the city’s his- cricket tournament for the first time. It’s a That situation has changed over the past lack of local media interest but hopes Hong who is fluent in Cantonese, is optimistic about toric Hong Kong Cricket Club. major leap forward for a territory that has decade with the requirements that nearly all Kong’s recent success can change that. “Cricket the team’s trajectory given the relative youth This currently looks like a distant prospect, been playing international cricket since 1866. players be permanent residents or nationals, is the best sport of Hong Kong and being able of its core players. “In the coming four to five and with Lamsam aiming for retirement next But all-rounder Roy Lamsam, the squad’s only ending the cyclical nature of the squad and to make a World Cup final is something years Hong Kong is going to go big. Our age year, there are no other Chinese players on the current player of Chinese origin, says reaction placing the team on firmer ground. unique,” said Lam. “Hopefully (qualifying) average is 22 or 23. In the next five years guys verge of selection. But he hopes the team’s in Hong Kong has been muted. “We’ve reached a stage where people can’t would attract more Chinese. The problem are going to be very senior and will have more recent success can elevate its profile. “It’s diffi- “Obviously, Hong Kong’s made history. But I pretend we’re not there. They have to take us from what I see is there isn’t enough coverage. experience playing this group,” he says. cult, but there is still hope,” says the part-time don’t think we got the recognition that we seriously’” said chairman Mike Walsh, who “Two days after Hong Kong qualified, we Atkinson, a qualified teacher whose father also interior designer. “You cannot deny the fact deserved. I don’t know whether Hong Kongers oversaw the team’s transition from amateur to started seeing some news in local newspa- played for Hong Kong, says the side has taken we’ve accomplished something that no one are really happy or overjoyed at that,” he said. professional in April this year. Today, the pers-two or three sentences max. It’s not great strides, especially since the advent of has done before. Despite not being very popu- The 33-year-old, who made his debut for wealthy, semi-autonomous southern Chinese enough to get local people to understand it.” professional contracts. lar at the moment it’s there for people to the side in 1996 after making his way up city of 7 million receives generous govern- The team is led by Jamie Atkinson, a former But if the team is to develop further, Walsh understand to enjoy, get their curiosity satis- through an all-Chinese school team, said the ment and ICC funding that pays for top-class Durham University player who finished the says Chinese involvement is crucial. He adds fied. “Qualifying for the World Cup can only be sport still struggles to make headway in a city facilities including ball-tracking technology qualifier tournament in UAE with 241 runs at a that the eventual aim is to help the sport grow a positive thing.”—AFP India close in on win; S Africa retain hope JOHANNESBURG: A direct-hit run-out of Graeme Smith ended a century opening part- nership as South Africa fought to stave off defeat on the fourth day of the first Test against India at the Wanderers Stadium yesterday. Set to make an improbable 458 to win, South Africa were 138 for two at the close. South Africa had reached 108 without loss with both Smith and Alviro Petersen batting with increasing confidence. But Smith, on 44, went for a risky single after he punched a ball from Ravichandran Ashwin to HAMILTON: Ross Taylor of New Zealand bats during day three of the third interna- mid-on. Ajinkya Rahane fielded superbly and tional cricket Test match between New Zealand and the West Indies at the Seddon threw down the stumps at the bowler’s end, to Park yesterday.