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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016 SPORTS Final teams join international, GCC stars for EFG Sailing Arabia MUSCAT: EFG Sailing Arabia - The Tour completes its 2016 line-up with regional strength as two GCC teams are announced to hit the waves for the sixth edition of the race, which will take place from 14-29 February 2016. Showcasing the talent and legacy of sailing from the Sultanate of Oman, SATT welcomes the return of Team Renaissance, featuring sailing stars Fahad Al Hasni and Nasser Al Mashari, and newcomers Al Mouj, led by the sea- soned hands of co-skippers Nico Lunven and Gilles Favennec. Drawing on their knowledge of local waters, Team Renaissance is eager to combine their offshore and inshore talent for a string of podium places. Fahad Al Hasni, a key member of Oman Sail’s record breaking Musandam-Oman Sail MOD70 crew, returns to skipper Team Renaissance for the second consecutive year, and will be joined by Nasser Al Mashari who in December received worldwide acclaim when Extreme 40 crew The Wave, Muscat were crowned 2015 champions of the Extreme Sailing Series. According to Al Hasni, hopes are high that their fifth place last year can be improved to at least third in this edi- tion. “I think it is going to be hard because it is a new route with a lot of different challenges which will test us all. The leg from Doha to Khasab in particular will be a test because it is a very long one but Sami and I have done a lot of off- shore racing and spent many days and nights at sea so this should not pose too many problems. We aren’t strangers to the race and we know you need to be consistent to be in with a chance of winning. Preferably we want to come first every time whether it is inshore or offshore but if not, to try and make it onto the podium each time if we can.” EFG Sailing Arabia - The Tour in 2015 (inset) Gilles Favennec of Al Mouj. SURPRISE Hoping to give Team Renaissance a challenge in the water and eager to join the now nine-strong competition is debutant team Al Mouj. The mixed Omani-non-Omani Al Mouj is looking to spring a surprise in their first SATT expe- US beat World 157-154 in rience, backed by the experienced leadership of co-skip- pers French navigator Nico Lunven, who has Volvo Ocean Race, Tour de France a Voile, Figaro and RORC miles and a SATT 2015 trophy under his belt, and seasoned campaign- er Gilles Favennec, a member of Oman Sail’s MOD 70 and Rising Stars Challenge M34 crew. Bringing together local and French sailors, the skippers focused on building a team comradery that would carry TORONTO: Zach LaVine hoisted the MVP them through the gruelling two week race. “This Al Mouj trophy above his head, laughing along team was put together by Gilles and I and we decided to with Minnesota Timberwolves teammates try to build a team where the goal is to be happy working Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns well as a team for a month,” explained Lunven. “We decided as he stood on the podium. our focus was on being happy so we have a team who One win down at All-Star weekend. know each other and spend a lot of time together.” One to go. LaVine had 30 points and sev- The debutant team are excited to tackle the new route, en rebounds and the United States team despite not having time to train in the early months lead- beat the World team 157-154 in the Rising ing up to the kick off in Dubai on 15 February, as their skills Stars Challenge on Friday night to kick off are sure to shine during the second upwind leg to Doha the weekend festivities. In the game fea- and the marathon third leg to Khasab. This is where they turing some of the best rookies and soph- hope to rack up the points and are serious contenders for a omores in the league, LaVine geared up podium place with ambitions to dislodge favourites EFG to defend his slam dunk title last night by Bank Monaco from the top spot. making 13 of 20 shots to beat Wiggins, “We would like play for the first place,” said Lunven, who took home MVP honors last year in before adding “We are especially looking forward to com- Brooklyn. peting against Sidney Gavignet’s team EFG Bank Monaco.” “I’m excited for tomorrow,” said LaVine, The 2016 EFG Sailing Arabia - the Tour, also sponsored who revived interest in the dunk contest by Al Thuraya, is the sixth edition of the race with some of with an electrifying performance last year. the world’s most highly regarded international sailing teams set to grace the waters of the Arabian Gulf. The race “I’m ready to put on a show.” Kristaps combines long offshore legs with high action racing Porzingis scored 30 points, and ‘around the cans’ in harbours along the 750 nms course. Emmanuel Mudiay had 30 points and 10 Oman Sail first launched the race in 2011 and since then, it assists for the World team. Wiggins scored has grown into the jewel in the crown of Middle East sail- 29 points while playing in front of his ing, as the Gulf region’s only long distance offshore event. hometown fans. Los Angeles Lakers soph- omore Jordan Clarkson added 25 for the Americans. The Rising Stars game can sometimes take on the feel of a sideshow, League proud to something that forces the next genera- tion into a spotlight that they aren’t be progressive, but always ready for. But the court was loaded with talent on Friday night in Toronto, more can be done players like Wiggins, Porzingis, Karl- Anthony Towns, Elfrid Payton and Jabari TORONTO: The NBA has long been considered Parker. the most progressive of North America’s four The influx of talent has given several major professional sports leagues when it comes long-suffering franchises - the to gender equity but more work can be done, Timberwolves, Knicks, Bucks - hope that according to some owners and former players. better days are arriving soon. For most TORONTO: United States’ Jabari Parker, right, reaches for the ball as World’s Raul Neto (25) shoots during the second half of the Heading into the NBA’s current season, currently fans in attendance, Wiggins was the star NBA Rising Stars Challenge basketball game in Toronto on Friday. — AP on break for All-Star Weekend in Toronto, the attraction. He has been churning out league led the way in North America with two highlight reels since he was 14 years old, female assistant coaches among its 30 teams. “We was drafted No. 1 overall last season and can always do more but I think the NBA has always won the rookie of the year award. The been a leader in human rights and I think we’re a locals have called him “Maple Jordan” and Pinturault wins men’s very inclusive league and product from a fan openly pine for him to one day come standpoint as well,” said Steve Nash, a two-time home and play for the Raptors. NBA Most Valuable Player who retired last year, “It felt great,” Wiggins said. “I got to play World Cup giant slalom told Reuters. in front of a lot of people I haven’t seen in The San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings a long time. My family, friends got to YUZAWA: Alexis Pinturault led a 1- both have women on their coaching staffs while watch it. It was great being back home 2 finish for France in the men’s the NBA was the first of North America’s core four and playing in front of my hometown.” World Cup giant slalom yesterday. professional sports leagues to have a full time Pinturault, who was second after female referee when Violet Davis took the court in THUNDEROUS OVATION the first run, used a blistering sec- 1997. “You can always say with diversity, when Wiggins has stated time and again that ond run of 1 minute, 17.78 seconds you have underrepresented groups, that you can he loves it in Minnesota and envisions a to finish 0.51 ahead of compatriot always do more,” said Sacramento Kings co-owner long and bright future with Towns, LaVine Mathieu Faivre. Massimiliano Paul Jacobs. “Then the question is how do you get and the rest of the Timberwolves’ promis- Blardone of Italy was third, 0.67 off from here to there, and how do you make sure ing young core. But he has never shied the pace. that there is a pipeline of people and that those away from his love of Toronto and he said “The race was not easy,” people are having adequate access.” Last week the he was looking forward to being back in Pinturault said. “It was quite bumpy National Football League said during its first Canada for an extended stretch this week- on the second run and there were Women’s Summit ahead of Super Bowl 50 that end while the rest of the basketball world some gates you had to control and they are instituting a rule requiring all 32 teams to finally trained its focus on his hometown. some gates you had to attack.” Fritz interview women for open executive positions. Wiggins received a thunderous ovation Dopfer of Germany led after the first While applying a similar rule for NBA teams upon introduction in the starting lineup run but dropped down to seventh may boos the number of women in executive and was serenaded with chants of “M-V-P! after a second effort of 1:19.75.

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