Sports Sunday, May 19, 2019 17 Qatari referees to officiate in QFA appoint Aspire Academy DG Bravo as new technical director 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK DOHA AFC.COM semi-final second-leg in April MIAMI last year. IVAN Bravo has been ap- In return, Mark Geiger, pointed Technical Director of QATAR referee Abdulrahman from the United States and a the Qatar Football Associa- al Jassim alongside assistant FIFA referee since 2008, took tion (QFA). referees Taleb al Marri and control of the AFC Champions Bravo’s latest appointment Saoud al Maqaleh have been League semi-final between Ko- comes in the wake of develop- selected to officiate in the rea Republic’s Suwon Bluew- ing junior football in Qatar, 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup as ings and Japan’s Kashima Ant- who won the Asian Cup earlier part of the Memorandum of lers at the Suwon World Cup this year. Understanding with the Asian Stadium in October 2018. The Qatar national squad Football Confederation (AFC) CONCACAF Director of – that includes a number of and CONCACAF. Refereeing, Brian Hall said: Aspire Academy players – The trio will be part of the “Following the successful par- stunned powerhouses of Asia 48 match officials officiating ticipation of CONCACAF Refer- to become continental cham- in the competition co-hosted ees in the AFC Asian Cup UAE pions in February this year. by the United States, Costa Qatari referee Abdulrahman al Jassim 2019, we are proud to continue Bravo is the Director Gen- Rica and Jamaica from June collaborating with the AFC in eral of Aspire Academy where 15 to July 7. and Saoud al Maqaleh on their and Alberto Morin were select- our tournaments. he overseas the football devel- Newly-appointed Qatar Football Association (QFA) Technical Director AFC Director of Referees, appointments and wish them ed to be part of the match offi- “This is the first time that opment incentives for junior Ivan Bravo. Shamsul Maidin said: “The success in the 2019 CONCACAF cials at the AFC Asian Cup UAE a trio of match officials from players. Bravo has been in Qa- AFC is delighted to continue Gold Cup which is a fantastic 2019 earlier this year. AFC will be participating in a tar for a number of years now. Academy, Bravo was Director the business and sports fronts our strategic partnership with competition for them to gain Prior to their appoint- CONCACAF Gold Cup, as part Aspire Academy’s success of Strategy at Real Madrid CF, with two main goals: continue to CONCACAF and continue experience and knowledge.” ments, Ravshan Irmatov of our partnership with the in delivering quality players is one of the world’s most accom- lead the industry as the world’s to strengthen the refereeing As part of the successful ex- from Uzbekistan, the young- Confederation. This exchange attributed to the plans out in plished sports institutions. highest revenue grossing foot- standards in both Continents.” change programme, Mexicans est ever FIFA World Cup ref- complements our efforts to place by Bravo for more than At Real Madrid, Bravo was ball club and restructure Real “We congratulate Abdulrah- Cesar Arturo Ramos and his eree, took charge of a CON- raise the level of refereeing a decade. in charge of heading the Club’s Madrid’s sports practices to re- man al Jassim, Taleb al Marri compatriots Miguel Hernandez CACAF Champions League across CONCACAF.” Prior to joining the Aspire strategies and initiatives on both turn to sports success. Sanchez Vicario says Nadal, Konta reach Osaka facing pressure of instant fame REUTERS able players in the game – her BENGALURU switch from Adidas to Nike last month made headlines around finals at Italian Open NAOMI Osaka’s fluctuating the world and she even has a form before the French Open Barbie doll in her likeness. is a sign that the newest star However, she has recently in women’s tennis is strug- struggled with injuries and gling with the pressure of be- poor form and raised eyebrows ing number one, feels Spanish by firing her coach Sascha Ba- tennis great Arantxa Sanchez jin less than a month after her Vicario. Melbourne triumph. Osaka, 21, took the tennis Sanchez Vicario, who is world by storm when she beat in Bengaluru to promote the Serena Williams in the U.S. TCS World 10K run https:// Open final last September and tcsworld10k.procamrunning. claimed a second successive in, knows a thing or two about Grand Slam title at this year’s the pitfalls of fame and the Australian Open to become the 47-year-old empathises with first Asian player to top the sin- the balancing act that Osaka is gles rankings. having to carry out. She is also the first woman She was 17 when she to win a second slam imme- stunned Steffi Graf in the 1989 diately after her first since Roland Garros final to win the Jennifer Capriati in 2001 but first of her four major singles her meteoric rise has been fol- titles, but unlike Osaka, had to lowed by a distinct dip ahead wait five years for her second. of Roland Garros. “I had nothing to lose She pulled out of the Ital- against Steffi but after that, ian Open on Friday with a they expected me to win eve- hand injury, casting doubt on rything and be number one her ability to start in Paris. straightaway. To handle that “It happens to everyone,” when you’re young isn’t easy,” three-times French Open she said. champion Sanchez Vicario Despite Osaka’s recent Spain’s Rafael Nadal in action during his semi-final match against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Ital- Britain’s Johanna Konta celebrates winning her semi-final match told reporters in India before setbacks, Sanchez Vicario was ian Open in Rome on Saturday. (REUTERS) against Netherlands’ Kiki Bertens in Rome on Saturday. (REUTERS) Osaka’s latest withdrawal. confident that Osaka will be “When you reach number back to her free-flowing best. Schwartzman in the cham- ity to exploit. tory against world number Konta will world number one, the pressure is double and “If she’s free of injury then Victory sees pionship game on Sunday Tsitsipas projected an air four Kiki Bertens to advance seven Karolina Pliskova who everyone wants to beat you. definitely she’s the player to - his last match ahead of the of confidence as he held to to a maiden final at this beat Maria Sakkari in straight It’s hard to put it all together watch after the domination Nadal advance to French Open that takes place love his first service game in tournament. sets (6-4, 6-4). but once you’re ready for it... of Serena Williams. If she’s his 50th Masters next week. the second set, but was quick- Konta rallied from nar- Bertens broke at 6-5 and it’s a different story.” healthy, (Osaka is) one of the But his latest win was ly taken to task by Nadal in rowly losing the opening set then held serve to secure the Osaka’s success has made title contenders,” Sanchez Vi- 1000 final also a satisfying result for the third game. to secure a break late in the opening set but her fortune her one of the most market- cario said. the Spaniard as he exacted a He saved a break point second to level the scoreline, did not hold in the second, DPA measure of revenge over Tsit- at 1-1 with Nadal ahead 40- before finding a higher gear when she double faulted trail- ROME sipas, who had beaten him in 30 for deuce and almost held in the decider to dominate ing 15-40 to allow Konta a 6-5 the semi-final at the Madrid serve after a second deuce, but proceedings. advantage. WORLD number two Rafael Open last week. a mounting tally of unforced The match was a chasten- The momentum clearly Nadal reached his first clay Nadal was seemingly errors meant he surrendered ing blow for Bertens, who shifted in the final set in fa- court final of the year at the without faults in the one a crucial break for 2-1. was crowned champion at the vour of Konta’s aggressive Italian Open after he defeated hour 42 minute encounter on Tsitsipas, to his credit, did Madrid Open a week ago, and play, as she broke Bertens Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 in Court Centrale, mercilessly not allow himself to be bro- relinquished her impressive early for 2-1, and then again Rome on Saturday. punishing his opponent for ken again. eight-match winning streak for 5-2, from which point The victory ensured Nadal leaving gaping holes on his But Nadal in full flow in Rome. Bertens offered scant resist- advanced to his 50th Masters backhand side. needed no extra help as he But it was also a monu- ance. 1000 final and keeps alive his The Spaniard raced ahead served out the match to love, mental achievement for Bertens did save three hopes of winning what would to establish an early break and to great roars from the Konta, who had never put match points in the eighth be an unprecedented 34 titles for 2-0 in the opening set, crowd. four matches together on game but was ultimately un- at this level. and proceeded to hold serve On the women’s side Jo- the clay prior to her defeat able to stop the Briton from Naomi Osaka shows her injured hand at a press conference in Rome Nadal will next play ei- throughout as Tsitsipas in hanna Konta pulled off an in the final in Rabat against advancing to the final at the on Friday where she announced her withdrawal from Italian Open.