Vahedi and Jans Clinch IBSF World Snooker Championship in the Men’S Final, Vahedi Thumps Pagett of Wales 8-1, While Jans Routs India’S Kamani for Women’S Title
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NBA | Page 8 FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 Raptors hand Chapecoense Sixers 22nd football team To Advertise here straight road plane crashes Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 loss in Colombia Wednesday, November 30, 2016 GOLF Rabia I 1, 1438 AH Woods ‘not dead’, GULF TIMES says itching to return in Bahamas SPORT Page 5 SPOTLIGHT Vahedi and Jans clinch IBSF World Snooker Championship In the men’s final, Vahedi thumps Pagett of Wales 8-1, while Jans routs India’s Kamani for women’s title Iran’s Soheil Vahedi (left) won his maiden title, while for Wendy Jans of Belgium it was her sixth crown at the 2016 IBSF World Amateur Snooker Championship at Al Sadd indoor hall in Doha yesterday. By Sahan Bidappa pressure from the beginning and struggled to to record scores of 33 and two 32s and clinch yet Doha play on the table chosen for the fi nal. another title. “I had struggled in this table during the last- Jans was pleased after winning her sixth world 32 match, and it was very slow table, which title, but wasn’t too happy with the way she won ranian Soheil Vahedi and Wendy Jans of Bel- didn’t suit my style. But Soheil is a worthy it. “I have been playing for a long time, more gium clinched the 2016 IBSF World Amateur champion. He hits the ball lot harder than me, than 20 years now, since I was a little girl. Maybe Snooker Championship in style yesterday, which benefi ted him today,” said Pagett. it’s because of the experience I have I won here. cruising to victories at the Al Sadd indoor “I have been on a professional tour not long But honestly, I didn’t play well my best at all, it Ihall. In the men’s fi nal, Vahedi thumped Andrew ago. I have beaten the best and lost to the worst. was good enough though in the end,” Jan said. Pagett of Wales 8-1 for his maiden World title, I was probably one of the favourites to win title. “I am really happy that I defended my title, while Jans reaffi rmed her status as the queen of So I am happy having made it to the fi nal of the but little bit disappointed with my game. But women’s snooker with her fi fth consecutive ti- world championship,” the Welshman added. as long as it’s good enough, a win is a win,” she tle, and sixth in total, with a 5-0 rout of India’s For the women’s champion Jans, it wasn’t a added. Jans, who runs a snooker club in Belgium Amee Kamani. stroll in the park against Kamani, but she wasn’t while also working in a full-time job, is not yet After so many nail-biting matches in the 10- stretched either by the Indian rookie, who mak- ready to relinquish her title as queen of snooker. day long tournament, the lop-sided nature of ing her maiden appearance in the fi nal. “I see that lot of girls are coming up, especial- the fi nals yesterday was surprising. Jans was The 33-year-old Jans was playing in her tenth ly the girls from Asia, from Thailand and China. expected to dominate women’s fi nal, with Kam- world championship fi nal yesterday. The Bel- They are getting better and I am getting older as ani making her maiden appearance at the world gian won her fi rst title in 2006, and then added well (laughs). I know a lot of girls here and they stage. But Vahedi’s total dominance against to her collection of world titles in 2012, 2013, look up to me because I have been dominating former main tour professional Pagett came as a 2014 and 2015. She was the beaten fi nalist in for so long. Maybe that’s one of those reasons I shocker. Both players were appearing in the fi nal 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008. have been doing well,” she said. for the fi rst time, but it was the 27-year-old Va- Needless to say, Jans has dominated the sport “I always want to win, so every win makes me hedi, who dictated the game from the word go. for long. Her record also includes winning the happy. It’s not the same feeling like when I won The Iranian took a 3-0 lead, which was capped European title 10 times and the Belgian national the fi rst World title, because it’s something spe- with a break of 58 in the third frame. But Pagett, championship 14 times. cial. But still to retain my title every year, it feels who reached the Crucible (one of the biggest Kamani did put up a fi ght in the fi rst two nice,” Jans added. venues in professional snooker) in 2011, got on frames, but Jans saw through the diffi cult period Meanwhile, Dharminder Lilly of India won Women’s winner Wendy Jans (second tight) from Belgium, runner-up India’s Amee Kamani (right), the board courtesy of a 69 in fourth 4. However, and took a 2-0. Her experience and guile proved the Masters title defeating Elfed Evans 6-2 of and joint bronze medallists Waratthanun Sukritthanes (left) and Nutcharat Wongharuthai of Vahedi struck back with runs of 57 and 81 to take valuable as she raised her game by few notches, Wales in the fi nal. Thailand pose with their trophies. the last two frames of the session and stretch his advantage to 5-1. Time was running out for Pagget and the Welshman started brightly but only to see Vahe- di clear the last red with all the colours to go 6-1 up. With Vahedi needing just two more frames in the best-of-15 encounter, the title was within the grasp of Iranian. And he wasted little time in doing so. He made breaks of 55 and 63 in the follow- ing two frames to clinch the title, becoming the second cueist from Iran to lift the trophy. Hos- sein Vafaei Ayouri was the fi rst World Champion from Iran when he won in India in 2011. Vahedi’s victory was the largest winning mar- gin since 1992 and guarantees him a two-year professional tour card. But it remains to be seen whether he will take up the tour card, after last year’s winner Pankaj Advani of India had de- clined the off er. For Pagett, who was bidding to become the fi rst Welsh winner since Michael White in 2006 (called IBSF World Grand Prix then), it was a disappointing way to end the championship. The 34-year-old had trounced Advani 7-2 in the semis and was the favourite to win the title, at least on paper. Pagett, the the fi rst non-Asian player to feature in a fi nal since 2012, was under IBSF and Qatar Billiard & Snooker Federation’s off icials pose with the men’s top four finishers of the 2016 IBSF World Amateur Snooker Championship at the Al Sadd indoor hall yesterday. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, November 30, 2016 FOOTBALL SADNESS Plane carrying Brazil’s Chapecoense team crashes in Colombia leaving 75 dead ‘I express my solidarity in this sad hour during which tragedy has beset dozens of Brazilian families. The government will do all it can to alleviate the pain of the friends and family of sport and national journalism’ How the world reacted to this tragedy... Reactions from around Europe yes- Atletico Madrid, whose former player terday to the plane crash in Colombia Cleber Santana was club captain at carrying the Brazilian top-flight team Chapecoense Chapecoense among its 81 passen- gers: #ForcaChapecoense - The thoughts of everyone at Manchester United “This is a very, very sad day for are with @ChapecoenseReal and football. all those aff ected by the tragedy in At this diff icult time our thoughts are Colombia.” with the victims, their families and - Manchester United, who lost eight friends. players in February 1958 as their FIFA would like to extend its most plane crashed on take off from Mu- heartfelt condolences to the fans of nich airport Chapecoense, the football com- munity and media organisations “Real Madrid C.F. concerned in Brazil.” expresses its sorrow at the tragic FIFA President Gianni Infantino air crash involving the Brazilian club Chapecoense and extends its “Pray for my teammates please.” condolences to relatives and friends Chapecoense striker Alejandro of the victims. Martinuccio, who missed the trip due At the same time, wishing an early to injury recovery for the survivors.” - Real Madrid “Terrible news that puts the sport in mourning, my solidarity with the “Our thoughts are with Chapecoense whole football family #Chapecoense.” and everyone eff ected by this trag- Colombian cyclist Nairo Quintana, edy and their families. winner of the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta We are speechless.” a Espana - Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid captain “My deepest condolences to all “All our support and solidarity is with the families, friends and fans of the victims and the families aff ected #Chapecoense” by the @ChapecoenseReal tragedy in Argentina and Barcelona striker Colombia.” Lionel Messi - FC Barcelona “My prayers and my solidarity for “The thoughts of AS Roma are the survivors, families and friends of addressed to Chapecoense and all Chapecoense in this sad time.” those aff ected by the tragedy in Colombian striker Radamel Falcao Colombia.#ForcaChapecoense”. - AS Roma Rescue crew work in the wreckage from a plane that crashed into Colombian jungle with Brazilian football team Chapecoense, seen near Medellin, Colombia yesterday.