P 12 | FOOTBALL P 24 | MOTORSPORT XAVI, mARCA LEGEND THE END OF AN ERA Al Sadd’s Spanish midfield maestro Xavi France’s nine-time World Rally Championship Hernandez wins the Marca Legend award winner Sebastien Loeb’s 15-year-long for his outstanding contribution to the game. association with Citroen comes to an end. WEDNESDAY, DECEmbER 9, 2015 | Vol X | No.45 | QR 2.00 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com Follow us on All’s Thewell Qatar 2022 World Cup Local Organising Committee and visiting FIFA delegation meet to discuss several topics aimed at laying the foundation for a successful tournament. PAGES 6-7 UK ...................................... £1 UAE ...............................Dh 5 Europe ............................. €2 Yemen..................75 Riyals P 10 | FOOTBALL P 20 | POSTER Oman ...............200 Baisas Sudan ...................1 Pound Bahrain ..................200 Fils KSA .......................... 2 Riyals Egypt .............................LE 2 Jordan ....................500 Fils RAVICHANDRAN Lebanon ..........3,000 Livre Iraq .................................... $1 Standing firm Kuwait ....................250 Fils Palestine ......................... $1 EXCLUSIVE Morocco ......................Dh 6 Syria .............................LS 20 INTERVIEW in convictions! ASHWIN www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, DEcEmbEr 9, 2015 3 OPINION » The writer can be contacted at: Editor-in-Chief Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi [email protected] Managing Editor Kumar Ravi Senior Editor/Writer Aswin Abraham Senior Sports Writer N Ganesh Sports Writers Sajith B Warrier Mohammad Amin-ul Islam Sarath Pookkat Photographers Mohan ‘Qatar Clasico’ promises to Vinod Divakaran Fadi Al Assaad Mohammed Dabboos A K BijuRaj be an engrossing contest Graphic Designers Abhilash Chacko Gopakumar K T’S said your success depends on how high you incisive. Their two other players — Sergio Garcia and Joice Michael bounce when you hit the bottom. Al rayyan Sports Sebastian Soria — also figure among the top scorers Technical support Shaheen Mohammed Iclub proved they’re quite successful even before with six goals apiece, taking the Lions’ total tally to NO ONE COVERS Abdul Naser M they reached the half-way mark in their comeback 38. And the solidity and compactness of their defence season in the Qatar Stars League, winning all 11 is reflected in the fact that they’ve conceded the least matches so far. number of goals (nine), an honour they share with rayyan’s commendable success has seen thousands Jaish. of fans thronging back to the stadiums, adding more On the contrary, Sadd are going through a QATAR SPORTS BETTER P.O. box: 24598, Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 44138065, Fax: +974 44138597 excitement to the league. Overall, there’s a marked transitional phase, with Ferreira assuming charge www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com improvement in the quality of matches and even some hardly two weeks ago. They’ve only won six matches, Editorial: Tel: +974 44138522, Fax: +974 44138593 lowly teams are pulling off stunning wins over fancied having drawn three and lost two. Despite the e-mail: [email protected] rivals, like Al Sailiya’s shocker against Al Sadd last inspiring presence of Xavi Hernandez in the midfield, Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 week. Sadd’s attack has not lived up to the expectations. e-mail: [email protected] Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 It’s against this backdrop that rayyan take on Sadd, They’ve also conceded 15 goals so far, exposing the e-mail: [email protected] in what’s dubbed as the ‘Qatar clasico’, on Thursday. vulnerability of their defence. Overall, they need to rayyan go into it with a record-breaking unbeaten improve a lot if they’re to match rayyan. run and 10 points clear at the top. Obviously, their There’s a lot at stake for both teams and, as such, the www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus confidence is on an all-time high. Sadd, on the other clash of titans promises to be an engrossing one. may www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar hand, should be more determined than ever to snap the best team on the day emerge as winners. their two-match losing streak and give their new www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar coach, Portuguese Jesualdo Ferreira, his first win. rayyan’s Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati was able to find solutions to their early hiccups and they look Publishers: ASPIrE Printing, Publishing and Distribution unbeatable. With rodrigo Tabata in top form, leading Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi Printed at ASPIrE Printing Press the scorers’ list with 12, rayyan’s attack looks sharp and Editor-in-chief © Stories and photographs appearing in this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of ASPIrE Printing, Publishing and Distribution. INSIDE P 14 | FOOTBALL P 22 | CRICKET P 28 | ULTRARUNNING Magician Mahrez! Narrowing the Gulf! American flavour riyad mahrez fires The UAE prove they are miles Americans Tony migliozzi and Leicester city back to ahead of other teams in the camille Herron emerge as winners the top of English region, but Qatar offer a lot in the men’s and women’s category Premier League with a of promise at the Second Gcc respectively at the inaugural 50km hat-trick against Swansea. Women’s T20 championship. World championships. P 26 | FENCING P 27 | GOLF Publishers: ASPIRE Printing, Publishing and Distribution P O Box: 24598, Doha, Qatar. For you, Oleg! Garcia is back Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 e-mail: [email protected] Italian mara Navarria dedicates Former champion Sergio Garcia Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 her Epee World cup gold medal confirms his participation in the e-mail: [email protected] to legendary coach Oleg commercial bank Qatar masters, Pouzanov, who died last week. to be held from January 27 to 30. www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, DEcEmbEr 9, 2015 3 OPINION » The writer can be contacted at: Editor-in-Chief Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi [email protected] Managing Editor Kumar Ravi Senior Editor/Writer Aswin Abraham Senior Sports Writer N Ganesh Sports Writers Sajith B Warrier Mohammad Amin-ul Islam Sarath Pookkat Photographers Mohan ‘Qatar Clasico’ promises to Vinod Divakaran Fadi Al Assaad Mohammed Dabboos A K BijuRaj be an engrossing contest Graphic Designers Abhilash Chacko Gopakumar K T’S said your success depends on how high you incisive. Their two other players — Sergio Garcia and Joice Michael bounce when you hit the bottom. Al rayyan Sports Sebastian Soria — also figure among the top scorers Technical support Shaheen Mohammed Iclub proved they’re quite successful even before with six goals apiece, taking the Lions’ total tally to Abdul Naser M they reached the half-way mark in their comeback 38. And the solidity and compactness of their defence season in the Qatar Stars League, winning all 11 is reflected in the fact that they’ve conceded the least matches so far. number of goals (nine), an honour they share with rayyan’s commendable success has seen thousands Jaish. of fans thronging back to the stadiums, adding more On the contrary, Sadd are going through a P.O. box: 24598, Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 44138065, Fax: +974 44138597 excitement to the league. Overall, there’s a marked transitional phase, with Ferreira assuming charge www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com improvement in the quality of matches and even some hardly two weeks ago. They’ve only won six matches, Editorial: Tel: +974 44138522, Fax: +974 44138593 lowly teams are pulling off stunning wins over fancied having drawn three and lost two. Despite the e-mail: [email protected] rivals, like Al Sailiya’s shocker against Al Sadd last inspiring presence of Xavi Hernandez in the midfield, Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 week. Sadd’s attack has not lived up to the expectations. e-mail: [email protected] Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 It’s against this backdrop that rayyan take on Sadd, They’ve also conceded 15 goals so far, exposing the e-mail: [email protected] in what’s dubbed as the ‘Qatar clasico’, on Thursday. vulnerability of their defence. Overall, they need to rayyan go into it with a record-breaking unbeaten improve a lot if they’re to match rayyan. run and 10 points clear at the top. Obviously, their There’s a lot at stake for both teams and, as such, the www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus confidence is on an all-time high. Sadd, on the other clash of titans promises to be an engrossing one. may www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar hand, should be more determined than ever to snap the best team on the day emerge as winners. their two-match losing streak and give their new www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar coach, Portuguese Jesualdo Ferreira, his first win. rayyan’s Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati was able to find solutions to their early hiccups and they look Publishers: ASPIrE Printing, Publishing and Distribution unbeatable. With rodrigo Tabata in top form, leading Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi Printed at ASPIrE Printing Press the scorers’ list with 12, rayyan’s attack looks sharp and Editor-in-chief © Stories and photographs appearing in this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of ASPIrE Printing, Publishing and Distribution. INSIDE P 14 | FOOTBALL P 22 | CRICKET P 28 | ULTRARUNNING Magician