Qatar’s Samba among IAAF nominees for 2018 Athlete of the Year award PAGE 19 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 Twenty-two World, Olympic champions form ODI CRICKET PAGE 19 all-star lineup at world gymnastics INDIA VS WEST INDIES (11 AM) Traditional ceremony to welcome gymnasts, delegates to Doha While the welcome ceremony will be held at the Torch Ballroom at Aspire Zone on Wednesday, the opening for the 48th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Doha 2018 will be held at the Aspire Dome’s main hall (above) on Thursday. Spotlight to be on Qatari culture, craftsmanship & folklore TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK evening. It will include cul- the unveiling of the medals for opening is also in the same As- has an enhanced capacity of DOHA tural and heritage sections of Doha Worlds which have been pire campus. 6,000 to accommodate all. Qatari craftsmanship, folklore designed in Arabic and include Meanwhile, Qatar gym- A distinct and truly Qatari and dance. Islamic inscriptions reflecting Championship to begin nasts Ahmed al Dayani, cultural show on Wednesday Once the gymnasts, offi- Qatari culture. on Thursday Ahmed Nabil and Jana al Kiki evening will mark the welcome cials and distinguished would The Organising Commit- The championships proper are all geared up to put up ceremony for participants and be welcomed, the audience tee has invited the members will kick off at the Aspire their best and compete with officials of the 48th FIG Artis- will be treated to a short live of the international federa- Dome on Thursday with the the world’s best. tic Gymnastics World Cham- Kiki has a good train- pionships Doha 2018, the first ing session on Tuesday and of its kind to be held in the seemed in good readiness. All Middle East, at the Torch Ball- the three gymnasts recently Qatar’s room at Aspire Zone. have had training camps over- 16-year-old In what would be an hour seas and are keen to raise their gymnast Jana and a half long ceremony, performance levels. al Kiki on over 1300 delegates including show on Qatari children’s liv- tion and members of the fed- national anthem of Qatar the balance gymnasts, officials and other ing in the olden days. This will erations of the participating and a presentation of the Technical Committee beam during guests from more than 78 be followed by a short film on countries besides the regional participating nations and holds briefing the women’s countries will be welcomed in Qatar – about the past and and Asian federation mem- their gymnasts. The Technical Committee for podium train- a traditional Qatari way before present and how gymnastics bers and almost all of them An entertainment show on Doha Worlds Championships ing at the the athletes hit the centrestage as a sport has grown in the have arrived in Doha. gymnastics will be then pre- held a meeting with the ref- Aspire Dome’s at the Aspire Dome. country. While Doha has played sented by a Chinese team. ereeing officials for the tourna- main hall on The participating coun- Later, the Qatar Gymnas- host to many memorable major The organisers have ex- ment under the chairmanship Tuesday. tries also include six Arab na- tics Federation (QGF) Presi- sports events in the past includ- pressed its satisfaction with of Donatella Saki, Chairman of tions – Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, dent Ali al Hitmi and president ing the Asian Games in 2006, all facilities at Aspire and have the FIG Technical Committee Syria and Jordan besides host of the International Gymnas- the gymnastics world champi- put the spectators at the fore- for Women. All participating Qatar. tics Federation (FIG) Morinari onships opening is expected to front of their attention. A large referees were given a plan of The theme will be very Watanabe shall be delivering be traditional yet dazzling. The weekend crowd is expected on action for the championships See also page 19 Ô much Arabic at the ceremony their welcome speech. grand Khalifa stadium which the first two days of the com- and about the different timing to be at held from 6.30 in the This will be followed by hosted the 2006 Asian Games petition and the hall already devices. SO NEAR, YET SO FAR: Al Sadd miss out on AFC Champions League final after a 1-1 draw Beiranvand showed his Persepolis make quality and kept his side in history at a packed the front seat with a com- posed performance, which Azadi stadium included a stunning reflex qualifying for save to keep out Xavi’s head- er in the 86th minute. the first time As the clock ticked on, Al Sadd pushed forward with all AFC.COM their strength but it was Perse- TEHRAN polis who held on to clinch a famous result in front of their IRAN’S Persepolis FC created home fans. history at a jam-packed Azadi In the 49th minute, Sia- Stadium by reaching the AFC Persepolis’ Siamak Nemati (centre) celebrates with teammates after mak Nemati (pictured below, Champions League final for scoring during the AFC Champions League second leg semi-final match left) volleyed in Mensha's the first time in their history, against Al Sadd at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on Tuesday. (AFP) cross from the left to make it after playing to a 1-1 draw 1-1 and put his side back in with Al Sadd of Qatar in the hosts threatened at the Al Sadd after. It took until the 39th front on aggregate. second leg of their semi-final box. In the 14th minute, God- minute for one to materialise, Al Sadd struggled to make clash on Tuesday. win Mensha headed across the but Godwin Mensha's shot was inroads after Nemati's strike, The result gave Persepolis goalmouth after Ahmad Nou- saved by Meshaal Aissa. having to resort to desper- a 2-1 aggregate win and a place rollahi's corner but Ali Mosleh The script of the game ate attempts. In one such in- in the Continental showpiece, was unable to connect. changed dramatically right stance, Pedro Miguel had a go where they will face either Su- Then, three minutes later, after half-time break, when at goal from over 35 yards out won Samsung Bluewings or Al Sadd broke the deadlock Persepolis scored. but the ball bounced wide off Kashima Antlers. and levelled the aggregate Al Sadd struggled to make Beiranvand's post. Trailing by a goal from the score. The Persepolis defence inroads after Nemati's strike, In the 64th minute, Aissa's first leg, it was Al Sadd who were flustered by a loose pass having to resort to desper- point-blank save from Alipour had greater impetus to score, across them, and tournament ate attempts. In one such in- denied Persepolis of what could fashioning an opportunity in top scorer Baghdad Bounedjah stance, Pedro Miguel had a go have been a deciding goal. the third minute. However, (pictured below) finished off at goal from over 35 yards out Beiranvand showed his Abdelkarim Hassan’s shot a first time shot with aplomb but the ball bounced wide off quality and kept his side in at goal flew straight into the past the outstretched arms Beiranvand’s post. the front seat with a com- hands of Persepolis goalkeep- of Beiranvand. Persepolis re- In the 64th minute, Aissa's posed performance, which er Alireza Beiranvand. sponded with more urgency point-blank save from Alipour included a stunning reflex The momentum soon but were denied any clear-cut denied Persepolis of what could save to keep out Xavi’s head- Baghdad Bounedjah after scoring for Al Sadd in the AFC Champions League second leg semi-final match swung the other way and the scoring opportunities there- have been a deciding goal. er in the 86th minute. against Persepolis FC at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on Tuesday. Persepolis won 2-1 on aggregate. (AFP) Sports Wednesday, October 24, 2018 17 AFC U-19 Championship WORLD SUPERBIKE FINALE Qatar target QF berth against Chinese Taipei Maroons beat hosts Indonesia 6-5 on Sunday to keep their hopes alive The Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex is already wearing a Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki new look with attractive branding reflecting mood of the tournament. Racing Team WorldSBK) is only 1one win short of the all-time season record of wins, 17, set by Doug Polen in 1991. Rea already Final countdown recorded 16 wins last season. There is another record in sight for Rea: a seventh double in a for Qatar Squash 2single season would be unprecedented in WorldSBK history. So far, the value of six has been Classic begins recorded four times in history: the first was Doug Polen in 1991, fol- lowed by Troy Bayliss in 2002, and TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK main draw for the first since the then Rea achieved the feat in 2017 DOHA 2006 edition, are leading the and now 2018. home challenge. WITH less than four days to go, As a PSA World Tour Plati- Since the introduction of the the final countdown has begun num tournament, the winner new rules, which force the for the Qatar Classic 2018, the of the event will automatically 3winner of Race 1 to start from ninth on the grid in Race 2, winning 16th edition of the annual pre- qualify for a coveted berth at the from ninth on the grid has become mier squash tournament which season-ending PSA World Tour a frequent challenge for Jonathan will be held from October 27 to Finals, which includes both a Rea. At San Juan, Rea won his 12th November 2.