FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 NNBABA | Page 5 Madrid’s PSG LeBron James preparations becoming an hit by Espanyol old hand at defeat triple doubles Thursday, March 1, 2018 CRICKET Jumada II 13, 1439 AH Stokes back in form, GULF TIMES England level series against New Zealand SPORT Page 4 ISF WORLD SCHOOLS HANDBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ATHLETICS Barshim aims Austria, Hungary to reclaim lift titles at the cost world indoor title today Austrian boys edge Germany atar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim, the 2017 IAAF world 21-18, Hungarian girls post male athlete of the year, will be in action at the IAAF World Indoor Championships at Arena Bir- dominant 30-17 win in finals mingham today. of Germany QThe 26-year-old Qatari athlete leapt a world-leading 2.38m at the Asian Indoor Championships last month, but By Sports Reporter withdrew from the recent Athlone Grand Prix, citing “dif- Doha fi cult technical problems”. The two-time Olympic medallist will be aiming to regain the title he won in 2014. ustria and Hungary teams clinched Two years ago, he had to settle for fourth position as Ital- the boys and girls title respectively ian Gianmarco Tamberi notched gold with a 2.36m eff ort. at the ISF World Schools Handball Today, Barshim’s fi ercest competitor may come in the Championship yesterday. At the shape of Danil Lysenko, who will jump as an authorised AAli Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, Germany neutral athlete. was left heart-broken after both its boys and The 20-year-old world silver medallist has enjoyed an girls team lost in the fi nal. unbeaten winter campaign, setting lifetime bests of 2.35m, In the boys’ title clash, Austria edged 2.36m and 2.37m en route to his seven victories. out Germany 21-18 after a thrilling match. Poland’s Sylwester Bednarek should also be in the medal Both the teams were locked 18-18 after mix. The European indoor champion equalled his lifetime regular time, before Austrian players kept best of 2.33m in Trinec last month to fi nish second behind their nerves to win the game and champi- Lysenko. onship in extra time. Bronze medallist in Portland two years ago, 2012 Olym- At fi nal whistle, Austrian players pic silver medallist Erik Kynard of the US has jumped 2.31m jumped with joy as German team rued this season and can never be discounted. their missed opportunities. It was the sec- Bahamian Donald Thomas earned his place in Birming- ond setback of the day for Germany, after ham by winning the 2017 IAAF World Indoor Tour. The the girls team also went down to Hungary. Austria’s boys team poses with the winners’ trophy, Rabea al-Kaabi, President of the School Sports Federation and Chairman of the 2007 world champion, now 33, has competed just once this Hungarian girls were deserved winners, Organising Committee, and other off icials, after they beat Germany in the final of the ISF World Schools Handball Championship at the winter, but showed decent form by leaping 2.31m in Banska though, after a comprehensive 30-17 win, Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena yesterday. PICTURES: Thajudheen Bystrica. which left Germany stunned. The fi nal was Birmingham-based Robbie Grabarz, who shared the Ol- expected to be a close one, with Germany ympic bronze medal in 2012 and took silver in Portland, is having impressed the most throughout the the local hope. The 30-year-old 2012 European champion group stages. But Hungary raised their game has a season’s best of 2.30m that he set in January. (IAAF) when it mattered to walk away with the title. The third place in the girls went to Den- mark, who beat Brazil in the play-off . Is- rael boys, meanwhile beat Poland, to take the boys’ third spot. Meanwhile, Qatar boys’ team fi nished a creditable 10th in the championship. Rabea al-Kaabi, President of the School Sports Federation and Chairman of the Organising Committee, gave away the prizes. Organised by the Qatar School Sports Association under the patronage of the International School Sport Federa- tion (ISF), the 24th edition of the champi- onship was held at three venues – Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, Aspire Dome and Women’s Sports Hall in Aspire. The tournament was for 16-18-year- olds and it was the fi rst time in 24 editions, the championship took place outside of Europe. The competition was fi erce with 19 girls and 18 boys’ teams from 21 coun- Hungary’s girls team celebrates their win over Germany in the final of the ISF World Schools Handball Championship yesterday. tries from across Africa, Asia, Americas and Europe competing for glory. pecially the committees that worked to mittee (QOC) Secretary-General Jassim QOC secretary-general commended the Al-Kaabi was pleased with the tourna- make it a success. We are proud of what we Rashid al-Buenain met on Tuesday with eff orts of the ISF President to promote the ment’s success. “We are happy with what have achieved through this competition. President of the International School school sports globally. we have seen in the tournament and with I would like to thank the handball fed- Sport Federation (ISF) Laurent Petrynka, For his part, the ISF President lauded the great participation of teams from dif- eration for their great cooperation and we who is currently visiting the country. the success of the 2018 ISF World School In this March 9, 2014, picture, Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim ferent countries,” al-Kaabi said. hope are successful in hosting any upcom- The meeting reviewed aspects of sport Handball Championship. The meeting celebrates after winning the high jump event at the IAAF “I would like to thank everyone for ing events,” he added. co-operation and ways to enhance and was also attended by Director of the QOC World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland. their eff orts during the tournament, es- Meanwhile, the Qatar Olympic Com- develop them in the upcoming stage. The Sport Aff airs Department Khaleel al-Jabir. BOTTOMLINE Russia back in Olympic fold aft er IOC lift s doping ban AFP Zhukov said Russia received a letter The time since the ban on December team deserves our thanks.” knowingly doping and some Russian Putin said yesterday that “the fi ght Moscow from the IOC yesterday which confi rms 5 was “probably some of the most dif- Silver medallist fi gure skater Evgenia media said his food was spiked by an against the evil of doping should be that no other Olympic athletes from fi cult months in the history of Russian Medvedeva said in a short speech: “We ex-girlfriend. without compromise”. Russia had tested positive for doping, sports and the Olympic movement in put all our soul into our performance. We Russia’s Olympic ban followed the WADA previously criticised the de- he International Olympic following two positive Russian drug Russia,” Zhukov said, praising athletes fought for medals for our Motherland.” uncovering of a doping conspiracy cision by the Court of Arbitration for Committee has lifted a ban tests at this month’s Winter Games in in particular for competing in “diffi cult where tainted urine samples were Sport which overturned Olympic life against Russia, Moscow of- Pyeongchang. conditions.” OLYMPIC DOPING CASES switched with clean ones. bans on 28 Russians accused of dop- fi cials said yesterday, after “All of the doping tests that were con- Putin praised Russian athletes as Two Russians, curler Alexander Krush- The government has denied any state ing, though they still did not compete Tthe country had been barred from the ducted on our athletes in the last days they were honoured in a Kremlin cer- elnitsky and bobsledder Nadezhda involvement in the plot but a top sports in Pyeongchang. Pyeongchang games over state-spon- of the Olympics were negative,” Zhukov emony, saying the Olympic suspension Sergeyeva, were kicked out of the Ol- offi cial Vitaly Mutko, currently a dep- “Unfortunately so far our relation- sored doping. said. The IOC said in a statement that was “a page we must turn.” ympics after their doping tests were re- uty prime minister, was suspended by ship with WADA, the reinstatement of The news, confi rmed later by the Russia’s suspension has been “automati- “You showed your best athletic and vealed to be positive, with Krushelnit- the IOC for life. status of RUSADA, is not complete,” IOC, was announced as Olympic ath- cally lifted with immediate eff ect”. human qualities. You showed your sky being stripped of his bronze medal. Russia’s reinstatement in the IOC Zhukov said. letes were feted in the Kremlin, thank- Russia was banned in December fi ghting character,” Putin told the ath- The scandal meant that the Olympic does not aff ect the suspended status “There is still a lot of work to be done ing President Vladimir Putin for letting from taking part in the 2018 Olympics letes. The ceremony followed Russia’s team from Russia could not use national of its RUSADA national anti-doping which is likely to be as diffi cult as the them compete under a neutral status. following revelations of widespread Pyeongchang medallists receiving keys colours or fl ag for the closing ceremony agency with the World Anti-Doping work to reinstate the Russian Olympic “The rights of the Russian Olympic doping, though 168 athletes were to white Mercedes SUVs the day earlier. in Pyeongchang as originally hoped. Agency, which on Monday said the Committee,” he said. Committee have been fully restored,” deemed “clean” and were cleared to go “Despite all the diffi culties, the Moscow blamed the two cases on country remains non-compliant, citing “But we must do this as quickly as said the president of the Russian Ol- to Pyeongchang to compete under the Games had pleasant surprises and gave “negligence rather than malicious “proven systemic manipulation of the possible to create a comprehensive sys- ympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov.