MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2015 SPORTS Iran cancels two football games over pollution TEHRAN: Iran postponed two premier agency said. Severe air pollution earlier this Mohammad Rastegari advised the elder- Sunday for its response to the situation. “What is the reason now?” league football matches yesterday, state week had already led authorities to close ly, children and sick people-including those Saturday’s “pictures of Tehran, Qazvin, Last December, almost 400 people were media said, as air pollution more than twice schools for three days in and around the suffering heart problems-to stay indoors. Qom and Esfahan show that the level of air hospitalised with heart and respiratory the acceptable level persisted in the capital. capital, where an estimated 14 million peo- Exhaust fumes from the five million cars pollution is very high in these provinces,” problems caused by heavy pollution in The games-between Tehran teams and ple live. and almost as many motorcycles that ply said one ultra-conservative parliamentarian, Tehran, with nearly 1,500 others requiring clubs visiting from Mashhad and Tabriz-were The Air Quality Index in Tehran yesterday Tehran’s roads account for 80 percent of its who handed out pollution masks to col- treatment. In 2012, pollution contributed to rescheduled for Tuesday after Tehran’s envi- stood at 132, an official told state television, pollution, which increases in winter as emis- leagues in protest. “In the last two years, it the premature deaths of 4,500 people in ronment authority recommended “refrain- well above the World Health Organisation’s sions fail to rise above cold air. has been said that the cause of air pollution Tehran and about 80,000 in the country, the ing from all sport activities,” the Fars news advised level of between zero and 50. Lawmakers criticised the government on was imported petrol,” said Hamid Rasaie. health ministry said. — AFP This handout photo from Rolex, shows Helsal 3 competing in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race yesterday. — AFP American yachts lead Sydney-Hobart HOBART: American yachts Comanche and lems which were serious enough for Read and Cape said. “It was a pretty solid hit ... it skipper Mark Richards said when the yacht the crew member was to be treated at an Rambler 88 led the Sydney to Hobart fleet into his crew to consider pulling out and returning knocked the boat and did quite a bit of dam- returned to Sydney. Another potential line Australian naval base. There were 27 interna- Bass Strait yesterday in a race with nearly 30 to Sydney. age to the board, so it’s not the best scenario.” honors winner, super maxi Perpetual Loyal, left tional starters, including 12 from the Clipper retirements due to bad weather, including Comanche passed Rambler 88, which is Australia’s Ragamuffin 100, the only other the race with a broken rudder. It also sailed Round the World Race, who are competing in eight-time and defending champion Wild Oats skippered and owned by George David, in eas- super maxi left in the race, was in third place, back to Sydney with a crew that included for- the Sydney to Hobart as the fifth leg of their XI. Nearly 34 hours into the race, the 100-foot ing winds just before the 24-hour mark followed by Italian yacht Maserati. The Sydney mer Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke series. Sydney-born Jimmy Spithill, the win- super maxi Comanche, skippered by Ken Read Sunday. Based on current projections, the to Hobart race hasn’t had a foreign winner and rugby player Kurtley Beale. ning skipper in the last America’s Cup aboard and which was forced to make repairs to a leading yacht could cross the finish line at since Swedish entry Assa Abloy in 2001. The 29 retirements, of 108 starters, by late Oracle Team USA, is a crew member on damaged rudder after an overnight storm, led Constitution Dock in Hobart late Monday. Sunday were already higher than last year’s 14 Comanche. It was beaten into Hobart a year Rambler 88 by 10 nautical miles. Rambler 88 had equipment problems of its DANGEROUS SITUATIONS for the entire race. Race officials said Sunday ago by Wild Oats XI by 55 minutes. Comanche had covered nearly 400 of the own later yesterday. “We had a bit of a disaster Wild Oats XI, also a super maxi, retired late that one of the crew members on the retired Wild Oats XI is the most prolific winner in 628 nautical miles to Hobart on the island ... we hit a submerged object with our star- Saturday when its mainsail was torn in half by yacht Black Jack has sustained a broken leg. the race’s history. Along with its eight line hon- state of Tasmania. Rambler 88 took the race board daggerboard so our boat speed on port the storm. “To fight on, we could have put the The 70-foot boat, carrying a crew of 12, was ors wins, it set the race’s fastest time in 2012 of lead when Comanche had the rudder prob- tack is severely limited,” navigator Andrew crew into real dangerous situations,” Wild Oats sailing to Jervis Bay, New South Wales, where 1 day, 18 hours, 23 minutes, 12 seconds. — AP Spieth will find it tough to match 2015 feats: McIlroy LONDON: Rory McIlroy has warned rival attention and focus. And I think it is more Jordan Spieth that “self-inflicted pressure” self-inflicted pressure really as your expec- will make it difficult for the American to fol- tations are so high.”McIlroy recalled that 12 low up his blockbuster 2015 season with an months ago he was preparing for 2015 equally successful 2016 campaign. World with high expectations of adding to his tal- number three McIlroy knows how tough it ly of four major victories. is to maintain peak form for a sustained “This time last year mine were through spell. the roof coming off a great season, winning The Northern Irishman won two majors those back-to-back majors and although I in 2014 and was considered the man to started well I never felt I really got into my beat in 2015, only to get derailed by a slow- stride with the injuries and stuff,” he said. ish start to the season at the big tourna- McIlroy ended 2015 on a high note, win- ments and an ankle injury that kept him ning the European Tour’s season-ending out of the British Open in July. Spieth took event in Dubai where he felt he finally got over as world number one, producing a the “speed” back in his swing. He has magnificent season as he captured the US vowed to be tournament-ready by the time Masters and US Open titles and came per- the Masters comes around in April. ilously close to winning the British Open “It just sort of all came together in Dubai and US PGA Championship. and it makes me excited about next year,” “It will feel completely different for said McIlroy. Jordan (in 2016),” McIlroy told the Daily “I’m not saying I was undercooked this Telegraph. “If you look at the stats at how year but I definitely won’t be next year. I’m those who have had a double-major sea- playing (the Northern Trust Open at) Riviera son have performed the next year ... it’s (in California) for the first time and with the hard to back up. WGC-Matchplay moving dates, Augusta “There’s so much expectation, so much will be my eighth event.” — Reuters US beat Canada 4-2 in ARCADIA: In this image ptovided by Benoit Photo, Om, with Gary Stevens aboard, wins the Grade II $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile horse race junior hockey opener Saturday, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. — AP HELSINKI: Louis Belpedio and Auston He plays for the Niagara IceDogs in the King George hero Cue Matthews scored in a 41-second span Ontario Hockey League. late in the third period to give the United Matt Barzal and Dylan Strome scored States a 4-2 victory over Canada 4-2 on for defending champion Canada, and Card targets £1m bonus Saturday in their first round-robin game Mason McDonald made 21 saves. In the in the world junior hockey champi- other Group A game, Dmytro Timashov onship. had two goals and an assist in Sweden’s LONDON: King George VI Chase hero Cue Card riband firmly in his sights and the chance of rest of my life anyway.” Belpedio, a defenseman from Miami 8-3 victory over Switzerland 8-3. will go straight for the Cheltenham Gold Cup landing the bumper bonus on offer for any horse Cue Card had a gruelling race in the King of Ohio, broke a tie with 3:18 left. In Group B, Russia edged the Czech where victory will net his connections a £1 mil- landing the Betfair Chase-King George-Gold Cup George which he was winning at the fourth Matthews completed the scoring with Republic 2-1 in a shootout, and Finland lion ($1.5 million) bonus, his trainer Colin Tizzard Triple Crown. “The bonus I thought was an attempt, and Tizzard believes he will benefit 2:37 to go. He plays for ZSC Lions Zurich routed Belarus 6-0. Maxim Lazarev had announced yesterday. impossible task but we are another step closer from the two-month gap before the Gold Cup. in Switzerland. Boston College’s Colin the lone shootout goal in Russia’s victory. Cue Card overhauled Vautour on the line to to it,” Tizzard told At The Races television chan- “He had a hard race and he has had three White and Michigan’s Zach Werenski also Jesse Puljujarvi had two goals and an snatch a thrilling win in Kempton’s Grade 1 nel.