Sports Tuesday, May 4, 2021 15 Cherif and Ahmed making case as one of the best in world the Qataris together in a 4-star Qataris ranked event and just their second as a team, following their triumph third following in a 1-star tournament in Doha in February. Cherif and Ahmed Sunday’s have won more medals than any other men’s team in 2021, Cancun triumph with two golds and two silvers in five tournaments. QNA/FIVB “It’s the first gold for us in LAUSANNE/MEXICO a four-star event and it feels amazing. To make it to three THE International Volleyball finals in three weeks and to get Federation (FIVB) on Mon- the gold at the end, it’s unbe- day announced that the first lievable. We just kept fighting, Qatari beach volleyball team that’s what we did,” he added. of Cherif Younousse and Ah- Cherif and Ahmed are mad Tijan has made a big leap certainly making a case to be in the international rankings, considered the No. 2 team in now being third in the world the world as we inch closer to- with 3040 points (for the best wards the Tokyo Olympics. teams that played over the “We trust the process,” past 365 days). Cherif said after the win over The FIVB confirmed that Russia. “We know it’s a long this ranking is based on the process, so we just tried to best 4 results from the last 6 focus on our play each game recognized FIVB tournaments and we are really thankful to played over the course of a be here with the gold. It’s been whole year. so long, three weeks, and we’re In terms of the interna- tired, but we just tried to keep tional rankings of teams, the our focus as high as we could.” Qatari national team contin- And the result was as high ued to rise in the world rank- as it could get. Mol and Sorum ing, and came in eighth place were the only other team to with 5280 points, according to Cherif Younousse and Ahmad Tijan (centre) on the podium after winning the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour4-star Cancun Hub 3rd Event in Mexico on Sunday. win multiple medals in Can- the rankings updated on Mon- cun. Only Qatar won medals day by the FIVB. after gaining 7,400 points. the FIVB. ball World Tour 4-star events After losing back-to-back the final tournament on Mexi- in all three. As for the classification According to the announced Cherif and Ahmed will at the Playa Delfines, the Qa- finals to Norway’s Anders can sand with a 2-0 (21-15, “I feel so amazing about of the teams that will qualify classification, the Qatari leave the Cancun Hub with taris climbed another step on Mol and Christian Sorum, the 21-12) win against Russians this,” Tijan said. “This is his- directly for the next Olympic team guarantees one of the gold medals around their the podium on Sunday as they 25-year-old Cherif and the Konstantin Semenov and Ilya tory. Three finals in three Games in Tokyo, Japan, the seats that qualify directly for necks. Silver medallists in the won the third and final tour- 26-year-old Ahmed remained Leshukov. weeks and at the end, we get Qatari team is ranked fifth the Olympiad, according to first two FIVB Beach Volley- nament in Mexico. strong and secured the title of It was the first victory for the gold, it’s unbelievable.” Jayawickrama bags eleven as Sri Lanka win Test, series ANI Scoreboard PALLEKELE Sri Lanka (1st innings): 493-7 dec Bangladesh (1st innings): 251 RAMESH Mendis and Praveen Sri Lanka (2nd innings): 194-9 dec Jayawickrama made light Bangladesh (2nd innings: Overnight 177-5) T. Iqbal c Dickwella b Mendis .................... 24 work of Bangladesh’s middle S. Hassan c Lakmal b Jayawickrama ......... 34 and lower-order as Sri Lanka N. Shanto b Jayawickrama ........................ 26 won the second Test by 209 M. Haque b Mendis .................................. 32 runs on the fifth morning here M. Rahim c de Silva b Mendis .................. 40 at the Pallekele International L. Das lbw Jayawickrama ........................... 17 With the second COVID-19 wave rampant across India, there have also been reports of some foreign play- Cricket Stadium on Monday. M. Hasan c Nissanka b Jayawickrama ...... 39 ers being wary of the situation and how they will return home at the end of the 14th edition of the IPL. With this win, Sri Lanka T. Islam c Dickwella b de Silva .................... 2 won the two-match Test series T. Ahmed c Karunaratne b Mendis .............. 7 1-0. Jayawickrama returned S. Islam not out ........................................... 0 A. Jayed lbw Jayawickrama .......................... 0 RCB-KKR clash postponed with five wickets while Mendis Extras: (b3, lb2, nb1) ................................. 6 scalped four wickets for the Total: (All Out in 71 overs) ......................227 hosts in the second innings. Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Iqbal), 2-73 (Hassan), due to COVID-19 cases Resuming on the fifth day at 3-104 (Shanto), 4-134 (Haque), 5-171 177/5, Bangladesh was given an (Rahim), 6-183 (Das), 7-206 (T. Islam), 8-227 ANI ation. The game is set to be ID-19 wave rampant across early jolt in just the third over of (Ahmed), 9-227 (Hasan), 10-227 (Jayed). NEW DELHI postponed,” the official said. India, there have been reports the day as Praveen Jayawickra- Bowling: Lakmal 4-2-14-0, Mendis 28-2- Sydney Morning Herald of some foreign players be- ma had Liton Das (17) adjudged 103-4, Jayawickrama 32-10-86-5, de Silva 7-1-19-1 (1nb). THE Indian Premier League also reported that Australia ing wary of the situation and leg-before wicket. Result: Sri Lanka won by 209 runs. (IPL) clash between Kolkata pacer Pat Cummins is also un- how they will return to their Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Series: Sri Lanka 1-0. Knight Riders (KKR) and well and he is currently under- respective countries at the end Islam then got together at the Player of the Match: Praveen Jayawickrama Royal Challengers Bangalore going self-isolation. of the 14th edition of the IPL. crease to form a 23-run stand (SRI); Player of the Series: Dimuth (RCB) slated to be played lat- India registered a slight But IPL COO Hemang Amin for the seventh wicket. Karunaratne (SRI). er on Monday night has been dip in COVID-19 cases as it has assured all players and However, Sri Lanka broke postponed and a new date for registered 3,68,147 new coro- support staff that the Board the partnership in the 62nd desh to 227/9. With this scalp, the fixture will be communi- navirus infections and 3,417 of Control for Cricket in In- over as Dhananjaya de Silva Jayawickrama registered his cated in due course. related deaths in the last 24 dia (BCCI) will ensure their sent Taijul (2) back to the pa- 10th wicket in the match. This development comes hours, informed the union smooth return at the end of vilion, reducing Bangladesh to In the very same over, Abu after two KKR players -- Varun health ministry on Monday the league. 206/7. Sri Lanka’s Praveen Jayawickrama celebrates dismissing Bangladesh’s Jayed (0) was adjudged leg- Chakravarthy and Sandeep morning. With this, the cumu- In a letter to the players Mehidy and Taskin Ahmed Liton Das on the final day of the second and final Test at the Pallekele before wicket and this gave Sri Warrier tested positive for lative count of the cases has and support staff, accessed by tried their best to keep the Sri International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Monday. (AFP) Lanka a win by 209 runs. COVID-19. “Yes, the match gone up to 1,99,25,604. ANI, Hemang addressed the Lanka bowlers at bay, but to Jayawickrama returned has been postponed. Before the start of the tour- apprehension and concerns of no avail. Taskin (7) and Sri Lanka rama then had Mehidy (39) with figures of 5-86. In the The new date for the fix- nament, Delhi Capitals’ Axar the cricketers. He said that the Ramesh Mendis then got needed just two more wickets caught by Pathum Nissanka in first innings, Jayawickrama ture will be announced soon,” Patel had tested positive for tournament isn’t over for the into the act as he dismissed to register a win. Jayawick- the 71st over, reducing Bangla- had returned with six wickets. sources in the know of devel- COVID-19. Kolkata Knight Rid- BCCI till every player reaches opments confirmed to ANI. ers batsman Nitish Rana also home safely. Earlier on Monday, speak- tested positive, but he also re- So far, the IPL matches ing to ANI, a BCCI official con- turned a negative test before the have been played across four firmed that there are cases in start of the tournament. Few venues -- Mumbai, Chennai, Proud of representing Sri Lanka in 7 World Cups: Perera the KKR camp and the RCB groundstaff members at the Ahmedabad, and Delhi. camp isn’t too keen to take the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai The next leg is slated to be Thisara Perera represented Sri Lanka in 166 ODIs, field against them. had also returned positive tests, played in Kolkata and Bengal- Star all-rounder “Varun and Sandeep test- but all the 10 IPL matches went uru and then the playoffs will smashing 2,338 runs. In the 50-over format, he also ed positive and that made the smoothly in Mumbai.